Volume 37, Issue 4

The newest book in the New Directions for Student Services series from Jossey-Bass, "New Challenges for Greek Letter Organizations: Transforming Fraternities and Sororities into Learning Communities," examines issues surrounding Greek letter organizations and their educational value.

Academics and pundits have expressed concern over the political, educational, and social apathy observed in students on campuses across the country (Astin, 1998; Shapiro, 1993; Warden, 1994; Zoglin, 1990). They have bemoaned the fact that students have lost the desire to learn for learning's sake or take an active interest in their education or in political affairs.

Women student affairs administrators were surveyed to determine the relationships between mentoring and role conflict, role ambiguity, organizational commitment, career satisfaction, and perceived sex discrimination. These relationships were examined for White women and women of color, both with and without mentors. Results indicate mentoring may benefit White women and women of color in different ways, and may result in reduced role conflict and ambiguity as well as increased organizational commitment.

This study describes one small, private, predominantly White college's model for change in its efforts to improve campus climate for racial and ethnic minority students. The college's "wedge" model outlines activities, support systems, curricular changes, and attitude work that impact the process of change.

This study synthesized 30 years of research relating to successful student affairs administration using meta-analysis techniques. The findings suggest a successful student affairs administrator has skills such as administration, management, and human facilitation; knowledge of student development theory and functional responsibilities; and traits of personal integrity and cooperation. The researchers noted possible additional skills, knowledge bases, and personal traits for continued success as a student affairs administrator relating to technology, assessment, political skills, and postsecondary public policy knowledge.

This article reports on a study of the academic integrity culture of a mid-sized comprehensive private university. The most valuable outcome of the study is an awareness of the need to address campus culture issues before attempting to create a student honor code. The need to involve every layer of an institution, including students, faculty, administrators, and governing boards is key to the creation of a culture that will support and sustain a climate of academic integrity. Incremental steps to begin to move the university to higher stages of academic integrity are suggested, as are data that identify specific areas of the university that may need attention.