vc vision

A Great Start to 2018

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 07:00:00 +0000

A Great Start to 2018 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/18/2018 - 00:00

We’re less than three weeks into the new year and I’m pleased with some of the wonderful and promising conversations taking place already!

Several meetings last week – our Leadership & Innovation team meeting, a meeting with Student Affairs HR group, and a campus-wide strategic budget planning meeting – have produced thought-provoking dialogue, engagement and excitement. I can begin to see everyone thinking differently and looking for innovative approaches as we work together to keep the student at the center of all that we do. I am particularly excited to see the student-centered perspective and emphasis on the student experience outside our division. Conversations with our campus partners in academics have been increasingly student experience centered. It is exciting to see the value that campus places on the work that we do and I commend you for your hard work and dedication to maintaining this perspective and improving the student experience.

As we move forward in identifying how we can adapt to better support and serve our students, I’d like to share this article about rethinking Student Affairs. The article features Seattle University and how they rethought and restructured their organizations to support the changing needs of students. You might recognize some parallels around our own recent conversations.

It’s extremely encouraging to see the values across campus reflecting the values of the division at the beginning of a new year, and I’m looking forward to what the rest of the year will bring!

Sincerely,
Christina Gonzales

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Looking Forward to a New Year

Anonymous — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Looking Forward to a New Year Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/05/2018 - 00:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had an opportunity to relax and recharge as we get ready for a new year and new semester. I’m looking forward to building on our momentum from last year, and continuing our Redefining Student Support initiative to ensure that students are at the center of all that we do.

As part of our ongoing commitment to holistic student support, I want part of our focus for this year to be on evaluating and discovering how we as a division can best support our students through data and assessment. Assessment provides a foundation for innovation; it allows us to pause and reflect on our current programs, services, and procedures and ask ourselves questions to determine if they are effective in supporting our students. Through our current processes, are we accomplishing our goals? Are we doing this because that’s how it’s always been done? Will they be effective in supporting students five or ten years from now? Are there new needs from students that we’re not addressing with our current practices? What opportunities are we missing out on? Through assessment, we can see what is working and what could be improved on, and make adjustments to ensure we’re fully supporting the needs of our students.

As we assess our current processes, services and programs to determine our effectiveness in supporting students, we also need to keep in mind the needs of both our current and future student populations. Gen Z students, and their families, will have a unique set of needs compared to past generations of students. We need to be ready to address those needs, and I encourage you to be open to change as we find innovative ways to support our students with our initiatives. We have an opportunity to make a difference in the experience of each student at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

I’m truly looking forward to increasing our capacity to work together as one university across the division and campus, and find creative solutions to address the needs of our students and families.

Sincerely,
Christina Gonzales

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2017 Accomplishments

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 07:00:00 +0000

2017 Accomplishments Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/21/2017 - 00:00

This past year has been exceptional. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together as a division, and there are a few events I’d like to acknowledge as 2017 comes to an end.

This year saw the completion of our new Strategic Plan, featuring our priorities and focus areas of the division. Your participation, input and feedback were vital to the creation of the plan, and I look forward to the next three years as we work together on enhancing student success through engagement opportunities, effectively communicating our purpose and accomplishments to a variety of constituencies, and fostering sustainable resource management.

I’d like to recognize a successful collaborative effort from the division this semester that had a positive impact on our campus community. The Supporting Student Resiliency Professional Development Series offered educational sessions on areas critical to student retention and success. These sessions gave faculty and staff a valuable opportunity to develop concrete skills and earn a non-degree certificate. It’s imperative that we continue to educate ourselves to continue to support the needs of our current and future student populations, and I’m happy that Student Affairs is taking the lead to provide educational opportunities for our campus community and demonstrate our expertise.

In another example of collaboration, our three winning teams of the short experiment grants are paving the way for innovation within the division. The Student Affairs Student Job Fair, the First Year Commuter Student Success Plan and the Sprit Friday Lunch and Learns were proposals that stood out as creative solutions to challenges and looked to further progress towards division and campus goals. I was extremely pleased with the number of creative and inspirational short experiment proposals we received, and look forward to more collaborative ideas as we move into the new year.

Another achievement this year was the launch of our Redefining Student Support Initiative. By focusing on three key areas – Student Engagement, Health and Wellness, and Student Support and Development – we can ensure students are at the center of all that we do and our departments are working together with greater efficiency, flexibility and fluidity to serve our students holistically.

Almost all departments this year saw in increase in the number of students they serve, and I can’t thank you enough for your hard work, continued dedication to our students and adaptability in order to provide the best service possible. Additionally, your participation and engagement, particularly with our initiatives and Town Halls, has been appreciated and demonstrates the strength of our division. As we look forward in building on our accomplishments in 2018, I wish you all a happy new year.

With gratitude for all that you do,
Christina Gonzales

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Interim Dean of Students Announcement

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Dec 2017 15:07:50 +0000

Interim Dean of Students Announcement Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/07/2017 - 08:07

The continuous response of positivity and enthusiasm around our new multi-year initiative, Redefining Student Support, has been outstanding. I’m happy to see the Division come together to find new ways of holistically supporting our students and working to collaborate with greater efficiency and fluidity.

One major aspect of the initiative included a reorganization of the Division around three key areas of student support – Health & Wellness, Student Engagement and Student Support & Development. With this, the Dean of Students position is no longer combined with the Associate Vice Chancellor position. In looking at how we can better support high risk students, the separation of the two positions ensures that the Dean of Students will have more bandwidth to attend the needs of high risk students, serve in a triage role in crisis, and speak as an advocate for students.

We are currently conducting a national search to fill this position, and until our new Dean of Students is hired, Andrea Zelinko will fill the role of interim Dean of Students. Andrea is currently the Director of the University Memorial Center (UMC) and was selected to serve as interim because of her understanding of students and student issues, her strong ability to triage and manage crisis, and her knowledge of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder campus policy. While Andrea is filling the Dean of Students role, Jimmie Baker will act as interim Director for the UMC. Jimmie is currently the Senior Associate Director for Operations and Services for the UMC.

I am proud of the Division and grateful for the ability of our team to pull together and fill roles as needed. The flexibility of our staff to jump into new areas and continue to serve our students with top-level service is much appreciated.

Christina Gonzales

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Redefining Student Support

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 22:30:59 +0000

Redefining Student Support Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/17/2017 - 15:30

Thank you to everyone who attended our Town Hall yesterday, and for being so responsive to this week’s announcement on our new Redefining Student Support initiative.

I am extremely thankful to Russell Moore, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, for joining us to speak on the Academic Futures and Foundations of Excellence initiatives. As we look to the future and determine how we can provide a seamless and meaningful experience at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, I’m confident that the Redefining Student Support initiative will go hand-in-hand with university efforts to improve the holistic student experience.

Providing the best student experience possible is a big responsibility, and as Student Affairs practitioners, it’s what we do well. Every single person within the Student Affairs Division has an opportunity to positively impact the overall student experience - from the minute students begin the Online Experience to how they live, eat, study, work, get involved, and improve their health and wellness on campus.

One of the best aspects of our new organizational structure is visually seeing how we are all connected within the Division and finding opportunities to increase collaboration. I am proud to work with the leaders of our VCSA Cabinet, and am confident that our Associate/Assistant Vice Chancellors will provide support and forward-thinking direction in the areas of student engagement, health and wellness, and student development.

We are at a tipping point of change, and I encourage everyone to shift the mindset around how we view change. Change and flexibility will become the new norm as we welcome new generations of students with shifting needs. We sometimes worry or feel nervous when things change, however, I encourage you instead to view change with excitement and as a chance to do things differently.

The student experience is at the core of success at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, and Student Affairs affects a large part of the student experience. We are in a prime position to lead, and I look forward to seeing our new initiative in action.

With gratitude for all that you do,

Christina Gonzales

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Upcoming Town Hall

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 21:43:05 +0000

Upcoming Town Hall Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/01/2017 - 15:43

I’m excited to announce our next Division-wide Town Hall will be Thursday, November 16 from 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom.

We will be discussing the Foundations of Excellence Initiative with Russell Moore, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. This initiative is a campus-wide effort to evaluate the first-year undergraduate experience. We hope that through this initiative, we can bring together perspectives from faculty, staff and students in a collaborative effort to remove institutional barriers to student progress and collectively contribute to improved student outcomes. I truly look forward to sharing more about the Foundations of Excellence Initiative at our Town Hall as we all look toward the future of higher education.

The “Why” Behind Our Work

There’s a fascinating TED Talk by Simon Sinek on leadership that inspires action, and I strongly encourage you to watch this five minute clip. Sinek discusses the concept of “The Golden Circle” and how we, either as individuals or organizations, can effectively communicate our purpose. He says that it’s easy to communicate what we do and how we do it, but communicating why we do what we do is what drives consumers (in this case, our students) to action.

If we take some time to think about the why of our work in the Division of Student Affairs, we can answer the question of our existence differently: we believe every student deserves to succeed and have a positive, well-rounded experience at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder - no matter where they come from. We provide support services and resources (the what and the how) that are relevant to students’ needs in order to create an inclusive and optimal environment to succeed– from living and eating on campus, to educating on the importance of health and wellness, to getting involved in the campus community. Student Affairs exists to support students in every aspect of their co-curricular experience at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder.

Thinking about the why when it comes to what we do, and our purpose, helps drive innovation. I encourage you to start thinking about your why, not only within your department but also at the division-level as we all work toward greater collaboration. I look forward to continuing this dialogue at our Town Hall on November 16.

Sincerely,

Christina Gonzales

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Health & Wellness Initiative

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 21:40:07 +0000

Health & Wellness Initiative Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/18/2017 - 15:40

It is bittersweet for me to share with you some news about Associate Vice Chancellor Kambiz Khalili, Kambiz accepted an exciting new position as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Michigan. This position will be an excellent next step in his career, in particular utilizing his expertise in ambitious, large-scale building projects.

Kambiz has been a Buff more than 14 years and told me that the hardest thing about leaving �鶹��Ѱ��will be missing his colleagues, staff and friends. Kambiz’s list of accomplishments at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder is long and distinguished. He helped change the landscape of the university by providing leadership to develop a strategic plan that supported the construction of many of the recent landmark facilities on campus, including the Center for Community, Williams Village North, Kittredge Complex, Baker Hall, and the Williams Village Commons and Dining Center. Kambiz was also instrumental in working with the student leaders at CUSG to help create the Center for Student Involvement, and led the efforts to merge the UMC Food Service with HDS dining services.

Please join me in celebrating Kambiz’s leadership and accomplishments on Friday, November 3 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in C4C S350. We are so grateful for his years of service and wish him and his family all the best in this next chapter of their lives.

We will update leadership from across the Division with more information and next steps in coming weeks.

Health & Wellness Initiative

I am also excited to tell you about a new initiative in the Division, the health and wellness initiative, which combines the student voice, practitioner expertise and a national model. This initiative brings the Division together to focus on the holistic health of our students, rather than individual components.

Dr. Bill Hettler’s Six Dimensions of Wellness provides the framework with its focus on the physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and occupational wellness and the interconnectedness of each area to a healthy life. Read more about Dr. Hettler’s modelor watch this video to learn about dimensions of wellness. In the first year, we will focus on the dimensions of emotional, social and physical wellness.

My thanks to Carter Gruba, CUSG tri-executive; Melissa Lowe, director of Wardenburg Health Services, and Jennifer McDuffie, Assistant Dean of Students and the VCSA Cabinet Chair for leading this initiative.

The health and wellness initiative is a prime example of the strength in our Division when we collaborate, innovate and put students at the center of our work.

Sincerely,
Christina Gonzales

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Town Hall Recap, Advancement Efforts

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 21:51:43 +0000

Town Hall Recap, Advancement Efforts Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/04/2017 - 15:51

The tragedy that took place in Las Vegas on Sunday evening is absolutely devastating. Not only is it difficult to process the actions someone took on innocent people, but tragedies like these leave us with more questions than answers. Over the last month my thoughts have been with flood victims and now those impacted by this senseless shooting. Please make it a priority to take care of our students, each other and yourself, and utilize available campus resources.

Senior Executive Aide
I recently shared a job posting for a Senior Executive Aide and am delighted to announce that Leslie Kavanaugh has been selected. As the Director of the Office of Assessment and Planning, Leslie has been instrumental in creating a strategic plan and transforming assessment across the Division, so we are able to make meaningful changes in the work we do. In her new role, Leslie will serve as a strategic partner for me and will manage projects across the Division and collaborations across campus. Please join me in congratulating Leslie on her new position!

Town Hall Recap

A big thank you to everyone who participated in our recent Student Affairs Town Hall - what an amazing and inspiring experience! I hope the time spent with Terri Fiez and Sarabeth Berk gave a better understanding of our campus and division-wide initiatives on innovation, and why �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder is in such a prime position for innovation. As our division moves toward becoming a campus leader in innovative practices, I truly look forward to future collaborations with the Research & Innovation Office.

As we work to develop our divergent thinking skills and “re-thinking the box”, I hope you will remember the takeaways from the Town Hall’s activities to help us be more innovative:

Sometimes it’s not always best to “divide and conquer” when problem-solving, because this allows silos to form.
We have a tendency to go immediately to our comfort zones, and we have to remember to go outside of those comfort zones and challenge ourselves.
It’s important to ask questions and make sure we understand the overall goal when we’re given directions.
Find new and more efficient ways to accomplish tasks – we shouldn’t do things a certain way just because it’s expected or always been done.
Collaborating with people outside of our regular teams or offices can be extremely beneficial.

Advancement

You may notice I’ll be away from campus more than usual this semester. An important part my role as Vice Chancellor is traveling and supporting advancement efforts to ensure we maintain high quality offerings, even as other sources of revenue stay stagnant or decline. Less than 5% of �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s revenue comes from the state of Colorado, making revenue from tuition and fees, grants and fundraising more critical than ever.

One of the key ways we support advancement efforts is cultivating relationships with donors, especially through the Chancellor’s Parent Fund and building relationships with parents all over the country. With Family Weekend just around the corner, I encourage you to join me in strengthening these important relationships with our Buff families by welcoming them to our campus.

Sincerely,

Christina Gonzales

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Town Hall Tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 21:54:31 +0000

Town Hall Tomorrow at 10 a.m. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/20/2017 - 15:54

Tomorrow morning, our Town Hall will focus on a favorite topic of mine: innovation. After attending our Innovation Retreat last spring, where many of our discussions were centered around lessons from Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull, I’ve been deliberating on how our division can effectively lead in innovative practices at the university.

As I’ve said before, our division is in the best institutional position to lead innovation and change. This is due to our understanding of the changing demographics of the digital generation of students, our ability to produce with increasing competition for financial resources, and our striving to meet students’ expectations for great services and new technologies. Catmull used specific mechanisms to shape the innovative culture at Pixar, and we can draw from those same mechanisms to simultaneously create an engaging environment and break down silos.

A key theme we explored was how changing our mindset and how we approach problems or challenges leads to innovation. With this, I wanted to share a video that also highlights this theme. Sir Ken Robinson has many thought-provoking points in changing education paradigms, and his message correlates to our efforts in creating a different innovative mindset in how we approach problem solving. Both Catmull and Robinson reiterate the importance of not relying on current practices just because they are the way things have always been done, and that great things happen when we work together to find improved solutions to common problems.

To be innovative as student affairs professionals, we must learn, evolve and continue to build partnerships within our division and throughout the campus. We started the process of creating a learning culture, while building a capacity for innovation and change, with the introduction of our short experiments; our Town Hall tomorrow is the next step in this process and a big opportunity for us to continue evolving as professionals.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to meet with about 50 parents and when I went over the innovative short projects, they were intrigued and happy to know that we are thinking about the future and what their students’ needs will be.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom for an inspiring, interactive, and educational Town Hall.

Christina Gonzales

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Supporting DACA Students

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 21:55:55 +0000

Supporting DACA Students Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/07/2017 - 15:55

DACA
I was extremely disappointed to hear the decision to rescind and phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Our DACA students and colleagues are essential to our campus community and we will continue to support and communicate as we learn more about how future developments will impact our university. I stand with our �鶹��Ѱ��leadership in support of the DACA program and its recipients. Please know that University leadership is committed to working with Colorado’s congressional delegation over the next six months to push for the continuation of the program. Again, I strongly encourage anyone affected by this news to seek out available campus resources and reiterate the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone on campus.

Town Hall
On a separate note, our first Town Hall of the fall semester is just two weeks away! This Town Hall will be particularly engaging, as we are fortunate to have two special guest presenters: Terri Fiez, Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, and Sarabeth Berk, Assistant Director of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. Together they will be leading an interactive presentation on what it means to be innovative and how our division can be innovative. To bring everything full circle, they will also be connecting their presentation to our new strategic plan.

Overall, our goal at this Town Hall is to spark your innovative side, teach more about what innovation means and how it applies to the future of the division. There will be fun, hands-on exercises focused on creative problem-solving and discovering ways we can get out of our silos to work with other student affairs departments and our campus partners.

As we continue to establish and maintain an innovative culture, I look forward to learning from our guest presenters and their expertise in this area. I urge you to join us on September 21 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Glenn Miller Ballroom for an inspiring and educational Town Hall!

I also want to thank you all for your involvement in welcoming students back to campus through volunteering and hosting Fall Welcome events. Your participation was much appreciated and truly helped make Move-In and our welcome events successful.

Christina Gonzales

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