UNC’s Division of Student Affairs keeps students in check outside the classroom
Purchase meal plan. Check.Outfit for first day of classes. Check.
Place to live. Check.
Register for classes. Check.
Food, clothing, shelter, classes. Your child’s got the basics of college life covered. But as your son or daughter ventures off to Carolina for his or her first (or fifth) year, there are, no doubt, a gazillion more thoughts floating through your head.
What type of extracurricular activities will she participate in? Will he join a fraternity? What if she has a learning disability? How will he handle stress? What if she gets depressed? Will he be able to find a job?
For every question above, there’s an answer within the Division of Student Affairs. From housing to health services to Greek Affairs to the discipline system to the student union to the Campus Y to disability services to campus recreation, student affairs encompasses every aspect of student life outside of the classroom. While no two students will follow the exact same college path, student affairs will be an essential part of every student’s college experience.
Helping students figure out where to get the help they need is one of the division’s top priorities. Peggy Jablonski, vice chancellor for student affairs, said Carolina’s goal is to “provide students with the resources they need before they know they need them. Not because they are having a crisis, but before a crisis happens.”
Peggy Jablonski
Jablonski, who has been at Carolina for two years and
has more than two decades of experience in leading student
affairs programs, said one of the ways Carolina is working
to accomplish this goal is by building classrooms within
residence halls, bringing services to where students
actually live. For example, faculty members are invited to
talk on “hot topics” and their research, and
counselors come to discuss eating disorders and substance
abuse. The classrooms also provide space for study and
career sessions.
For the hundreds of staff members who work within student
affairs, the job is to help students make good choices.
“We are very customer-service friendly,”
Jablonski said. “Our door is always open. Some
students or parents may be dealing with an issue for the
first time. But we’ve seen it lots of times. I guess
you can say we’ve parented thousands of
students.”
Of course, it’s not always possible to nip every
issue in the bud. The Pit incident last spring in which a
former student drove a Jeep through the Pit to
“avenge the death of Muslims” may come to mind.
“When you have a dense population of people living
and working together—about 27,000 students coupled
with 40,000 townspeople—you have to expect to deal
with complex societal issues and even some accidents. That
being said, I believe Carolina is exceedingly well prepared
to deal with crises as they arise,” Jablonski said.
Another issue that concerns parents and students alike is
“fitting in,” or feeling connected on such a
big campus.
One way the University is addressing this issue is by
bringing together north and south campus. For many years,
students on south campus have felt removed from the action
on north campus. But that’s changing with the
addition of Ram’s Head, which includes a dining
facility, recreation center and market, and a new Student
and Academic Services Center scheduled to open in February
2007. “The center of campus is gravitating
south,” Jablonski said.
Located on the corner of Manning Drive and Ridge Road, the
Student and Academic Services Center will house the Office
of the University Registrar, the Cashier’s Office,
the Department of Housing and Residential Education, the
Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of Greek Affairs
and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer
Office. In addition, the center will house the Honor Court,
the Writing Center, the Learning Center and Disability
Services, a 24-hour computer lab, and a multipurpose room
that staff members from different areas could use to
collaborate on ways to enhance services to students.
Student and Academic Services Center, April 2006
“The idea was not only to create a one-stop shop
for student services, but also to help create a sense of
community for students,” Jablonski said.
As the University continues to grow, the importance of
community spaces will continue to be a top priority,
Jablonski said. “We plan to create outdoor living and
recreational spaces adjacent to the residence halls and
advocate for other green space on campus.”
The University may be a big place, but rest assured there
is a whole team of people working to ensure your child is
connected and equipped with the skills he or she needs to
grow into a well-rounded individual. Also know that there
is an office on campus dedicated to keeping you informed
and involved—the Office of New Student and Carolina
Parent Programs. Check out the office’s website at
http://parents.unc.edu.
Visit the Division of Student Affairs online at http://studentaffairs.unc.edu/.