Each paper in this monograph provides a discussion of and/or proposes a possible solution to a critical issue which must be faced by student affairs workers during the 1980's. The first article examines the legitimacy of student affairs as a professional entity within the field of higher education. The second article discusses the rationale of developing a theoretical basis and systematizing a plan for effective student affairs programming for new clientele, i.e., nontraditional students. The realities of planning, developing, and managing programs in a highly political environment with limited resources is discussed in the third article. A variety of approaches to resource allocation which are likely to be implemented during the 1980's are presented in the fourth article. The final article provides a brief overview of the grant application process and discusses several strategies to help applicants enhance their chances for funding. The future of student affairs and the administrative skills needed to ensure its survival are presented in the summary. (Author/NRB)