“We must create bridges to others on campus who do
student services work outside of student affairs, such
as senior staff in academic units.”
In order to promote new partnerships, SSAOs must rec-
ognize their expanding roles, according to Roper. “For many
years, we believed if we armed ourselves with student devel-
opment theory, we were good to go. Today, we need to be
sociologists, economists, and public health professionals, and
we need to engage with other disciplines producing research
that can inform our work.”
“We must create bridges to others on campus who do
student services work outside of student affairs, such as senior
staff in academic units. We need to ask questions: Are we
engaging in shared learning experiences? How effectively are
we working with athletics to provide support for student-
athletes? It is all part of disintegrating boundaries and
borders,” Roper adds.
Data-driven Decision-making for Accountability
All aspects of higher education must provide clear evidence of
effectiveness and efficiency. The use of high-quality data to support decisions about policies, programs, and practices is increasingly expected. All student affairs practitioners, regardless of
functional area, must approach their work with the assumption that all aspects of it must be supported by evidence gathered
through accepted models of assessment and consistent with the
research about college student success.
As the call for accountability intensifies, John Laws, vice
chancellor for student affairs at Ivy Tech Community College,
is particularly concerned about two-year institutions. “The
completion rates for community colleges look pretty dismal.
When you add in ethnicity and socioeconomic factors, it is
nothing to shout about,” says Laws.
“I am a strong believer in the personal development of individuals and the transformation that occurs,” explains Laws.
“But we must demonstrate to the public and to critics the
value of higher education. Student affairs professionals need a
stronger voice to raise awareness of what we do.”
Laws believes the profession must be able to articulate how
it will ensure students learn the skills they need; how it will
measure and demonstrate success; and its positive influence on
the community, society, and the world.
Some of those accepted measurements must change as
well. “The definition of success, as defined by the Integrated
Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), must
change,” attests MacKay. “Sixty percent of our students are
transfer students, and many of our students are first generation. IPEDS does not reflect current demographics. The profession needs to influence how national statistics are compiled
and ensure they reflect the current student body.”
Broadening the Meaning of “The Campus”
As students demand more flexibility, traditional approaches to
providing education and services will be called into question.
Without changes to brick-and-mortar offices, the services provided
by student affairs may be deemed not critical to the education of
this growing population.
Economic pressures have taken their toll on higher educa-
tion and caused many SSAOs to “lose sight of the way we do
work,” says Tom Shandley, vice president for student life at
Davidson College. “Ultimately, we are here for students, but
our mission gets lost in the minutiae of day-to-day meetings
and budget cuts.” One positive outcome of the recession,
Shandley acknowledges, is “an enhanced appreciation of
talents within rather than using outside consultants. We
realized we have a great deal of talent on our own staff.”
He has been calling on his staff to determine how to reach
students beyond traditional campus borders. “We have to
look at how students respond to us,” Shandley describes.
“Most students have a Blackberry, but they don’t read long
messages. They are tired of e-mail, and Facebook is their
property. It is critically important to be imaginative when
using technology.”
