The dean of students spoke to Missouri Students Association senators Feb. 5 about various changes coming to the Division of Student Affairs.
Dean of Students Jeffrey Zeilenga briefed MSA’s full senate on plans to repair the university’s relationship with the Greek community and to change the general focus of Greek life.
“We want to transition from a social-based organization to a values-based one,” Zeilenga said.
Zeilenga stressed the importance Greek life has in fostering engagement among students and how this value should be promoted in the future. He also said the university intends to be more involved with the Greek community, reversing past efforts to distance itself from the organizations.
Zeilenga revealed to the senators that efforts are being made to bring every fraternity back to campus.
Nicole Monnier, associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science, spoke about the National Survey of Student Engagement that will begin on Feb. 13. The survey will be pushed out to MU student emails and Canvas sites of first- and senior-year students, but is voluntary.
Monnier said the survey is necessary to understand which populations feel engaged in class and on campus and which the university needs to focus on helping. She emphasized that the data is essential in improving the experiences students have at MU.
“If you’re engaged you stay [at MU], and if you’re engaged you succeed,” Monnier said. “We want students to succeed.”
She said she hopes to increase the overall response rate of 17 percent from the survey conducted three years ago to at least 30 percent this year. Monnier encouraged the senators to promote the survey to students of a broad range of backgrounds and majors in order to diversify the data.
_Edited by Ethan Brown | ebrown@themaneater.com_