The Division of Student Life fosters student success by creating and promoting inclusive educationally purposeful services and activities within and beyond the classroom. The departmental program review process empowers departments within the Division of Student Life to critically evaluate their work and their effect on the UI student experience through a lens of continuous improvement.

The Office of the Dean of Students engaged in a Council for the Advancement of Students in Higher Education (CAS) Standards program review in February 2018. The process included a self-assessment review by staff members in the Office of the Dean of Students, selection of two external reviewers, Dr. Soncia Reagins-Lilly and Dr. Carolyn Livingston, and an internal reviewer, Dr. Jamie Jorgensen, and meetings with staff members, stakeholders, and campus partners. The Office of the Dean of Students created the following action plan in response to the program review team's recommendations.

Table of contents

Recommendation: enhancing the Office of the Dean of Students' campus profile

General

Traditionally the Dean of Students office is the central unit that is critical to the student experience.

Critical tasks

  • Hiring a strong, qualified AVP/DOS
  • Need to clarify mission, create a “tag line,” and better identify scope of work for the Office of the Dean of Students, including the expanded portfolio and changing the narrative on campus
  • Increase marketing, promotion, and tell our story to campus, in particular students
  • Increase and capitalize on relationships and campus partnerships within the Division of Student Life and across campus
  • Establish the Office’s role on campus as primary student experience office and voice
  • Develop and increase ability and authority to shape student experience on campus
  • Determine and implement support for off campus students
  • Assess impact of changes on programs, services, and student support

Success measures and updates

  • Reimagine the portfolio of the AVP/DOS and the areas within the Office of the Dean of Students to make the DOS the center of the student experience (complete April 2018)
  • Assess and adapt the physical environment to better meet needs including moving the Office of Student Accountability to a new office suite (complete fall 2018)
  • Hire a strong, qualified AVP/DOS (complete spring 2020)
  • Ensure students can articulate the programs, services, and resources the Office of the Dean of Students provides (complete spring 2020)
  • Assist campus partners in identifying ways in which they can partner with the Office of the Dean of Students to support student success (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Help the university community to recognize the Office of the Dean of Students’ role, ability, and authority in overseeing all aspects of the student experience (complete spring 2020)
  • Creation of Senior Advisor for VPSL and AVP/DOS to establish stronger partnership, DOS as primary voice (completed spring 2020)

Visibility and presence

Campus partners are seeking a colleague and a team of colleagues who embrace the closeness and “can do” spirit that fills the office buildings and classrooms on the campus. Stakeholders are seeking a dean of students who is actively engaged in both on and off campus events and activities. The dean of students should lead by example and demonstrate campus and community engagement. The Office of the Dean of Students must tell its story.

Critical tasks

  • Send monthly updates to campus about successes in the Office of the Dean of Students
  • Work with the Office of Strategic Communication to provide regular updates in Iowa Now and Parent Times
  • Staff under DOS will serve as ambassadors for helping DSL and campus understand the new AVP/DOS portfolio and units
  • Continue to increase engagement with students, including, but not limited to, programming, organization advising, attending student events, and other engagement opportunities
  • Increase marketing/recognition and digital presence of Office of the Dean of Students, in particular the AVP/DOS
  • Develop Office of the Dean of Students specific programs/ services (i.e., annual/ biannual Office of the Dean of Students open house, coffee talk with the Dean, and other programs)
  • Explore partnerships with College of Education, School of Social Work, Graduate College, College of Public Health, College of Law, and other colleges and departments in order to increase assistantship opportunities in Office of the Dean of Students
  • Create a needs assessment for campus and the department regarding ways to increase visibility
  • Increase in marketing and fundraising for DOS Student Emergency Fund

Success measures and updates

  • Student Conduct Office name changed to the Office of Student Accountability (complete fall 2018)
  • Office of Student Accountability moved to new office location (complete fall 2018)
  • Iowa Memorial Union held an open house for students and campus partners, including, Food Pantry at Iowa, Clothing Closet, Collegiate Recovery Program, Center for Student Involvement and Leadership, Student Accountability, and Office of the Dean of Students (complete fall 2018)
  • Create a Division of Student Life and Office of the Dean of Students orientation and on-boarding program that assists in establishing community upon arrival for new staff (complete spring 2019)
  • Increase promotion and marketing of current programs, services, and events (ongoing)
  • Increase support and funding sources for the emergency fund from an annual amount of $5,000 to $500,000 (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Increase access and promotion of the Name Change fund for all students (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Office of the Dean of Students staff members’ regular attendance and participation in student events and programs (ongoing)
  • Restructure of former CSIL units to increase visibility and interaction with DOS (complete fall 2019)
  • Formal partnership between DOS with the University of Iowa Center for Advancement (complete spring 2020)
  • Increased visibility of DOS due to COVID-19 and broader ability to assist students (complete spring 2020)
  • Ensure students can articulate that the AVP/DOS is their primary contact regarding their student experience (ongoing with monthly email updates from AVP/DOS)
  • Increased direct student engagement opportunities, such as FSL Dining with the Deans (complete spring 2020)
  • Creation of regular large team DOS meetings to increase team identity (complete spring 2020)
  • Create assistantship opportunities and practicum experiences provided through the Office of the Dean of Students' units (complete AY2022-2023)

Experts of the student experience

The Office of the Dean of Students is known to be the expert on the student experience. The value of this expertise and knowledge is fully realized when shared with the faculty, staff, families and other stakeholders.

Critical tasks

  • Establish new and increase current partnerships with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Center for Diversity and Enrichment, and International Students and Scholar Services
  • Work closely with student organizations, student leaders, student government, and general student population
  • Develop partnerships with campus colleagues who oversee specific student experiences (Honors, Athletics, etc.)
  • Continue to establish the Campus Inclusion Team, demonstration team, and other teams that support student experience
  • Expand reach and advocacy for marginalized students through partnerships, communication, and programming
  • Increase collaborations with campus partners to ensure understanding and regular communication about student experience
  • Partner with families through orientation, Parent & Family Network, and other events/opportunities
  • Increase programs and ways to connect to students, families, and campus colleagues
  • Establish programs and ways to connect to all students through programming, orientations, and OnIowa!
  • Continue to expand reach and advocacy for marginalized students and broaden scope to include specific populations that may encounter additional barriers to success, such as first-generation students and student parents
  • Establish/increase/ maintain supports and services to assist retention and persistence, such as emergency fund, withdrawal re-entry, safe room, homeless student support, meal share, completion grants, care packages, etc.
  • Resources for professional development to support staff in being experts of the student experience
  • Assess programs and outreach opportunities

Success measures and updates

  • Reimagine the portfolio of the AVP/DOS and the areas within the Office of the Dean of Students to make the DOS the center of the student experience (complete in spring 2018)
  • Maintain established partnerships with the Division of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion and International Student and Scholar Services (ongoing)
  • Ensure new programs will use current programs and partnerships as the foundation for development in order to meet student needs, examples include creating alternative options and Mindful & Engaged Hawkeyes (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Transition Parent and Family Programs to the Office of the Dean of Students to provide support for parents and families (complete spring 2020)
  • Create a role to oversee Parent and Family Programs within the Office of the Dean of Students (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Create a student advisory board for the AVP/DOS in which all deans, directors, and staff members attend and/or host monthly meetings (complete spring 2019)
  • Maintain UI What’s Up DOS monthly communications to students, staff, faculty, and families (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Maintain and renew focus on all students – transfer, returning, graduate and professional students, distance education, UI REACH, etc. – to support their experience at the UI (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Develop and hire Basic Needs Coordinator and growth of Basic Needs committee to increase support and alignment of efforts for students regarding basic needs (complete AY 2020-2021)
 

Recommendation: Expanding the Office of the Dean of Students' portfolio

Student government

The University of Iowa places significant confidence on its student governance associations and with good reason. The organization demonstrates their focus on the student experience as evidenced in the manner in which they invested their voice and funding to build and strengthen services for students. The potential to collaborate directly with the dean of students fosters an environment that allows for a shared student agenda.

Critical tasks

  • Build relationships with current student government administration in collaboration with associate deans
  • Establish partnership and oversight areas for AVP/DOS
  • Support formal relationships with other departments/areas
  • Determine advising relationship best suited for student and campus needs and AVP/DOS
  • Decrease administrative levels between student government and AVP/DOS

Success measures and updates

  • Involvement of the AVP/DOS within student government advising, events, and processes (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Establish formal advising roles for departments/areas already informally supporting student governments (in process AY 2022-2023)
  • Maintain VPSL strategic priorities budget and partnership with USG/GPSG (in process AY 2022-2023)
  • Formalize support and advising for governing groups within student government (in process AY 2022-2023)

Student conduct policy, clarity and definition

The most essential policies overseen by the dean of students are the Code of Student Life and the Student Judicial Procedure. The process should be administrative and educational, ultimately designed to assist students in understanding the appropriate way to engage in a community and responsibly comply with established university rules and regulations.

Critical tasks

  • Initiate marketing campaign for revised Code of Student Life and Student Judicial Procedure
  • Establish best practices and transparent protocols to support the Office of Student Accountability staff as well as revised policies
  • Assess implementation

Success measures and updates

  • Successful hire of a director of student accountability (complete fall 2018)
  • Established research practices to maintain best practices (complete AY 2021-2022)
  • Revised Code of Student Life and Student Judicial Procedure that is transparent, thorough, and student-centered (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Establish training and guide on the Code of Student Life for confidential offices and hearing officers (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Assessment plan for student conduct that includes learning outcomes (complete fall 2019)

Centralizing student conduct process and creating common sanctioning standards

Given the delegated role of the dean of students as the leading authority, leadership is needed in this area to clarify the process used to investigate and adjudicate individual student conduct -- academic or non-academic, student organization, and Title IX -- based on a common set of sanctioning standards.

Critical tasks

  • Research best practices and assess campus needs
  • Propose new appeals process
  • Pilot and assess new processes as applicable
  • Establish policies that can be consistently applied in student cases
  • Communicate to campus stakeholders regarding updates and changes

Success measures and updates

  • Successful transition of the director of student accountability (complete fall 2018)
  • Successful transition of the assistant director of student organization misconduct (complete summer 2018)
  • Revised appeals process utilizing Big Ten, peer, and aspirant institutions research (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Removal of AVP/DOS from conduct process (complete AY 2019-2020)
  • Established research practices regarding standards and expectations for conduct throughout higher education (complete fall 2020)
  • Transition to a central Title IX and sexual misconduct process and Office of Institutional Equity within the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (complete summer 2021)

Title IX involvement

Title IX is one of the core roles of the Office of the Dean of Students and the campus recognizes the intensity of complying with the ever-changing policies and timelines. Several individuals recommended more campus-wide Title IX training, education and prevention. Collaboration among the Women’s Resource & Action Center, Rape Victim Advocacy Program, the Office of the Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator, and the Office of the Dean of Students appears strong.

Critical tasks

  • Decrease timeline from reporting to final resolution
  • Assess and clarify reporting practices related to Clery, FERPA, VAWA, and other regulations
  • Assess investigative process
  • Establish recruitment and training process for adjudicators and appellate officers
  • Review office layout and location to increase privacy and support for students
  • Market and communicate support and accommodation options
  • Increase understanding and communication regarding reporting options and related support
  • Assess ongoing practices and timelines for investigations

Success measures and updates

  • Successful move of the Office of Student Accountability to a new office suite (complete summer 2018)
  • Successful hire of a Title IX investigator (complete fall 2018)
  • Established adjudicator selection, hiring, and training process (complete summer 2021)
  • Training process for appellate officers (complete summer 2021)
  • Title IX at the UI as a model program for producing fair and accurate outcomes (in process with the transition of Title IX to OIE summer 2021) 

Academic integrity and sanctions

Cases of academic misconduct are generally resolved at the collegiate levels. Bringing these cases under the dean of students’ purview could be worth further discussion

Critical tasks

  • Research current Big Ten and fellow institution practices
  • Review and assess campus needs
  • Build relationships with those on campus conducting academic misconduct investigations for potential training opportunities and collaborations
  • Meet with stakeholders to assess ongoing needs and determine trends regarding collaboration and policy review among academic and non-academic misconduct

Success measures and updates

  • Create support for academic misconduct standards and sanctioning guidelines (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Develop an assessment plan for current practices (in process AY 2022-2023)

Mental health, threat management, and Student Care and Assistance

The Office of the Dean of Students should continue to play an active and collaborative role, through Student Care and Assistance, in these critical campus functions.

Critical tasks

  • Increase outreach and programs for students of concern through partnerships with Threat Assessment Team, Early Intervention Team, and University Counseling Service
  • Increase capacity for supporting students in need
  • Continue assessment plan
  • Continue to partner with Student Legal Services to provide access to legal support, assistance regarding student concerns, and support for the Trans Support Fund
  • Create shared Case Manager role with University Counseling Service

Success measures and updates

  • Maintain strong relationships with campus partners and stakeholders (ongoing)
  • Create a case manager position within Student Care & Assistance (complete AY 2021-2022)
  • Establish an assessment plan for Student Care & Assistance including learning outcomes and metrics (complete AY 2019-2020)
  • Ensure Student Care & Assistance is staffed to capacity (complete AY 2021-2022)
  • Demonstrate an increase in early intervention outreach inquiries and requests for help from students, faculty, and staff earlier in the process (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Create programs and share support services for students with dependent care responsibilities (complete summer 2021)
 

Recommendation: Communication, messaging, and marketing

A common theme and recommendation involved identifying the dean of students or the vice president for student life as the individuals who regularly, transparently, and proactively communicate to the student body. Regularly telling the well-rounded stories of the many ways students are learning, shaping, and experiencing the UI opens the door to the many roles of Student Life.

Critical tasks

  • Establish a communication plan in consultation with the vice president for student life
  • Increase student engagement through attendance at events, meetings with students, and work with student governments and organizations
  • Establish a Marketing + Design representative for each unit within the Office of the Dean of Students
  • Establish crisis communication plan and protocols for responding to bias and other concerns
  • Partner with the Office of Strategic Communication on a regular communication plan for the AVP/DOS level, Division of Student Life, and student body
  • Increase AVP/DOS outreach to students, organizations, and events
  • Assess current communication and messaging practices
  • Utilize student government social media and marketing

Success measures and updates

  • Develop a communication plan for response to specific events, concerns, or incidents (complete spring 2019)
  • Expect AVP/DOS and Office of the Dean of Students staff members to regularly attend and participate in student events and programs (ongoing)
  • Create co-curricular programs with academic affairs and student life to bridge gaps and increase overall student experience: University Lecture Committee; Hawkeye Service Breaks; Intro to Leadership; and ASD Committee, training, and course (ongoing)
  • Utilize social media and marketing to better connect with students and promote DOS and resources (complete fall 2019)
  • Creation of DOS Welcome Guide for Orientation (complete summer 2019)
  • Hawkeye Awards and Hancher-Finkbine Awards (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Thank you and congratulatory notes from VPSL and DOS to students going above and beyond on campus and in the community (complete AY 2020-2021)
  • Highlighting student leaders, advisory board members, and DSL student employees on HawkeyeDean social media accounts (complete AY 2020-2021)