Student Development at SMC

07/23/10

What is Student Development?

The Student Development division at SMC is made up of various campus departments including Residence Life, Health Services, Campus Safety, Counseling Services, Student Activities and Leadership Development, Intramural Sports, and even the campus Post Office.  The Student Development division is anchored by the Dean of Students, Ron Laffitte.

We are many things, but one of the most important roles in which we serve is as advocates for students.  As student advocates...

• We make ourselves very available to students, during "office hours" and beyond.
• We welcome students coming to us with a problem.
• We treat students as adults, getting them involved in solving their own problems instead of relying upon others to do it for them.
• We intervene if we become aware of a potentially life-threatening behavior occurring.
• We respect students' privacy yet don't always promise confidentiality - after all, we may need to get others involved in order to ensure their well-being.
• We don't serve as "babysitters" for students.
• We are concerned with students' safety and educate them on ways to keep themselves and others safe.
• We don't ever want to see a student get hurt.
• We expect students to take responsibility for their own actions.
• We are here to support students every step of the way.

Taken from "A New Chapter:  How Parents fit into their students' lives at college" by Paperclip Communications, 2010.

The Student Development division is here to serve your students and assist you in the transition of your student becoming a college student and an interdependent adult.  Please let us know if we can help you or your student in any way.  You can contact our office at (864) 587-4264.