Using data from the 2009 Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, this article examines the personal characteristics and environmental experiences that contribute to college students' involvement in social change. Results indicate that collegiate environmental characteristics (i.e., student group membership, leadership training, discussions…

This essay is an account of student civic engagement in action. It stresses the vital role of environments in which students learn to be civic actors. The student experiences recorded in this account point toward a form of campus politics that places students in a role of coworker and cocreator, where they must negotiate differences and…

Using data from the Wabash National Study, authors examine how students' perceptions of campus climate influence growth in students' social and political activism. The goal of this article is to determine to what extent, if any, students' perceptions of the campus environment affect their orientation toward social/political activism…

Student affairs, as an integral part of universities, has taken on a key position in contributing to social justice as one of the central imperatives of higher education in South Africa. This article sketches the development of this role and outlines some important tasks for contemporary student affairs. Three conceptual models within the social…

Qualitative interviews were employed to assess the effectiveness of a leadership program geared toward African American male personal and professional development, and to examine the relationship between program participation and connectedness. Elements of both social engagement (mentoring and being mentored, peer-to-peer relationships, and…

In this article, the author explores the existing research on the characteristics of Millennials within historical, social, and economic contexts. While many researchers have made claims about Millennials, they fail to consider how parenting styles, economic factors, historical events, and shifts in educational priorities may have created the…

A professor and a group of student leaders initiated the Actively Caring for People (AC4P) Movement to establish a more civil, compassionate, and inclusive culture by inspiring intentional acts of kindness. This article explores the AC4P Movement in a first-year residence hall at Virginia Tech and a second-year residence hall at University of…

Colleges are under increasing pressure to develop future citizens who are interested in-and capable of-creating positive social change and improving their communities. Using data from the multiinstitutional SERU survey, this study suggests college students' participation in leadership positions can promote their engagement in greater social…

Social class is a powerful and often unrecognized influence on student participation in the extracurriculum. Spontaneous student-created extracurricular experiences depend on students affiliating and interacting with each other; student social class is a powerful influence on student affiliations. Students tend to exercise consciousness of kind-…

This article describes the development of the Dorothy Day Social Justice Community, a sophomore, social justice-focused living-learning community at Marquette University. The authors describe the administration of the community, discuss various elements of the community, and share assessment results. They also detail lessons learned from three…

The researcher analyzed National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) data for over 7,000 first-year students at nearly 450 institutions to examine the impacts on spiritual development. International, Asian, and first generation students reported gains in spirituality. Participating in worshipful activities, engaging in service learning and…

First-year students typically come to college with little knowledge about the city they will call home. Universities can unite with their local communities to provide opportunities for student involvement while giving students a chance to learn what their city has to offer. Learning outcomes from a Mississippi State University first-year…

The author argues for the myriad benefits of extracurricular involvement to students' psychosocial development and calls upon administrators and professors to encourage students to participate in carefully selected activities with earnest commitment of their time and efforts. The author contends that colleges demonstrate that they encourage…

Students at American colleges and universities do become more advanced in their global perspective taking along all three dimensions--cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal. Their degree of involvement in a number of cocurricular activities and their perceptions of the campus community are correlated with their level of perspective taking on…

The author of this article explores the motivation factors that lead privileged college students to be involved in social justice efforts. The students participating in this study identified multiple reasons for their initial and continued involvement in social justice work, but all students identified three main sources of motivation: responding…