Search

(2009). Review of 'Assessment methods for student affairs' NASPA Journal: Vol. 46, No. 3, pp. 544-550.

The authors present results of a study surveying lesbian, gay, and bisexual student affairs professionals about work experiences related to their sexual orientation.

Although voluntary departures are frequent among new professional student affairs staff members at small colleges and universities, there is little systematic study of the processes involved in departing a job at one campus to accept a student affairs position at another. Potentially awkward dynamics surrounding staff departures can complicate professional relationships and reputations, and unanticipated staff departures often result in increased work demands for staff members who remain. This study explored professional and developmental dimensions of voluntary departures of student affairs staff members at small colleges and universities using aspects of the transitions model (Schlossberg, Waters, & Goodman, 1995) and the synergistic supervision model (Winston & Creamer, 1997) as principal theoretical frameworks. Findings indicate that supervisors and graduate faculty members can assist new professionals and junior colleagues to regard voluntary departures as predictable occurrences related to career ad...

Three hundred and twenty-seven senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) responded to a questionnaire about the effectiveness of the Clery Act and their views of campus safety. As a group, SSAO responses were very homogenous, resulting in few significant differences when institutional type (public v. private) and status (2-year v. 4-year) were examined.

This study assessed the level of crisis preparedness in higher education from the perspective of chief student affairs administrators at residential universities post-September 11, 2001 to pre-Virg...

Student affairs organizations have become complex entities and serve as a critical link to student success and the quality of the overall educational experience in collegiate institutions. Over time, new programs and services have been added to the array of existing programs and services with little attention focused on how these organizations might be designed to effectively meet the institution’s mission or address student needs. This research study was designed, in part, to investigate student affairs organizational structures within colleges and universities across the United States. The focus of this study was on the design and structure of student affairs organizations, but it also investigated where in the institution the senior student affairs officer reported. It explored questions related to what changes were made in student affairs organizations and why. The findings indicated that some change has occurred in student affairs organizations, but these changes have been modest. While student affai...

The vast majority of college students gamble, with some doing so problematically. This article discusses gambling and problem gambling among college students, framing it as an emerging health issue on college campuses nationwide. Given that 4 out of 5 college students admit to gambling, and that approximately 8% gamble problematically, it is imperative that student affairs professionals be familiar with the literature and be prepared to address, and ideally help prevent, gambling-related issues and their attendant problems on college campuses. This article summarizes briefly what is known about college student gambling and problem gambling, discusses the range of gambling problems that exist, and, in the end, offers seven recommendations for addressing this important, yet largely overlooked student health issue. It also offers a few recommendations for future research.

This study examined college students’ capacities for socially responsible leadership using theoretical measures grounded in the social change model of leadership development (HERI, 1996). Findings represent responses from 50,378 participants enrolled at 52 colleges and universities across the United States. Students scored highest on the leadership construct of commitment and lowest on the construct of change. Specific attention was paid to the unique influences of race, gender, and sexual orientation. Women college students scored significantly higher than men on seven out of eight leadership measures. Complex findings associated with race reflect highest scores among African American and Black college students and lowest scores among Asian Pacific American college students. No significant differences emerged related to students’ reported sexual orientations. Results are interpreted in the context of higher education and student affairs practice along with suggestions for future research.

A university governing board’s influence on institutional policy is undeniable. Educating board members about student affairs issues is essential to ensuring a well-informed, effective board. This study examined the relationship between student affairs and the board’s student affairs committee (SAC). An 89-item survey was developed and administered to 1,100 NASPA voting delegates with a 33% return rate. The survey focused on Goodale’s (1997) four broad areas of responsibilities for the SAC as well as membership, agendas, and their orientation. The results showed significant differences between public and private institutions in the number with a SAC, issues discussed, having a clear mission or charge and having a student voting member. As a result of the study, five recommendations were made to enhance the effectiveness of the SAC.

Drawing on Sanford’s notions of challenge and support, coupled with Tinto’s theory on retention, this quantitative investigation sought to measure the association between supportive relationships and success in college for a sample of Black men. Results suggest that supportive relationships are associated with higher levels of satisfaction but not academic achievement as measured by grades. Implications for future policy, practice, and research are discussed in the context of academic and student affairs.

This study was conducted because limited research has occurred in the area of co-curricular student learning outcomes assessment, which has resulted in confusion within the student affairs profession on how to develop and implement assessment plans. The purpose of this study was to examine high-quality assessment practices of student affairs divisions at three different research institutions in order to advance the value, usefulness, and understanding of learning outcomes assessment within the student affairs profession, so more student affairs divisions may begin assessing the co-curricular. Those student affairs divisions selected for this study represented assessment models with significant experience in successfully implementing assessments of student learning and development. These mature student affairs divisions who have substantial experience in successfully implementing their assessment plans were important to examine closely so that others can learn from their experiences.This study found that t...

The academic content of graduate preparation programs and the competencies they instill in their graduates is central to the quality and competence of student affairs practitioners within colleges and universities. The focus of this study was to gain additional understanding of what professional competencies were considered important for entry level practitioners by student affairs administrators and preparation program faculty, and whether these competencies were expected to be attained in either preparation programs or on the job. Significant differences were found between the three surveyed groups related to both importance and where the competencies were expected to be attained. These findings have implications for both preparation programs and the mentoring role of supervising administrators.

The academic model of success in higher education often neglects the role of noncognitive variables, including Emotional Intelligence (EI). As higher education educators turn their attention to learning, scholars are focusing on the role of EI and other noncognitive variables in enhancing learning. Although learning takes place both inside and outside the classroom, this specific study addresses learning as it relates to academic performance. To explore the role of noncognitive factors in predicting academic performance, this study utilizes an initial sample of 864 first-year students at a large research university. The research addresses the value of EI in predicting academic performance as measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA). The role student affairs professionals play in the noncognitive development of students, specifically EI, could enhance student performance inside and outside the classroom. Implications for educators, including student affairs professionals, are addressed.

This essay compares the narratives that have emerged in recent years to describe the higher education enterprise with the narratives used to describe student affairs’ endeavors. I posit that the way in which student affairs professionals present their agenda is out of sync with the market-driven culture of the academy. The seven Principles of Good Practice are used to illustrate the incongruence between student affairs and academic affairs narratives on campus. I offer ways that those Principles can be recast to be more closely aligned with the new academic marketplace.

This article presents a synthesis of recent literature on professionalism in student affairs. Attention is given to the nature of professionalism, a discussion of student affairs as a profession, the scholarly practice of student affairs, and professional development in student affairs. The authors note that an assumption of professionalism pervades all activities in the field of student affairs, especially staffing and personnel matters. Implications are noted for individuals and organizations.

Ten new student affairs professionals participated in this longitudinal study of their first year on the job. This qualitative study used online data collection. Participants submitted monthly responses to open-ended prompts inquiring about their experiences, challenges, and surprises. Over three time phases (Pre-Employment and Orientation, Transition, and Settled In), three themes emerged: the importance of relationships, institutional and professional fit, and issues of competence and confidence. Findings suggest several implications for practice, including preparing new professionals, being a new professional, and supervising new professionals. The authors suggest areas for future research.

Student affairs professionals in the United States were surveyed to determine the predictive value of overall job satisfaction, organizational support, organizational politics, and work/nonwork interaction on affective organizational commitment. Results indicate that a supportive work environment leads to increased affective attachment to the organization. Additional findings identify potential factors that contribute to the creation of a supportive work environment.

This qualitative study of African American women holding midlevel administrative positions sought to broaden and challenge conceptualizations of leadership by focusing on respondents’ descriptions of their leadership experiences. Findings centered principally on the intensely relational qualities associated with leadership and leading, mentoring and supervising, and the off-campus nature of most sources for professional support and validation. Tenets of Black feminist thought (Collins, 2000) were used to analyze aspects of respondents’ experiences in light of controlling images of Black women, resistance strategies, and empowerment for activism. Implications for research and practice include further explorations of culturally informed meanings of leadership and leading, as well as coming to broader understandings of professionals’ myriad definitions and fulfillment of leadership.

The purpose of this study was to assess individuals’ perceptions of and experiences with diversity in the curriculum of graduate preparation programs in student affairs. We were particularly interested in how diversity is incorporated into the curriculum and how individuals have been able to apply what they learned about diversity issues to student affairs practice. Using focus group interviews, data were collected from graduate students and student affairs practitioners. Three major themes that focus on requiring diversity in the curriculum, what should be included in diversity courses, and effective ways of linking theory to practice are discussed.

Fifteen student affairs administrators from five institutions of higher education in New Orleans were interviewed regarding their experiences immediately before and after Hurricane Katrina and how the crisis affected their work. Participants were chosen for their diversity among racial, gender, and institutional contexts. Analyses of the interviews resulted in four themes that describe the differences between how public versus private institutional cultures affected these administrators’ responses and the decision making that occurred in the wake of the storm. These themes include (a) decision making, (b) communication, (c) resources and limitations, and (d) student affairs status. Implications for policy, practice, and research are included.

Individuals who are supportive of social justice efforts are not always effective in their anti-oppression efforts. Some who genuinely aspire to act as social justice allies are harmful, ultimately, despite their best intentions, perpetuating the system of oppression they seek to change. Different underlying motivations of those who aspire to be allies can lead to differences in effectiveness, consistency, outcome, and sustainability. The conceptual model presented here, using underlying motivation to frame the different issues and challenges facing those who are aspiring allies, is offered as a tool for student affairs professionals’ self-reflection and developing students as allies for social justice.

Issues surrounding student cheating and plagiarism are ubiquitous in higher education. Research has consistently found gaps between policies and practices on our campuses, a struggle for those student affairs professionals charged with institutionalizing the value of academic integrity. While the motivations and roles of students have been explored in some depth, there has been less research on the roles of faculty and administrators in managing academic integrity issues institutionally. Using a survey developed from institutional theory and academic integrity research, the authors collected academic affairs administrators’ perceptions of academic integrity institutionalization. The results suggest the utility of a sharper focus on cultivating faculty as key change agents and reduced attention to students. The implications for student affairs and academic administrators are several including increased strategic attention to reducing obstacles to successful institutionalization of academic integrity while ...

The proliferation of students with psychiatric disabilities and the severity of the issues they present pose significant challenges to campus personnel and specifically to student affairs staff. This study identified the specific types of critical incidents related to students with psychiatric disorders that senior student affairs officers found particularly problematic. In addition, the study examined the implications of these incidents on policy, resources, training, and communication. Our findings suggest that specific institutional issues and the complexity of these incidents are exacerbated, in part, by the limitations of current policies, a lack of appropriate campus and community resources, privacy issues, and relationships with and expectations of parents. We explore the implications of these findings on practice and policy development.

Among the numerous approaches that are employed to prevent sexual violence, the performance of scenarios has become one of the ‘promising practices’ in U.S. postsecondary education. This article describes findings from a pilot study to analyze scripts used for theatre-based sexual violence prevention programs. Employing the method of discourse analysis, this study analyzed five sexual violence prevention scripts from three postsecondary institutions to identify the predominant discourses taken up to depict men and women in theatre-based sexual violence prevention programs. Analysis revealed dominant discourses of masculinity and femininity shaping images of men as heroes and abusers and women as vulnerable and victims. The article concludes with recommendations for student affairs practice.

The purposes of this study were to explore the extent to which technology disrupts and occupies the time of a college student and to determine the degree to which these disruptions contribute to perceived stress. A 71-item survey to assess perceived stress, technology use and disruptions, and social support was administered to 299 undergraduate students. The results indicate 25% of participants have problems with disruptions from technology, and more disruptions from technology are related to higher levels of perceived stress. Experiencing disruptions from technology is a significant problem among college students and needs to be addressed by student affairs professionals.

This paper describes a university initiative, cochaired by a faculty member and a student affairs administrator, to increase the collaboration between academic and student affairs. The initiative, called Claiming a Liberal Education, adapted a conflict resolution model, intergroup dialogues, to increase the interaction and communication between staff and faculty. Specific recommendations coming out of the intergroup dialogues are described and include strategies for greater emphasis on student learning,intercultural awareness that is integrated into the fabric of the institution, and clear messages about student and faculty expectations in the context of a liberal education.Findings from the study indicate that: participants learned about academic and student affairs’ respective areas of responsibility, participants expressed a desire to increase collaboration between academic and student affairs with a focus on student learning, and projects incorporating both academic and student affairs staff resulted from the initiative.

This study identifies selected skills and competencies attained by entry-level student affairs professionals through master’s-level graduate education and the degree to which these skills and competencies were perceived as necessary for entry-level student affairs work. Given a list of 28 skills drawn from preservice preparation and student affairs assessment literature, more than 1,200 new entrants to the student affairs field were asked to rate each skill in terms of (a) the degree to which the skill was attained in the respondent’s master’s degree program and (b) the degree to which it was used in their first professional position.

A unique professional development program took place for senior student affairs officers at The University of Salamanca (Spain) in June 2005. Participants had firsthand experiences with studying abroad and had opportunities to exchange ideas and perspectives with professionals from a variety of institutions from within and outside of the United States. This article will describe the purpose of the Institute, the workshops presented, and the learning outcomes attained. By examining the answers to those questions, a variety of themes emerged clarifying the participants’ learning outcomes and potential applications of how to use those new perspectives. Invited Article.

Student affairs professionals recognize that learning experiences transcend the classroom, and they have expanded the range of programs and services available to students well beyond the laboratory and lecture hall. The authors survey judicial opinions involving institutional liability for negligence and conclude that the expansion of educational programs carries the potential for heightened risk. Student affairs professionals must be sensitive to these risks and take steps to foresee dangerous conditions, making sure that the level of reasonable, prudent care is commensurate with the degree of risk associated with the activity and educating students about the risks attendant to their participation.

This article reviews and analyzes how the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information, or “Privacy Rule” of Public Law 104–191 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), have impacted the administration of student judicial affairs in higher education. In addition to briefly summarizing the regulations, the article describes how HIPAA has been interpreted to apply to campus health services and examines how the Privacy Rule relates to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), to campus police and security operations, and to the maintenance of disciplinary records. The author concludes that the Rule will not interfere with FERPA and should have little appreciable effect on ordinary judicial affairs operations in higher education. However, it may modify the ways in which student affairs professionals interact with health care providers in their institutions’ communities. Nine “best practice” recommendations are offered.

Little has been written about the roles and functions of student affairs administrators during the civil rights era. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how the civil rights era influenced the student affairs profession, paying particular attention to the roles played by student affairs administrators in relation to students, other administrators, and the community. A secondary analysis was conducted based on interviews with 18 student affairs professionals who served on a variety of college campuses during the civil rights era, primarily from the 1950s through the 1970s. Our findings suggest that these administrators took on roles such as educator, advocate, mediator, initiator, and change agent in order to effectively and efficiently resolve issues that arose on their campuses as a result of the civil rights era and the student protest movement.

The study examines the perceptions of 104 mid- and senior-level student affairs administrators of positions, responsibilities, competencies, and theories important for professional practice for new student affairs professionals. In regard to competencies, the results of this study provide important information about preprofessional abilities that are integral to professional practice, and participants also identified several competencies not identified in prior research that may be important to positions involving high contact with students. These results, then, provide vital information for curriculum development in graduate preparation programs and for professional development training for new professionals.

Student affairs administrators representing four types of institutions were interviewed to determine the role that religio-spirituality plays in their professional lives. Results reveal that most desire more freedom to express this aspect of their identity in that it has a salient impact in how they work with students. However, several reasons are given for the reluctance of many to freely express their religio-spirituality with their colleagues.

This study examined student leaders’ attitudes towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students and compared resident advisors’ (RAs) attitudes to those of other student leaders. Despite careful selection, training, and supervision of RAs, results revealed no differences between RAs’ attitudes and those of other student leaders. The number of LGB family and friends reported by participants was the only factor significantly related to positive attitudes toward LGB individuals. Implications for student affairs professionals are discussed, and suggestions for improving campus climate for LGB students are provided.

The importance of connections with peers to student development and retention has been highlighted in Astin's (1984) Theory of Student Involvement and Tinto's (1993) Theory of Student Departure, which are two of the most widely referenced and validated models in student affairs literature. However, recent research has questioned the applicability of these models to African American students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Although prior research has indicated that the models should be modified to recognize the importance of students’ relationships with their families, research has failed to understand the impact of relationships with friends from home. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the conditions under which friends from home were perceived as assets or liabilities to 99 African American undergraduates who attended a PWI. The results provide a link for broadening the applicability of Astin’s and Tinto's models and offer student affairs practitioners deeper ins...

In a study of 2,991 college students, researchers found significant differences between Latino and non-Latino students using MANOVA and chi-square statistics. Latino students were more likely to embrace diversity than non- Latino students, and were more likely to be concerned about financing their college educations. In addition, they were more likely than non-Latino students to work while in college. Finally, there were differences in the perception of the likely causes of departure between Latino and non-Latino students. Latino students were more likely to believe they would leave school because of a lack of finances, and because of a perceived lack of academic ability. The authors discuss how these differences in attitudes about diversity, and differences in academic preparation and financial situations, affect Latino students. They then ask the question: How can student affairs professionals lessen the combined burdens of minority status stress, finances, and college adjustment for Latino students?

The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to determine fraternity men and student athletes' perceptions of a commonly used rape-prevention program. Participants saw “The Men’s Program” and then participated in 60–90 minute focus groups assessing whether their attitudes and behavior would change, what about the program led to that change, and what improvements they recommended. After seeing this peer education program that included a video describing a male-on-male rape experience, participants reported increased empathy with rape survivors, an increased ability to help survivors recover, and several areas where they planned to change their behavior. Areas of planned change included behavior in intimate encounters and responding to survivors by believing their stories. Participants suggested a stronger emphasis on alcohol and consent and a less intense plea to help change social norms. Several implications for student affairs generalists and rape prevention programmers are discussed.

The scholarship of student affairs has neglected to carefully review its contextual past and, in the process, failed to fully integrate historical research into practice. The story of Thyrsa Wealtheow Amos and the history of the Dean of Women’s Program at the University of Pittsburgh,1919–41, helps us to reflect on the true reality of our work in higher education. Although seemingly a time in the distant past, Thyrsa Amos embodied the spirit of student personnel administration that shines ever so bright to thisd ay. The purpose of this research is to provide some of thatcontext and remind us of the values that serve as foundations of the profession.

This study examines different aspects of students' collegelife to articulate their perceptions of campus community.The findings indicate that students' sense of community is closely associated with their feelings of being cared about, treated in a caring way, valued as an individual and accepted as a part of community and the qualitysocial life on campus. The most negative influence on community comes from students' feelings of loneliness on campus. In order for students to have a sense of campus community, student affairs administrators should strive tobuild a community that (1) has an open environment where free expressions are encouraged and individuality is accepted and respected, (2) engages faculty and students in teaching and learning, (3) provides an active social and learning environment in residence halls, (4) fosters positive relationships among ethnic and cultural groups through programs and student activities, (5) celebrates traditions and heritage of the institution, and (6) provides assistance to students when they feel lonely or depressed.

A total of 580 ethical problems faced by 303 student affairs administrators were examined by category using Kitchener’s ethical principles. Reports of these problems differed significantly when gender, level of experience, administrative level within the institution, and institution size were examined.

The focus of this article is to develop a framework for understanding the change process related to collaboration between academic and student affairs. A national survey of collaboration between student and academic affairs was conducted. Structural and cultural theories of change were used to examine the research questions. The findings indicate that combined models are best able to guide student and academic affairs collaboration. The study results suggest that universities and comprehensive institutions need to pay particular attention to structural strategies and obstacles.

The present study examined the extent to which diversity courses are being required (i.e., as core courses) in student affairs graduate programs at the Master’s degree level. A diversity course was defined as a course that was developed and taught with the expressed intent of promoting the development of culturally proficient student affairs professionals who are knowledgeable and sensitive to the histories, circumstances, and needs of culturally and racially diverse individuals. Data for the study was obtained from program coordinators or directors of student affairs graduate programs. Of the student affairs graduate programs for which complete data was obtained (N = 53), 74% or 39 student affairs graduate programs required a diversity course at the Master’s degree level. Of the student affairs graduate programs that did not have a diversity course requirement, 8% or 4 of the programs were in the process of instituting a diversity course requirement in their student affairs graduate program. Implications for student affairs graduate programs are discussed.

Using the Oklahoma Racial Attitudes Scale-Preliminary Form (Choney & Behrens, 1996), researchers examined the White racial consciousness (WRC) of 534 White student affairs practitioners. Of particular interest in this study were the demographic and experience variables that were related to WRC. Experience with multicultural issues, self-identification with a socially marginalized group, discussions with supervisors on race and multicultural issues, and interest in working with culturally diverse students and staff were all significantly related to several dimensions of WRC. Suggestions for future research and practice are offered.

Supervision theory and practice has been well researched in counselor education and counseling psychology, but not as fully in student affairs. This article describes ways the developmental psychological supervision literature can be applied to student affairs settings.

This study assessed multicultural experiences and competency levels of graduate students in college student personnel (CSP) preparation programs, student affairs staff serving as internship supervisors, and diversity educators. A total of 131 students, staff, and diversity educators from four campuses in two geographical regions within the United States completed several assessments regarding multicultural competence.Respondents in all three groups rated themselves highest for multicultural awareness and lowest on multicultural knowledge. Significant differences by group and by race were observed in respondents’ levels of multicultural competence: student affairs staff members scored significantly higher than did CSP students, and diversity educators scored the highest. Students of color scored significantly higher on this measure than did the White students and the staff members.

Regression analyses indicated that age of respondent and gender were the most consistent predictors of salary within many of the high-level student affairs positions at both public and private institutions. Degree was determined to be a significant predictor of salary, but in a negative direction. Higher levels of education frequently translated into decreased mean salaries for various senior-level positions at both institutional types. Institutional classification was a modest predictor at both institutional types, while ethnicity, NASPA location, and years in the position were very infrequently found to be proficient predictors of salary at either public or private institutions.

This study explored the level of involvement in associations by professionals in the state of Georgia at different stages of their student affairs careers. Involvement in associations decreased as the level of the professional’s position increased.

“Thirty years from now the big university campuses will be relics. Universities [in their present form] won’t survive. It’s as large a change as when we first got the printed book” (Peter Drucker, 1997).Drucker is well known for identifying a trend before others see it. If his statement about universities turns out to be true, he foresees many changes ahead for higher education. This is not a surprise to many involved in higher education. However, the question of whether higher education can adapt and who can help facilitate these changes remain unclear. It is the authors’ belief that student affairs professionals have a critical role in helping their institutions to transform themselves in response to outside challenges. This article examines the dynamics of change in today’s world, why traditional rules of change no longer apply, and identifies new realities of change. Finally it will suggest some strategies that student affairs professionals can apply in helping institutions of higher education to change.

The present study investigated the influence of training modality on attitudes toward lesbian and gay issues. In a short-term longitudinal design (pre-test, post-test, follow-up), 87 undergraduate and graduate students were randomly assigned to one of three workshop modalities (In-Person, Internet, Control) following pre-test. Participants completed a post-test immediately after the training and a follow-up assessment three weeks later. Analyses revealed that both modalities (In-Person Training and Internet Training), when compared to the Control group, resulted in substantial reductions in levels of homophobia following training. Furthermore, these reductions in homophobia remained stable from the post-test to the follow-up testing. Finally, analyses suggest that changes in participants’ levels of positive affect, during and following training, may play a central role in the effectiveness of both training interventions. Implications for student affairs professionals and directions for future research are discussed.This study is supported by a diversity grant from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and the Ford Foundation awarded to Lorraine J. Guth and David F. Lopez. Special thanks go to Andrea L. Short for providing helpful editorial comments.

Using data gathered through the 1999–2000 NASPA Salary Survey, researchers examined the effects of gender, ethnicity, and highest degree earned on mean salaries of senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) at 4-year, public institutions. Analyses of covariance found that degree attainment and ethnicity significantly affected salaries, while gender did not. Although salaries appeared to be equitable, women and people of color were not represented proportionally at the senior levels of student affairs administration. It appears that women and people of color do not reach the position of SSAO at similar rates as Caucasian males, but once there salary inequity is not present.