Current American college administration has been charged with the development of the whole student, producing well-rounded, intelligent graduates ready to enter the workforce. Presently, mentorship and tutoring programs exist in many environments but have no cohesive aim to develop self-authorship. Untapped potential for promotion of college…

The unprecedented growth of universities in recent years has meant that there are more students with learning disabilities attending courses. Consequently, universities have had to adapt, improve and create new resources to ensure greater inclusivity. These resources, their design, and development are managed by inclusion support services, aiming…

Drawing on interviews with 70 college peer socialization agents (PSAs) across 42 U.S.-based institutions of higher education, this study explores how PSAs create "underlives" (Goffman, 1961) in response to their roles and expectations for communicating institutional messages about diversity. Findings from this study illuminate the ways…

The California State University system recently announced a long-term Graduation Initiative to increase the six-year graduation rate by 8%. As a result, close attention is being focused on ways to retain students at risk of leaving the university prior to graduation. Although it is generally acknowledged that mentoring programs promote college…

This article explores the ways faculty and student affairs professionals can impact the student experience, particularly for Students of Color. Experiences at two institutions illustrate how developing deeper relationships and broader perspectives make a significant difference not only for students, but also for those who teach and support them.…

Education and training for student affairs professionals does not end with a master's degree. Although graduate preparation programs establish the foundation and knowledge base upon which to build, ongoing professional development is required in order to be effective in addressing the needs of today's college and university students. With a…

Commonly referred to as the living room of campuses, student union facilities serve as an environment for the social, cognitive, cultural, and intellectual education of students that occurs outside the classroom. This study aims to provide an understanding and knowledge of the student union-activities profession, its dedicated professionals, and…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of new professionals in college student affairs as proteges in mentoring relationships. This study was designed as an exploratory study into the types of mentoring relationships that exist among college student affairs professionals, using Q methodology. The profession of college student…

Dana is a graduate assistant in the second year of a master's program in student personnel. In a class discussion of assistantship issues, Dana reveals that he has decided not to enforce the university's policy of "writing up" all underage students who are in a residence hall room where alcohol is present. He says that in his opinion the punitive…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to analyze the perceptions (through survey data) of Disability Support Services (DSS) personnel regarding the transition process for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from secondary to postsecondary institutions. Participants from 408 postsecondary institutions completed the survey with 60.4%…

Examines the phenomenon of sophomore slump, a phase in their college years when students often feel depressed, frustrated, anxious, or dissatisfied. Encourages student affairs professionals to recognize the existence of sophomore slump and to provide support for students. Suggests three strategies for helping students: developing special programs,…

This article details the challenges that UC Merced faced in building up the critical areas of student and residence life. The new institution held great promise for achieving the ideal of a student-centered university, but certain bedrock problems proved difficult to overcome. One was that at the beginning, both administration and faculty saw…

Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs offers perspective on student motivation and a rationale for college retention programing. Student affairs and faculty interventions addressing student safety needs and engaging students' sense of purpose reinforce persistence. A mentor program is a possible cooperative effort between student personnel and…

This chapter describes two emerging theories that inform career counseling and explores how they can strengthen student success programs for underrepresented populations. The chapter also describes several effective programs and services that support traditionally underrepresented students as they prepare for, succeed in, and make the transition…