This paper, a critique of student development as a reform movement in higher education, addresses seven concerns about the student development movement and the model of student affairs that it articulates. First, the paper notes that student development appears focused on the personal development of the individuals seemingly detached from the…

Common problems of establishing independence, making friends, and mastering a new environment draw college students together and create a strong social cohesion which has considerable influence on students' attitudes and values. In many institutions the peer culture is estranged from the academic life of the campus. If student affairs…

In recent years student development theory has been adopted as the guiding theoretical framework of the student affairs profession. Unfortunately, this adoption has largely occurred without a critical analysis of the concept of student development as a gestalt or of the individual theories touted as central to understanding college students.…

Student development leaders must identify what of importance and value should be retained from past approaches to student services delivery and what approaches should be discarded. To accomplish this, community colleges must address certain key internal student development issues: (1) the changing nature of the student body (which is characterized…

Speakers voice their opinions on: Schools: Surviving or Encountering; Special Children--Special Needs; The Way Things Are--Who's to Blame; and Crime, Violence and Vandalism in the Public Schools. Presented at the 64th Annual Conference of the International Association of Pupil Personnel Workers, St. Louis, Missouri, 1978. (Author/LPG)

Alternatives for revitalizing the programs and management of student services in community colleges are reviewed in this paper. First, alternatives related to student services programs are considered, including: (1) the increased use of computer-assisted counseling to integrate student services more fully with mainstream academic activities; (2)…

A general legal definition of rape is sexual intercourse forced on an individual by another against his/her will and overcoming his/her resistance. Although the female is usually referred to as the survivor and the male as the perpetrator, there are cases of male rape. Rape may be divided into stranger rape and acquaintance rape. Types of…

Much of the thinking and writing about typical student affairs organizations has been grounded in core assumptions consistent with scientific and bureaucratic models of organizing. These questionable assumptions describe how things are supposed to work; however, most divisions of student affairs operate under multiple and sometimes competing…

This paper proposes use of marketing methods to improve college health services and enhance their perceived value. Ten key marketing principles are defined: (1) value of the service as seen by the target population; (2) exchange clients perceive benefits received as exceeding perceived costs; (3) competition offering a better product than the…

In the area of college athletics, the chief concern of the student affairs professional is the relationships which ought to exist between institutions as represented by the division of student affairs and the student athlete. The athlete faces the same set of academic and social demands that the non-athlete faces in addition to the unique demands…

A comprehensive student basic skills assessment program was developed at St. Louis Community College (SLCC) at Florissant Valley to appraise student readiness to take courses, gather information for counseling and advising, diagnose student problems, and evaluate program efficiency and effectiveness. The steps taken in developing the program were:…

The first "Student Personnel Point of View" (1937) still stands as the premiere statement of excellence for the student personnel profession. Several propositions are requisites to achieving the goal of development in students. Students, professional staff, and institutions must all achieve their goals. The environment must be…

Throughout the history of the student affairs profession, a deep abiding concern for students and their development has been the guiding principle. The two-year college, with its rich tradition of commitment to teaching and expanding educational opportunities, has been a fertile ground for the student affairs profession. In recent years, despite…

Almost from its inception, Sheffield City Polytechnic has operated a system whereby each academic department allocates to every student a "personal tutor," who provides academic, professional, and personal assistance throughout the student's course of study. In 1988-89, in response to fiscal constraints, a number of departments made no…

Student affairs professionals in community colleges are facing several major issues in need of resolution including: the insufficient use of existing knowledge about adolescent and adult development and organization development in program design and execution; and the insufficient use of knowledge of program evaluation for understanding the…