Student Affairs

The Division of Student Affairs fosters holistic development, meaningful connections, and community engagement to advance high-impact practices for experiential learning, self-exploration, leadership, and service in the world. To do this, we provide opportunities that prioritize well-being and safety, equity and inclusion, integrative learning experiences, collaborative partnerships, and a sense of belonging. Choose Student Affairs when you make your gift or choose to support a specific program by typing the program name in the "Select a Designation" box.

International Student Programs: International Student Programs (ISP) serves the educational, regulatory, and personal development needs of Macalester’s international students through helping them integrate, participate, and apply their learning to their own lives and cultural contexts. Programs include a pre-orientation, a peer mentorship program, host family connections, weekly talk and tea events, tax preparation help, and graduation celebration, among others.

Student Leadership and Engagement: The Center for Student Leadership and Engagement creates intentional learning opportunities for students to engage in campus life, develop leadership skills, and build inclusive communities throughout their Macalester experience. CSLE supports the Macalester College Student Government and all student organizations, as well as programs like New Student Orientation and Leadership Macalester.

Disability Resources: The Center for Disability Resources strives to create a welcoming environment where students have equal access to academic and co-curricular activities and programming. In addition to supporting students with disabilities. we work collaboratively across campus to foster a culture of inclusion and universal design through educational programming, advocacy and awareness building serving as resource for the entire Macalester Community.

Student Support and Crisis Intervention: Student Support and Crisis intervention comes in a wide variety of formats. Whether it is students in need of support or resources related to mental health, medical situations, family life, food insecurity, or academics and finances, the Dean of Students Office is the central connecting point to for these resources to help the student succeed.

Health and Wellness: The Hamre Center for Health & Wellness is dedicated to supporting, educating, and empowering our diverse student body in developmentally-appropriate and culturally-responsive ways in all aspects of their health and well-being. We approach our spectrum of promotion, prevention, direct services, and advocacy work through a public health lens, prioritizing social justice, health equity, and transparency.

Residential Life: Residential Life at Macalester College utilizes a student-focused, learning-centered approach to foster resident development, authentic relationships, and inclusive living-communities. We do this through our implementation of LIFE@MAC, community standards, and housing services.

Open Pantry: The Macalester Open Pantry exists to ensure all students have access to healthy food in a timely manner. We believe in the following principles that help center our work in supporting students: Food is a basic right for all individuals. Everyone deserves access to healthy food, where they live, that they can get to. Everyone deserves access to foods that are familiar to them and fit their cultural preferences, abilities, and dietary needs. Working collaboratively with other campuses, community organizations, and across our campus drives our mutual success. Operating in a way that supports equity, sustainability, and fairness to all builds a stronger campus community.

Forensics: Macalester’s forensics program provides a wide variety of opportunities for students to improve their skills in the core liberal arts disciplines of rhetoric, logic, and argumentation. In 2024, Macalester students are competing in five different forensics team events: mock trial, ethics bowl, policy debate, moot court and ModelUN. Funds provide regional and national travel competition opportunities for 80+ students in the program.

Olin-Rice Summer Summer Research: The Olin-Rice Hub supports summer research opportunities through collection and promotion, helping students prepare to apply for research positions, managing the application and selection process, supporting students during their summer experiences, and creating opportunities to share their research outcomes with campus and beyond. The Hub is a meaningful collaboration with faculty, who mentor students as they develop their research skills and agendas.

Career Exploration and Internships: Career Exploration empowers and guides students and alumni by providing comprehensive career advising and opportunities to connect within and beyond the Macalester community. Our impactful programs include stipends through the Macalester Summer Internship Grant Program (MSIG), MacExplore trips in the Twin Cities and the United States, employer events, and individual career advising.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Hope Into Action - Here we create the change we want to see in the world. Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Idea Lab inspire students to put their ideas into action. It gives students the courage to create opportunities, the creativity to solve problems, and the resilience, grit, and hope necessary for lasting change.

Varsity Athletics and Club Sports: Your gift helps Macalester Club and Varsity Sports continue to provide our scholar-athletes a holistic collegiate experience combining competitive athletic endeavor along with personal development, community building action, and academic distinction.