This essay advances discussion of the evolution of student development theory as foundational knowledge for student affairs practice and the role theoretical consensus plays in the application of theory to student affairs practice. We located our discussion within the context of student affairs as a low-consensus field and address 2 related…

The purpose of "Theory of College Student Development" is to provide readers with new theoretical knowledge or a reminder of the foundational and evolving theories that professionals can utilize for understanding and making sense of students' behavior. Its primary focus is on the integration of knowledge, skills, and application of such…

This theoretical paper explores the need for enhanced, intersectional computing identity theory for the purpose of developing a diverse group of computer scientists for the future. Greater theoretical understanding of the identity formation process specifically for computing is needed in order to understand how students come to understand…

Since the Great Recession, international student enrollment in U.S. institutions has experienced profound increases. As campuses attempt to attract more international students, they have placed greater emphasis on developing units that specifically serve the needs of these students. Using the qualitative approach of document analysis, this…

Output orientation in the realm of education has become a requirement for higher education that is now slowly starting to be manifested in its curricula. This raises the question: what competences students are supposed to develop in the course of their studies and how these competences can be developed. In a first step, this article will therefor…

The paper presents the story of an experimental learning studio in a teacher education programme at a college in Israel. The study investigates what students found significant in the studio and more specifically, the meanings students attributed to the experiences in the studio and how it constituted a site for learning. Open ended questionnaires…

This rejoinder to Patrick Love's article, "Informal Theory: The Ignored Link in Theory-to-Practice," which appears earlier in this issue of the "Journal of College Student Development", was written at the invitation of the Editor. In the critique, we point out the weaknesses of many of Love's arguments and propositions. We provide an alternative…

Applying theory to practice in student affairs is dominated by the assumption that formal theory is directly applied to practice. Among the problems with this assumption is that many practitioners believe they must choose between their lived experiences and formal theory, and that graduate students are taught that their experience "does not…

Development of intercultural skills is recognized as an essential outcome of a college education, but in order to facilitate students' growth effectively, we must understand the points of the developmental journey at which students enter the college classroom. This study tests four hypotheses developed on the basis of leading models of…

Building leadership capacity in college students is both an art and a science. Knowledge of college student development and specifically college leadership development, as well as research in leadership theory and practices, can help college leadership educators become more effective. International Leadership Association (ILA) Guiding Questions…

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.

For educators in the field of higher education and judicial affairs, issues are growing. Campus adjudicators must somehow maximize every opportunity for student education and development in the context of declining resources and increasing expectations of public accountability. Numbers of student misconduct cases, including matters of violence and…

The author of this paper, an ethicist, states that he considers himself fortunate to be in a field undergoing a resurgence; however he also is aware of how academic efforts to promote moral development often lack a deep appreciation of the underlying character of ethics. He argues that, in order to further the moral maturation of today's students,…

This book contains articles on the most recent thinking about developmental programming in student affairs. "Progress Toward Intentional Student Development" (Don Creamer) introduces a concept orientation in developmental programming. "The Professional Practice of Student Development" (C. Carney Strange and Patricia King) presents a rationale for…

Presents guidelines for creating process models for implementation of student development theory in practice. Describes results of workshop in which professionals created process models for translation of specific theory of their choosing into application in practical circumstances. Includes sample process model created using the guidelines.…