In one important way, student-veterans are like all other students. They need supportive relationships to achieve their academic goals. Serving these students well means learning their stories and helping them succeed. In the process, some of these people may change one's life. In this article, the author shares the touching stories of some of the…

The new GI Bill offers the best educational benefits for veterans in the history of the nation. While many campus officials believe a surge of student veterans is under way, 2012 is the first year of college eligibility for veterans who enlisted specifically for the Post 9-11 GI Bill benefits signed into law in the summer of 2008. Further, the…

Recent changes in basic economic conditions make it harder for college students to find their way in the new economy. However, in addition to these structural changes that drive up the costs of living in society, many students are also suffering from the effects of developing an unsustainable, affluent lifestyle both before and during the pursuit…

Co-rumination, a social process between two friends, is defined as the frequent and excessive discussion of personal problems. Like body image and alcohol use, it is one of those complicated issues embedded in larger cultural realities, which makes it universally recognizable. On campus, co-rumination has deleterious side effects: it challenges…

In this article, the authors consider the strengths and weaknesses of digital media in the organization of student activism, and how educators can better assist and advise student activists using digital media to create improved learning opportunities. To gain a perspective on the relative strengths and challenges of online media in regard to…

Part I, "Searching for the Right Way to Begin Class," described the various iterations of beginning class rituals the author used over the years. Those rituals began with a prayer to the Holy Spirit as was required at the Catholic women's college Marymount in Tarrytown, New York, where he first taught out of graduate school in 1965. That…

Humans, as social creatures, look to others for affiliation, support, and guidance while also having the capacity to offer something of value to someone in need (understanding, compassion, reassurance, hope, etc.). While offering such support can be easy, almost innate, for some and less natural for others, basic helping skills can be learned and…

The vast majority of college students, classroom faculty, student affairs educators, and administrators have a tremendous amount to learn about gender diversity. For this majority and for gender-nonconforming students and educators, opportunities are all but untapped to leverage this diversity to enhance learning, as well as to support and…

An overwhelming majority of college students feel that diversity is important. Students want to explore diversity and need to be guided in ways that help them negotiate what often feels like a social and emotional minefield. While many staff and faculty share a belief that diversity education does not require specific training beyond either a…

In 2002, former US President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) into law, leading to a significant change in the way elementary and secondary teachers design curricula and instruct their students, as well as the ways in which students learn and view learning in and outside of the classroom. Most domestic students entering…

In this article, the author describes a story about Bernie, who found a strong mentoring relationship with a faculty member--a sympathetic ear, a willing advisor, someone who cared about whether he stayed or left the institution. The story points to the power of advising, communicating, and mentoring in student success and persistence to…

American author Napoleon Hill stated that "with every disappointment, heartbreak, or failure, there exists an equal (usually greater) positive benefit." In this article, the author shares how weathering her own personal storms has helped her to guide her students to the learning opportunities inherent in their challenges. Her experience with the…

Are athletics a positive or negative educational force? The viewpoint widely shared across academe is that participation in intercollegiate athletics has a positive impact on students and contributes to learning and moral development. Often, this notion is captured in the phrase "character development," a shorthand way to describe the individual…

Traditional-age college students face a host of challenges during the transition from home to campus. Perhaps one of the most substantial challenges--one that relates directly to adjustment and quality of life--involves the formation of new relationships, and the awareness, development, and establishment of boundaries between their own emerging…

This article is based on the premise that educators must work to first understand what happens when multiracial students encounter campus environments that perpetuate "colorblind ideologies"--that is, worldviews that suggest that race and racism do not significantly influence people's experiences. The authors argue that educators have a…