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Cornell University

Student & Campus Life

Divisional Planning

Spring blossoms swing in the breeze near Willard Straight Hall.
 

In early June 2022, SCL launched a divisional collaborative planning process to think strategically about the future of our work and to realign our divisional priorities with the realities of where we find ourselves today – with our students and with our teams. A cross-divisional advisory committee of SCL staff members was formed to represent the intersectional interests of the audiences we serve. Members were selected to provide voice for employees, systems, and needs in their respective department and unit.

The committee was charged with assessing SCL climate, priorities, and values, and with presenting a plan to uplift divisional connections, collaborations, and commitments to our purpose of inspiring transformation for students and staff at Cornell University.

After a year-long participatory process with students and staff across the division, the committee presented revitalized SCL values and a 3-year roadmap with priority objectives, in May 2023. The Roadmap includes opportunities for staff and student involvement in priority work at the department and divisional level. Committee members will continue to support divisional leaders in aligning SCL work to accomplish goals.

Members:

Abby Priehs, Housing & Residential Life

 Jessamyn Perlus, Career Services
Adrian K. Durant, Athletics & Physical Education Jody Lynn Marnell, Retail Services
Amy Gaulke, Communications & Marketing and SCL Steering Committee Karli S. Buday, Campus and Community Engagement
Brandon Fortenberry, Cornell Dining Kevin Williams, Office of the Dean of Students and SCL Steering Committee
Christina Liang, Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards Kim Garrison, Care & Crisis Services  
Dan Sweeney, Office of the Vice President Lindsey Bray, Parent & Family Programs
Diane Hamilton, Office of the Vice President and SCL Steering Committee Megan Ramey, Athletics & Physical Education
Donna Lucy-Lender, David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement Melanie Ciotoli, Office of the Vice President and SCL Steering Committee
Jennifer (Hudler) Kwiatkowski, Athletics & Physical Education/Alumni Affairs and Development Perdita Das-Humphrey, West Campus
Jennifer Austin, Cornell Health Shan Varma, Human Resources and SCL Steering Committee
Jenny Loeffelman, Campus and Community Engagement and SCL Steering Committee Tyler Johnson, Campus and Community Engagement
Julie Edwards, Cornell Health

Advisory Committee Updates

Images of SCL Advisory Committee meeting to discuss SCL values and survey results.

Updates

March, 2023

The SCL Advisory Committee has been continuing work to identify and define divisional values and priority areas around the themes of Student Development and Organizational Development.

The following values have been defined as the most important to SCL: Belonging, Well-being, Growth, and Collaboration, and were recently presented to the SCL Divisional Leadership Team for reflection and feedback. 

The Advisory Committee will soon engage with students from across campus in feedback sessions to gather additional information to guide work around Student Development priorities. 

We would like to extend an enormous thank you to our SCL team members who have committed their time and expertise to this important work these last several months.

December 14, 2022

Over the last four months, the Advisory Committee has met regularly over Zoom and at all-day and half-day retreats to review the SCL survey data – along with unit-specific, institutional, and industry data – and determine together the values that define who we are as SCL. The following values have been defined as the most important to SCL: Belonging, Well-being, Growth, and Collaboration.

To engage the broader division in this work more deeply, the SCL Advisory Committee members have hosted dozens of feedback sessions with SCL units and individual teams and would like to thank our staff who have participated and provided their thoughts thus far or are scheduled to in January. Feedback about the new SCL values can also be provided through this survey until January 30, 2023.

With the values conversations underway, the Advisory Committee is currently working on establishing recommendations for SCL priorities that will guide our collective work in supporting staff and student development. We expect to present the priority recommendations early this spring and begin conversations about unit alignment shortly thereafter.

We would like to extend an enormous thank you to our SCL team members who have committed their time and expertise to this important work these last several months. We look forward to sharing more updates with you early in the coming year.