The University of Maryland at College Park is a comprehensive land grant institution dedicated to providing education of the highest quality possible to undergraduate and graduate students. Achieving this goal is dependent upon the creation of campus environments that are both supportive and stimulating, and the provision of a range of experiences in which personal development thrives and learning flourishes. Accordingly, the Division of Student Affairs provides services and programs that foster academic success and promote student development.

Cross-Cultural Diversity

University students of all ages and backgrounds are engaged in the process of growth and change. The extent and intensity of each student's involvement in academic work and other aspects of campus life determine in large measure the degree of individual success attained. While students are ultimately responsible for their own lives, the campus environment is formative for them and instrumental in their efforts to achieve academic success and personal fulfillment.

Each student brings unique characteristics to the collegiate experience. Programs and services must be conceptualized and delivered in such a way that the worth, dignity, and aspirations of each individual are respected. Students are enriched by a supportive and challenging multi-cultural community marked by the pursuit of common purposes, the embracing of common values, and the appreciation of individual and cultural diversity. Student development occurs outside as well as inside the classroom; it is fostered by action as well as contemplation; it involves the cultivation of character as well as the acquisition of knowledge; it promotes the pursuit of creativity; it promotes the stimulation of intellectual curiosity.

Functional Emphases

Providing Services. The Division of Student Affairs provides a variety of services that promote the well being of students. In addition, faculty, staff and visitors are served directly by some agencies and programs. Services range from meeting basic needs (e.g., housing, food, transportation and health care) to services that are responsive to more specialized needs (e.g., vocational testing, conference housing, and scheduling use of non-academic facilities).

Enhancing Individual Development. The Division of Student Affairs fosters the educational, psychological, social, spiritual and physical development of individuals. Services and programs are offered that enable students to expand their capabilities and understanding and to handle personal problems which, if left unattended, inhibit learning and development. Staff members of the Division focus on well being and prevention as well as the remediation of individual and environmental problems.

Serving as Advocates. Staff members in the Division of Student Affairs serve as advocates for students. Advocacy includes assuring that the interests of students are served in strategic aspects of University operations such as: policy determination, planning, facilities development, and delivery of programs and services.

Developing Community Life. The Division of Student Affairs advances programs and activities that nurture and encourage a strong sense of community among students, faculty, and staff. This objective is primarily achieved by actively involving students in institutional governance, identifying opportunities for service to the community, and assisting groups of students in the collective management of their affairs. Institutionally sponsored programs and activities should reflect purposefulness, an appropriate balance between individual freedom and responsibility, respect for the inherent dignity of all human beings, a tolerance and appreciation for individual differences, a sense of obligation to others, and responsible risk taking.

Promoting Knowledge about Students. The Division of Student Affairs strives to expand knowledge of characteristics of students and of the factors that affect their growth and success. The Division conducts a variety of research studies, regularly reviews research literature about students, and disseminates information about students to the University community.

Providing Programs and Instruction. The Division of Student Affairs offers programs designed to enhance academic success, to promote personal development, enhance and protect a sense of community, and provide experience that can assist students in cultivating skills necessary to live productively in a complex global society. Programs are conducted in a variety of settings, ranging from small informal gatherings to formal classes, from individualized skill building to group processes, and from entertainment performances to intensive learning experiences.

Crisis Management. The Division of Student Affairs provides assistance in the times of personal or community crisis. Such assistance includes offering medical, psychiatric, and psychological services, arranging for conflict resolution through mediation or adjudication, and facilitating the work of other help givers such as chaplains or representatives of non-campus agencies.

Management Standards

In all functional areas, the Division of Student Affairs operates within the framework of campus administrative policies and procedures and sound managerial practices. Objectives include: the proper use of human, fiscal, and facilities resources to fulfill agency, divisional and institutional missions; effective participation in long range planning, policy formulation, governance, and evaluative processes of the institution; and maintaining effective and productive working relationships with other campus and professional agencies. Staff members operate within the framework of pertinent professional standards and codes of ethics, and in accordance with relevant legal requirements.