The number of students who do not believe in a higher power is rising, but these students often find themselves marginalized and struggle to gain acceptance on campus. Using data from the Secular Student Alliance, this article explores the interests of nonreligious nontheistic students, identifies issues these students face on campus, and offers…

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…

The author challenges the current trend of seeing college as mandatory and questions whether schools and students alike might be better served by academic administrators, parents, and other well-meaning role models acknowledging that education has many forms, and that not every student will have the same aptitude or investment in the outcome.…

The purpose of the article is to discuss the glittering, bejeweled, daring, illegitimate stepsister of questionable character in the collegiate environment: the department of athletics. The author argues how this stepsister might become legitimate if the product of athletics were viewed and valued differently. An argument is presented that if…

For the past 40 years, Alverno College faculty, staff, and students have collaborated in the creation of an integrated learning and assessment model that requires students to demonstrate, and faculty to assess, eight core abilities: Communication, Analysis, Problem Solving, Valuing in Decision-Making, Social Interaction, Developing a Global…

In 1831, a young French intellectual named Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States. Less than a year later, he returned home to begin writing "Democracy in America," a two-volume book that is arguably the best ever written on its subject. It is quite remarkable that Tocqueville's book has proven to be so prophetic and enduring: When the…

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…

Although sexual assault has long been recognized as a problem among college students, little attention has been paid to why first-year women are the most likely to be assaulted. In this article the author drew on two studies of college students to analyze peer culture and the organization of gender and sexuality within a college party scene.…

As a result of environmental turbulence created by economic turmoil and shifting social policies, the world of higher education is experiencing widespread change. Student affairs professionals are well-positioned to influence the future direction of higher education and the impact education has for students and society. The NASPA 2012 conference…

Helping students understand and cultivate moral and spiritual friends is perhaps one of the most important gifts a college or university can give a student. Having meaningful relationships contributes significant energy to students' inner lives--their values, moral commitments, and self-understandings. The topic of friendship, and all that it…

When public discourse around religious diversity is so fraught, how might faculty teach about religion in a way that encourages civic engagement and participation in a diverse society in college students? The authors suggest a way forward, what they call "interfaith literacy," and explore how it might play out in the college classroom.

The purpose of this article is to discuss a coach's perspective of the good that sport should do. The author argues that the relationships developed through the coaching experience are powerful, formative, and exceptional. She discusses the important moral values of sharing and caring and how these are important in the moral development of the…

For those who advocate for greater attention to the development of the whole student, promoting a climate of student-centered learning on our campuses should be a major component of our endeavors. In "Leading the Learner-Centered Campus", Harris and Cullen provide some concrete proposals for achieving student-centered learning as central to the…

This article focuses on one individual's perspective about the reason she has continued to work with college students over the course of many years and what has influenced her own commitment to character development and values-focused education. Using her love of Negro spirituals for inspiration, three themes, responding to injustice, facing…

Student affairs is a relatively new profession and has changed in significant ways in response to new developments in higher education, innovations in practice, new conceptual paradigms, and changing economic and political conditions. As a result there is much debate about the core mission and purpose of student affairs and whether it is possible…