Georgianna Torres Reyes (left), associate vice president for student engagement in Mission and Ministry, and Rico Tyler, associate vice president in Student Affairs, will chair the task force. (Image courtesy of Denise Mattson)
A cross-section of faculty, staff and students has been appointed to the DePaul Student Experience Task Force, to identify innovative ways to improve student engagement and school spirit.
DePaul’s President A. Gabriel Esteban, PhD, expects the group to generate fresh ideas for creating an inclusive, engaging experience for all students, an important goal in the new strategic plan, “
Grounded in Mission: The Plan for DePaul 2024.”
“This work touches the core of our mission—service to students,” Esteban notes.
Georgianna Torres Reyes, associate vice president for student engagement in Mission and Ministry, and Rico Tyler, associate vice president in Student Affairs, will chair the task force.
Its responsibilities are to examine the higher education landscape to determine best practices, including co- and extra-curricular activities; analyze data to inform and support inquiry; identify strategies to improve engagement and spirit on campus; develop the budget needed to implement proposed strategies; and recommend a set of strategies to the president for consideration.
Dr. Esteban encouraged the group to foster broad engagement and be transparent throughout the process by talking openly about its work and soliciting feedback from associates and colleagues.
In addition to Torres Reyes and Tyler, the task force includes:
- Carolyn Bronstein, Professor, Associate Dean, Communication
- Gisselle Cervantes, Student Representative
- Lawrence Hamer, Associate Provost for Research and Diversity, Academic Affairs
- Alyssa Isberto, Student Representative
- Tracy Krahl, Associate Vice President of Communications and Engagement, Advancement
- Robbie Merkel, Student Representative
- Maureen McGonagle, Director of Campus Recreation, Facility Operations
- Yuki Miyamoto, Associate Professor, Religious Studies
- Kate O’Brien, Associate Athletics Director for Academic Advising, Athletics
- Don Opitz, Interim Dean, School for New Learning
The task force is expected to complete its work in June.