Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

Tomorrow, Shawna Patterson-Stephens begins a new role at Central Michigan University: Vice President of the Division of University Engagement and Student Affairs. And she is excited. 

“We are bringing together teams who play a vital role in student success and well-being,” Patterson-Stephens said. “We have an opportunity to create new collaborative systems to provide holistic student support, taking full advantage of the deep commitment and creativity of the dedicated professionals working to advance CMU’s values.” 

Although the new unit won’t officially be established until July 1, Patterson-Stephens said she is meeting now with staff to develop an organizational structure, discuss roles and responsibilities, and build excitement for the opportunities ahead. 

In April and May, Patterson-Stephens met with teams from the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Division of Student Affairs, and several campus partner offices to better understand their operations and goals. This week, following a meeting with leaders who will become part of the new division, she unveiled a proposal for an organizational structure. In the proposed plan:  

• The University Engagement team, led by an associate vice president, would include CMU Cares, the Counseling Center, Student Disability Services, Diversity Education, the Office of Indigenous Affairs, the Office of LGBTQ Services and Gender Equity Programs, and Sexual Aggression Services. 
• The Student Affairs team, also led by an associate vice president, would house offices including the Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, Multicultural Academic Student Services, the Office of Student Conduct, Student Activities and Involvement, Student Media, and University Recreation. 
• The Residence Life team, led by an executive director, would maintain its current structure, which includes staff in the central office, facilities, and residential communities. 
• A central UESA administrative office, which would support all three teams, would include administrative support staff, embedded University Advancement Team Members, and the continuing director of Financial Operations, who supports both Student Recruitment and Retention and UESA.  

“This is a plan in progress, and our organizational structure may change as we begin to learn from and work with each other in this new capacity,” Patterson-Stephens said. “We are fortunate to have the months of May and June to discuss our unit goals and priorities as we come together.” 

She noted that no staff positions would be eliminated as the unit comes together but said that some titles and responsibilities might change. And, within the next several weeks, Patterson-Stephens will begin searches for open leadership roles in each of the units.  

“Several positions in Student Affairs have been filled with interim leaders for months. We hope to quickly identify and onboard outstanding leaders for those positions to support this transition,” she said. 

As the team comes together over the next several months, Patterson-Stephens said they would begin to work on its digital presence, including web pages and social media. Additional updates on the Division and its progress will be shared with the university community in the months ahead, she said.