Vision
Student Affairs empowers students to envision their most rewarding future and supports them to engage the resources of UW Tacoma and the South Sound to make their vision a reality.
Mission
Student Affairs champions holistic learning and success for UW Tacoma students. We remove barriers for students, engage them as partners to create an inclusive campus community and equip them for lives and careers that have meaning and impact.
Our Core Values
Accountability: We do what we say we will do and accept responsibility for the quality of our work.
Empowerment: We provide students and colleagues with the best tools and guidance we can, so they can be successful and make knowledgeable decisions.
Equity: We use our voices and decisions to create processes, policies and systems that are just, impartial and fair.
Grit: We acknowledge that people and communities can experience hardship, failures and setbacks. We empower our students and one another to see shortfalls as feedback and opportunities for learning and improvement.
Inclusivity: We collaborate with students, colleagues and partners through processes that empower participants and create a true sense of belonging.
Service: We engage others in an open, friendly and responsive way that conveys we are willing to listen and understand each individual’s situation. We respond appropriately and in a timely and professional manner.
Student-Centeredness: We clear the way for students to have a voice in shaping their UW Tacoma experience and ensure that students’ experiences are considered in every conversation and decision of which our team is a part.
Our Pillars of Education
Access
Opening opportunities for education for all.
Belonging
Helping new students feel a sense of wellness and belonging when they arrive to UW Tacoma.
Engagement
Helping students become engaged in activities, programs, resources, their education, etc.
Success
Resulting in the student’s personal and professional goals achieved; moving students forward toward their successes as people, employees and leaders.
Our 5x5 Constants
Our Common Value Areas of DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, EQUITY, ANTI-RACISM, and CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE are woven throughout all our goal areas.
Goal Areas
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Recruitment and Yield
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Retention (Students & Employees)
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Community Building & Customer Service
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Well-Being and Safety
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Innovation and Change
Cultivating an Inclusive & Anti-Racist Community
The Division of Student Affairs recognizes the value of diverse living, learning, and working environments. Therefore, amid a challenging 2020, the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the Student Affairs Executive Leadership Team reaffirmed a commitment to identify and address inequities and co-create a campus environment that is welcoming and respectful for all.
The immediate goals include (pending alignment with additional initiatives on campus led by the Center for Equity and Inclusion):
- Regularly assess and assert our commitment to cultivate an inclusive, equity-minded, and anti-racist campus community through education, reflection, and action.
- Provide opportunities for staff at all levels to engage in programming and professional development focused on equity, inclusion, diversity, and belonging.
- Utilize the annual Performance Review system as a tool for evaluation of staff and their understanding and application of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism frameworks.
- Engage the Student Affairs staff in developing a Strategic Plan (2022-2026) and implementing yearly metrics for measuring progress and success.