Council Corner - September 1, 2023

This year’s move-in was my 22^nd at Virginia Tech. This year, I was blown away by the overwhelming welcome for our new and returning students. This is a special community with special people, and this was further solidified when I had the recent opportunity to speak at Explore for Student Affairs, an onboarding program for new employees. For those of you who are new to our division, welcome, we are better because you are here. I had the chance to share with our newest team members Student Affairs’ mission and strategic priorities. With this note, I’d like to share just some of those remarks with you all.

As many of you know, the mission of Student Affairs is to promote student learning, life skills, and personal growth through a strong focus on holistic student development and collaborative partnerships that deliver superior service to, and care for, students in the spirit of Ut Prosim. Our mission is rooted in our Aspirations for Student Learning, which form our highest aspirations for our students. They include:

• Commit to unwavering curiosity
• Pursue self-understanding and integrity
• Practice civility
• Prepare for a life of courageous leadership
• Embrace Ut Prosim as a way of life

We gather over breakfast five times throughout the year to celebrate the students and employees that live into these aspirations. Our strategic priorities advance the Aspirations for Student Learning.

To better serve our mission and advance the Aspirations for Student Learning, Student Affairs has identified strategic priority areas for investment, examination, and alignment. Over the past year, the student affairs leadership team and other employees through the division came together to develop seven strategic priority areas that have formed our divisional strategic plan. These form the plan and I’m excited to spend this year diving into it.

With these priorities, we are focused on creating a culture of student success and well-being, ExperienceVT, and inclusion and belonging. We aim to create this culture through teamwork, collaboration, and innovation; data-informed decision-making; and administrative excellence and effectiveness. All of these priorities require a deep commitment to employee well-being and flourishing.

I want to reiterate that our people are our most important asset. Without a strong commitment to employee well-being, we will not be able to carry out this important work. We will dive further into our new strategic plan next month at Fall Kickoff (be sure to check with your supervisor – we hope you can join us!). At Fall Kickoff we will gather in community, learn about the strategic priority areas, and develop professionally together.

Be well Hokies,

Frances Keene, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs