STUDENT DEVELOPMENT OFFICE
Students come to Midlands State University as unique individuals with contributions to offer and talents to be developed. We strive to know the students personally, encourage them to grow and mature, as we seek to enrich their education by challenging them to act on all areas of their development. Recognizing growth as a continuous process, we are sensitive and responsive to the spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and emotional growth needs of our students.
We want students to commit to excellence; to develop their talents more fully; to be involved in the educational community; to develop mutual respect for and sensitivity to others; to commit to honesty; to communicate openly; to value and to offer service to others; to increase their awareness of the oppressed; and to work for a just society.
The Student Development office provides programs, services and activities to assist students in developing the competencies, skills and values needed to lead and serve in a diverse and changing world.
The Student Development Office will create a vital and engaged campus life marked by five defining strategic goals.
- Create programs, services and activities that promote student involvement and leadership development.
- Establish educational partnerships that integrate academic learning and student development
- Co-create a campus culture, climate and environment that promote a comprehensive, holistic approach to student learning and “puts the good of all students first.”
- Support the university’s educational mission by facilitating rewarding interactions outside of the classroom encouraging students to become active members of the university community. This is achieved through social, cultural, leadership, educational, and recreational activities, which, along with the students’ studies, helps create, world citizens, able to effect positive change.
- Utilize an ongoing systematic inquiry to enhance the quality of the student learning experience.
Mission Statement
Student Development engages the holistic, educational experience of all students by cultivating the knowledge, skills and values needed to be leaders and global citizens in a diverse and changing world.
The Student Development Office assists students through their transitional periods focusing on academic and personal development. Our developmental approach emphasizes personal responsibility and helping students learn to help themselves.
As a cohesive team the Office of Student Development will engage our student body through interactive learning, diversified events & activities, leadership experiences, volunteerism, and employment opportunities.
Vision Statement
The Office of Student Development shall be the true heart of the campus which promotes opportunities for practical experiences in involvement, leadership, service, and employment; an office where creativity and individuality are cherished and diversity is promoted; and an office where all are welcome to teach, learn, and grow together.
The Office of Student Development provides:
- Leadership Opportunities
- Extra-Curricular Activities
- Community Service Initiatives
- Recreation and Meeting Spaces
- First Year Experience
- Student Mentorship
- Networking
- Soft Skills Development
Significance of Clubs and associations
Volunteering and charity: this is a significant value in the moulding of our students as it embraces the aspect of national service in our students. It is of great impact for our university to produce students who can employ their skills to real challenges that affect real people. The student development office has through the years fostered the service skills through student associations such as the Rotaract club, LEO club international as well as the Team Destiny.
Entrepreneurship: it is the vision of Midlands State University to produce enterprising students. The student development office takes the node to mould our students in practical entrepreneurial activities. The student development office has seen the growth of such students through student associations such as ENACTUS, Business Management Association (BMA) as well as individual students with business proposals (Dancen’s fast foods)
Debating and dialogue: The student development office embraces the culture of dialogue through student associations such as the MSU Great Debaters, Young Ambassadors Forum as well as Padare.
Health and reproduction: the strength of every organisation is in the health and mental well-being of its people. The student development office registers student associations which advocates for and teaches healthy living style.
Student coaching
Some of the students associations participate in inter university competitions either in entrepreneurial projects or in debate competitions. It is on this note that the student development office also employs student coaching. Student coaching involves rehearsing with the students as they draw close to their competitions. The office also engages skills individual in relevant fields from the cooperate world to help with coaching as we draw closer to competitions. Through coaching these students, the student development office has contributed immensely on the University’s gain of international recognition through the ENACTUS team getting to the world finals in 2012 as well as the MSU Great Debaters who have grown to be the power house of university public speaking having scooped the African championship there times in a raw.