Our Division

Departments and Areas

The Division of Student Affairs is comprised of various areas that are devoted to providing services to all students in a supported learning and living environment to attain academic success.

Committees

Divisional Student Affairs Committees are comprised of staff members from across the division charged to collaboratively assess and meet the many needs of our students, parents, staff and campus partners. Each committee represents an opportunity for staff members to affiliate with an area in which they have personal or institutional interest.

The identified functions of each committee assists departments within the division to cooperatively and collaboratively become informed and responsive to present and future interests of students; create programs, services, and facilities that foster learning and personal development; facilitate relationships between students, faculty and staff to seamlessly integrate curricular and co-curricular experiences.

Committees are open to all members of the Division of Student Affairs. Please contact the individual committee chair for more information on the particular committee.

Chair: Samantha Smith, Director, Office of Health Promotion

The purpose of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Committee is to guide and coordinate activities related to student alcohol and other drugs on campus. This committee will:

  • coordinate the evaluation and assessment of behaviors, programs, and interventions related to student alcohol and other drug use and abuse at UMBC.
  • consult with each student affairs department to coordinate an integrated alcohol and other drug use and abuse curriculum to include social norms marketing, education and prevention.
  • monitor public health literature and higher education best practices and provide the staff of student affairs with current information about drug and alcohol prevention, social norms marketing, policy development and other related issues (e.g. alcohol and violence, bystander behavior, trends of prescription drug use on college campuses, mental health, host liability, etc).
  • work with the student affairs staff development committee to provide annual training on issues related to alcohol and other drugs.
  • study and review existing student affairs and University AOD policies and practices and make recommendations for revisions to the student affairs council and vice president for student affairs.

In the event that a department within student affairs would attain grant monies for AOD efforts, this committee could serve as an advisory body for grant activities.

The chair of this committee will have a strong working knowledge of issues related to and impacted by alcohol and other drug use and abuse.

Membership of the committee will include individuals who are knowledgeable of AOD issues and are willing to consult and work with multiple departments in implementing the charge above.

Other members may be ad hoc depending on the agenda and specific work of the committee.

Chair: Mary Ellen Wade, Director of Assessment, Research, and Strategic Priorities

As a group, SAARC exists to:

  1. Ensure use of the Student Affairs Learning and Service Outcomes in our practice.
  2. Ensure that the Division of Student Affairs assesses and evaluates programs and services to ensure outcomes measurement and compliance with professional associations and governing bodies.
  3. Serve as the anchor and catalyst for coordinated, purposeful assessment activities that are part of regular operations in UMBC Division of Student Affairs and in alignment with the Division’s Guiding Principles for Assessment.
  4. Ensure that departmental assessment efforts fit the mission, needs, priorities, goals and cultures of the student affairs division and the university.
  5. Perform coordinating and consulting functions within the division for matters related to assessment projects and program reviews.
  6. Function as a learning community that makes recommendations about professional development opportunities related to assessment efforts.
  7. Communicate the process and results of departmental and divisional assessment projects and program reviews and how these were used.
  8. Work with Education Advisory/Student Affairs Leadership Council to a. review results of national research projects, b. determine institutional research projects, c. ensure communication of activities with SALC to the division as a whole.

SAARC members are expected to:

  1. Serve as assessment consultants to staff within the Division of Student Affairs.
  2. Communicate and share information and knowledge about assessment with their department.
  3. Communicate and share ideas, concerns, and issues related to assessment that emerge in their departments with other SAARC members
  4. Encourage wide participation in assessment activities.
  5. Serve as resources to those within their departments who are implementing assessment projects and program reviews.
  6. Serve on research teams for identified projects.
  7. Serve on and contribute to the SAARC subcommittee as assigned.
  8. Contribute brief written summaries of departmental assessment results and ongoing projects for assessment e-newsletters created by SAARC.
  9. Design and implement a half day assessment/research forum for the Division of Student Affairs.

Chair: Jeff Cullen, Student Conduct and Community Standards

Responsible for overseeing the staff awards (division, USM, institutional) and planning the end-of-the-semester recognition event. This committee recognizes, celebrates, and rewards staff members who demonstrate excellence in service and/or technical expertise, and who exemplify DoSA’s mission and values. Each semester, the committee will solicit, review, and select up to two awardees to receive the DoSA Outstanding Staff Award. Additionally, the committee will coordinate the nomination process of DoSA staff members for campus and USM awards.

Chair: Charlito Iwuagwu, Community Director, Residential Life

Formally known as the Staff Development Committee. We have realigned the purpose of the Staff Engagement Committee to focus on social gatherings and opportunities for connection across the division. Events such as our annual Harvest Potluck and socials will continue to be coordinated by this committee, as well as any new ideas to bring the DoSA community together for opportunities of fun and connection.