What is UUSA?
University Unions & Student Activities (UUSA) is a unit within the Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech, made up of two departments: Student Activities and University Unions.
University Unions
The "UU" (University Unions) part of UUSA is responsible for all facets of the operations of the two student Centers (Johnston and Squires), the Memorial Chapel and the first floor of the Graduate Life Center.This involves the day-to-day operation of the facilities, including housekeeping and maintenance, room setups, and staffing of many of the service areas. University Unions hires over 100 student employees to supplement the full-time staff in operating and maintaining the facilities and service areas.
Part of University Unions is the Administrative and Business Services area that provides support for all the areas of UUSA relating to budgets, computers, technology, and Event Services (Event Planning Office, Production Office, and Ticket Office).
The basic goal of University Unions is to provide clean, safe, and welcoming areas for students, student organizations, faculty and staff, and guests of the university. This goal is accomplished through a dedication to providing good customer service.
Student Activites
Student Activities (SA) provides leadership training, advising, consulting, and program development. The Student Activities office is also responsible for selection of Who's Who, Man and Woman of the Year, and University Student Leadership Awards recipients. The Student Government Association is also advised through the Student Activities office.
Student Organization Showcase
Student organizations must be officially listed (this covers all student organizations, not just those registered, i.e. UCSO and USLP) through the Student Activities office in order to reserve space on campus, to be recognized, and to receive Student Budget Board funding. The Student Activities office directly advises the Virginia Tech Union, the Black Student Alliance, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Alliance, and the Homecoming Board. They also provide professional staff to advise student organizations on contracts, planning checklists, and budgets.
Core Values
University Unions and Student Activities includes the operation of two student centers, campus-wide event planning and production support, student leadership development, campus programming, support for student organizations, and stewardship of the university’s War Memorial Chapel. In partnership with the Graduate School and Student Programs, UUSA also operates the Graduate Life Center.
Four core values form the central themes guiding UUSA service to the university community.
Student Learning
Promoting student learning and development is the primary purpose behind all our work. Learning includes knowledge acquisition, critical thinking, judgment, maturity, self-esteem, integrity, citizenship, interpersonal competence, leadership, cultural literacy, career development, and a wide range of life skills.
- UUSA provides cultural experiences in the every day lives of students. An eclectic art gallery is prominent in Squires Student Center; performing arts are central to UUSA programming.
- UUSA supports multicultural programs and includes a Black Cultural Center and a Multicultural Center within the main student center.
- UUSA faculty members collaborate with academic faculty to produce learning outcomes for students. There are many examples, including the Residential Leadership Community and the collaboration between Squires staff and the School of the Arts.
- UUSA believes that involvement in student organizations and leadership provides real-life, experiential learning opportunities for students. UUSA staff members provide direct advising and mentoring to student organizations and leaders.
- UUSA provides social and recreational activities to promote balance, wellness, and stress relief to help students be more productive in the classroom and increase their satisfaction with the college experience.
- UUSA employs hundreds of students in part-time jobs, including management roles, and intentionally makes this employment an experiential learning opportunity.
Community
A central purpose of UUSA’s work is the development of
community. This concept of community emphasizes a warm and welcoming
environment with shared purposes, which includes and values every member
and every culture, which enjoys shared traditions, and which values the
common good. Student centers and organizations are among the community
agencies most able to foster positive, inclusive, harmonious community
relationships at Virginia Tech.
UUSA strongly believes in the worth and dignity of all persons, and in
proactively including diverse people and groups in the benefits of this
community. Diversity is a positive value in student learning.
- UUSA provides welcoming centers and promotes respect for all people throughout our work and interactions.
- Though UUSA believes in working efficiently, we believe it is centrally important to emphasize the quality of our relationships over mere efficiency.
- UUSA is a leadership agency dedicated to promoting harmony in this community through dialogue, mediation, mentorship, and the demonstration of respect.
- The War Memorial Chapel, managed by UUSA, is dedicated to providing for the spiritual needs of the campus community, providing for memorial and religious gatherings, meditation, reflection, prayer, and celebration of service to our country.
- UUSA nurtures school spirit, campus traditions, and student/alumni support as part of its commitment to community.
Service
UUSA places a primary value on providing service to students, and also to other customers. This value carries throughout the selection of services provided, how those services are provided, the development and implementation of policies, decision-making processes, and the allocation of resources.
- The UUSA mission statement recognizes students as our primary focus, and we try to go well beyond minimum service expectations.
- UUSA considers student needs to be a very high priority in deciding policies, policy exceptions, and other administrative issues. Accessibility to student opinion and input is valued and developed. We discern students’ needs by making ourselves accessible to them on both professional and personal levels.
- Our dedication to student service as a primary objective influences our work on a daily basis.
Commitment to Excellence
UUSA is committed to excellence in all that we do. Systematic review of policies, programs, facilities, services, and business practices ensures a high level of responsiveness, quality, and accountability to our constituents. Teamwork and shared values provide the framework in which this excellence thrives.
- UUSA uses formal and informal assessments to evaluate policies, programs, services, facilities, and business practices to identify opportunities for and implementation of continuous improvement.
- UUSA is a student-centered operation where student learning, needs, satisfaction, and input are integral to the implementation of constructive change.
- All staff are part of the UUSA team and actively contribute to UUSA’s mission, core values, and goals through the caring, effective, and efficient execution of their daily duties.
- UUSA recognizes that staff are our most valuable asset, and are integral
to successfully articulating and meeting our mission. All staff, including
part-time student employees, actively participate in seeking new and
better ways of carrying our mission forward.
Our Mission
The mission of University Unions and Student Activities, a unit in the Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech, is to complement the academic program of studies and enrich the quality of campus life. Integral to this mission are the following aims:
- to provide a variety of educational opportunities, programs, and services
- to enhance student learning through advising, mentoring, modeling and training
- to develop, operate and improve public and program spaces where students and the broader university community can gather formally and informally
- to promote an environment in which cultural diversity is valued and the uniqueness of the individual is respected