2009-2014 Strategic Plan Goal 4:Enrich the Quality of Campus Life

Goal 4: Enriching the Quality of Campus Life

Mission: Build Our Reputation as a vibrant residential campus with a multicultural community that respects individuality. Become known as a student-centered university. Expand residential life and co-curricular programs to enhance student learning and engagement outside the classroom. Intensify our commitment to bringing engaging arts, cultural, and athletic events to the campus and to the surrounding Hampton Roads communities. Strengthen intra-campus communication systems and attend to the campus community's overall welfare. Renew focus on the civility of personal interactions and deliver first-rate service to faculty, staff, students, and the public.

Rationale: ODU's recent major expansion of student residence facilities on and adjacent to campus brings the opportunity to change the overall tenor of future campus life in a very positive direction. In addition to enhanced academic support for students (Goal 1) that must reflect and respond to our diverse student body, and our existing extra-curricular activities, student-centered programs and services must integrate the curricular with co-curricular activities. Student-faculty interaction both in and outside of the classroom is critically important in achieving intellectual engagement.

Understanding and respecting differences among individuals is critical to our students' success in the world after college and is critical to the success of the University as a whole. Our effectiveness as an organization and our reputation in the communities with whom we interact depends on the quality of service that we provide to students, parents and relatives, faculty and staff, administrators, and the public at large. The university suffers when any of those parties feels disregarded. We seek to make improvements throughout all sectors to ensure the university is recognized as properly responsive to its constituents.

Expand Residential Life and Co-Curricular Programs

Expand residential life programs through learning communities and other student-centered experiences. Promote opportunities for students and alumni to contribute as leaders and team members. Assist first year, transfer, and off-campus students to connect with student organizations and the larger campus community. Develop a Sophomore Success program to focus on service learning, career exploration and study abroad opportunities.

Improve Engagement and Interactions Among Faculty, Staff, and Students

Foster an Old Dominion University identity through increased community-building events and best practice activities, including workshops and motivational speakers. Invest in engaging and exciting programs that celebrate multiculturalism and diversity. Evaluate and eliminate programming that no longer resonates. Continue to offer engaging cultural, athletic and entertainment events on campus and encourage alumni, faculty, administrators, and classified staff to attend. (Also links to Goal 6).

Implement approved recommendations from the 2008-09 Quality of Life (QUL) surveys. Conduct focus groups to assess the effectiveness of the implemented recommendations prior to conducting a follow-on comprehensive QUL survey in 2011-2012.

Improve Intra- and Inter-departmental Communication Systems.

Create a more interactive and inviting web site through usability testing and re-design and provide the resources to maintain it. Ensure useful and relevant content on web pages. Improve the timely circulation of announcements and other information to the University community and emphasize the expectation for vice presidents, deans, chairs, supervisors and other leaders to engage in regular interpersonal communications to share significant information. Encourage faculty, staff and students to serve on committees as appropriate.