Student Affairs

Student Affairs

College Hall, Suite 120
509-313-4100

studentaffairsoffice@gonzaga.edu

https://www.gonzaga.edu/studentaffairs 

Student Affairs: Where Life + Learning Unite 

Student Affairs division at Gonzaga University is responsible for facilitating and supporting outside-the-classroom learning, living, and thriving. The professionals who work in Student Affairs are committed to helping all Zags create lives of leadership and service for the common good. With our partners in Academic Affairs, we share the responsibility of helping our students learn. As trained professionals in our respective fields, our learning culture encourages a “guided practice,” allowing students to take the lead in their learning, pursuing ideas they are passionate about. We do so by providing our students with challenge and support, advising, counseling, teaching, coaching, guiding, and mentoring through frequent, consistent, meaningful, and fun interactions. This practice provides space for students to unite their formal education with the other aspects of their life. Our team in Student Affairs works hard every day to enhance learning, nurture student success, and foster a secure and inclusive community, helping Gonzaga University to develop into a premiere Jesuit University.

Divisional Commitments + Communities of Practice

Our organizational structure is divided into three “communities of practice,” each led and supported by a dean, centered around three pillars: (1) Advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; (2) Promoting Wellbeing & Flourishing; and (3) Fostering an Integrated Approach to Student Learning Development. 

The following programs, offices, and departments comprise the Division of Student Affairs:

Center for Community Engagement (CCE)

Hemmingson Center (2nd Floor & Lower Level)
509-313-6824
www.gonzaga.edu/cce

For nearly 30 years, the CCE has been putting Gonzaga’s mission into action through a wide spectrum of volunteer programs and community-engaged learning courses. CCE’s programs offer students the opportunity to develop a personal commitment to service, social justice, and leadership. We take seriously the Jesuit mission of forming “people for and with others.” CCE serves as a resource center for students, faculty, alumni, and community partners. You can find our offices in the Hemmingson Center. Housed within the Center are the following programs and initiatives: 

Community-Engaged Learning:

Gonzaga University has offered community-engaged learning (formerly known as “service-learning”) courses for nearly 30 years. These classes are taught across the curriculum and offered in various areas of study.  Nearly 1500 students are actively engaged in community-engaged learning each year and receive credit for their engagement efforts as it relates to the course topic. This team also coordinates Service Fair events each semester which invite non-profit agencies to campus to share opportunities and recruit student volunteers. 

Youth Programs & Initiatives:

This program pairs well-trained and passionate college students together with school-aged youth from the Spokane community. Starting in 1995 with the creation of Campus Kids at Stevens and Logan Elementary Schools, CCE's Youth Programs & Initiatives have expanded by leaps and bounds. Today, we run 9 distinct youth programs at partner schools and the Gonzaga Family Haven. Youth Programs and Initiatives hold various events throughout the year to bring the families we serve to campus to experience all Gonzaga has to offer. Annual program events include Winter Wonderland, with winter themed family games and a place for caregivers to pick out a new gift for each child in their household, STEM Fair which brings youth, community partners, and campus programs together to learn about the wonders of STEM and its career paths, and Catalyst, a college immersion program aimed to give rising and current high school students of the from Northeast Spokane a chance to see what college is like and see themselves there. 

Weekly Student Engagement Volunteering:

The CCE has many ways for students to volunteer alongside their peers in addressing a variety of local community issues. Students can prepare and serve meals with Campus Kitchens, form a community with adults with disabilities through GUSR, or serve weekly at a local non-profit with peers through the Zag Volunteer Corps Semester of Service program. 

Zag Volunteer Corps (ZVC) Program:

ZVC connects members of the Gonzaga community with Spokane area nonprofits for educational and meaningful service experiences. Zags serve on the same day at the same time with the same group of students each week for the semester. Volunteer opportunities range from 1.5 to 2 hour long weekly commitments and engage with a variety of local non-profit organizations who are addressing key needs in Spokane. 

Wolff Fellowship Program:

Wolff Fellows co-design projects with local community-based organizations that build community capacity and strengthen partnerships between Gonzaga and the host agency. Projects are designed around CCE's six Arrupe Engagement Pathways: Advocacy & Awareness, Community-Engaged Learning & Research, Direct Service, Faith & Justice, Philanthropy, Policy & Politics, and/or Social Innovation. Through their unique projects, Wolff Fellows explore the connection between their disciplinary/career interests and public service, learn about community needs and assets, and partner with community organizations to build community capacity. 

Advocacy & Immersion Programs:

These programs are designed to connect students with advocacy efforts on campus and in the Spokane community. CCE provides opportunities for students to engage in issue advocacy through on-campus events and immersion experiences which explore relevant social justice issues. Programs include Ignatian Advocacy and a winter break immersion called Justice in January, a week-long immersion experience where students explore the realities of immigration and border issues along the U.S./Mexico border and enter into dialogue with individuals impacted by immigration, community leaders, non-profits and government agencies. Additionally, students can join the CCE and our local community partners for one or more of our many educational and awareness campaigns held on GU's campus throughout the academic year. 

Center for Cura Personalis (CCP)

Health & Counseling Services

704 East Sharp Ave.
509-313-4052
studenthealth@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/hcs

Gonzaga University Health and Counseling Services is here to support the physical and mental healthcare needs of students right on campus. Our expert staff are focused on the wellbeing of students and provide quality care just steps away from residence halls and classrooms. Health and Counseling Services delivers services in an integrated clinic setting. Providers, nurses, and other healthcare staff help diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. Our psychiatric providers and counselors afford services that are accessible, confidential, compassionate, and inclusive for everyday mental health concerns, medication management, and crises impacting the student experience. We strive to offer holistic, comprehensive healthcare in partnership with students. We keep students moving toward their educational goals and maintain our focus on the wellbeing of the whole person.  Please see our Health and Counseling Services website for further information.

Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center

Hemmingson Center 213
509-313-5760
lgbtq@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/lgbtq

Guided by the University mission to honor the dignity of the human person, the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center (LLRC) provides an open and affirming space for people of all sexual identities, gender identities, and gender expressions. Through social opportunities and educational programming – including speakers, artists, films, Out to Lunch with Allies, Lavender Mass, and Lavender Graduation – all Gonzaga students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate and build supportive communities. The Center also offers Sexuality and Gender Equity (SAGE) workshops for students, staff, and faculty to expand and deepen LGBTQ+ cultural fluency. The LLRC uses an intersectional lens to work closely with campus partners across multiple academic disciplines and multiple areas of student affairs.

Military, Veteran, & Returning Adult Center (MVRAC)

730 East Boone Avenue 
(509) 313-5345 
mvrac@gonzaga.edu
The Military, Veteran, & Returning Adult Center (MVRAC) provides critical service and support for students who are 25 years or older, Veterans, active-duty, National Guard and Reserve military personnel, their spouses and dependents. We will assist our Veterans' and returning adults’ transition back into civilian/student life as they learn to navigate the university system. We understand that these students’ strengths, challenges, and opportunities in school are sometimes different than traditional-age or continuing-generation students. We pride ourselves on being a central hub for community building and information sharing to address any questions or concerns you may have about Gonzaga University. We can connect you not only to other parts of campus but also to resources in the surrounding community. We value the knowledge, talents, and lived experiences of all our Military, Veteran, & Returning Adult students.

Office of Health Promotion

Crosby Center 206
509-313-5399
ohp@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/ohp

The Office of Health Promotion (OHP) fosters student well-being through proactive, non- judgmental, and inclusive public health principles and practices. Our goal is that all students feel supported and can recognize their needs, exercise agency, and cultivate behaviors that contribute to sustainable, life-long well-being. The professional and student staff in this department lead initiatives, create programs, deliver trainings, and identify services that promote well- being and reduce high-risk behaviors. Contact us if you are interested in training or partnering on an event or project.
Gonzaga’s Collegiate Recovery Community – Our Unique Recovery (OUR) House, is a community of students connecting through similar experiences and efforts to stop or reduce their use of substances or other potentially harmful behaviors. We welcome students exploring both sobriety and reduced use. This mission is supported by programmatic efforts, alternatives to alcohol and drug use, strategies and resources for maintaining wellness and a community of belonging, promoting recovery, holistic well-being, and academic success.

Office of Sustainability

521 E Sharp Avenue
509-313-5571
Sustainability@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/sustainability

The Office of Sustainability (OOS) supports Gonzaga’s commitment to care for our common home through coordinating our efforts to become carbon neutral by 2050, implementing our Climate Action Plan, responding to the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP), and fostering a culture of sustainability at Gonzaga University for students and employees.
The OOS coordinates initiatives on campus that support our employees and students in becoming sustainability citizens and leaders:

1. The Campus Garden serves as a space for students to learn about gardening and food production. In the fall of 2024, the Garden produced over 400 pounds of produce that was given away to over 300 members of the community.
2. The Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Program educates employees about car-free commutes through bicycling, walking, carpooling, vanpooling, and taking the bus. The OOS supports the Wheelshare program offered by the City of Spokane (Lime scooters) and helps coordinate access to bicycle lockers on campus. Additionally, complimentary bus passes are provided to all employees and students.
3. The OOS educates the campus community on consumption issues including waste reduction and energy conservation. The OOS helps support and coordinate national and local competitions including Lights Out Gonzaga, each of which engages students and employees in ways that they can reduce their impact on campus and in their homes.
4. Sustainability Leadership Programming through the Student Sustainability Leadership Program (SSLP), Employee Sustainability Ambassador Program (ESA), and the Resiliency Academy (RA) impacts over 50 employees, students, and community members each spring through intentional programming and project-based work around sustainability topics and issues faced by our community.

Outdoor Programs - Gonzaga Outdoors & Immersive Outdoor Learning

At Gonzaga Outdoors we believe that outdoor experiences have the power to help us build beautiful communities, learn about ourselves and others, support physical, mental, and spiritual health, and bring play, laughter, and joy into our lives. We hope to ensure that every Gonzaga student has the opportunity to benefit from outdoor experiences. We do this by providing inexpensive gear rentals and repairs, semester and day bike rentals, subsidized outdoor adventures, and educational events on and off campus. GU Outdoors offers hiking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing/snowboarding, cross-country skiing, backpacking, kayaking, fishing, rock climbing, and more!

Some of our biggest and most popular events include Adventure Week, Gonzaga Out of Bounds (GOOB), and Spring Break trips.

Some ways to get involved include participating in GU Outdoors Trips, applying to be a Student Trip Leader, or working in our office working with logistics, gear, bikes, food, and more! At Gonzaga Outdoors and we believe that professionalism and fun go hand in hand. Our office and programs provide space for professional and personal growth and development as well as space to come ask questions about where to go adventure, relax, or study for their next big exam.

Gonzaga University’s Immersive Outdoor Learning program offers experiential learning opportunities that extend beyond textbooks and lectures, immersing students in the natural world and challenging them to engage with complex questions that affect our environment and communities. Imagine students learning about local geology while rock-climbing, discussing the cultural significance of salmon populations while kayaking on the Spokane River, or studying human physiology while snowshoeing in the Selkirk Mountains. We believe education is not confined to the walls of a traditional classroom.

Located in the Inland Northwest, our university provides a premier setting for outdoor education. Our students have the chance to explore and learn in natural environments while developing self-confidence and deeper understanding of our interconnected, dynamic world. Faculty, staff, and students partner to transform outdoor spaces into immersive classrooms. A range of course offerings engage students with diverse topics such as: physiology, environmental justice, wastewater management, sustainability, nature writing, indigenous perspectives, and more. We welcome students of every background and strive for inclusive environments that foster meaningful connection and dialogue.

Participation in field-based excursions empowers students with personal responsibility for interactive learning and creates better informed, more engaged citizens. These experiences range in duration from experiential half-day labs to multi-week expeditions and are taught across a variety of disciplines.

Course offerings include Mountain Science; Human Ecology; Environmental Engineering; Politics of Space & Place; Nature Writing; Parks, Forest, & Wilderness; Earth Systems; Outdoor Leadership; Community and Place Based Education; Care for the Person Care for the Planet; and Gonzaga-in-the-Wilderness. Uniquely tailored to promote experiential learning, each course encourages students to reflect on feelings, thoughts, and values as part of their learning curriculum.

Resolution Center for Student Conduct and Conflict

Crosby Center 202
509-313-4009
resolutioncenter@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/resolutioncenter

The Resolution Center for Student Conduct and Conflict is responsible for reconciling issues of student misconduct. Our processes provide transformative opportunities as we guide students to engage in ethical discernment, develop enhanced decision-making skills, and learn to accept ownership for actions. The Student Code of Conduct contains the University’s standards of conduct and the accountability processes that address allegations of misconduct.

Gonzaga University’s expectations for conduct go beyond what is minimally required for maintaining public order, both on and off-campus; and our student conduct processes are educational in nature as we actively seek to create an environment conducive to living and learning together. Our processes are not civil or criminal proceedings and our standard for determining a finding of misconduct is based upon what is “more likely than not” to have occurred.

By attending Gonzaga University, you agree to abide by university standards of conduct, expectations, and policies. All students should be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct which is published at: www.gonzaga.edu/studentcodeofconduct.
Conflict Resolution Services facilitated by the Resolution Center empower Gonzaga University students to gain positive interpersonal skills and explore solutions in a low- level, inclusive environment.

Unity Multicultural Education Center (UMEC)

Hemmingson Center 215
509-313-5836
umec@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/UMEC

UMEC provides experiential learning opportunities for all students in their identity development, cultural fluency, and connection to social justice. UMEC is organized around three areas: mentoring, social justice programming, and intercultural development plus first-generation initiatives. Many students first hear about UMEC through BRIDGE, which begins with a Pre-Orientation Social Justice and Leadership Institute. BRIDGE continues as a first-year peer mentoring program for incoming students and professional success coaching throughout their academic journey by UMEC staff. UMEC offers social justice programs that feature speakers, films, art and activism workshops, and Diversity Monologues. UMEC’s intercultural development area encourages students to go even deeper through Intergroup Dialogue courses, Pre-Orientation sessions, Social Justice Peer Education, among other intercultural educational opportunities. UMEC uses an intersectional lens to work closely with the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Resource Center, University Mission, Center for Community Engagement and other campus partners to support students from historically underrepresented and traditionally marginalized groups, including first-generation students. UMEC works closely with the Unity Alliance of Cultural Clubs and employs approximately 35 student leaders.