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 Who We Are:
September 10, 2015
Welcome back! 
 
This is going to be an exciting year for UNA.  Residence hall move-in and the start of the school year have gone very well, and there is a high level of excitement and energy on campus. 
 
There are many new things happening at the University this year that are contributing to this excitement.  We opened the new science and technology building, changed our scholarship matrix to help more students attend the University, expanded our recruiting efforts, conducted a record number of campus tours, and faculty and staff made personal contacts with admitted students.  This past summer UNA had its most successful SOAR program with over 1,400 new freshman and transfer students attending SOAR (Student Orientation, Advisement, and Registration).  We also had 976 parents and family members attend Family Orientation.    
 
Sixty years of higher education research has shown that the number one factor for student success is engagement.  One of the best ways for a student to become engaged is by living on campus.  Research also shows that students who live on campus experience higher rates of satisfaction, academic success, adjustment, and graduation.
 
This fall, we opened Mattielou Hall, the first of two new residence halls on campus (Olive will open in the spring).   We welcomed over 823 new freshmen to the residence halls, which comprise 74% of our new freshman class.   This is a record number of freshmen living on campus.  We also welcomed back 584 upperclassmen to our residence halls and 276 in university apartments. We have a record of over 1,600 students (58% freshmen) living in university-owned or operated facilities.  That represents 25% of our undergraduate population.  At this level of on-campus living, the University of North Alabama has become a residential campus.
 
Life on a residential college or university is very different.  So, what does being a residential campus mean for UNA?  Campus life, operations, and culture will shift.  Student usage of facilities and services will increase during normal hours and there will be a demand for services and facility usage beyond normal hours of operation. They will ask more questions, participate in more activities, visit and utilize more services and offices, need more guidance, and challenge old processes.  They will change the culture of the campus. 
 
There will also be increased opportunities for faculty and staff to serve as mentors.  More opportunities for students to be involved in research and campus activities.  School pride will increase and expand throughout the campus.  They will have a greater connection to the University and thus a greater sense of school pride.  This will contribute to their sense of belonging and ownership of their own educational experience. 
 
How can we help students engage and be successful at the University?  We can monitor how students are doing, both inside and outside of the classroom.  We should collaborate and communicate needs, concerns, and issues that students are dealing with so we can respond.  We need to identify bottlenecks or pressure points where things are not working well and address them in a timely manner.  We can answer questions, follow up, refer with confidence, and know that others will address issues and help students.   We will need to monitor student usage and demand for operations and services and adjust our operations as needed.  Flexible creativity may become the buzzword as we go through this year.
 
While not all issues or concerns can be fixed overnight, we must work together in a constructive and continuous manner.  While we may not always agree on the same path, we will gain much by working out challenges in a collegial way.   Students should not only matter, they should feel like they matter at UNA. 
 
In the words of Barbara Jordan, civil rights and political leader,  
"We are a [university] of innovation. We do not reject our traditions, but we are willing to adapt to changing circumstances, when change we must. We are willing to suffer the discomfort of change in order to achieve a better future."
 
This will be a great year for the University of North Alabama.  ROAR LIONS!
David P. Shields, Jr.
Vice President for Student Affairs

Student Affairs


Vision Statement
Developing Leaders, Inspiring Success

Mission Statement
Student Affairs promotes lifelong development, healthy living, leadership, integrity, employability and civic responsibility in a global society.

As professionals committed to students, Student Affairs staff members exhibit the following  Co re  Values:
  • Integrity - adhere to professional standards of personal, academic, and intellectual integrity
  • Community - embrace the diversity of cultural backgrounds, personal characteristics, and life situations represented in this community
  • Social Justice - value and inspire a just and equitable environment for the free expression of ideas, opinions, thoughts, and differences in people.  They understand that their actions serve as an example to students and therefore will challenge actions that may be harmful to and/or diminish the worth of others
  • Respect - display respect for the rights and dignity of all
  • Responsibility - UNA Student Affairs staff members exhibit a high level of responsibility to self, to others and to the community

 

We are EPIC!

Engaged, Prepared, Invested, Collaborative

 

Career Planning & Development 
      Career Planning and Development (CPD) provides extensive career related support to students and alumni. Students visit CPD for a number of reasons including major and career exploration. Many students have no idea what major to choose, while others are feeling confused by several different viable options. Each exploration session with a student is individualized. When appropriate, our staff administers interest inventories and personality assessments to aid in the decision making process.
     Next, students and alumni visit CPD to receive assistance crafting discipline specific cover letters and resumes for the internship or job search and statements of purpose for graduate school. Our staff provide mock interviews for students and offer constructive feedback so students can gain the confidence needed before an important interview. CPD coaches students on proper interview etiquette and attire. Our services include a Career Closet where students can borrow clothing to ensure they make a positive first impression.
     Students are taught the importance of gaining experience, and our staff collaborates with academic departments in order to help students find meaningful internship, professional practice, and co-op opportunities. CPD meets with students and alumni to teach them effective job search strategies equipping them with the tools needed to be successful when searching for gainful employment. Students are informed about our online employment system, LionJobs, where all internships, part-time jobs and full time jobs are listed.
     The Career Carnival, Career Fair, Mock Interview Day, Dining Etiquette Sessions, K-12 Teacher Recruitment Day, and Nursing Networking and Mock Interview Day are among the events hosted by Career Planning and Development. A full listing of our services and events can be found at career.una.edu



From left to right:
Amanda Terry, Employer Development Coordinator; 
Melissa Medlin, Director;
Kay Wammack, Sr. Administrative Assistant; &
Jennifer Smith, Assistant Director
Student Conduct
 
The Office of Student Conduct strengthens personal responsibility and accountability through investigation and resolution of alleged violations of the University Student Code of Conduct. The Office is committed to providing a fair and educational process that fosters the highest standards of behavior, student learning, and civic responsibility while promoting a safe environment that respects the rights of all students. Student Conduct strives to adjudicate cases of alleged misconduct in a fair, responsible and timely manner emphasizing respect, trust and integrity. Additionally, Student Conduct serves as an advocate for and resource to student victims of crime, illness, harassment, or other crises.
 
The University community is committed to fostering a campus environment that is conducive to academic inquiry, a productive campus life and thoughtful study and discourse. The student conduct program within the Office of Student Conduct is committed to an educational and developmental process that balances the interests of individual students with the interests of the University community.
 
A community exists on the basis of shared values and principles. At the University, student members of the community are expected to uphold and abide by certain standards of conduct that form the basis of the Code of Student Conduct. These standards are embodied within a set of core values that include integrity, community, social justice, and respect.
  • Integrity: UNA students adhere to personal, academic, and intellectual integrity.
  • Community: UNA students embrace the diversity of cultural backgrounds, personal characteristics, and life situations represented in this community.
  • Social Justice: UNA students value an environment for the free expression of ideas, opinions, thoughts, and differences in people.  They understand and appreciate how their decisions and actions impact others and are just and equitable in their treatment of all members of the community. They act to discourage and challenge those whose actions may be harmful to and/or diminish the worth of others.
  • Respect: UNA students respect the rights, dignity and property of all.
  • Responsibility: UNA students are given and accept a high level of responsibility to self, to others and to the community.
Each member of the University community bears responsibility for their conduct and to assume reasonable responsibility for the behavior of others. When members of the community fail to exemplify these values by engaging in violation of the rules below, campus conduct proceedings are used to assert and uphold the Code of Student Conduct.
 
The student conduct process at the University is not intended to punish students; rather, it exists to protect the interests of the community and to challenge those whose behavior is not in accordance with our policies. Sanctions are intended to challenge students' moral and ethical decision-making and to help them bring their behavior into accord with our community expectations. When a student is unable to conform their behavior to community expectations, the student conduct process may determine that the student should no longer share in the privilege of participating in this community.
 
Students should be aware that the student conduct process is quite different from criminal and civil court proceedings. Procedures and rights in student conduct procedures are conducted with fairness to all, but do not include the same protections of due process afforded by the courts. Due process, as defined within these procedures, assures written notice and a hearing before an objective decision-maker. No student will be found in violation of UNA policy without information showing that it is more likely than not that a policy violation occurred and any sanctions will be proportionate to the severity of the violation and to the cumulative conduct history of the student.

Division of Student Affairs, University of North Alabama | 256-765-4223