Student Life –
U of M
B & F Forum
October 9, 2008
E. Royster Harper
Vice President for Student Affairs
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Who are our Students?
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Warning!
This might make you feel old!
“Old age is fifteen years older than I am”
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Turn and Buzz…
 What do you think is the biggest difference
between your mindset at age 18 and the mindset
of 18-year-olds now?
 What would you consider the biggest societal
improvement or advancement since you were 18
years old?
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Class of 2012
Students entering college for the first time this fall
were generally born in 1990.
 GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available.
 Electronic filing of tax returns has always been an option.
 Personal privacy has always been threatened.
 Caller ID has always been available on phones.
 IBM has never made typewriters.
 WWW has never stood for World Wide Wrestling.
 Employees have always been able to do credit checks on employees.
Beloit College Mindset list
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Class of 2012
 Coke and Pepsi have always used recycled plastic bottles.
 Gas stations have never fixed flats, but most serve cappuccino.
 Harry Potter could be a classmate, playing on their Quidditch team.
 Schools have always been concerned about multiculturalism.
 Iced tea has always come in cans and bottles.
 There have always been charter schools.
 They have always been looking for Carmen Sandiego.
 Girls in head scarves have always been part of the school fashion
scene.
 Grandma has always had wheels on her walker.
 College grads have always been able to Teach for America.
 The Tonight Show has always been hosted by Jay Leno and started at
11:35 EST.
Beloit College Mindset list
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LINGO JEOPARDY
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Friend with Benefits
A.
A friend who is also a sexual partner
B.
A friend with a car
C.
A person that has access to a professor’s testing file
D.
None of the above
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ANSWER
A. A friend who is a sexual partner.
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What is my grill?
A.
Something you use to cook your meal
B.
The front of your automobile
C.
None of the above
D.
Someone’s face or teeth
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ANSWER
D. Someone’s face or teeth
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What is DDR?
A.
Do not resuscitate order
B.
Dance, Dance, Revolution Video Game
C.
A medical term for Dialysis
D.
The role playing game Dark Dragon Rider
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ANSWER
B. Dance, Dance,
Revolution Video Game
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Translate
 idk
 lol
 roflmao
 j/k
 myob
 ttyl <3 u bff
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ANSWER
idk: I Don’t Know
lol: Laugh Out Loud
roflmao: Rolling On Floor Laughing My A*# Off
j/k: Just Kidding
myob: MindYour Own Business
ttyl <3 u bff: Talk ToYou Later, LoveYou Best Friends Forever
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Students: Who are they?
 Millennial








 Digital Natives
Special
Sheltered
Optimistic/confident
Team oriented
Achieving
Pressured
Conventional
Tech savvy
 Live on line
 A culture of…

-Connectivity

-Sharing

-Feedback

-Public display

-Constant availability

-Global citizenship
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Why does any of this matter?
Historical Context and outlook
 Effects of technology
 9/11/01; war in Iraq
 Interactions with each other
Significance of social identity
 Civil rights
 Race/ethnicity
 Sexual orientation
Significance for our work
 Opportunities
 Challenges
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What students expect
 Support
 Engagement
 Challenges
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STUDENTS ARE AT THE
CENTER
OF OUR WORK
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DSA Mission Statement
 The Division of Student Affairs is
committed to students’ learning and the
development of the whole student in a
diverse campus community.
 Through our programs, services, facilities,
and partnerships, we facilitate students’
transformation and enrich their education.
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How We Accomplish our Mission
By being:
 Student centered
 Strategically proactive
 Accessible, responsive, and accountable
 Instrumental in students’ education
 Interdependent and collaborative in our work
 Aligning talents, expertise, and resources
 Leveraging input of students and other
constituents
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DSA Functions

Campus Information Centers

Career Center

Counseling & Psychological Services

Dean of Students Office

Ginsberg Center for Community
Service and Learning
 Services for Students with
Disabilities

Sexual Assault Prevention &
Awareness Center
 Spectrum Center
 Student Activities and
Leadership

Greek Life

Intergroup Relations
 Student Affairs Research

International Center


Multi-ethnic Student Affairs &
 University Housing
 University Health Service
Trotter Multicultural Center

Student Ombuds Office
Office of Student Conflict
Resolution
 University Unions
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Engagement Matters
 According to our own StudentVoice surveys,
99.5% of UM students are on Facebook.
 What we offer must be sufficiently engaging to
draw students from other hyperactive media and
activities.
 Students are yearning for a more tangible, less virtual,
experience
 There are many tangible opportunities at UM for
students to experience
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IGR Class
MCORE Conference
SAPAC volunteers
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ALMA retreat
Frequency with which students worked on
professors’ research projects compared to students’
level of satisfaction with overall college experience.
Not at all
Occasionally
Frequently
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2007-2008 College Senior Survey
Frequency with which students performed community
service as part of a class compared to students’ level of
satisfaction with overall college experience.
Not at all
Occasionally
Frequently
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2007-2008 College Senior Survey
Challenges & Transformation
1.
Who they are and Who they want to become
2.
What they know and What needs to be learned
3.
Where they are and Where they want to go
4.
Now…. Then what?
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I pledge to actively
respect all persons.
I will foster an environment that
values both our similarities and our
differences. I realize there are other
perspectives than my own. I will
strive to be honest and respectful in
all my interactions and will presume
good will. I will honor this
commitment in my classes, my
personal life, and all other pursuits
on and off campus. I will invite
others to embrace this message.
www.urespect.umich.edu
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Fan behavior
Sexual violence
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Anti-hazing
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Alcohol abuse
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For more conversation, contact the
U-M Office of the
Vice President for Student Affairs
764-5132
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