Dispelling the Latest Misperceptions
By Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy
Executive Director, NASPA
Our son, Dan, said “We have neither the time nor money, but we have to take Nathaniel somewhere this summer so he won’t be the only kid who doesn’t have a story to tell about his summer vacation.”
As I nodded in agreement about my grandson Nathaniel,
I thought about those essays we all were asked to write when
we returned to school in the fall. Talking with my husband,
Charles, we both recalled some kids whose parents attempted
to have them visit all continental 48 states during childhood,
and some who went to camp. Others had set places to vaca-
tion, those who lived on farms worked hard all summer, and
still others were just bored because they had nowhere to go
and were just as anxious for school to start as they had been for
school to end for summer recess.
always been able to deliver on this promised pot of gold.
If we believe that a college education is worth the cost, then
we must change the narrative by helping our students realize
the value of their education. As student affairs professionals,
we offer students the opportunities to learn from experience,
practice leadership, and use analytical skills to solve real-life
problems. When students participate in our programs, they
learn to communicate verbally and in writing, they learn to
work in teams, and they learn to accomplish tasks that they
never dreamed possible.
We need students to become aware of what they are learning, how they are learning, and where they are learning it. We
must help students understand that the skills they gain from
engagement in college activities outside the classroom relate
directly to the efforts of student affairs staff.
Staffing;Our;Institutions;for;Success
The second theme mentioned in many discussions on the state
of higher education is the rise of managerial and non-teaching
staff members. Academicians argue that there are fewer lines
for tenure-track faculty and more adjunct faculty because
of the emphasis on learning outside the classroom and the
drive to keep the bureaucracy intact. While the value of many
administrators and non-teaching personnel is not contested,
critics claim that the majority of administrators cannot show
evidence of any valuable contributions to the mission of
their institutions.
I have said it often and will say it again,
we must establish learning outcomes for our
efforts that are in line with the mission of
our institutions, and we must be fanatical
about measuring, evaluating, and sharing
the results of our data. Then we must use
the data to continue to improve our programs and services.
Our summer has been like those of the kids who worked
hard on the farm all summer; it has been like those whose
parents attempted to travel to more states than was possible
in the time we had. And, while we have not been bored, as
always, we cannot wait until another academic year begins.
Summer draws to a close, and like most school-age children,
we approach the new year with excitement, anticipation, and
a full agenda. LE
We must establish learning outcomes
for our efforts that are in line with
the mission of our institutions…
The;Cost;versus;Value;Debate
Why such a dramatic change in public opinion? One reason
is that higher education, both for-profit and not-for-profit,
has marketed that a good job placing graduates solidly in the
middle class is the pot of gold at the end of their college education. Because of the recession and accompanying job losses and
lack of job creation and, I dare say, the mismatch of skill sets
of graduates to available jobs, colleges and universities have not
