Message from Vice President Kitchen

It is hard to believe, but we are coming to the end of a productive and innovative year. As we reflect upon our accomplishments, I want to take this opportunity to thank every one of you for your invaluable service to the division, to the campus, and to the students.  

This past year, we embarked on a journey to identify Student Affairs’ core values, departmental barriers to student access, and student retention initiatives.  The result of our hard work was a guiding philosophy that “learning happens everywhere”: in the classroom, outside of the classroom, in the community, and beyond.  I am extremely grateful to you all for the significant contributions your departments have made toward fulfilling the spirit of the Strategic Plan.  Some of the new initiatives which have been completed include:

• The launching of the @State online newsletter for students; more »
• Career Services registered an additional 3,822 new students from August to December 2004;
• Testing, Assessment and Research automated online test registration through its TOWER system; more »
• The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is conducting early financial aid literacy awareness workshops with Compact for Success middle schools and high schools; more »
• The Office of the Ombudsmen has launched a new web site;
• The Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities hosted Brett Sokolow, president of the National Center for Higher Education and Risk Management, who presented workshops on student hazing and date rape; more »
• Student Health Services formed the Cultural Awareness Committee to identify and reduce barriers which non-English students may confront in accessing and optimizing medical care with Student Health Services;
• Residential Education, EOP, and Financial Aid collaborated, identified and rectified on-campus housing issues affecting low-income students;
• Disabled Student Services presented information on ADA/504 issues to the Provost and Council of Academic Deans;
• Information Systems developed SASSY to automate Testing, Assessment, Research and EOP Evaluations, and to support online surveys for the division.

These accomplishments are a testament to your devotion to the Strategic Plan and its program initiatives.  And while many of our students and faculty members are looking forward to the summer as a time for relaxing, I don’t have to tell you how busy we Student Affairs professionals stay all year round, especially in the summer. Some of our most intensive programs happen over the summer months, including the upcoming orientation programs for new freshmen and transfer students and their parents; EOP’s Summer Bridge and First Contact programs; and specialized orientation sessions for our international student population and for our disabled students – culminating in our very successful New Student and Family Convocation on the Sunday before the fall classes begin.

I want you to know that you are a valued member of the Student Affairs Team and that I am appreciative of your continued commitment to making a difference in the lives of our students.

Have an enjoyable summer!

Dr. James R. Kitchen
Vice President for Student Affairs