This article describes the college choice process of graduate students in College Student Personnel programs at a public university and a private religiously affiliated university. Despite differences in size, mission, and location of the two institutions studied, the research findings show that respondent populations were similar demographically…

Fraternities and sororities promote the ideals of scholarship, leadership, service, and friendship. Little or no research, however, has demonstrated that college students who join fraternal organizations actually grow in these areas as a result of their fraternal experience. The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the extent to which…

This empirical study utilized, qualitative methodology, appraising internal factors used by students regarding tattoo decision-making. Twenty-four students, in two qualitative research waves of data collection, provided in-depth interviews about their personal constructs regarding choosing to tattoo. Results showed evidence of intrinsic…

While there has been growing research that explores the impact of race- and cultural-specific student organizations or spaces on Black students and particularly Black males (Dancy, 2011; Harper & Quaye, 2007; McClure, 2006; Museus, 2008; L. Patton, 2006), there have been fewer studies (Ellis, 2009) examining emerging, institutionalized Black male…

This study used a nationally representative sample of African American college students to examine the degree to which their affiliation with a Greek-letter organization contributed to engagement in effective educational practices by analyzing National Survey of Student Engagement data at historically Black colleges and universities and…

New staff orientation is a strategy that can positively affect job satisfaction and productivity, especially for those beginning careers in student affairs. In this study, new student affairs professionals were surveyed to determine their perceptions about the content and efficacy of their orientation experiences. Despite literature encouraging…

Studies over the past decade have resulted in significant data used to inform student affairs practitioners and graduate preparation faculty of desired competencies of new professionals entering the field of student affairs administration. Little information is available on the perceptions of senior student affairs officers at 208 institutions…

The purpose of this study was to understand the ways undergraduate students experience service-learning within the context of college outreach. Interviews from 3 cohorts of undergraduate college students across 2 Research I institutions revealed that the application of classroom learning through service-learning affected the ways in which students…

Studies conducted over the last 7 years have provided timely information on practitioner views of graduate preparation program curricula. A paucity of information exists on the perceptions of faculty responsible for developing and maintaining coursework in student affairs administration. The purpose of the study was to provide data on faculty…

The purpose of this study was to explore the quality of the parent-adult child attachment relationship by examining students' perceptions of how their parents support them and facilitate their independence while they are in college. A total of 58 third-year students participated in an online interview via synchronous chat technology. Our findings…

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of employment on first-to-second-year persistence of low-income, first-generation college students. Using the data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/06), the analysis indicated that the role orientation to academics versus to work was the strongest predictor of…

This study sought to understand how individuals experienced multicultural courses in graduate preparation programs. The researchers conducted focus groups with 37 current and former graduate students in student affairs. Participants reported resistance to multicultural dialog, both in their direct experiences and through their perceptions of…

This article highlights the impact of campus ministers upon students within campus ministries at public colleges and universities. Data gathered for this qualitative study suggest that campus ministers serve as facilitators of religious development, personal development, and leadership development among the students with whom they work.…

Online degree programs have been one of many institutional innovations related to the enrollment growth in higher education over the last decade. The changing format of instruction alters the practice of student affairs in the virtual learning environment. This shift requires faculty, administrators, and student affairs professionals to examine…

This qualitative study employed focus group interviews to explore students' perceptions of three well established academically based living-learning communities at a large, land-grant university in the Midwest. Three themes merged that illustrated students' perceptions of a culture that promoted seamless learning, a scholarly environment, and an…