This paper, a critique of student development as a reform movement in higher education, addresses seven concerns about the student development movement and the model of student affairs that it articulates. First, the paper notes that student development appears focused on the personal development of the individuals seemingly detached from the educational responsibility of the institution of higher learning. Second, the student development movement is described as an unsuccessful attempt to create the substance of an expertise, Third, despite the field's wholesale conversion to student development, it is contended that there is not very much research evidence on the effectiveness of such a conversion. A fourth and related point questions how, if research into student development is at such a primitive stage, student development professionals can assert that their program interventions are effective. A fifth point considers the path from theory to practice. A sixth contends that effective programming may not be replicable in other settings and with other populations. The final point addresses Kuh, Whitt, and Shedd's (1987) monograph, "Student Affairs Work, 2001: A Paradigmatic Odyssey," a work that challenged assumptions upon which the student development movement is based. This document notes in conclusion that student development efforts have not been subjected to a reasoned analysis, making it difficult to determine weaknesses and improve models and practices. (NB)