The purpose of this article is to review the extant student affairs diversity literature to better understand the trends and development that have occurred over time. By assessing the trends, scope, and direction of the multicultural literature, perhaps student affairs professionals will be better able to capitalize deliberately on the important…

This article documents the results of a qualitative study of the perceptions of 14 first-semester college men about interacting with faculty outside of class. The research site was a large, public doctoral extensive institution in the Midwest. Each of the men participated in three depth interviews (Miller & Crabtree, 2004) that sought to…

Higher education administrators are increasingly committed to proactive communication with the parents of their students, but little empirical research exists that demonstrates the effectiveness of such communication. This investigation evaluated the effects of varying frequency of communication by randomly assigning first-year college students…

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.

Student affairs organizations have become complex entities and serve as a critical link to student success and the quality of the overall educational experience in collegiate institutions. Over time, new programs and services have been added to the array of existing programs and services with little attention focused on how these organizations…

In this article, the author describes how she challenged her class to think critically about multicultural competence and to analyze objectively the liberal perspectives of Allan G. Johnson and conservative ideas of Dinesh D'Souza using Raechele Pope, Amy Reynolds, and John Mueller's characteristics of multiculturally competent student affairs…

A Texas court's recent ruling that allowed a negligence lawsuit to proceed against 12 former administrators at Texas A&M University has some higher-education legal experts concerned about campus officials' liability in a variety of situations, including fraternity initiations, housing accidents, and student suicides. The decision was in favor…

This article explores the issues facing practitioners working in the field of student complaints and appeals (including academic appeals). It is a reflective study which examines some general and historical issues, using anonymised case studies where appropriate and highlighting the diversity of practice across the sector. The author observes that…

The highways and byways, or career paths, to the Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO) position differ based on a variety of variables. This study examined several variables including the induction or graduate preparation process, professional pathways, and professional and academic involvement of more than half of current land grant SSAOs. Data…

The disturbed and disturbing college student causes the most vexing concerns for student affairs administrators. The Assessment-Intervention of Student Problems (AISP) model offers a useful and easily understood framework for dealing with the various challenges of this high-risk student population. This chapter focuses on changes that have…

Most individuals who work in higher education seek the same outcome: student learning. Knowing that partnerships between faculty and student affairs educators offer the best hope for students' experiencing the kind of learning that higher education promises, individuals at Baylor University are taking small steps toward building and sustaining…

The main research question of this study was: How do student life offices at four diverse Catholic colleges and universities create an environment that is expressive of a Catholic way of life? This research question was operationalized by two research sub questions: How do senior student affairs officers, mid-level student affairs officers, and…

One interactive resource that may present the potential to significantly affect the personal lives of today's collegians is the virtual collegiate community, e.g., Facebook or MySpace. These are examples of a virtual communities or social networks, where students can post information about themselves in order to make connections, both on and off…

A qualitative inquiry designed to understand entry-level, live-in, professional staff recruitment and retention practices perceived as successful revealed a link to elements of organizational culture. Several important areas of understanding emerged: the actual recruitment and retention practices, the impact of leadership, and the role of…

Kathleen Manning identifies seven philosophical positions in relation to the broad issue of difference. Recognizing and understanding where they stand in this matrix allows educators to work more effectively with students, faculty, and staff about the complex and sometimes contested issue of difference.