An April 2011 "Dear Colleague" letter issued by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights provided new guidance related to Title IX and the civil rights violation inherent in sexual harassment cases. Using the "Dear Colleague" letter as a guide, this article will provide best practice suggestions to remedy gender discrimination…

The problem of campus stalking requires uniting several departments to develop a response plan reflective of the comprehensive nature of campus stalking. This article highlights how research on stalking, stalking theories, and related environmental theories support the formation of a cross-functional team to develop a multifaceted response to this…

The following is a brief overview regarding: the history and development of Student Affairs as it pertains to (a) preserving the history of a professional association, (b) value and benefits of a professional Student Affairs association, (c) establishing and assessing goals and (d) organizational development/change within a professional…

Student governance has existed as an integral part of higher education since the time of the first college in Colonial America. Through a detailed history of each phase of student self-governance--from the earliest literary societies to the present-day student government associations--the struggles of students in higher education to acquire and…

In 2002, Pearson and Bowman examined the issues and trends in the "College Student Affairs Journal" over its first 20 years, from 1979 to 1999. This manuscript expands that analysis to examine trends from 2000 to 2007, paying particular attention to changes that occurred as the journal transformed from a regional to a national journal and how the…

Today, the student affairs profession values the diversity of race, class, and gender in their educational mission. However, the profession's growing respect for pluralism demands a more inclusive history. This article is one academic measure toward creating a contextualized and nuanced history of the development of the field as it was impacted by…

The community college has survived and thrived since its early inception in the 1800s and has become the center of educational opportunity providing access to all. Today, the influence of the community college system in the United States is impressive with 46% of all undergraduates attending community college. Although the community college boom…

Using an interdisciplinary approach, this article explores the intersection between manhood and college life for 24 selected African American college men enrolled in 12 colleges and universities across the 19 southern and border states of America. The purpose of this study is to illustrate how constructions of manhood and masculinity among this…

The purpose of this paper is to provide student affairs professionals with an overview of the law regarding the constitutionality of expenditure limits in student government elections. Unlike campaigns for federal and state office, it is clear that the limited case law on this topic does allow universities to limit the amount of money that student…

Mid-level managers comprise a large proportion of student affairs organizations. They are often the most overlooked when it comes to professional orientation and institutional introduction when entering new positions. Accordingly, information is presented from the professional literature that speaks to the characteristics and unique needs of this…

This article defines racial microaggressions and discusses their role in instigating difficult dialogues concerning racial and ethnic issues in student affairs classroom settings. The authors present four reasons why dialogues on race are difficult for many White Americans.

The dynamics of resistance articulated by the Privileged Identity Exploration model highlight the need to acknowledge the role of socialization in the formation of attitudes and behaviors that can support identities of privilege. Exploring individual and group related socialization processes in the context of a difficult dialogue might facilitate…

The authors describe social justice advocacy interventions to initiate difficult discussions at the university where they are employed. They emphasize the need to foster difficult dialogues about the problem of institutional racism among students, faculty members, and administrators where they work. The Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) model…

A dialogic model for the discussion of issues related to Christian privilege and religious oppression of minority religious groups and non-believers in the United States is presented. The goal of the dialogue circles is to create and maintain a true multicultural community on the university campus.

Male privilege is one aspect of social inequality that underlies much of the oppression and violence that occurs on college campuses. Mad Skills, a program addressing power and privilege with college men, is described along with general recommendations about how to engage men in difficult dialogues. The PIE Model is used to describe defensive…