Volume 14, Issue 1

Identity development is one of the central tasks for young adults during the college years. Social media appear to be reshaping in fundamental ways the processes by which college students explore, clarify, and affirm their personal identities. In this article the authors examine how social media are shaping a new form of digital identity development in college and some of the opportunities and risks that social media present for student learning and development during the college years

Social media have challenged us in our journey to support our students. Administrators have entered into new web-based conversations with one another and with their students. Personal branding has created a sense of performativity that conflicts with a growing trend towards online vulnerability. Our leaders have increasingly been engaged in “learning the tools” while our students have developed their digital identity. Student affairs, and its graduate preparation programs, is primed for major changes regarding the adoption and adaptation of social media.

Today’s young generation (often called Millennials, GenY, or Generation Me) are the first to grow up with the Internet and social networking websites. Have these experiences led to more and better social connections, or fewer and atrophied ones? Social media use may lead to online political action such as signing an e-mail petition but does not appear to lead to other engagement in public life (such as writing to public officials or having more knowledge about politics). Youth who spend more time online are more likely to fight and carry weapons and are less likely to help others, although the direction of causation is unclear. Social media build shallow, “weak” ties, increase self-focus (including narcissism), and may lead to mental health issues for some individuals. Over the time social media became popular, young people’s empathy for others, civic engagement, and political involvement declined.

There are numerous ways, positive and negative, in which social media impact college students. Understanding sheer volume of time and the type of activities for which college students use social networking sites is crucial for higher education administrators. Researchers have begun to empirically examine impacts on students’ well-being and have found some preliminary results that call for more research. They find that social media are not the problem-the problem is the specific use and purpose of social media activities that make the difference.

This article explores both the potential and challenges associated with the widespread use of social networking among college students and the implications for civic engagement, equity and inclusion, and student success.

Research indicates that some forms of social media unite groups, while others can fragment communities by reducing face-to-face contacts and group involvements and creating divisive interpersonal and intergroup conflicts. Because a strong sense of community can facilitate student educational engagement and moral development, it is important to understand how social media affect students’ personal development and campus life. This interview with Joseph Mazer, a communication and social media scholar at Clemson University, explores the productive and problematic implications of social media use in 21st century educational settings.

Multicultural education and global learning have long been acknowledged by higher education professionals to be necessary in advancing student development. Both of these agendas overlap in significant ways and can be characterized as two sides of the same coin. Notwithstanding, there has been a historical divide, even a tension between these two elements, that has resulted in their moving on separate tracks towards the same goal of student development. This article discusses a successful approach that uses learning outcomes as the mechanism to integrate these two elements in order to achieve meaningful student development.

The Multicultural Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ) is a validated and easy-to-administer tool for assessing individuals’ multicultural competencies (Narvaez & Hill, 2010). The current study examined the utility of the MEQ for assessing the impact of undergraduate diversity courses. A total of 137 students in six university-designated diversity courses participated in this study. The survey was administered in the first and the final week of the semester. Results of a mixed design ANOVA analysis showed students scored significantly higher on the survey at posttest. The MEQ is a valuable tool for higher education institutions interested in assessing the effectiveness of their diversity curriculum.

In this society where ethical misconduct is prevalent, faculty and staff can do a better job of providing training and encouragement to help students make ethical decisions. At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, a task force was created to develop a workshop for student leaders to enhance their awareness of ethical issues and the consequences of bad choices. This article outlines the relevant literature, workshop curriculum, and assessment findings for this initiative.

Mentally ill students are able to participate in higher education at unprecedented rates. While colleges and universities have been responsive to the therapeutic needs, we have failed to successfully create supportive campus climates. Campus leaders are challenged to demonstrate ethical leadership that breaks the silence and confronts the stigma of mental health.

A growing body of research has found community service learning to have a positive effect upon participating college students’ civic development; however, far less scholarship has considered the impact of particular components of a community service learning program. This article presents two preliminary but promising strategies for enhancing the effects of community service learning programming upon participating college students: (a) identifying students’ expectations at the outset of the service experience about what they expect to accomplish and (b) providing students’ parents with opportunities to participate in their children’s reflection about their service experiences

Global citizens are those who are aware of, demonstrate respect for, and are comfortable engaging across cultural boundaries. This article explores why preparing global citizens is important and how positive psychology can inform our understanding of those who engage comfortably in today’s complicated world. Soliya’s Connect program is described as an approach that can be offered at relatively low cost and with documentable outcomes to impact student’s preparation as global citizens

This review addresses Jacobsen and Hustedt Jacobsen’s (2012) book on the role of religion in the academy. The authors note the dynamic nature of religion and argue for the continued use of the term in the academy. They also offer a framework for understanding six sites in which the university can engage religion. The volume is a helpful guide for educators wishing to understand the evolution of religion in higher education, and challenges readers to understand the multifaceted dimensions of religion in individual, community, and university life.