STUDENT LIFE Impact Report 2023-2024
Message from
the Vice President
STEVEN HOOD, Ed.D.
Over the last year in Student Life, we have made significant progress in our mission of maximizing learning at the Capstone. Through our supportive resources, opportunities for community and the multitude of beyond-the-classroom learning experiences we provide, our division is making an impact in the lives of our 39,623 students, and we are helping them to thrive and succeed.
In 2023-2024, we focused our efforts in six areas:
- Strengthening and expanding programs and services that prioritize student safety and mental health.
- Focusing on efforts related to sophomore student engagement and retention.
- Using data from the learning record to better capture student engagement and learning happening across the division.
- Enhancing the infrastructure supporting Greek students' well-being and safety.
- Executing existing facility projects and developing a written, comprehensive 3-5 year plan to address facility needs to better serve students.
- Developing and educating on a comprehensive professional development cycle from recruiting to hiring to onboarding to professional development.
All of these goals help us accomplish our strategic priorities and continuously improve our service and support for students in meaningful and sustainable ways. Throughout this report, as you read the impact of our departments and see the stories of the students whose lives have been touched by our work, we will also provide reports on our progress toward each of these goals. These reports are certainly not exhaustive but instead serve as a brief overview of our work in these areas over the last year.
I am proud to share our 2023-2024 accomplishments with you, and I hope you are especially inspired by the stories of the tremendous students we have the privilege of serving. May we continue to enhance our work in developing these legends-in-the-making so we can equip them well to lead us all to a brighter future.
Roll Tide,
Student Life Leadership Team
Dr. Steven Hood
Vice President
Dr. Stacy Jones
Dean of Students /
Assistant Vice President
Dr. Ruperto “Toti” Perez
Associate Vice President for Student Health and Well-Being
Dr. Erika Mason-Imbody
Assistant Vice President for Student Life
Dr. Rosalind Moore-Miller
Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement
Dr. Adam Sterritt
Assistant Vice President for Strategic Initiatives
Dr. Matthew Kerch
Executive Director of Housing and Residential Communities
Patricia “Tut” Wilson
Executive Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life
What is Student Life?
The Division of Student Life is comprised of over 20 departments who are dedicated to helping students become transformed and engaged learners — this is our crowning achievement and highest goal. In order for students to achieve their highest learning potential, we know they must have access to resources and support as well as experience a sense of community and belonging. Our departments maximize student learning by providing these foundational elements as well as unique opportunities for beyond-the-classroom learning.
Mission
The Division of Student Life empowers and supports students in maximizing their UA learning experience.
Strategic Priorities
Student Learning
and Development
We are committed to providing exceptional learning and development opportunities that prepare students for successful careers and lifelong learning by fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity and discovery and providing innovative, experiential learning opportunities.
Student Safety
and Wellness Resources
We are committed to providing comprehensive services and support that prioritize student safety and whole-person wellness to address the unique needs of all our students, ensuring they have access to resources
that enhance their overall well-being.
Outstanding Staff Support
We are committed to recruiting and supporting outstanding staff by attracting and retaining top talent, providing opportunities for professional growth and development and fostering a workplace culture that values and supports all staff members.
Efficient and Effective
Resource Stewardship
We are committed to stewarding resources and facilities efficiently and effectively by optimizing campus partnerships and aligning resource utilization with our strategic priorities, while still providing high-quality services to students and strengthening financial sustainability and operational efficiency.
Departments
Blackburn Institute
Career Center
Center for Service and Leadership
Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services
Counseling Center
Dean of Students
Fraternity and Sorority Life
Health Promotion and Wellness
Housing and Residential Communities
Parent & Family Programs
Student Care and Well-Being
Student Conduct
Student Governance and Citizenship
Student Involvement
Student Media
UA Student Center
University Programs
University Recreation
Veteran and Military Affairs
Women and Gender Resource Center
Office of the Vice President
Assessment and Planning
Business Services
Communications and External Engagement
Professional Development
Student Life Divisional Award Winners
Byron Mincey Emerging Professional Award
UA Student Center
Anna McJenkin
Harry J. Knopke Award for Meritorious Service
Office of the Vice President for Student Life
Kait Webster
John L. "Jack" Baier Award for Meritorious Service
Housing and Residential Communities
Amy Nichols
Mission Excellence Award
Student Life Communications and External Engagement
Tonya Jenkins
Molly Lawrence Award for Internal Collaboration
Career Center
Kathleen Duffy Penny Allen Award for Contributions to Student Life
Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
Tre Turner Outstanding Undergraduate Student
University Programs
Cayleigh Depriest Outstanding Student Volunteer
Student Involvement
International Student Scholar Services
Sybil R. Todd Award for Excellence in Partnerships
Molly McAllister
Outstanding Graduate Student
Health Promotion and Wellness
Exemplo Capstone Awards
Honoring Individual students, student organizations and full-time staff members who "serve compassionately, engage masterfully and live boldly.
Goal Updates
Goal 1:
Strengthen and expand programs and services that
prioritize student safety and mental health.
Through an institutional investment of $1 million annually, we have launched an embedded counselor program, adding six licensed mental health professionals located in strategically selected locations and communities around campus to better serve the student population and offload some of the demand for services from our central Counseling Center. We have already onboarded three of these professionals and are in the hiring process for the remaining three.
3 embedded counselors hired:
Culverhouse College of Business + Honors College
+ Housing and Residential Communities
3 embedded counselors in hiring process:
College of Communication and Information Sciences
+ College of Engineering + College of Human and Environmental Sciences
We also enhanced our crisis and consultation specialist model (ensuring that students always have access to same-day, 30-minute consultation appointments) and added a few other key positions across the Counseling Center.
These combined efforts have increased access to the Counseling Center's services for all students, with 3% more students served and 10% more appointments attended.
In Student Care and Well-Being, we hired an additional case manager to support the 2,800+ individual student advocacy and crisis support cases managed each year. In Health Promotion and Wellness, we have added an additional peer education coordinator to enhance intentional student outreach on mental health and other wellness-related topics.
2,300 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN STRESS FREE DAYS (a finals week collaboration between the Counseling Center and University Programs with events designed to help students de-stress and perform their best)
Goal 2
Focus on efforts related to sophomore engagement and retention.
We launched two new programs this year geared toward sophomore engagement and retention. Tide2 (through Student Involvement) and LeadUP (through University Programs) were both cohort-based, allowing 125 students to build connections with peers while learning about their personal strengths and leadership styles with a focus on ways to positively impact the UA community.
These programs were communicated broadly to all students, but we also sent additional invitations through targeted messaging to sophomore students identified as at-risk and/or not already engaged with a campus community engagement and personal development program.
30% OF TIDE 2 COHORT MADE UP OF FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS
Additionally, through intentional outreach efforts from the Career Center, we engaged more sophomores with career engagement and preparedness initiatives. In partnership with the Crimson Scholars program, we offered eight professional development workshops on topics like professional attire, career fair preparation, internships, etc. with an average attendance of 85 students per session.
SOPHOMORE ATTENDANCE WAS UP 31% AT FALL CAREER FAIRS,
58% AT SPRING CAREER FAIRS FOR A TOTAL INCREASE OF 42%
22% INCREASE IN SOPHOMORE APPOINTMENTS AT THE CAREER CENTER
Goal 3:
Use data from learning record to better capture and assess the student
engagement and learning happening across the division.
REAL Tide is our Record of Engagement and Learning – a co-curricular complement to academic coursework that offers students beyond-the-classroom opportunities for applied learning in five key areas, known as our engagement waves.
Throughout the year, we onboarded programs and activities across the division to be on file with REAL Tide so we can capture that data to identify areas of opportunity. Many of our departments also reviewed internal data collection from student engagement and feedback to improve existing services and programs or begin new ones.
In response to qualitative responses from students, University Programs (UP) brought back an initiative that was offered previously to help connect students safely despite social distancing barriers – engagement pods. Data indicated that students desired similar opportunities again, so UP coordinated 16 engagement pods with low barriers for entry where students could connect in small groups around topics such as academic support and community building, leadership, communication, career development, goal planning, etc.
Goal 4:
Enhance the infrastructure supporting well-being
and safety in our Greek-letter community.
Another way we have used data to inform decision making is in our effort to enhance support of well-being and safety in our Greek-letter community. We have addressed specific challenges for this population of students in a variety of ways.
In August, we opened Greek Assembly Hall for our National Pan-Hellenic Council and United Greek Council fraternities and sororities, most of which do not have houses or chapter space on campus.
GREEK ASSEMBLY HALL PROVIDED SPACE FOR 16 STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS (8 NPHC + 8 UGC) TO HOST 482 EVENTS IN THE SPACE.
"For me, it represents more than just a building; it embodies the spirit of togetherness and inclusivity. The opportunities it provides for us to gather, celebrate and interact with one another are invaluable. Whether it’s hosting events, sharing stories or simply coming together in fellowship, the Greek Assembly Hall fosters a sense of belonging and connection that enriches our university experience. It’s a space where traditions are honored, friendships are forged and memories are made, making it an integral part of our Greek community’s fabric."
General Safety and Wellness Support
Social events for Greek-letter organizations present many opportunities to enhance safety, and this year we simplified our social event policy and built a complementary online toolkit of resources to assist students in planning social events in compliance with the safety measures outlined in the policy. Our Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) also led weekly meetings with students and other campus stakeholders to review social events and maximize safety for all participants.
We also added a position in OFSL that will focus on providing safety and well-being resources to our Greek-letter organizations, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to bolster safety and wellness for our students.
Goal 5:
Execute existing facility projects and develop a written, comprehensive
3-5 year plan to address facility needs to better serve students.
This year, we published an internal document to outline our needs and plan for facilities over the next three to five years. This plan, which is continually updated, has been shared with key campus stakeholders to allow us to synchronize addressing our facility needs with the broader campus planning process.
Goal 6:
Develop and educate on a comprehensive professional development cycle from recruiting to hiring to onboarding to professional development.
78% of staff attended at least one in-house professional development opportunity
Through collaborative efforts spearheaded by the director of professional development, we have enhanced our work to provide nearly 300 staff members across the division with more comprehensive support for their career trajectories in Student Life.
We unveiled a staff development website with new resources like toolkits and templates for hiring managers and new employees as well as more information about our staff learning series for better understanding among staff of our in-house professional development opportunities.
Theme-based learning at monthly divisional breakout sessions include:
42% INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE AT BREAKOUT SESSIONS
17% INCREASE IN STAFF PARTICIPATION AT MONTHLY DIVISIONAL MEETINGS
Blackburn Institute
The Blackburn Institute develops a network of diverse leaders who understand the challenges facing the state of Alabama and the nation and who are committed to serving as agents of positive change. Their overarching values include diversity of opinion, call to action, intergenerational networking and lifetime commitment.
149
Students provided with leadership development opportunities
30
Years of the Blackburn Institute, year-long celebration launched
Bottoms Up Diaper Bank (Eutaw, AL) – provided 45 baby bins (diapers, clothing, safety and educational resources) to new and expectant mothers
West Alabama Works partnership (Tuscaloosa high schools) – trained 123 students in workforce development initiative
Career Center
The Career Center partners with students and alumni across all UA colleges to help them explore possibilities, develop skills and connect to opportunities for professional success. They offer four convenient locations - the main office at The University of Alabama Student Center and three satellite offices at Culverhouse College of Business, the College of Communication & Information Sciences and the College of Engineering.
8,372
Student attendees interacted with 553 employers at career fairs, with 620 day-after interviews
6,442
students consulted at appointments
949
events hosted for 20,101 student attendees (networking events, mixers, information sessions, workshops and more)
- Winner of Handshake Career Spark Award 2023 – one of only 31 institutions to receive this award, with 65.7% of UA students engaged in Handshake (13% higher than peer institutions)
- 92% of May 2023 graduates who completed the First Destination Survey reported positive outcomes (employed or continuing education)
- Fall freshman career fair attendance grew by more than 10x over previous year
- Hosted 169 co-op interviews with 337 total offers and 140 acceptances, collaborating with campus partners to provide first-ever on-campus co-op opportunities for students (average hourly salary for co-op students is $21.56)
- Provided 769 free headshot sessions to students through Iris headshot photo booth
- Utilized Vmock, a 24/7 virtual service, to review 7,617 resumes and Handshake to review and approve 14,922 documents for students
- In partnership with Mobile Chamber of Commerce, connected students to industry engagement across industries, including opportunities with Airbus, Amazon, Austal USA, Evonik Industries, USA Health, Vertex and many others
- Coordinated professional development and career connection opportunity trips for students, including the Grace Hopper Conference (for women in tech), Women in Finance fall break trip to New York, National Retail Federation Student Program in New York, and the Birmingham: Live, Work, Play event (offering networking opportunities with Regions, Southern Company and Shipt)
Center for Service and Leadership
The Center for Service and Leadership enhances the student experience through active and diverse engagement opportunities in the community. These meaningful and experiential learning opportunities provide students the ability to enhance their leadership skills while becoming active, global citizens.
173,398
Hours of community service completed by UA students (economic impact of over $4.9 million)
326,644
Pounds of food raised for families experiencing food insecurity in West Alabama
- 5,447 students completed 173,398 community service projects with an economic impact of $4,948,778.92 in West Alabama
- Provided 203 students with leadership experiences on our student-led action teams: Al’s Pals Mentorship Program, Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, Big Days of Service, Habitat for Humanity, Serving Bama, UA Miracle and Communications and Outreach
- Raised and donated 326,644 pounds of food through the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive to benefit the West Alabama Food Bank (enough to deliver 272,000 meals to families experiencing food insecurity)
- Organized SEC Food Fight at UA where students donated 1,081 meal swipes to fellow students in need and $4,703 to support the UA Food Pantry
- UA Miracle (formerly UA Dance Marathon) raised $233,200.06 for Children’s of Alabama
- UA students served 2,317 hours at 39 sites for an economic impact of $64,848 in this year’s Big Days of Service
Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services
Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services (CRIS) empowers and supports student academic and personal success by providing a continuum of care for students with substance use and other impulse behavior concerns. This is achieved through providing services that emphasize unity, development, well-being, balance and recovery.
100%
Of Collegiate Recovery Community (CRC) members report that CRIS services significantly helped them persist in their education
151
Students served in clinical services
Mondo Garduno
"The part of CRIS and CRC that made me stay was the community they had going on. It was more family oriented, in a sense, with how close everybody was. Everybody was open with how they communicated with each other and. . . you could relate with them and see yourself in them."
Counseling Center
The Counseling Center supports UA students toward academic success and personal growth through a comprehensive set of resources and services. In addition to counseling and psychological services, they support the campus community through outreach, consultative services and the training of mental health professionals.
2,008
Students served through 11,270 appointments (a 3% increase in students and a 10% increase in attended appointments
26,244
Campus community members reached through 440 presentations and events (of whom 22,717 were students)
Dean of Students
The Dean of Students oversees several departments and functional areas within Student Life, including Student Care and Well-Being, Veteran and Military Affairs, Student Conduct, Off-Campus Resources, National Student Exchange and UA Religious Life.
1,285
Students hosted at 6 events
102
Student complaints resolved
- Hosted over 1,285 students at 6 events
- Facilitated resolutions to 102 student complaints (66 academic and 36 non-academic) by utilizing strategic partnerships with administrators, faculty and staff from the academic colleges and other divisional departments
- Hosted as many as 3,285 students at 5 off-campus housing fairs and other engagement opportunities
To review the achievements of departments reporting to the Dean of Students, check out the following by using the top navigation:
- Student Care and Well-Being (SCWB)
- Student Conduct (Conduct)
- Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA)
Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life supports the largest Greek community in the nation with over 12,000 students across four councils and nearly 50 on-campus housing facilities.
Greek Excellence Awards 2023:
Chapters of the year:
APA: Alpha Gamma Delta
IFC: Sigma Alpha Mu
NPHC: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
UGC: Kappa Kappa Psi
Dr. Robert E. Witt Cup
Community Chapter of Excellence: Alpha Gamma Delta
- 12,416 members in 71 Greek-Letter organizations across four councils:
Alabama Panhellenic Association (APA) — 19 organizations and 7,656 members
Interfraternity Council (IFC) — 36 organizations and 4,000 members
National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) — 8 organizations and 294 members
United Greek Council (UGC) — 8 organizations and 466 members
- Unveiled the new Greek Assembly Hall and NPHC Plaza through a celebratory ribbon-cutting opening ceremony in September 2023, offering meeting and social space for NPHC and UGC councils as well as highlighting the Divine Nine in the NPHC Plaza, which supports programming and scholarship opportunities
- Celebrated 50 years of NPHC at UA in 2024
- 53% of the fraternity and sorority community achieved academic recognition for fall 2023 (3,709 named to the Dean’s List and 2,882 named to the President’s List)
- Over 200 students from all four councils attended Greek Leadership Summit
- The Greek Programming Board sponsored 350+ Greek Point events that aligned with the 5 engagement waves (read more about the engagement waves on page 26)
- Completed over 130,000 community service hours and raised over $1.3 million in philanthropic giving (self-reported by chapters)
Health Promotion and Wellness
Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW) advances personal and community health and well-being on campus to help UA students thrive at the Capstone and beyond. As students are an essential component to executing that mission, HPW provides experiential learning opportunities to many students each year, with volunteer and leadership roles through academic internships and the Project Health Peer Education Program.
148
Students served as peer educators for Project Health
1,440
Hours of on-campus outreach completed by peer educators
Housing and Residential Communities
Housing and Residential Communities (HRC) aims to provide a holistic living environment that promotes belonging and learning, and they strive to set the standard of excellence for campus residential communities.
9,116
Students housed in 34 Residence Halls
275
Live-on staff trained and equipped to provide ongoing resources, support and engagement to students who live on campus
- Housed 9,116 students in 34 residence halls, with an update to Martha Parham West providing additional space for a record-breaking freshman class
- Provided 15 Living-Learning Communities or shared interest communities where students can engage with peers who share academic or other interests and goals (many supported by faculty-in-residence)
- Hosted over 450 programs in residence halls in the areas of Develop, Engage and Explore – the educational residential curriculum designed to support student development, community engagement and global and intercultural awareness
- Overall occupancy topped 98% with 95% of UA’s largest-ever freshman class residing on campus (and nearly 1,200 upperclassmen)
- Trained and equipped 275 live-on staff that provide ongoing resources, support and engagement to students who live on campus (248 resident advisors, 21 graduate community directors and 6 professional area coordinators)
- In partnership with the Counseling Center, implemented an embedded counselor dedicated to serving students living in HRC residence halls
Parent & Family Programs
Parent & Family Programs educates, engages and guides UA student family members to support the student’s transition to college life and to academic and personal success.
9,646
Parents and family members registered for Family Weekend
80,570
Parent and family subscribers to the Crimson Connection newsletter
- Supported 51 students serving as Avantis who assist students and families at orientation
- 9,646 parents and family members registered for Family Weekend (24.75% increase over previous academic year)
- Supported 10,700 parents and family members through Bama Bound’s Parent and Family Orientation across 28 sessions
- Provided timely updates through Crimson Connection to 80,570 parents and family members (8.3% increase over previous academic year)
- Launched 3 new affinity-based, themed content series in Crimson Connection newsletter: Transitioning to College, Sophomore Success and First-Gen
- Hosted 50 Parent Advisory Council members across 19 states in 4 meetings
Victoria Aguilar
"It's very important to reach all types of parents and families. . . It’s a huge step to come to college as a student, and it impacts everyone in the student’s life. To know that the parents and families of the new UA students are going to be okay is a huge part of our role."
Student Care and Well-Being
Student Care and Well-Being (SCWB) provides assistance and case management for students in crisis as well as outreach to parents and families. SCWB coordinates a range of services to assist students with issues and concerns that may interfere with their academic success.
2,268
Students assisted
5,892
Meals distributed to students in need
- SCWB case management team has assisted 2,268 students in 2,821 cases
- Distributed 5,892 meals to students in need (through 162 students using the Campus Food Pantry, 191 students receiving meal swipe donations, etc.)
- Provided 525 students with laptops and webcams free of charge through the Technology Assistance Program
- Provided a total of $34,299.33 in financial assistance to 74 students in need or crisis, including medical and housing needs, death of a family member and other extenuating circumstances
Student Conduct
The Office of Student Conduct seeks to maximize each UA student’s learning experience by educating students about the Code of Student Conduct, as well as the Capstone Creed. When necessary, the office also serves as the main campus entity to work with students to resolve disciplinary matters.
72
Students completed 1,097 community service hours through nationwide nonprofit partner agencies
1,366
Students attended Know the Code classroom presentations
- Conducted 68 Know the Code classroom presentations to 1,366 students to increase familiarity with the Code of Student Conduct
- Oversaw the Student Judiciary Board (the judicial branch of SGA, comprised of 35 students) as they adjudicated 149 non-academic violations of the Code of Student Conduct and 263 parking ticket appeals
- 72 students completed 1,097 community service hours through nationwide nonprofit partner agencies
- Donated supplies totaling $5,020 to Toys for Tots, Tuscaloosa YMCA, Beat Auburn Beat Hunger, Birthing By Your Design Community Baby Shower and Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue (EMS Prevention)
- Provided 22 workshops on alcohol education with 278 students attending the workshops and 6 outreach alcohol education workshops to 180 students through an academic class (KIN-155)
- Provided 21 Capstone Character Ethics and Values workshops to 180 students
Student Governance and Citizenship
Student Governance and Citizenship strives to be the standard in guiding and developing emerging leaders committed to civic engagement, intentional advocacy and the principles of democratic governance. They provide programmatic, procedural and financial oversight to the Student Government Association (SGA).
300+
Students serving students
1,408
Unused meal swipes donated for students in need through a partnership program with Student Care and Well-Being (Got Meals)
- Over 300 students serving students across all branches and extensions of the SGA
- Izzy Boyd (a vice president) won SEC SGA Member of the Year at SEC Exchange • Organized second annual Battle of the Bands to raise $8,351 for the Joe Espy Needs-Based Scholarship
- Organized second annual Battle of the Bands to raise $8,351 for the Joe Espy Needs-Based Scholarship
- Successfully advocated for access to the New York Times to be added as a campuswide resource available to students, faculty and staff
- Expanded free feminine hygiene product program to 2 new buildings (now available in 3 buildings across campus)
- In partnership with Student Care and Well-Being, organized the Got Meals campaign where UA students donated 1,408 unused meal swipes for students in need
- In partnership with Housing and Residential Communities, coordinated Another Person’s Treasure campaign, where over 1,000 items were donated by UA students to be available to students in need
Chad Wright Jr.
"Being so involved helps me keep my time management skills in check and teaches me discipline. I do still struggle sometimes, but I love being able to chase my passions, do what I love and continue to grow. I also get to meet new faces every single day, so there’s not a day where I’m not making a new friend."
Student Involvement
Student Involvement assists students in finding opportunities to engage and connect with the academic, local and global community. Through a series of engagement initiatives, as well as efforts to support targeted student populations, Student Involvement seeks to make a large campus feel smaller.
38,470
Student memberships in 689 student organizations (including 76 new student organizations)
10,000
Students hosted at fall Get On Board Day with participation from 74 campus partners, 317 student organizations and 68 community vendors
- Supported 38,470 student memberships in 689 student organizations (including 76 new student organizations)
- Hosted over 10,000 students at Fall Get on Board Day with participation from 74 campus partners, 317 student organizations and 68 community vendors
- Supported 3,286 events through mySource – the student organization management portal
- Trained 786 student leaders through Event Smart Training and SOURCE Officers Academy
- Provided free rentable items valued at $8,000 to 66 registered student organizations in 106 unique rentals through the ReSOURCE Room
- Supported 26 students through the Vanguard cohort, a first-year campus engagement and community building program
- Launched Tide 2 – a second-year leadership experience, engaging and developing 86 students through 10 sessions
Student Media
Student Media trains and educates students through hands-on experiences and informs the campus with a variety of student-run broadcast, digital, online and print media.
$360,00+
In advertising revenue generated through the Student Media advertising sales team
Engaged more than 380 students with experiential learning through student-run media outlets, supporting teams consisting of:
Alice Magazine (71 students)
The Crimson White campus newspaper (130 students)
Nineteen Fifty-Six Magazine (51 students)
Bama Life newsletter (7 students)
Marr’s Field Journal Literary Magazine (15 students)
WVUA-FM radio station (86 students)
Creative, marketing and sales team (24 students)
- Out of the 384 students involved in Student Media’s various teams and programs, approximately 16% (62 students) served in leadership roles
- Brought in more than $360,000 in advertising revenue through the Student Media advertising sales team
- Generated $98,050 in revenue through the Student Life Partnership Program, providing opportunities for local, regional and national businesses and organizations to engage with students in a variety of ways (125% increase from previous academic year, the inaugural year of the program)
Ashlee Woods
"When I first got [to UA], I thought I had to shrink myself. I realized very quickly that people… value authenticity. Be who you are. Being who you are got you to where you are now, so continue to evolve and put in work."
The University of Alabama Student Center
The Student Center sits at the heart of campus and offers a wide variety of high-quality services, collaborative programming and leisure activities. It serves as a space where UA students can come together, share ideas, develop relationships, network with faculty and staff, find resources and so much more.
2,981
Events hosted
1,070,546
Visits to the facility
- Increased room reservation bookings by 21% with 2,981 events hosted
- Provided over $4,238 worth of spaces and services free of charge to student organizations, departments and building partners, focusing on underfunded departments and culture-based organizations
- Developed over 108 student workers in customer service and logistics roles that support essential functions to operate the facility
- Saw a 3% increase in foot traffic over the last year with approximately 1,070,546 visits to the facility, allowing students, faculty and staff to gather and build community on campus
- Launched new software system (Mazevo) to improve operational efficiency and enhance the room reservation experience
Emma Grace Trammell
"I really like working at the Student Center because I feel like there’s never a dull moment... I get to interact with all types of different people, which I really appreciate. It’s helped my experience at the University to be fun and rewarding."
University Programs
University Programs creates engaging events where all students feel welcome, find support and build community. They are committed to serving all students through on-campus programming for students, by students.
190+
Events hosted or collaborated on
9,536
Unique students engaged at events
- Hosted or collaborated on 190+ (large- and small-scale) events with 34,186 interactions with 9,536 unique students
- Collaborated with 16 campus partners to host 38 events during Weeks of Welcome with over 12,000 student interactions
- Launched Food for Thought leadership seminar series in the fall and hosted 5 speaker sessions including Dr. Tonjanita Johnson, Athletic Director Greg Byrne and Coach Patrick Murphy
- Developed and supervised a team of 40 student staff members who have increased leadership responsibilities and had the opportunity to attend and lead 4 different educational sessions at The National Association for Campus Activities Conference in Pittsburgh, PA
- Launched 2 cohorts of LeadUP, a leadership development program (fall and spring)
Kacie McGuinness
"There are so many amazing professional development opportunities from working at UREC. It’s surreal that I get to do this and grow my leadership abilities... You can build up your network and have fun while doing it."
University Recreation
University Recreation (UREC) provides opportunities and resources for enhanced health and well-being for the UA community. They build student success and enduring wellness by encouraging healthy lifestyles through recreation.
723,146
Facility visits
535
Student employees trained and supervised
- 723,146 facility visits and 60,938 program participations
Intramural sports: 20,308 participations
Club sports: 3,797 participations
Personal training: 5,352 participations
Group exercise: 20,704 participations
Pilates reformer: 2,570 participations
Outdoor recreation: 8,207 participations
- Opened UREC facilities a total of 344 days of the year, available 115.5 operational hours per week
- Operates 5 facilities: Student Recreation Center, Recreational Tennis Complex, Robert E. Witt Student Activity Center located in Presidential Village, Outdoor Pool Complex and Aquatic Center
- Enhanced the Recreational Tennis Complex to include 12 pickleball courts
- Trained and supervised 535 student employees in the areas of customer service, programming and support positions that are essential for facility operations, including 101 student leadership roles
Veteran and Military Affairs
The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) provides services and coordinates programs to meet the unique needs of veterans, service members, dependents and survivors to facilitate their transition to college life and help them fulfill their educational goals.
197
Veterans served through the VMA Health Clinic (UA'S on-campus VA clinic)
4,624
Members of the UA community served
311
Veterans assisted with benefits eligibility through vet success on campus
- Provided top-ranked service to military-affiliated students, earning UA national commendation:
Top 5 Military Friendly® School
Top 4 Military Spouse Friendly® School
Military Times Best for Vets College
- VMA Health Clinic (UA’s on-campus VA clinic) usage on campus increased by 68% serving 197 veterans through 448 appointments
- Assisted 17 veterans with their VA disability claims
- Currently serving 4,624 members of the UA community
3,671 Dependents
486 Veterans
151 Reserve Soldiers
225 Active-Duty Service Members
91 Spouses
- Supported 290 veteran members with community in the Campus Veterans Association (8 events and service projects)
- SHINE (Spreading Hope, Inspiration and Education – a new student organization comprised of dependents of veterans) served 75 veterans in the local community through 2 events and also received the Outstanding Military Organization Award at UA’s Exemplo Capstone Awards
Jordan Golden
"My experience has been fantastic with the VMA. I think UA does the best at streamlining the process of getting out of the military to getting into a college classroom."
Women and Gender Resource Center
The Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) provides free, confidential and voluntary counseling and advocacy services to members of the UA community who are victims/survivors of interpersonal violence (sexual assault, domestic violence, sexual harassment, child abuse and other forms of violence). WGRC’s services include individual and group counseling, advocacy services, consultations, referrals and on-call crisis response during evenings, weekends and holidays. They also provide outreach to the community on these topics and peer leadership and student development opportunities.
25,900
Campus and community members reached at 229 trainings and outreach programs on topics related to interpersonal violence
298
Active clients supported this academic year
- Partnered with Housing and Residential Communities and the Department of Gender and Race Studies to support 30 students with monthly programming for the Delta Initiative: Capstone Women in STEM to build a sense of belonging, vocational exploration and community service
- Trained 32 UA students who provided weekly mentorship to 44 students from a local elementary school through the Young Men’s Leadership Program and the Young Women Leaders Program
- Supervised and provided developmental opportunities, experiential learning and career preparedness for 8 interns from 4 academic programs completing 2,184 service-learning hours
- 26 WGRC student ambassadors provided 20 student-led presentations to the campus community on a variety of topics related to interpersonal violence
- 121 Safe Sisters, representing 17 APA and NPHC chapters served as allies and a resource on interpersonal violence topics for their Greek-letter chapter organizations
- Offered 21 programs reaching 1,900 campus community members to generate awareness around nationally recognized health and well-being issues (including dating and domestic violence, pay equity, body appreciation, breast cancer and sexual assault)
Scholarships and
Student Support
Thanks to the partnership of our faithful donors, this year we were able to help many UA students in need by supporting them in a variety of ways.
Awarded $111,615.48
in scholarships to 106 students
Supported 74 students in need or crisis with $34,299 through the Tide Together and Acts of Kindness funds
Provided more than $11,500 to host 25 community-building events for the Collegiate Recovery Community, supporting students with substance use concerns
Covered counseling session fees for 138 students
Awarded $20,522 in direct support to
16 military-affiliated UA students
Join us in our work to support students across campus with resources, community and transformative learning
with a gift to the Student Life Support Fund!
