In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States, forced the fall semester closure of Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the aftermath of this unprecedented storm, the Tulane leadership set forth a plan for renewal to secure the survival, recovery, and sustainability of the institution,…

This concluding chapter provides an example of one institution's strategic plan: mission, vision, values, measured accomplishments, and future goals. The plan was written in 2002 with a five-year time line. Thus, it is possible to assess the results of strategic planning in student affairs.

In challenging economic times, student affairs administrators need to employ creative tactics seeking fiscal resources for their efforts to support student learning and student services. The cost of higher education has increased as government support wanes. Transferring the cost to students and their families is often unworkable and can put…

Student affairs organizations must deal with the reality that if offering high-quality and innovative programs for students is a priority, then identifying and soliciting outside funding sources is essential. If the vice president for student affairs has decided to establish a development office in the division of student affairs in a large public…

Current realities and practices in higher education have resulted in greater collaboration among campus units. Limited resources have forced departments to share programs, activities, space, and personnel. Branding efforts have prompted consistency in communication and even in practice. Institutional strategic plans reflect increased collaboration…

Continued competition for precious resources in higher education, along with the simultaneous increasing expectations of higher education by parents, students, and other stakeholders, has forced institution administrators to look for significant alternatives for funding. In conjunction with these pressures, the U.S. Congress is pressing colleges…

In 1971 it was not financial hardship that launched a new program at Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Rather, it was the tragic loss of a student by drowning, followed a year later by a class temporarily stranded in a boat. That same year, under Bill Covert's leadership, twelve students formed the Florida Presbyterian College Search,…

Philanthropy has shaped American higher education from inception. While religion earns the biggest slice of philanthropy, education runs second and well ahead of other causes. Most community college donations are earmarked for scholarships. Foundation dollars can be used strategically to meet the needs of students who cannot qualify for federal…

Although fundraising is not necessarily a natural activity for those trained and serving in student affairs functions, it is activity to which those in the field may have to grow accustomed. Fundraising on behalf of student affairs needs to be undertaken with a widely understood process and clearly articulated goals. When student affairs staff…

Families migrate to the United States for opportunity. Whether they leave extreme poverty or violence or reunite with relatives who made the move before them, immigrants seek opportunity. Sometimes circumstances force families to make tough decisions. Sometimes circumstances and tough decisions manifest in families entering the United States…

Undocumented students come to college from some of society's most vulnerable circumstances. Often their precollege experiences are marked by racism and poverty. These dehumanizing forces most often are contributors to and re-created by substandard schooling conditions. Furthermore, the labor contexts in which many undocumented families find…

This chapter examines the socioemotional experiences and characteristics of undocumented Latina and Latino college students. The authors look at how these students' socioemotional experiences compare to those of their undocumented peers in relation to their academic and mental health outcomes. In addition, they highlight how undocumented students…

This chapter explores the challenges that undocumented students face as they enact their career development process, considering the theoretical perspectives and developmental processes that uniquely complicate their aspirations. The authors review the professional development challenges that undocumented students face as they make career…

The previous chapters have highlighted the financial, academic, emotional, and career challenges undocumented students face in pursuit of their higher education goals. However, an analysis of these issues cannot begin to convey the tremendous stress and anxiety these students endure every day as a result of their illegal status. This chapter…

This article describes the Development, Relief, and Educational for Alien Minors Act of 2009 or the "DREAM Act of 2009." The authors of the bill aim to amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to permit States to determine State residency for higher education purposes and to authorize the cancellation of…