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…

This article examines the psychological theoretical foundations of college student development theory and the theoretical assumptions of this framework. A complimentary, sociological perspective and the theoretical assumptions of this approach are offered. The potential limitations of the overuse of each perspective are considered. The conclusion…

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…

Staffing practices in student affairs administration are important functions that impact the success of the organization and students served. This study used the Integrated Model of Staffing Practices (IMSP) as a framework to examine the type and frequency of conference programs related to the IMSP offered by 2 national student affairs…

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 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…

The imminent philosopher George Santayana said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (1905). The protests that occurred on American campuses in the 1960s may lend support for that statement. This article will describe major events of the protest movement during this period, describe the societal and institutional…

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…

Prior research on student affairs professionals has focused largely on the nature of student affairs work with most attention given to mid- and senior-level administrators. Thus, relatively little is known about new professionals and their socialization to the student affairs profession. Based on a multivariate analysis of survey data from a…

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…

A qualitative inquiry designed to understand entry-level, live-in, professional staff recruitment and retention practices perceived as successful revealed a link to elements of organizational culture. Several important areas of understanding emerged: the actual recruitment and retention practices, the impact of leadership, and the role of…

This article documents the results of a qualitative study of the perceptions of 14 first-semester college men about interacting with faculty outside of class. The research site was a large, public doctoral extensive institution in the Midwest. Each of the men participated in three depth interviews (Miller & Crabtree, 2004) that sought to explore…

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…