Message from Interim Vice Chancellor Jan Gong

On behalf of the Student Affairs Leadership Team, I welcome you to the inaugural issue of "Student Affairs Matters," the new Student Affairs e-newsletter. With all the sources of campus information available, you may be wondering why the Student Affairs Leadership Team (SALT) wanted to institute a Student Affairs newsletter. We felt there was a notable desire among staff to understand the salient issues of the day, to be involved in decision making and to be well-informed Student Affairs advocates. We trust that this newsletter will address these important goals.

In addition to imparting information, the newsletter will be a way for all of us to gain an understanding of how each unit and staff member is integrally connected to the mission of Student Affairs and the university. Understanding what is important to Student Affairs and the campus collectively allows all of us to do a better job of working with students and delivering our services in a collaborative fashion.

An important component to making the newsletter a success is hearing from you. Your suggestions and feedback will assist us with making future issues relevant and helpful. There is a "Contact Us" form at the bottom of the right-hand column. Please feel free to use it.

I also want to say "thank you" to all of you as our Student Affairs staff members. The dedication, persistence and genuine care you offer every day on behalf of students and one another contributes substantively to the academic success and development of our students and our community. I'm genuinely appreciative and in awe of your hard work, passion and optimism.

We cover a lot in this issue–no doubt there will always be a lot to cover. We hope you find the updates provided to be helpful.