Mission Statement
The Office of Student Life and Development supports the mission of New York City College of Technology through the intentional design and implementation of developmental activities, experiences, and services that foster a supportive, challenging and nurturing environment. Student Life provides opportunities for City tech students to engage in purposeful and transformative learning to prepare them to be active learners, successful graduates, and engaged global citizens.
Student Life & Development Key Functions
Programming developed and/or sponsored by the Office of Student Life and Development is organized into four categories:
- Leadership Development
- Diversity Education
- Community Service and Civic Engagement
- Social and Community Awareness
City Tech students participate in more than 35 programs, reflecting a broad range of academic and social interests. Working closely with student clubs and the Student Government Association, Student Life and Development promotes full participation and access to student events and activities without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age, religion, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation or national origin.
SLD Contributes to Student Retention and Persistence”
Through targeted programming Student Life and Development utilizes academic and social integration strategies to support student success and timely graduation. By participating in workshops and activities, students develop sustainable skillsets to build resilience and prepare them for life after the completion of their degree. To promote student mental, physical, and emotional well-being, SLD collaborates with institutional partners and outside organizations to address personal barriers that may hinder a student’s ability succeed.
Opportunities for Collaboration:
To cultivate a greater sense of community, cross-divisional information needs to be more transparent and accessible
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- SLD will utilize their social media and other accessible communication platforms to collect data, redistribute information, and assist in engaging students
- Through Presence, SLD will serve as an information hub for events and activities throughout the college
An inventory of current resources is needed to funnel out how the college community can support one another, instead of duplicating initiatives
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- SLD will provide a detailed description of events being provided throughout the academic semester and will make further efforts to outreach to various departments throughout the college community, assisting with their event-planning and participation
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Student involvement is needed at every discussion table when decisions are being made about student activities
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- SLD will continue to advocate for students to become active members of planning committees
- Current student senators ought to be utilized to a larger extent to promote student engagement within respective areas. Further, they should be deployed to bridge the gap between the administration and their peers by developing meaningful connections and serving as information conduits
- SLD will encourage SGA senators to reach out to their divisional Deans, thus establishing relationships
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Faculty and staff need to make themselves more accessible for extracurricular activities to create a stronger sense of agency
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- SLD will outreach to faculty and other staff members to request participation
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The college needs to be cohesive and consistent as to what platforms are being utilized for student instruction and activities. Additionally, cross-divisional training for said platforms is essential to appropriately guide students when assistance is required
How does your work contribute to student retention and persistence?
Through targeted programming Student Life and Development utilizes academic and social integration strategies to support student success and timely graduation. By participating in workshops and activities, students develop sustainable skillsets to build resilience and prepare them for life after the completion of their degree. To promote student mental, physical, and emotional well-being, SLD collaborates with institutional partners and outside organizations to address personal barriers that may hinder a student’s ability to succeed.
At what point in a student’s academic experience do you usually meet them?
Students who become active participants in SLD activities and programming do so at the beginning of their academic career.
Is there a time that you believe a student should first engage with your program?
It is important for students to familiarize themselves with all that SLD has to offer from start to finish. Ideally, a student’s first interaction with SLD would be before the commencement of their first semester at the college. This would promote the building of connections with their peers and the administration, familiarize them with other support services and academic departments, and allow them to become acquainted with extracurricular activities to support their success and further develop networking opportunities.
How often should they engage with your program?
SLD offers a multitude of opportunities for students to stay engaged. We encourage them to regularly participate in the diverse programming that we offer, whether they are looking for leadership opportunities, civil engagement, peer support, networking etc.
When you meet with a student for the first time, what do you wish to accomplish?
I want the student to have a safe space to explore and ask questions.
How do you ensure students receive the appropriate amount of support to persist to the next semester?
Throughout the academic semester a wide array of activities are made available. Students are provided with continuous information about events and activities that are happening throughout the semester. When students participate in our workshops a log is kept of their participation and oftentimes follow-ups are conducted. To make certain that students feel supported in different ways, opportunities are made available continuously throughout the semester. Students are notified of these events through social media, emails and texting.
Today we are speaking of persistence and retention, are there other means in which to measure achievement?
Growth Mindset (Does the student believe that they can do better with dedication, time and effort?)
Are they able to set future goals and have a plan on to achieve those goals?
How have they done academically?
How long has the student taken to complete their degree?
How do you assess student achievement?
Do you believe students are aware of how your area contributes to their short- and long-term goals which lead to graduation?
I think that students who partake in SLD activities are obviously aware of the benefits, but those who do not are somewhat clueless.
How do we ensure students know how your area contributes to student success?
Provide information through different avenues, at different times, in a comprehensive manner.
