Compliance Status

Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.

Narrative

Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) provides a sufficient number of qualified staff to maintain a range of effective student programs and services. The staff members have the appropriate training and experience to carry out the mission of the student services programs.

The Division of Student Life and Enrollment (SLE) of LSU employs a qualified staff to provide programs, services, and initiatives aligned with the missions of LSU and the division.  The LSU mission, as articulated through the Flagship Agenda 2020 goals of discovery, learning, diversity, and engagement, is supported by the staff members’ education and experiences. The university’s mission to challenge “undergraduate and graduate students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal development” guides the divisional mission to ‘recruit, admit, engage, retain, and graduate a diverse student population for success at LSU and beyond.’  The qualified staff within SLE enhance learning by fostering critical thinking and ethical responsibility to create a university experience that transforms lives. [1].

While not a department in the Division of Student Life and Enrollment, the Student Health Center (SHC) provides quality, affordable, and accessible health care to LSU students in a large outpatient facility on campus.  The SHC is fully accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, placing the SHC in the highest category of health care facilities nationwide.  The SHC’s staff includes a group of qualified professionals representing the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, mental health, nutrition, and wellness. Each member of this group is dedicated to serving the individual needs of each student at LSU.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, the SLE division employed 140 professional staff, 173 civil service staff, 44 graduate assistants, and 890 student assistants in eight distinct units:  Office of the Vice Chancellor [2]; Career Services [3]; Center for Academic Success [4]; Enrollment Management [5]; First Year Experience [6]; Office of the Dean of Students [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]; Residential Life [12]; and University Recreation [13].  The table below illustrates the staff composition within the Division of Student Life and Enrollment.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, the SHC employed an appropriate number of staff and student assistants to accomplish the mission of the unit. The table below illustrates the staff composition within the Student Health Center at LSU.

LSU Human Resource Management defines the level of staff in particular ways.  Professional staff, also referred to as unclassified staff, are defined in the following way:  “Professional employees:  This category includes administrative offices and professional staff, as well as all employees in positions exempt from the provisions of the State (of Louisiana) Civil Service system.  Employees in this category are sometimes termed unclassified.”  Civil Service staff, also referred to as classified staff, are defined in the following way:  “Classified/civil service employees are all employees in positions covered by the provisions of the State (of Louisiana) Civil Service system.  All actions affecting classified employees are made in accordance with civil service rules and regulations.”  These definitions are found in the Staff Handbook through Human Resource Management [14].

Under the direction of the vice chancellor for Student Life and Enrollment, the division recruits, hires, develops, and retains a qualified staff.  Through rigorous national search processes, candidates are recruited to campus.  As candidates are hired, they join department teams focused on accomplishing the divisional mission and vision.  Along with the divisional Strategic Plan, all departments (Career Services [15], Center for Academic Success [16], Office of the Dean of Students [17], Enrollment Management [18], First Year Experience [19], Residential Life [20], and University Recreation [21]) also publish strategic plans outlining departmental goals, performance indicators, and action steps. Performance indicators and action steps guide decisions and initiatives to accomplish divisional goals, and ultimately, student learning.

Student Success Outcomes (SSOs), modeled after learning outcomes proposed in the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) publications Learning Reconsidered 1 & 2 and the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) standards, are articulated within the divisional Strategic Plan [22].  These SSOs were created as a foundation for staff to plan, implement, and evaluate student learning.  The Assessment Contact Committee, which includes membership from offices throughout the division, focuses on creating standardized assessment templates for all departments within the division and tracking the progress of the SSOs.  Further information regarding the development of the SSOs and how they are utilized and assessed is provided in Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1.3.

Qualified Staff, Title, Responsibilities, Educational Qualifications, and Professional Experiences

LSU has a sufficient number of qualified staff with appropriate education or experiences in the student affairs area to accomplish the mission of the institution.  Administrative divisional professional staff are presented below in the provided template, which includes the professional’s name, title, department within the division, and a link to their resume (Table 1).  A complete SACSCOC template of all of the professional staff, as of May 1, 2013, is also provided [23].

Professional Development Opportunities

Emphasized in the SLE division’s strategic plan, the staff receive on-campus professional development implemented by a divisional Professional Development Committee made up of professional staff representing all departments within the Division of Student Life and Enrollment [81].  The committee provides professional development opportunities for the entire division, including webinars, networking opportunities for staff, and outside training, as well as recognition for outstanding accomplishments and efforts by Student Life and Enrollment staff.  Examples of the training for 2011-13 include a new Graduate Assistant Orientation [82], the Assessment Mini-Conference in conjunction with Campus Labs [83], SLE Awards and Recognition for staff [84, 85], a session facilitated by Dr. Almeda Jacks [86], an assessment training and follow-up with Dr. Richard Keeling and Associates [87], and a social media refresher with Jai Jackson [88]. 

Professional involvement and development outside of the division is encouraged.  Professional staff within the division represent LSU at a wide variety of national and regional organizations and associations.  Divisional professionals hold leadership roles in the following national organizations:  American College Personnel Association (ACPA), Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA), and National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA).  Professional staff are also involved in other organizations, including the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I), the Association of College Unions International (ACUI), Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA), and Louisiana Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators (LACUSPA).

Professionals within the division encourage undergraduate students interested in student affairs as a career to explore those interests through the Student Affairs Undergraduate Career Exploration program (SAUCE) [89], which allows employees within Student Life and Enrollment to advise and mentor students interested in careers in higher education.  Additionally, students participate in the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP).  Currently one student is participating in NUFP, working with a mentor who is a faculty member in the College of Human Sciences and Education.

Awards and Recognition

The Division of Student Life and Enrollment recognizes the achievements of the division with a “welcome back” program, in which awards for the previous year are given, such as the Model Collaboration Award, Innovation Award, Quality Service Award, Flagship 2020 Award, Academic Partner Award, and Transformational Leadership Awards [90].  Additionally, professional staff are encouraged, and most are provided budget for professional travel, to attend national, regional, and state conferences for student affairs professionals. 

Each semester, the director of marketing and communications for the Division of Student Life and Enrollment produces a staff newsletter chronicling the achievements of the division, along with individual recognition [91].

Staff Evaluation

All staff are evaluated on at least an annual basis.  The division utilizes the formal evaluation procedure and forms of the university [92].  Each department utilizes internal evaluation tools to evaluate student staff (graduate and undergraduate).