Student Affairs has touchpoints with Wolverines throughout the student life cycle. Outside of the classroom, our departments and programs connect students to the resources they need, to each other, and to the university itself. Our goal is to create a community where all students feel like they belong and a campus environment that increases overall student satisfaction.
In partnership with University Marketing and Communications, Student Affairs is focused on identifying, designing, and branding core student experiences specific to UVU. All of our departments contribute to a student’s Wolverine pride, whether they attend regular events or forge meaningful connections with Student Affairs staff and programs. We coordinate with marketing and other groups across campus to develop services and events that are cohesive, on-brand, and in line with the university’s mission and goals.
How we communicate with students is vital to creating a unique Wolverine identity. Student Affairs is implementing new communication guidelines and a new student communication policy to transform students’ experience and touchpoints with UVU.
We rely on student feedback to understand what Wolverines need and what experiences they are missing. As part of our emphasis on assessment, we are working to increase students’ sense of belonging and overall satisfaction as reported by Business Intelligence & Research Services (BIRS).
Since 2018, Student Affairs has opened centers for first-generation, LGBTQ+, and other minority groups on campus and expanded programming for more established initiatives. Our goal is to create communities and spaces on campus where Wolverines can connect to other students in their individual communities.
UVU aspires to become an Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution, with the goal of an undergraduate FTE Hispanic enrollment of 15%. To meet these goals, the Latino Initiative is expanding programming and outreach for current and prospective Hispanic and Latino students.
In addition to these current initiatives, other programs and centers within Student Affairs are in development, expanding, and increasing outreach to serve the needs of our ever-changing demographics.
Student Affairs takes a holistic approach to supporting students. In addition to providing a quality educational and academic experience, UVU is committed to supporting students as individuals with their own unique perspectives, needs, and barriers to accessing higher education in order to increase enrollment and retention.
The CARE Hub was created in 2019 to address common barriers students face, such as food and housing insecurity, finances, and healthcare. Since then, the CARE Hub has expanded to serve over 1,000 students and distribute around 25,000 pounds of food every year. Students who access CARE Hub resources see a 13% increase in retention and persistence compared to university average.
We are prioritizing student mental health through the new UVU Thrive initiative. Student Development and Well-Being has partnered with TimelyCare to provide licenses to students for 24/7 remote mental health services and TrulaCampus to offer peer coaching and mentoring.
