Inspired by a Tolkien quote, "Not All Who Wander Are Lost," the authors introduce the concept of "career wandering" in the context of undergraduate student development. Proposing an alternative to traditional linear career trajectories, we conceptualize a dynamic approach that embraces nonlinear paths, indecision, and…

This article discusses various ways for student affairs professionals, faculty, educators, and policymakers to contribute to the personal, academic, and professional development of international graduate students in the U.S. higher education within their functional areas and their expertise. By highlighting the culturally sensitive support and…

The South African Association of Senior Student Affairs Professionals (SAASSAP) hosted a three-day conference on "Ramping up engaged scholarship, gender equity, and enhancing leadership in student affairs practice" at Nelson Mandela University, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), from 2 to 4 December 2021. The meeting, which was attended by…

Just over ten years ago, John Schuh and Ann Gansemer-Topf authored NILOA Occasional Paper #7, "The Role of Student Affairs in Student Learning Assessment" (2010). The authors identified contributions and challenges for student affairs assessment and called on student affairs professionals not only to develop meaningful programs and…

By using a reconstructionist and critical theory approach, a review of student development theories demonstrates the problematic nature of such ideas as they continue to be used to shape student affairs practice in community colleges.

Student affairs and student services practices are concepts that can replace traditional models of student development, now emphasizing student identity, student voice, and emancipatory advocacy. A new identity is suggested to replace the title for student affairs professionals and student affairs programs in community colleges: student success…

When Case Willoughby took his first community college job, he started by applying student development and student engagement theory to advising. He refocused advising to support students in exploring academic and career goals and teach them the intellectual and practical skills they need to learn. This experience led Willoughby to notice that…

Historically, those responsible for administration of student conduct resolution in U.S. higher education have sought some manner of moral development for students, whether labeled as such or not. It is clear that contemporary conduct officers are more deeply concerned with such student development as an extension of their practice. Many such…

Participation in high-impact educational activities produces high levels of achievement of desirable educational outcomes across domains including intellectual and practical skills, personal and social responsibility, and integrative and applied learning (Kuh, 2008). The student co-curricular experience has traditionally been viewed as the…

Student affairs professionals traditionally struggle with how to bring the proper balance to their work. Their work takes place in a variety of settings--some informal, some structured. In each of these settings, they may find opportunity to serve as moral mentors. The authors describe the moral mentor as a professional practicing in the field of…

To understand the role and experience of a peer educator, it is imperative to examine the developmental issues and concerns associated with this stage of a student's life as well as the demands and challenges of a higher education community. For years, student affair professionals have used a breadth of theories to guide their efforts in…

Students regularly encounter faculty in classrooms. Student affairs personnel interact with students in the main when students are beyond the classroom. Both groups are pledged to encourage student development, but they rarely collaborate. What are the reasons for this divided effort? How can the separate spheres of faculty and student affairs…

Changing enrollment profiles have introduced differences in demographics, ability, and interest among the learners in higher education classrooms. As a result, faculty must now accomplish their jobs in a fluid environment with new teaching strategies. Their partners in this work are student affairs staff, who usually educate students in a far less…

This article describes the author's cross-pedagogical approach to co-teaching with student affairs colleagues. The central goal of this approach is to help students create meaning for their lives. The author also gives an account of an incident that occurred in one seminar and illustrates the benefits of a crossover approach.

In this paper, the author summarizes the role and contributions of the scholarship and institutional research about student engagement and its relevance for student development professionals and others committed to enhancing the quality of the undergraduate experience. The presentation is organized into four major sections. First, the author…