New mission, vision, themes advance strategic planning in OHIO’s Division of Student Affairs

Following months of information gathering, the Division of Student Affairs Strategic Planning Work Group has released a draft division mission, vision, values and themes, marking yet another milestone in the division’s strategic planning process.

DOSA Mission

We care. We empower students. We foster community. We make OHIO stronger.

“We wanted a mission that was short and memorable, a high-level statement that hints at our expansive charge without getting into specifics,” said Jenny Hall-Jones, senior associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, who is heading the Strategic Planning Work Group. “We believe that this statement encompasses the broad input that we received in a concise and catchy way.”

DOSA Vision

Every student at OHIO realizes their potential and makes a difference.

“As the committee discussed vision statement structure, we agreed that a short, aspirational statement would be strongest,” explained work group member Tim Epley, business manager for Event Services. “The vision we created encompassed our desire for student success and the positive impact they could impart as a result of the division’s efforts.”

DOSA Values

After careful consideration, the Strategic Planning Work Group made the decision to keep our commitment to our current values: Community, character, civility, citizenship and commitment. Commonly referred to as the “ 5 C’s,” these values help to define what it means to be a member of the OHIO community.

Community: Membership in the Ohio University community includes being involved and responsible members of not only the university community, but also the local Athens community and the global community. All members of the OHIO community are expected to be responsible community members, to show appreciation for diversity and to represent the values of the OHIO community.

Character: “Ohio University holds as its central purpose the intellectual and personal development of its students” is the first sentence of OHIO’s mission statement. Personal integrity and character both inside and outside of the classroom are inherent elements of Ohio University. Members of the OHIO community are expected to commit to the highest standards of personal honesty and ethical behavior.

Civility: The OHIO community is an open forum involving the free exchange of ideas and scholarly discourse. For free and open exchange to occur, members of the OHIO community are expected to embrace civility in communication at all times.

Citizenship: Members of the OHIO community contribute to the advancement of society, both now and for future generations. Such a commitment to the public sphere can have many expressions, such as voting, recycling, volunteering, using public transportation and cleaning up litter. The OHIO citizen gives more than they take. They are responsible citizens both on and off campus, foster community involvement, become engaged citizens acting for the public good, and respect university property and property of others.

Commitment: Sincere and true commitment is practicing your beliefs and values. Once you have committed yourself to becoming a community member at OHIO, you commit to hold yourself and your fellow OHIO community members to these values.

“For years, we have presented these values to incoming Bobcats during the President’s Convocation for First-Year Students, and it really helps new arrivals to understand that the Ohio University experience is about give and take,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Jason Pina. “Everyone has a responsibility to contribute and care for one another. These are values that should endure, and we didn’t feel that it was necessary to change our stated values but to recommit ourselves.”

Strategic Planning Themes

Three themes will guide the continued development of DOSA’s Strategic Plan. These themes surfaced as priorities during the division’s information gathering sessions in Fall 2017. Three Compression Planning Teams (one per theme) have been developed. Teams are currently working to develop breakthrough objectives and identify measures by which to benchmark progress in their respective areas.

Retention and Persistence:  The OHIO Division of Student Affairs will work to engage all students in meaningful programs, services and activities to increase retention and graduation rates.

DOSA Learning Outcomes:  The OHIO Division of Student Affairs will create, measure and improve upon common student learning outcomes across departments.

Diversity and Inclusion:  The OHIO Division of Student Affairs will ensure that a framework of equity and social justice is embedded into our day to day work. 

"The identification of themes essentially gives us a framework for the Strategic Plan," Hall-Jones said. "Between now and March, we will be working to build out each theme and to identify action items within each area."

Next steps

The Strategic Planning Committee concluded compression planning with University Communications and Marketing on Dec. 15. The resulting report will help to guide the formation of the division’s final strategic plan, which is slated for completion in spring semester.

The next opportunity for staff to formally weigh in on the strategic planning process will be during the division’s all-staff meeting on Jan. 10 from 8 a.m. to noon in Baker Center Ballroom. In addition to kicking off the academic semester, this time will include interactive activities related to strategic planning. Staff are also welcome to offer input by email at studentaffairs@ohio.edu.

“This has been an extensive process, and that was intentional,” Pina said. “We wanted to offer every opportunity for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to weigh in on our division’s future direction. It’s exciting to see all of this input come together as our plan takes shape. Even more exciting is contemplating the impact that this plan will make on the student experience at Ohio University.”

Division staff and University partners will have an opportunity to vet the draft plan in February, following its release. The final plan will be published and implemented in March 2018. For more information on the division’s strategic planning process, visit https://www.ohio.edu/studentaffairs/strategic-plan.cfm.