What We Do

Our Mission

In keeping with the academic mission of the institution, the Division of Student Affairs exists to provide student-focused programs and services that support student success and enhance the student experience at San José State University. Our aim is to create critical student learning opportunities beyond the classrooms that support the intellectual, personal, and civic growth of our students.

The Division of Student Affairs directly contributes to student success by assisting our students to develop a sense of belonging and community on campus while providing important support to augment their experience in the classroom.

Our Values

Our core values are what we stand for as employees and professionals in the field of Student Affairs at San José State University. These six values—Learning, Student Success, Excellence, Integrity, Diversity, and Community—are reflected in the many programs and services we offer our students and the campus community.

Our values guide us as we carry out our mission and the vision of the institution:

• Learning

  • We value education above all. The academic freedom of faculty and students is vital to our role of promoting life-long learning. We recognize learning takes place both in and out of the classroom and strongly support the educational mission of the institution and the integration of theory and practice, scholarship and application.

• Student Success

  • Our highest priority is to ensure our students’ success. We provide highly successful programs that complement in-class learning and enhance the college experience of our students. The success of our students is our success!

• Excellence

  • We set high standards and support continuous improvement and innovations. We model quality service delivery and excellence in our co-curricular offerings.

• Integrity

  • We expect honesty, fairness, and accountability in all our interactions. We promote academic integrity and ethical and personal responsibility. We attempt to be the same on the inside as we are on the outside, thereby exercising our highest professional standards.

•  Diversity
  • We value diversity and inclusion by treating others with trust, care, and mutual respect. We foster just communities that appreciate and embrace different perspectives; we promote a campus that is welcoming and inviting to ALL.  
•  Community
  • We recognize that community begins with us as a campus family – how we care for and support one another. Community also extends beyond our campus to our surrounding neighborhoods. As such, we embrace and value collaborative relationships and service within and beyond our campus.

Our Units

Within the Division of Student Affairs are three units that are essential to supporting students by providing programs and services to enhance the student experiences at San José State. Educational opportunities exist beyond the classroom, and our units are dedicated toward bringing those opportunities to students. 

• Campus Life

  • Our Campus Life unit exists to integrate students into the SJSU community and provide experiences for them to discover who they want to be. This unit plans signature events like Weeks of Welcome and the Spartan Speaker Series. Campus Life also encompasses Student Housing, the Student Union, and student organizations.

• Student Success

  • The Student Success unit exists to ensure that students have support in reaching their academic goals. It provides high-impact programs and resources to assist students in their development. Within the Student Success unit, there are also identity-based success centers, where students can receive individualized support.

• Health, Wellness and Student Services

  • Our Health, Wellness and Student Services unit exists to support students in maintaining a foundation of well-being. This foundation is essential as it gives students the confidence to learn more about who they are and build upon their strengths. The Career Center is also a vital part of the unit, providing students with access to career opportunities; and the team at SJSU Cares is dedicated to provding basic needs to students.