College Students and Their Environments: Understanding the Role Student Affairs Educators Play in Shaping Campus Environments

The best value that readers will take from this book is the knowledge, skills, and wisdom offered by the editors and 26 chapter authors. The book covers a wide range of topics relevant to campus environments and serving increasingly diverse college student populations. The authors provide in-depth analysis of the needs of today's diverse populations; ways educators shape the campus environment, both in and out of the classroom; and strategies educators working in graduate preparation programs can use to effectively prepare future professionals to achieve these goals. By identifying some major shifts in student affairs work in history, the text demonstrates how student affairs professionals evolved from being primarily service providers to educators who actively shape the environment. Now more than ever, marginalized and minoritized communities are more represented on our campuses and we know more about how to effectively serve these populations, as a result of the work done by higher education scholars. This book provides that insight for professionals about how to construct environments for today's student populations that are inclusive, engaging and contribute to student success. Additionally, the book addresses the professional competency areas needed as educators seek to develop campus environments for diverse student populations. This book is written for those who are studying to become student affairs educators and those who are newer in the profession. It not only provides the reader with a theoretical framework, but also some direction on how to create college environments that allow diverse populations to thrive in higher education and reach their full potential. This book is organized into the following chapters: (1) The Role of Student Affairs Educators in Shaping College Environments: The History, Philosophy, and Values of Our Profession (Florence M. Guido, Courtney E. Matsumoto, and Gabrielle A. McAllaster); (2) Theoretical Frameworks on Environments (Tonisha B. Lane and Blanca E. Rincón); (3) Campus Environments and Student Success (Liliana Rodriguez); (4) Cultivating Campus Environments to Support Diverse Student Populations (Michele Tyson); (5) Understanding the Needs of Various Diverse Populations (Lorenzo Baber); (6) Creating a Culture of Inclusion in the Classroom (Raquel Wright-Mair); (7) Preparing Scholar Practitioners to Assess Campus Environments to Maximize Success of Diverse Student Populations (Lucy A. LePeau); (8) Future Direction (Cathy Akens and Zebulun Davenport); (9) Case Studies for Applying Theory to Practice (Delma Ramos). [Foreword written by Naijian Zhang and Samuel D. Museus.]