I would like to express how happy we are as a Life University community that you are here with us. We are very honored you have chosen to embark on your educational journey with us. As the Dean of Students, I am pleased to assist you in your academic, personal and professional development. Whether this is your first time at a university, you are continuing your education or returning after some time, we want to provide you with all the necessary tools for you to find success here at Life U.

I hope that your time at Life U will prove to be a productive learning experience. Our area is focused on the education our students receive outside the classroom. Though we are mindful that the intellectual life will be the core of the enterprise at Life U, we are dedicated to the idea that learning continues, is enhanced and is made meaningful beyond the threshold of the conventional classroom. I would invite you to enjoy intellectual discovery, participate in various campus events, get involved in a recognized student organization, and perhaps actively participate in community service. I hope that you will have a transformational experience at Life U that unlocks the potential within you.

We are committed to a vision of diversity and inclusion that fosters all students’ academic and personal growth. We are here to help you create a vibrant community that enhances the quality of your student experience. These efforts include navigational skills to make sensible and informed decisions about academic and personal matters; negotiating the opportunities and challenges that are an important part of a highly demanding academic environment; and finding appropriate resources within and beyond the Division of Student Affairs. We also work with a range of collaborative partners, including the Academic Affairs department, Advisement, Residence Life and Campus Safety to create opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to integrate the learning that takes place inside and outside of the classroom.

At Life U, we stand on Lasting Purpose, which is our duty to give, to do, to love, to serve, out of our own abundance. These are the pillars that Student Affairs functions uphold, and you will see those through all that we do in service to our students. We are student first, student centered, student oriented … we are Student Affairs.

Please feel free to contact me at DeanofStudents@life.edu if we can be of service. Our number one priority is to ensure that the student experience at Life U is a powerful and enriching one!

Sincerely,

Michael D. Smith, Ph.D.
Dean of Students