It is the authors' contention that there is no such thing as "thinking outside the box." However, the term has become an iconic phrase for a generation. The discussion presents the authors' thoughts on why there is no box in which to think outside. If there is a box, then accidental learning would never exist for students.

An introductory course is the discipline's handshake; it is the greeting that either seals the deal or in varying degrees convinces the learner that this discipline has little usefulness. Given the huge stakes in forming a strategy for the introductory course, how should we structure the course? The argument in this paper is that we should…

The delivered curriculum, or the curriculum the students actually experience has always been a function of teacher decision making. Since the inception of high stakes accountability, the curricula to which students are exposed have become a focal point of school reform efforts. This article argues that the null curriculum is expanding in ways that…

This paper discusses the critical relation between professor, student and technology in the process of encouraging graduate students to read required textbook sections. It discusses how using online management software, graduate students are required to submit weekly chapter summaries to the professor by 5:00 pm on Fridays. In addition to the…

By the end of the 1990s, the topic of spirituality as distinguished from religion was being discussed in higher education conferences and publications. Using qualitative research methods, this study examines definitions of spirituality in higher education literature. The researcher argues that (1) the emerging discussion of spirituality can be…

The ability to ask quality questions and to respond adequately and usefully are skills few are formally taught. These skills are learned haphazardly by some and by trial and error by others. Asking questions and responding to questions are vital to learning, relating with others, and in professional/vocational endeavors. This article advocates…

Higher education plays a significant role in shaping the culture of societies. As globalization becomes more prominent in all aspects of civilization, higher education must respond and lead in this endeavor. It is incumbent upon postsecondary institutions to train the leaders of tomorrow to lead in a world without boundaries, and to be able to…

In this article, the authors describe their personal experiences and offer student affairs professionals suggestions for balancing their personal and professional lives. They also share the lessons they have learned from their experiences.

Being from a typical African-American descent, the author's family struggled through a history tarnished by the legacy of slavery and racism in America. Many of these personal family stories of struggle she received through an oral tradition. She learned early in life the importance of discipline, hierarchy, and hard work. She was expected to…

The author's career path can best be described as "unconventional" or "non-traditional" for a senior student affairs administrator. Being a first-generation college graduate, the author's focus was on what he characterizes as a "clear cut career path" for a Myers Briggs Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging (ESTJ): management and banking. In this…

After 18 years as a student affairs professional, the author is now headed in a different direction. The personal lessons that she has learned about work-life balance over the past two decades are very similar to others. Instead of focusing on personal lessons, the author offers some structural observations, and--with respect, as she leaves the…

The author started a conversation with friends that led to a conference program. They surveyed women faculty, department heads, and senior administrators and asked them how they would advise young professionals struggling with personal and professional balance. The author, along with Tony Cawthon, incorporated the work on balance into several…

Raises for consideration a number of critical questions concerning the value of peer evaluation of teaching effectiveness, methods of conducting peer evaluations, and their proper use in personnel decisions. Blind acceptance of peer evaluations should be challenged by university faculty, particularly by instructors still subject to decisions on…

There are multiple arguments for and against the policy of students judging the effectiveness of university teaching. The advantages of evaluative procedures are qualified by the susceptibility of data to misinterpretation. By representing support through rewards, student evaluation of instruction could be made amenable to every faculty. (Author)

Identifies some competencies and defines roles important to the successful operation of middle-management personnel in colleges and universities, specifically, the roles of deans and department or division chairs. (Author)