1. Creating a Community of Practice: Serving Student Veterans in Higher Education
- Author
-
Ward, Catherine
- Abstract
This qualitative study examined the experiences of student affairs educators who serve student veterans, their knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and how these experiences and qualities influenced their practice and the community of practice that is shared within the field at large. There is a dearth of research regarding these educators on college and university campuses across the United States. This study aimed to understand those who have been given this charge. The study participants were 13 new, mid-level, and senior-level student affairs educators. Three learning theories served as the framework of this study: experiential learning theory, context based learning, and organizational learning theory. These theories provided a basis for further understanding how individual learning occurs, how it is shared within a community, and how this learning is transferred to organizations. Findings suggest that student affairs educators' experience and personal characteristics profoundly influence their practice and form the foundation for how community of practice is developed, and that student affairs educators contribute in significant ways to the success of the student veterans they serve. Moreover, the ability to cultivate relationships with students and colleagues appears to have the most influence on educators' understanding of how to effectively support their students. Recommendations include the need for educators to engage students from a place of empathy and care, for administrators to provide quality supervision to new and mid-level educators as well as provide opportunity for essential training, and for policy makers to equitably allocate staffing, space, and funding resources. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
- Published
- 2018