Campus & Community

Student Life honored as one of “Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs”

The University of Denver’s Student Life department, which provides non-academic services, support resources and opportunities for DU students, was one of 19 such departments at universities around the country to be named to the list of the “Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs” by the Center for Higher Education Enterprise (CHEE) at the Ohio State University.

Partnering with the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and the American College Personnel Association, the CHEE studied institutions across the U.S., examining the extent to which diversity and inclusion permeate aspects of various divisions of student affairs.

“We are fortunate to have a dedicated and committed staff of competent student affairs professionals who value and understand the importance of inclusive excellence,” says Patti Helton, associate provost of student life. “We take inclusive excellence seriously at the University of Denver and have made issues of power, privilege and oppression a priority in our strategic planning, student programming, professional development, hiring and recruiting and student learning outcomes. We are honored and excited to be named as a most promising place to work in student affairs.”

Demonstrating DU’s commitment to providing students with real-life work experience, Student Life each year employs 24 master’s students from the Morgridge College of Education’s Higher Education Program. The program is designed to help students develop unique competencies intended to serve the diverse needs of higher education organizations and to contribute to the national landscape of higher education policy.

According to the CHEE study, student affairs professionals at highly ranked institutions identified five positive practices: a demonstrated commitment to institutional mission and strategic plan; available and involved senior student affairs leadership; formal and informal recognition of good work; institutional and practical support of work-life balance; and intentional investment in the development of student affairs staff.

Read the full article, which details the committee’s findings, at DiverseEducation.com.

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