YEAR2021-22INREVIEWGONZAGAUNIVERSITYSTUDENTAFFAIRS
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Welcome Letter Student Affairs Pillars Communities of Practice A Glimpse at 2021-22 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Pillar Adequately Supporting Students of Color Recruiting and Retaining Staff of Color Serving the Basic Needs of Students Supporting LGBTQ+ Students Improving Transfer and Veteran Student Belonging Integrated Approach to Student Learning and Development Pillar Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Campus Safety Improving Gonzaga’s Housing Infrastructure Creating an Integrated Learning Experience National Trend: Decreased Student Engagement Exploring a New Orientation Model Integrating Missional Values Student Wellbeing and Flourishing Pillar Managing a Rise in Student Conflict Just the Numbers Adjusting and Advancing in COVID-19 Pandemic Managing Increased Health Needs of Students Student Affairs Accomplishments and Awards 4 5 6 8 38363533323029282624232220171614131210 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
We envision a future where we restore and foster the elements of human connection within the Gonzaga community, while evolving aspects of the educational experience that are marginalizing BIPOC and other underrepresented/under-served students; all while transforming student lives through practices that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, promote wellbeing and flourishing, and enhance learning and development through the integration of experiences. Very best wishes and Go Zags!
This year’s annual report is organized by our three pillars and elucidates the trends and events that impacted the lives of Gonzaga students, staff, and our community in 2021-22. Within each pillar section, we introduce 1) an issue, 2) what we did to address, or support the issue, and 3) the outcomes of our work. The issues that our students face, and Student Affairs manages are large and complex; therefore, our outcomes and impacts range from affecting one student, to thousands. As you read this report, we hope you began to grasp the expansive collective work of our division, and our effort to respond to the needs of our students, university, and world.
Dr. Kent Porterfield Vice Provost for Student Affairs
STUDENT AFFAIRS 4
Our work in Student Affairs has never been more important to the success of our university and the formation of our students. The forces we confront include a global pandemic, a national reckoning with racism, an increasingly polarized nation, socio-politically disparities associated with wealth, health, and education, and even growing public doubt about the value of a college degree. Educating the whole student is increasingly more complex and urgently critical for our students to live happy, healthy, and meaningful lives, and for a society that must overcome the many challenges and social ills which currently challenge it. In Student Affairs at Gonzaga University, we dedicate ourselves to this endeavor, and we are grateful to do this meaningful work with and for others. To better support our divisional priorities and thereby our students, this December we initiated a major divisional reorganization. We adopted a new “Community of Practice (COP)” Model to describe our three groupings of functional areas, named after our three pillars. Each of the Communities of Practice is led by a dean who guides the individuals within the community in deepening their knowledge and expertise in their practice. Additional information about the three pillars and communities of practice can be found in this report.
STUDENT WELLBEING & FLOURISHING 5
A pillar is both a structural object used for support, and a fundamental precept used by various religious traditions to guide the actions of its believers for future fulfillment. As such, pillars within an organization can both support and guide an organization.
Our three divisional pillars are commitments that each person in Student Affairs is responsible for infusing into their work. These three pillars were selected because we believe the skills and experiences inspired by them are integral to fulfilling a Jesuit education and will support our students in maximizing their student experience while preparing them for lives of leadership and service for the common good. For example, we use a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion lens when approaching how we serve our patients in Health and Counseling Services because we recognize the unique experiences and needs of our students; New Student and Family Programs infuses lessons of wellbeing and flourishing into orientation because they understand that providing students with wellbeing skills will help them succeed at Gonzaga; and the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Center uses integrated learning pedagogy when incorporating conversations of power and privilege and the history of the LGBTQ+ movements into trainings and programs.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
INTEGRATED APPROACH TO STUDENT LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT
PILLARS
A Community of Practice is a group of people who share a common concern, passion about a topic and come together with a facilitator to deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area. Communities, unlike teams and other structures, need to invite the interaction that makes them alive.
- Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002 Inspired by the elements of Wenger, McDermott and Synder’s work, we adopted the “Community of Practice (COP)” model to describe our three groupings of functional areas. For us, the Communities of Practice model acts as both an organizational structural tool, and as a way to assure we are cementing our divisional commitment to advance each pillar. Each of the three Communities of Practice is led by a dean who guides the individuals within the COP in deepening their knowledge and expertise in their practice. While furthering the pillars is the responsibility of every Student Affairs staff member, we look to the three unique Community of Practices as our guides because each of them is comprised of experts in their own field and, therefore, may be more knowledgeable, informed and tapped into research and national trends on a specific pillar.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION INTEGRATED APPROACH TO STUDENT LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT STUDENT WELLBEING & FLOURISHING Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Community of Practice Led by: Joan Iva Fawcett, Dean for Social Justice Leadership & Community Empowerment AREAS Center for PayneLincolnEngagementCommunityLGBTQ+ResourceCenterCenterforLeadershipDevelopment&Transfer,Veteran,ReturningAdult&FirstGenerationStudentsOfficeofSustainabilityUnityMulticulturalEducationCenter Integrated Learning & Development Community of Practice Led by: Matt Lamsma, Dean for Student Development AREAS Campus Security & Public StudentCenterSafetyforInvolvement & Student Media Gonzaga Outdoors Housing & Residence Life New Student & Family Programs Student Wellbeing & Flourishing Community of Practice Led by: Paula Smith, Interim Dean for Wellbeing AREAS Center for Cura Personalis Health & Counseling Services Office of StudentResolutionPromotionHealthCenter,Conduct&Conflict COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE 6
In advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), one of our greatest responsibilities in Student Affairs is to help form and sustain the campus culture. We must reflect upon and explore our own privileges and biases, commit to unlearning and relearning, and advocate for changes to systems that do not reflect our espoused DEI values and commitments.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
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INTEGRATED APPROACH TO STUDENT LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT STUDENT WELLBEING & FLOURISHING
The American Association of Colleges & Universities describes “Inclusive Excellence” as an active process and recognizes that for all students to flourish, the community must value, engage, and commit to social Atequity.itscore, Inclusive Excellence requires privileged communities to join with oppressed communities to dismantle systems of inequity and injustice. DEI work is everyone’s work in Student Affairs, and it must be a formative part of every Gonzaga student’s experience, inside and outside the classroom. The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Community of Practice is a physical manifestation of our division’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The Community of Practice, led by Dr. Joan Iva Fawcett, Dean for Social Justice Leadership and Community Empowerment, includes: the Unity Multicultural Education Center, Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center, Center for Community Engagement, Payne Leadership Center for Leadership Development, Office of Transfer/Veteran/ Returning Adult Students + First Generation, and Office of Sustainability.
Our work in Student Affairs is rooted in Jesuit values, which support the learning and the development of the “whole” student. In the Jesuit tradition, accompaniment and solidarity are important principles for defining our engagement with students. Student learning and development is a shared responsibility between Student Affairs professionals and faculty and academic colleagues, as well as with others within the University community. To promote the learning and development of the whole person, Student Affairs staff must actively engage with faculty and students to support academic excellence in and out of the classroom, and the organization and practice models of Student Affairs reflect and support this. A focus on holistic student learning and development is critical in all Student Affairs areas, and especially within departments that develop and support co-curricular experiences at Gonzaga. The Integrated Approaches to Student Learning & Development Community of Practice is a physical manifestation of our division’s commitment to Integrated Learning. The Community of Practice, led by Matt Lamsma, Dean for Student Development, includes Housing & Residence Life, New Student & Family Programs, Center for Student Involvement, Gonzaga Outdoors, and Campus Security & Public Safety. Our Jesuit charism calls us to embrace the spirit of cura personalis – care for the entire person – in all aspects of our practice and engagement with students. A state of wellbeing and flourishing is one that includes physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and intellectual development. It also involves interconnected social, career, community, and financial dimensions. At a Jesuit university, vocational discernment should be an important part of every student’s educational process, and it requires intentional reflection and dialogue about values and how they impact life and career. Promoting wellbeing and flourishing is a critical priority in Student Affairs, and our definition of wellbeing must be broad enough to include health determinants as well as behaviors of purpose-seeking, self-direction, and emotional intelligence. While student wellbeing and flourishing is everyone’s responsibility in Student Affairs, and our practices and organizational approaches need to support this, the Student Wellbeing & Flourishing Community of Practice is a coordinated physical manifestation of our division’s commitment to student wellbeing. The Community of Practice, led by Paula Smith, Interim Dean for Student Wellbeing, includes Health & Counseling Services, The Center for Cura Personalis, the Office of Health Promotion, and the Resolution Center for Student Conduct & Conflict.
STUDENT AFFAIRS IN 2021-22 Aug 2021 – 1887 Code Launches Aug 2021 – Vaccine Requirement Aug 2021– In-Person New Student Orientation Aug 2021– Launch First Generation Series Aug 2021- Serve Northeast Pre-Orientation Day of Service Sep 2021 - State of the Undergrad Report Sep 2021 – College Hall Intruder Oct 2021 - Magis Mentoring Oct 2021 - Largest Ever Fall Family Weekend Dec 2021 - Community Wellbeing Days Dec 2021 - Student Affairs Reorganization Dec 2021- Legislative attacks on the trans community across the country Jan 2022 - Student Affairs Colloquium Jan 2022– Gonzaga LeAD Conference Jan 2022 - Master Housing Plan Survey Jan 2022 - Meetings with AAPI students on demands Mar 2022 - Campus Food Pantries Open Mar 2022 - Gonzaga Family Haven Grand Opening Apr 2022 - Gonzaga Mobile App Launch Apr 2022 – Spring Spires Yearbooks Arrive Apr 2022 - New Gender Inclusive Housing and Restroom Websites Launch Apr 2022 – GSBA Concert in McCarthey May 2022 - Body Worn Cameras Pilot Starts Jul 2022 - Summer Orientation Pilot Program Mar 2022 - Kennel Club Annual Vegas Trip 8
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#1 ISSUE #1 OUTCOMESWHAT WE DID #2 #1#2 DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION 12
This spring’s Diversity Monologue attracted over 150 people to witness 12 inspiring and vulnerable student spoken word pieces. The Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators (JASPA) recognized the event with a national diversity event award. year the Unity Multicultural Education Center works to elevate stories and voices of people of color event called Diversity Monologues.
Student Affairs Offices integrated elements of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into their training. The Fall Community of Leader training for 300 student leaders included multiple sessions and speakers on DEI. The Unity Multicultural Education Center led or co-led over 40 training courses for departments and groups across campus. Our co-curricular activities are impacting students. Seniors were surveyed to reflect on the change in their abilities since they entered GU. 444 students (72% of those surveyed,) said their ability “to talk about issues of Race and Gender” was better than when they entered GU. And, when surveyed "What had the MOST impact on increasing your social identities, bias, and privilege?” 298 students (43% of those surveyed) were clear that both academic coursework and co-curricular opportunities (e.g., campus program, club involvement, community engagement, etc.) made an impact. Over half of students surveyed said their Gonzaga extracurricular involvement “deepened my commitment to creating social justice.” (Multi Institutional Study on Leadership, 2021). And 85% of Seniors said their understanding of self had increased since arrived at GU. Campus, national, and international racist events impact our students. From the murder of George Floyd to the BSU (Black Student Union) Zoom bombing and escalated nationwide Asian-violence, students and staff are hurting. When asked “What is the ONE thing you want to see changed about Gonzaga?” 113 (18%) of seniors surveyed said they would change “the lack of racial diversity or lack of inclusion at GU.” In the Senior Survey of 2022, one student explained, “This campus has almost no ethnic or racial diversity, and this is exhausting and demoralizing for the very few students of color on our campus ... I witnessed more than one hateful act against the Black students on our campus and this culture needs to be stopped -- and it is completely up to the administration to do something about it and prevent racist students from coming to this university.”
Every
Adequately Supporting Students of Color
in an
As a result of the emphasis on coverage and training:
2. The Student Media Advertising Team collaborated with: the Black Student Union to produce a Black Lives Matter Poster, Diversity Inclusion Community and Equity offices to produce a Diversity Poster, and with the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Center to produce the Zag Pride Poster.
To assure progress on our goal of a diverse staff, Student Affairs leadership developed a set of guidelines on a SharePoint site that details supervisor expectations in staff recruitment and hiring, as well as resources for achieving these expectations.
3. The Journal Editors accepted multiple submissions that were not written in the traditional King’s English. #3 #3 13
Consistent with national trends, several of our departments (i.e., Center for Community Engagement, Center for Student Involvement, and Housing & Residence Life) experienced higher-than-normal staff turnover this year. This has strained our workforce, as other staff have taken on additional work to meet departmental and student needs. Over 12% of our divisional staff departed this academicCentralyear.Office
Staff are working to gather divisional input and human resources hiring information to capture a better understanding of the landscape of personnel issues in Student Affairs. This summer divisional leadership will use key findings to develop solutions that address the fundamental issues identified by SA (Student Affairs) staff. #4
The Student Affairs morale committee designed a concierge program to help new staff members onboard, by pairing them with “buddies” in the division. Our division will implement the changes in August and assess the impact at the end of Fall 2022.
OUTCOMEWHATWE DID #2 #3
Recruiting and Retaining Staff of Color
This year The Gonzaga Bulletin newspaper worked to improve their coverage and promotion of racial issues and events on campus. The Bulletin created a new Diversity Editor position to help improve quality and coverage of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. Additionally, all the Student Media managers participated in monthly conversations including “Decentering Whiteness” and “Microaggressions.”
ISSUE #2
1. For the first time ever, the Bulletin had a front page spread highlighting Black Faculty, Staff and Students.
A Student Affairs working group comprised of members from the Director’s Team was formed to address issues of culture with the division. The group started meeting in February and will submit their recommendations in May. #1
Serving in unpaid leadership or volunteer positions is not an option for many Gonzaga students. Student Affairs recognized this need and over the past five years has worked to shift many of its unpaid or significantly under-paid positions to paid student roles (e.g., GSBA, OHP Interns, Payne Fellows and more).
#4
In August Student Affairs and Student Financial Services launched the brand new “1887 code” (named after the year GU was founded). Undergraduates with higher documented financial need ($10,000 Family Contribution or less) could access their unique 1887 code in the Financial Aid section of Zag Web. Approximately 12-15% of UG students were eligible (about 670 students). Clubs and departments were emailed and encouraged to offer an “1887 Code” discount on select items in CASHNET (GU’s on-line point of sale system).
Basic Needs refers to the most essential resources required to thrive as a student, which includes access to nutritious food, stable housing, and financial wellness resources. The 2022 Gonzaga Spring Health Survey revealed that 68% of students surveyed (N=990) know someone at GU who has experienced housing, food or financial insecurities. This finding re-enforced previous survey results: some Gonzaga students face food insecurities (3.9%), challenges with access to housing (3.6%) and the ability to meet routine financial obligations (15%) (The Multi Institutional Survey, March, 2021 N=807.) These financial needs are negatively impacting students’ experiences, with 3% of surveyed students reporting that “extra-curricular involvement was not possible for me because of lack of financial resources” (MSL 2021).
#3
ISSUE #3 WHAT WE DID 14
#1 In March we opened two new on-campus Food Pantries. The Gonzaga Community Pantries, are designed to target food insecurity on campus by providing students with a free and easy access point for food. The project was a collaboration between Gonzaga Student Body Association, Physical Plant and five offices within Student Affairs. Last fall, a food pantry committee formed to determine the best model for a Gonzaga food pantry. The two pantries were designed and built by Physical Plant, and are located in the basement of the John J. Hemmingson Center and on the second floor of the Humanities Building, and are stocked with nonperishable food. The food is gathered by Emily Banick, director of Campus Kitchens, who has partnered with Zag Dining, Sodexo and local food pantry Second Harvest for this project. #2 This year, the Center for Cura Personalis (CCP) launched a GU Basic Needs Program that coordinated student support with onand-off-campus partners. Gonzaga students with a variety of basic needs could contact CCP who would then coordinate with local Spokane services to ease the access to services.
Serving the Basic Needs Studentsof
#1 Since April, 907 food items have been accessed from the Gonzaga Community Pantry. We will continue to assess use. During this pilot year, a total of $33,061 in aid was provided to students enabling them to access financial, housing, food, medical, and/or clothing support. The table below outlines the number of students supported in each area. The new GU Basic Needs Program also garnered praise and future support from the United Way of King County. ReferralsCampusOn-Fall Fall OffReferralsCampus ReferralsCampusSpringOn- Spring OffReferralsCampus Financial 8 0 8 0 Housing 0 0 0 0 Food 5 8 5 4 Medical 2 5 1 0 Clothing N/A 0 N/A 0 Total # 15 13 14 4 Total $ $14,798 $23,513 #3 In the 2021-22 academic year, Student Affairs employed over 300 student employees. This year the Office of Health Promotion piloted 9 paid undergraduate Education and Engagement Assistant positions. By paying the positions, the Office was able to ensure that students with financial need would be able to participate in the opportunity. #4 In it’s inaugural year, 71 students used the “1887 Code” for discounts on Kennel Club memberships and Gonzaga Outdoors events. In sum, 74 lower income students received nearly $1,000 in discounts. “IT MAKES ME HAPPY, SEEING NOTANYWHERE.SHOULDHERE.SHOULDHAVEOFBENEED.GETTINGSTUDENTSWHATTHEYWESHOULDMAKINGSUREALLOURSTUDENTSFOOD.NOONEBEHUNGRYNOONEBEHUNGRYTHERE’SALACKOFFOOD.” - EMILY BANICK OUTCOMES #2 15
To increase awareness of LGBTQ+ students and some of the challenges facing them in society, the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center organized 20 programs in 2021-22 featuring social justice speakers and films.
The Office also facilitated over 40 Sexuality and Gender Equity (SAGE) trainings. Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center earned 4 out of 5 in the Pride Index and was recognized as one of 10 religious schools living up to LGBTQ+ inclusive values. The 2022 Lavender Graduation had 21 students participate, the largest turnout in its 7 year history including many graduating students who identify as nonbinary.
The Gonzaga Bulletin wrote a front-page story about the new Gender Inclusive Housing website which helped to bring awareness to the campus (average readership is over 1,200).
ISSUE #4 WHAT WE DID #2
The new Gender Inclusive Housing website was launched in April. It received 564 pageviews from launch through May 22, 2021. We updated and promoted a new gender-inclusive housing on campus website. While gender-inclusive housing has been offered at GU since 2017, Gonzaga students and the Campus Pride Index noted that the housing options were not clear on the website.
Led by staff in Housing and Residence Life and the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center, the project was truly a university collaboration involving students living in gender inclusive housing, resident assistants, students involved with the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center and those who work with Diversity, Inclusion, Community and Equity (DICE) and staff from across campus. #1 For many of our students who identify as transgender or nonbinary, gender pronouns, inclusive restrooms and chosen names can be points of concern. This year we worked to add a chosen name form to ZagWeb. Additionally, the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Center and Student Affairs staff collaborated on a new Gender Inclusive Restroom Map. The map is accessible on both the Gonzaga website (www.gonzaga.edu/ inclusiverestrooms) and the maps feature on the new Gonzaga Mobile App. A Gonzaga University student utilized the chosen name form in ZagWeb as an example of gender inclusive best practices in technology on Discord, a social media platform. Another student said “The work of the Lincoln (LGBTQ+ Resource) Center was important in my sense of belonging on campus from my pronouns, to helping me update my chosen name, and connecting me with campus allies who had participated in trainings or programs.” #3 #1
Supporting LGBTQ+ Students
Legislative attacks on the trans community across the country weigh heavy on our students who identify as LGBTQ+ as well as their allies. Additionally, the number of bias incident reports in 2021-22 at Gonzaga targeting LGBTQ+ social identities exceeded the number of bias incident reports received previous academic years.
#2 #3 OUTCOMES 16
The impact of the new veteran programs will be assessed in the fall. Despite the gaps, our efforts to date have been meaningful and did earn Gonzaga the 2022-2023 Military Friendly® Silver Designation. We will measure the impact of the new Transfer Living Learning Community this fall.
Improving Transfer & Veteran Student Belonging
The United States' decision to pull American troops out of Afghanistan after the long conflict had an impact on Gonzaga and Spokane Veterans. Many of our veterans served in that war, and asked "what was it all for?" Simultaneously, there was also a spike in local veteran suicides, affirming the impact. Coupled with the fact that there are only 110 student veterans on campus, it is no surprise that Gonzaga’s student veterans can feel isolated (Fall 2021, Gonzaga Student Veteran Survey). Like their veteran peers, our transfer students can also feel isolated. The majority of Gonzaga transfer students arrive on campus their junior year, thereby missing out on the opportunity to live on campus, which can be critical for establishing connections. In response to the veteran survey results, this year, staff in the Veterans Services Office are re-designing veteran programming and resources. To provide greater engagement opportunities, the Transfer, Veteran and Returning Adult Office and Housing and Residence Life have collaborated to launch a new Transfer Student Living Learning Community, in the fall 2022 semester. We are hopeful about the new initiative, because over 60% of students surveyed said they would have considered living in a Transfer Student Living Learning Community if such a community existed during their housing selection process.
OUTCOMES 17
WHAT WE DID
ISSUE #5
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Campus Security and Public Safety (CSPS) staff participated in a Procedural Justice course. Additionally, in the Fall CSPS organized Safety Listening Sessions with student groups. During the listening session, students asked for more transparency in practices and communication (e.g., body-worn cameras). As a result, CSPS will pilot a body worn cameras program in the fall. (Multi Institutional Study on Leadership, 2021).
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Fostering a Sense of Belonging and Campus Safety
With support from the Payne Center’s Experiential Leadership Program student leaders and GSBA, CSPS sought and received funding for the “blue light in your pocket” Rave Guardian App. CSPS embraced the new technology to promote safety at Gonzaga. #1 WHAT WE DID #2 #1 #2 OUTCOMES
This year, RAVE has gained traction in user registration, with over 950 active users.
During the academic year Campus Security and Public Safety (CSPS) reported increases in contemptuous and endangering student behaviors, instances of student non-compliance with officers, disorderly conduct, theft, and vandalism. This was reflected in the calls received, 58,024 calls, a 311% increase in calls over last year. The most notable campus safety concern happened on September 15, 2021, when an unarmed individual not affiliated with Gonzaga entered a classroom in College Hall and directed abusive, sexist, and racially charged language toward a professor, (a female woman of color), and her class. The class intrusion exacerbated the challenges with sense-of safety and belonging for Gonzaga’s students of color.
LEARNINGINTEGRATED& DEVELOPMENTSTUDENT
ISSUE #1
WHAT WE DID
The next stage in the Master Planning process is for Housing and Residence Life to work with Brailsford and Dunlavey to develop a long-term strategy for student housing that aligns with ongoing institutional efforts and provides an optimal program that is financially feasible.
Improving Gonzaga's Housing Infrastructure ISSUE #2
• Gonzaga’s housing offerings do not align with the academic profile or institutional brand.
• The tight conditions in the local rental market have created new challenges for students in securing housing and finding ideal accommodations in what was once an affordable housing market.
The Housing Master Plan will be a long-term solution for the Gonzaga University campus. The impact of the plan will likely not be realized until the university begins construction on residential facilities.
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This year, the Housing and Residence life department began the process of developing a new Housing Master Plan with assistance from consultants Brailsford & Dunlavey. The first stage of the process included an assessment of Gonzaga’s current facilities and the peer rental housing market. The assessment revealed the following:
• Gonzaga’s average rental rate per semester ($3,565) is significantly lower than its peers (avg. $5,908).
The University must implement a comprehensive reinvestment strategy to accommodate current and future demand and proactively position GU’s housing in a changing off-campus market.
• Mission driven amenities and programs like academic connections and improved living-learning communities will enhance student housing’s competitive position.
OUTCOMES 23
• The wide range of building amenities, unit sizes, physical conditions, and safety/security create inconsistent satisfaction levels and student experiences.
For Gonzaga University students, there is not a separate academic and a co-curricular experience, but rather “A Gonzaga Experience.” We must continue to find ways to integrate the classroom and academic elements with outof-the classroom activities, services and engagement opportunities.
ISSUE #3 WHAT WE DID
Gonzaga Senior, 2022 Senior Survey
Creating an Integrated Learning Experience
#1 Unity Multicultural Education Center staff offered an Intergroup Dialogue first-year seminar with Communication Studies. #2 For the first time, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and Mission Integration jointly planned and attended the annual Gonzaga LeAD Conference. #3 Center for Cura Personalis (CCP) operationalized a new system of assigning students to case managers by schools/college. #4 This year, First-Year Seminar faculty Dr. Scott Starbuck and Dr. Molly Kretchmar-Hendricks worked with HRL staff to connect more courses to Living Learning communities.
“I wish in my time at Gonzaga there was more integration of my academic department with the university as a whole. I often felt, especially in upper division courses, as though there was a distinct divide between my academic experience and my social, spiritual, emotional, physical, and community experiences at GU, despite all these aspects carrying the same weight and emphasis in our mission statement. I wish my professors, administrators, and instructors had a better understanding of what it means to be a part of this university rather than just their individual school/discipline because it would make learning holistically so much more achievable.”
#5 This year, staff from Student Affairs and a group of faculty representing several academic disciplines have worked together on a proposal for additional support for integrated outdoor education. If successful, this initiative, which would be distinctive in Jesuit higher education. #6 Student Media revamped its yearbook model from a free fall delivery book to a spring book that cost $20. 24
Due to the success of the LLCs HRL has begun outreach to select academic programs (including Business, Nursing, and the Comprehensive Leadership Program) to establish new LLCs for secondyear students, which are intended to enhance the integration of vocational and curricular pursuits with the co-curricular experiences. The goal is that all LLCs will be more academically integrated and connected to academic courses by 2025.
#3
The new system provided a more structured and organized support system for the case managers and their campus partners. CCP hopes to further integrate case managers within each school/ college, which they believe will provide a proactive and visible approach to working with students in need.
#4 For the 2021-2022 academic year, participants of formal Living Learning Communities (LLCs) demonstrated statistically significant gains in key learning and programmatic outcomes including “learning more about someone’s different culture or background” ***, the “ability to build meaningful relationships with others”***, and “enjoying spending time in their residence hall community”**. (** p<.01; *** p<.001).
#5 To be determined. We will contine to explore in the Fall.
“The beginning of this partnership with all of our colleges and schools has started to eliminate additional barriers that exist for our students. We have increased our frequency and direct connection with faculty to effectively collaborate on various student concerns, including direct training on the best ways to utilize resources across campus.”
#1
Students reported learning related to identity and difficult conversations. From one student: “The class on microaggression left a deep impression on me because it was the first time I learned about the word and the phenomenon. I realized how common this phenomenon is in our lives.”
OUTCOMES
The collaboration proved to be a successful venture that allowed both staff and faculty to further explore the seamless academic and co-curricular experiences of our students. Student Affairs staff members designed the website, program and spoke on a panel at the event.
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- Sean Joy (director, CCP)
#6 The solution led to an 83% increase in revenue. The yearbook had traditionally cost the department over $60,000 to produce; however, by switching to spring delivery, offering parent advertising (sales), and charging a $20 yearbook fee (actual cost is $45), the Spires Yearbook will turn a profit this year. These changes have eliminated the cost of shipping and handling of the yearbooks to seniors. Spires Yearbook sold 459 yearbooks compared to 346 books sold last year. Spires had a combined record of $33,670.00 sold in senior tribute ads and book sales vs $22,833.00 the prior year. Eight hundred and fifty senior portraits were taken for the yearbook’s senior section this year.
#2
ISSUE #4 National Trend: Decreased Student Engagement Club NumberEventsofInvolved
Undergraduates
The GU statistics suggest a few findings, 1) Gonzaga may be recruiting students with different interests and priorities than previous cohorts, 2) Due to more the serious nature of COVID-19, and national events/tragedies students’ interest in getting involved in some areas may be on the temporary decline, 3) COVID-19’s negative impact on recreational high school opportunities, (e.g., team sports), may be driving the higher engagement levels in recreational activities at GU. 26
Nationally, colleges and universities are witnessing lower levels of engagement and student participation. This phenomenon is a challenge for Student Affairs at Gonzaga because we know the sense of community and high retention rate is correlated with our high engagement. Compared to preCOVID semesters, several Student Affairs areas (including GSBA, the Payne Center for Leadership Development and Transfer, Veteran, & Adult Student Services + First Generation) reported lower attendance at events and applications this year. COVID negatively impacted student participation, 84% of Gonzaga Students, compared to 75% of the national sample (MSL, 2021) said that COVID was an obstacle to their participation in campus activities. In fact, club involvement in 2020-21, slipped by 30% from 201920. One potential obstacle was that 10% of students surveyed said “extra-curricular involvement was not possible for them because they were not aware of the offerings” (MSL, 2021). The first part of our solution was to dissect involvement across sectors at Gonzaga. Figure 1 shows that the number of campus and club events is returning to pre-COVID numbers. We wanted to know if reduced engagement was happening all over campus, or in pockets. Due to our 2-year living requirement, the overwhelming majority of our first- and second-year students live on campus, which keeps them connected to campus and hall events. Additionally, in contrast to national trends, intramural sports at Gonzaga (not affiliated with Student Affairs) had its highest participation rate ever (Intramurals 2021-2022 Year Totals 12,408 Participants, 2,808 Unique participants and 29,900 Participations). Figure 2 reveals that Gonzaga Outdoors participation rate for September and October (traditionally the busiest years) was consistent with previous years. Finally, an examination of club involvement (Table 1) revealed it is nearing pre-COVID numbers (2018-19 = 2957, 201920 =2251 and 2021-22 =2500).
Gonzaga Outdoors Trip Participation
We will continue to examine involvement numbers. We conducted a pre-post-test of students using the mobile app –the mobile app reduced the task times significantly. 27
WHAT WE DID
OUTCOMES
The analysis of the involvement data revealed that students may be opting for more physical activities like intramural sports, club sports and Gonzaga Outdoors. We speculate this could be that some of the students missed out on playing high school sports due to COVID, and/or are looking for less formal involvement opportunities. This could also be that there is a shift in the types of students Gonzaga is enrolling, perhaps the incoming students are more “sports” focused and less apt to be engaged in service or leadership activities. The analysis of involvement data will be shared with Student Affairs staff so they can begin to reflect on the types and quantities of events they are offering. With regard to the finding that 10% of students surveyed said “extra-curricular involvement was not possible for them because they were not aware of the offerings” (MSL, 2021), this year we worked to find a new technological solution. Student Affairs worked through the Project Review Committee to initiate a new campus mobile app. Gonzaga Mobile, a cross-divisional partnership between Student Affairs, IT and Marketing and Communications is the official app of Gonzaga University. The app which launched on April 6 tailors and curates’ content to meet individual user needs using single -sign-on.
ISSUE #5 Exploring a New Orientation Model
In order to help students feel connected to Gonzaga from the beginning of their experience, New Student and Family Programs is launching a smaller and more intimate New Student Orientation experience. The summer orientation pilot will serve 100 students and take place July 13-14. The model aligns well with Gonzaga’s efforts to provide more inclusive and individual attention to students. Furthermore, research suggests that a summer model increases students’ sense of belonging.
WHAT WE DID
In our current orientation, many students will participate in a 4-Day Pre-Orientation program like Gonzaga-Out-of-Bounds or Bridge and then move immediately into a 3-day orientation weekend program. In previous years students and families have expressed concern about the overprogrammed/overwhelming feeling of the weekend. Many reported that “it’s just too much,” and 56% of 2021 FirstYear Students reported that New Student Orientation was too long. By reducing the length of Welcome Weekend and shifting some content to the summer, we believe students and families will have a better overall orientation experience, allowing for greater inclusion, intentionality, meaningmaking, and balance.
OUTCOME
As of May 17, 42 students had registered for the pilot program. If the assessment from our summer orientation is positive, we anticipate proposing a transition to a summer-only orientation model. 28
Care for the planet continues to be a priority for Student Affairs. Gonzaga recently signed the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, a seven-year commitment to climate action and systemic institutional change. This commitment to mission is also reflected in the ways our students engage and serve in the communities in and across Spokane through our academic community-engaged learning courses, youth mentoring and tutoring, co-curricular service programs, and the Opportunity Northeast Initiative.
CCE and Office of Sustainability developed new programs and initiatives that live into our Ignatian mission and its call to serve the common good and care for our planet:
The Center for Community Engagement:
2. Gonzaga Family Haven with Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington which will engage Gonzaga students, staff and faculty in supporting formerly houseless families through after-school programs, meal programs, and adult education
2. Facilitated more than 40 students picking up nearly 140 pounds of food at the Fall Sustainability market.
The Office of Sustainability prepared the application for the Bicycle Friendly submission which included several assessments, including a questionnaire and survey administered to students and employees. These assessments were reviewed by national experts to determine Gonzaga’s rating.
The Office of Sustainability actively supported local farmers. AmeriCorps and student staff in the Office sponsored a free farmer’s market on campus last September.
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1. Helped Gonzaga earn the League of American Cyclists gave GU a Bronze rating for a Bike Friendly USA Campus, and GU was also recognized as a Commute Smart Champion for 2021.
1. Launched Catalyst Summer Immersion for 15 Rogers High School students to participate in educational and enrichment programs on GU’s campus
The Center for Community Engagement is partnering with the Office of Sustainability and faculty colleagues to establish a Sustainability and Accessibility work group for Service Immersion programming and to consider and provide recommendations for new immersion sites that increase student accessibility and promote sustainable practices.
Integrating Missional Values ISSUE
The Office of Sustainability:
WHAT WE OUTCOMESDID 29
3. The Serve Northeast program for 61 incoming students to engage in a half day of community service
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PILLARFLOURISHING&WELLBEINGSTUDENT 31
#1 ISSUE #1 OUTCOMESWHAT DIDWE
The Resolution Center reviewed and updated the Resolution Process Survey distributed to students after their conduct meetings to better capture the six learning outcomes. #3 32
#3 This year Community of Leaders, UMEC, ELI, Kennel Club, GSBA, Student Media included communication and feedback skill-building into their trainings. Our co-curricular activities are impacting students. Seniors were surveyed on the change in their abilities since they entered GU, 444 students (72%) said their ability “to talk about issues of Race and Gender” was better than when they entered GU. And, when surveyed "What had the “MOST impact on increasing your social identities, bias, and privilege?” 298 students (43% of those surveyed) were clear that both academic coursework and co-curricular opportunities (e.g., campus program, club involvement, community engagement, etc.) made an impact. Over half of students surveyed said their Gonzaga extracurricular involvement “deepened my commitment to creating social justice” (Multi Institutional Study on Leadership, 2021).
Housing and Residence Life reported a significant increase in student roommate conflicts leading to a 29% higher rate of room assignment changes over the previous year. As seen in the emerging trends, this year we observed an uptick in behavioral issues on campus. As of April 8, 2022, Resolution Center staff had coordinated and managed more than 500 student conduct resolution processes, including 4 cases that resulted in suspension, as well as over 1,500 official notifications and 325 conduct meetings (i.e.; follow-up, check-ins, informational, and outreach purposes in a digital, on-line environment).
STUDENT WELLBEING & FLOURISHING
Managing a Rise in Student Conflict
Changes resulted in a greater than 300% increase in mentors, a new website featuring mentor profiles, and more robust training and resource materials. The Resolution Center made significant changes to the Magis Mentor program this year. (Students are sometimes assigned to meet with mentors as the result of a conduct incident to develop action plans and set personal improvement goals.) #2 #1 #2 Survey responses reported efficacy on all learning outcomes. The Resolution Center will implement opportunities for development of Interpersonal Competence and provide closure during the meeting.
The
The
% increase in the # of RC3 Magis Mentors
The
The
The
# of food items accessed in the Gonzaga Community Pantry since April The # of students who picked up 140 pounds at the Fall Sustainability Market
The
% of Wellbeing Days attendees who said it “positively enhanced their well- being”
# of Gonzaga Students who died of suicide this year The # of students who utilized the chosen name form in ZagWeb The # of RAVE Guardian active users 300% $33,061 90774 40 73 300 96% 3,5545030401 96% 95010 33
# of families whose lives were changed because Gonzaga Family Haven Opened The # of students who worked in Student Affairs The % of GU students who received the COVID vaccine The # of booster doses provided The # of health appointments this year in HCS The # of counseling appointments this year in HCS
amount of Basic Need aid provided to students
NUMBERSTHEJUST
# of lower income students who used the 1887 Code
The
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#3 During the spring semester, a total of 401 booster doses were provided to Gonzaga community members, many administered by Gonzaga nursing students, and as the semester continued, cases gradually started to decrease, following the same national and local trends.
OUTCOMES
#4 Significant adjustments were made from prior practices; for example Housing and Residence Life heavily relied on students transporting themselves to quarantine and isolation facilities, as individual student transport became too time intensive. Also, rather than conduct individual phone calls, contact tracers began using a survey approach for contact tracing and email for notifying students that had been exposed.
#3 In December, GU leadership announced a booster requirement for those eligible and asked that students returning to campus be tested prior to arrival.
COVID-19 by the #’s 42 HighestJanuarycaseson10,2022#ofstudentcasesinasingleday.74inIsolationJanuary21,2022HighestImpactday.33%ofStudentssurveyed(Spring2022)saidtheywere“notatallconcernedaboutCOVID-19.” 35
WHAT WE DID
#2 Health and Counseling initiated an RN-led care delivery model within the clinic.
We entered fall 2021 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite dips in cases during the fall semester, the arrival of Omicron (a highly transmissible strain) in winter saw another campus increase. In mid-January the COVID-19 test positivity rate (Gonzaga testing only) reached a record high of 19.7%. By comparison, the total positivity rate for the fall 2021 semester was 1.6%. Health Services (HS) saw hundreds of students with COVID-19 type illnesses this academic year.
#1 Health & Counseling Services and Athletics conducted 2,891 tests from August through December 2021.
#2
ISSUE Adjusting & Advancing in COVID-19 Pandemic
For the foreseeable future, a reduced CART will continue to support those impacted by COVID-19 and work with public health authorities in making decisions that center around the health of our community.
#1 During the 2021 summer months, the difficult decision was made to require campus-based students to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, excluding approved medical or religious exemptions.
#2 The RN led COVID-19 initiative provided greater continuity of care for students within the HS system allowed for full utilization of scope of practice for clinical staff, and enhanced satisfaction in the student experience at HCS.
#4 The COVID-19 Action Response Team (CART) coordinated contact tracing, maintained quarantine and isolation facilities, conducted meal delivery, and provided support for students who tested positive or were exposed throughout the last year. The sharp rise in cases in January caused the CART to again adapt quarantine and isolation processes.
The high vaccination rate of our student population (95.51% total student, 96.03% undergraduate) allowed us to relax some of our COVID-19 related procedures during the course of the year. The work of HS allowed significant COVID-19 support to students and the campus, helping to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic.
#3 Counseling initiated a Mental Health Counselor III intern supervision structure. Professional counseling staff attended trainings and were then able to provide supervision to master’s level counseling interns, which increased support for GU students. The interns came from the Gonzaga University Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and similar programs at other institutions. #4 Counseling services hired an additional contracted counselor in the fall semester. #5 The Office of Health Promotion (OHP) hosted Community Wellbeing Days in the Hemmingson Center December 1-3 for over 450 participants. Facilitators from across campus contributed to an extensive lineup of scheduled and drop-in programming. Given the ongoing trend of high need for mental and emotional support among students, we will explore additional offerings in future semesters based upon lessons learned during the fall. Potential future partnerships may include Alumni Relations and the School of Education.
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Transitioning to college has always been difficult, but this year we saw more challenges with students struggling to communicate needs and regulate emotions. The trend was reflected in the campus-wide referral system (REFER Forms): the Center for Cura Personalis (CCP) received 1805 “Refers” (a 46% increase over 2020-21).
Mental health continues to be a concern for many Gonzaga students. In the fall semester staff reported “compared to past semesters, the intensity of concerns and crises are at higher levels."
ISSUE #3 WHAT WE DID #1
Managing Increased Health Needs of Students
Cura Personalis case managers met with more than 590 individual students and held over 1,200 appointments, with hundreds of additional emails, phone calls, and campus partner collaborations made in support of students experiencing difficulty. #2 Counseling Services (CS) provided both in-person and tele-mental health visit modalities.
OUTCOMES
#1 Compared to many peer institutions, Gonzaga did not have any students die by suicide in 2021-2022.
#2 While tele-health services was a pandemicdriven initiative, it has proven extremely positive for both students and providers. It allows for enhanced choice in care delivery and options for students, decreasing barriers to access. We are contracting with a company to provide tele-health/counseling options in the fall. #3 These partnerships provided greater access to mental health care for students. We were able to grow the number of interns as our number of supervisors has increased. #4 In the fall 2021 semester, the contracted counselor handled 117 student counseling appointments. #5 In a post-event survey, 96% of respondents said attending the event positively enhanced their wellbeing and they would recommend it to their peers. The Spring Health Survey revealed that students want to receive information about health and wellbeing topics in 1:1 conversations with faculty and staff (36%) and academic events/lectures (41%). Additionally, over 61% of Seniors reported increased coping skills, compared to when they started at Gonzaga.
Health and Counseling Appointments (2018-2022) 37
&ACCOMPLISHMENTSAFFAIRSAWARDS
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• Dr. Fernando Ortiz co-authored a textbook, The History and Types of Mexican Psychology from Indigenous to Postmodern; with Mellen Press • Gonzaga was ranked 83rd in the annual Sierra Club Cool Schools • Gonzaga received 4 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index • Molly Ayers received the Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators Ignatian Medal for Outstanding Achievement • Matthew Welter, Student Advertising Manager won second place award for best Advertising Manager in the country by College Media Business and Advertising Managers (CMBAM) organization • Cortney Brewer was selected as a directorate member of ACPA's Commission for Student Conduct and Legal Issues • NBC News and the Campus Pride Best of the Best Colleges & Universities for LGBTQ students recognized GU as one of ten religious schools living up to LGBTQ+ inclusive values • Gonzaga received the Military Friendly® Silver School Designation for the 2022-2023 academic year • Dr. Colleen Quinn Vandenboom was selected as a member of the 2022 National Center Educational Statistics Data Institute Cohort • Gonzaga University was recognized as a Bronze Bike Friendly University STUDENT
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