Chapter 6
Campus Culture

 

6.1 Introduction

The various aspects of SVSU’s campus culture support its mission. The Next Steps 2000-2005 plan has two sections, Campus Culture and Public Affairs, that articulate University goals consistent with the above GIRs and Criteria:

• The University will create and sustain a culture and environment that fosters and supports the personal and intellectual growth of its students
• The University will make significant and sustained contributions to the quality of life and become the premier cultural and intellectual center and resource for the schools, businesses, governments and people of the East-Central region of Michigan.

These goals reflect the consistent themes of institutional growth and transformation that inform this self-study. This chapter addresses these same themes from the perspectives of campus culture, community relations, and public service.

The growth of the university, including a greater number of traditional-aged college students living on campus, has increased the diversity of the campus, enlarged and enriched its culture, and increased the interaction between the university and the community in multiple ways. These changes have also made new demands on established services and led to the development of new initiatives. The reorganizations discussed in Chapter 3 stem, in part, from the need to provide new and expanded student services in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

This chapter will examine the overall campus environment. It will detail admissions policies and practices, as well as student support services for resident and commuter students. It will also look at community service--the active participation of university staff, faculty, and students in community activities--as well as the various cultural programs, athletic events, and facilities that bring people from the surrounding region to campus. This chapter will also revisit the issue of diversity from the perspective of campus culture.

This chapter is based on the work of three subcommittees that reviewed institutional policies, task force reports, handbooks, and publications. Group members also surveyed students, faculty, and staff, interviewed program directors and division heads, conducted student focus groups, and reviewed student satisfaction surveys. A campus-wide survey on diversity was also conducted during the time the self-study was being carried out, with results pending.