Ethnographic fieldwork is advocated as two ways for student affairs educators to enhance practice. Recent fieldwork and published ethnographic texts about college students are used to illustrate three benefits: (1) access to students' experience and culture; (2) access to student and campus culture; (3) enhance practice through informed…

Discusses the efforts by many of the major student affairs professional associations to develop training and teaching methods that will prepare practitioners for the changing student populations on university campuses. Article summarizes the critical multicultural objectives from the most recent student affairs philosophy statements and applies…

Study examines the degree to which technology is being incorporated into graduate level student affairs preparation programs and how this mirrors the use of technology by student affairs practitioners. All student affairs preparation programs in the United States were invited to participate, along with senior student affairs officers. Reports…

Kegan's theory consists of five orders of consciousness that represent principles of mental organization affecting the way we think, feel, and relate to ourselves and others. Key concepts and strategies with substantial promise for student affairs practice include coaching, holding environments, and bridge building. (Author/MKA)

Reports on a survey of company recruiters so as to explore on-site job interviews. Gives information on steps leading from a campus interview to an on-site interview, meals for candidates, schedules generally followed, testing, decision making, and the many forms that such interviews can take. (RJM)

Discusses ways in which career center professionals can attract the interest of the media. Describes what the "news" media is looking for in stories; presents a story that is appealing to news professionals. Also covers making professional contacts, writing a press release, and talking to a reporter. (RJM)

Policies and procedures focusing on students as learners and as agents of their own development should be considered as a new framework for student affairs professionals. Explores the contradictions faced by student affairs professionals and suggests a model for facilitating development of individuals, groups, and the community. (MKA)

Explores the motivations of college student volunteers in an urban location, where social needs have grown exponentially in the last decade. Discusses how student affairs professionals might apply findings. Proposes that volunteer activity serve as a conduit between academic learning and life experience to produce good citizenship skills. (MKA)

Investigates the extent to which the organizational commitment and life satisfaction of upper-level women student-affairs administrators (N=140) are influenced by personal and work-related attributes. Findings highlight the relationship between role ambiguity and organizational commitment. Implications for improving women's commitment and…

Describes a qualitative study that explores the perspectives of 16 senior student affairs officers. Describes the predominance of student learning as an overarching framework for understanding their work. Findings suggest that the work of student affairs remains largely unchanged on many campuses, except for an increased emphasis on student…

Recent graduate students in student affairs offer their perspectives on selecting a graduate program, which courses to take to prepare for graduate school, how a graduate assistantship in a student life setting can help prospective professionals, and what recruiters look for in job candidates. (EV)

The relationship between multicultural competence and racial consciousness of 534 White student affairs practitioners was assessed using the Multicultural Competence for Student Affairs-Preliminary 2 Scale and the Oklahoma Racial Attitudes Scale-Preliminary Form. Experiences with multicultural issues and identification with socially oppressed…

Studies the authorship patterns since the 1970s of the "Journal of College Student Development," and the "NASPA Journal." Results reveal a trend toward an increased incidence of collaborative authorship as well as a relative decrease in authorship by professional administrators and an increase in authorship by graduate…

Originally published in December 1961, discusses how the traditional organizational structure of colleges and universities has led to an artificial separation of duties for administrative purposes. While emphasizing that student personnel work has particularly suffered from this tendency, highlights significant problems facing higher education…

A semistructured interview protocol was used to present perspectives on leadership from five national leaders in student affairs. Several major themes emerged. Issues were discussed about leaderships; how they manage difficulties; what work were they most proud of; and what was their advice for aspiring leaders. Reviews limitations and…