Volume 38, Issue 1

This qualitative study examined the impact of an all-male rape prevention program on fraternity men. Seven months after participating in “The Men’s Program,” fraternity men were asked whether during the previous year the program impacted their attitude or behavior and if so what about the program led to that change. Results point to the importance of establishing empathy with rape survivors to increase men’s awareness and sensitivity to rape.

The purpose of this study is to present a comprehensive picture of the student affairs scholarship published in the NASPA Journal from 1967 to 1996 that focused on racial and ethnic topics. A thematic analysis suggested the published articles moved from themes of “concern and assessment” to themes of ethnic and racial minority students as multi-dimensional rather than a population in need of “adjustment,” and “campus environmental change” as a way to support a more racially and ethnically diverse student body. While the scholarship addressed racial and ethnic topics, the writings most often focused on concerns related to the Black student. Few articles related to Native American, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian groups. Encouragement by all levels of the profession, including associations, training programs, and journals for additional scholarship in these underrepresented areas is recommended, including using the historical strategy of the “special issues” format.

This study examined the effect of different types of college experiences such as work, course-related activities, and involvement in clubs and social organizations to determine if the traditional notions about “college involvement” pertained to adults students. We also compared the adults’ growth to that of traditional-age students and looked at the effect of the colleges’ educational ethos. Our study analyzed the responses of approximately 19,000 college students who completed the American College Testing’s College Outcomes Survey.

Stanley Levy and Charles Kozoll capture much of the complexity of decisionmaking and offer an important contribution to our understanding of this perplexing topic. The publication of A Guide to Decision Making in Student Affairs: A Case Study Approach, furthermore, is timely due to what Stage (1993) recognizes as an increasing expectation that "new professionals, even at the lowest levels, have the ability to work independently and solve complex issues knowledgeably and with skill and integrity" (p. iii). The case study approach combined with the expert advice of 15 seasoned student affairs deans (called informants) provides a valuable resource for learning about a central task in our profession. The book offers students as well as experienced professionals background information critical to decisionmaking in higher education, exploration of fundamental issues that influence the process, carefully constructed and relevant case studies, and a reservoir of advice from some of the most well respected senior-level practitioners in our field. This book is particularly valuable to faculty members facilitating learning with new professionals, but it is a resource most student affairs professionals would find well worth owning.

Historically, the primary mission of higher education has been to prepare students to be effective leaders and informed citizens. Throughout the past 2 decades, colleges and universities have placed an increasing emphasis on programming related to leadership (Roberts, 1997). Student affairs administrators have designed academic courses, cocurricular programs, and experiential learning focused on the development of college student leadership. Parallel to this emphasis, there have been significant developments in the study of leadership. The shift has been from focusing on the characteristics of individual leaders (perspectives embedded in Western culture), to leadership as a group process involving change (Johnson, 1995). As a result, leadership educators find a plethora of literature that is cumbersome and difficult to synthesize for a course or program. Susan Komives, Nance Lucas, and Timothy McMahon provide educators with a contemporary, consolidated resource with their book, Exploring Leadership for College Students Who Want to Make a Difference. What makes this publication unique is that it is a textbook written specifically for college students to be used in a variety of contexts.

Terrence McTaggart and his coauthors have assembled an interesting book on the tensions between autonomy, accountability, and decen-tralization in higher education. Although there are some references to private-sector institutions, this edited volume will primarily be of interest to senior campus leaders and members of boards of trustees and state coordinating boards in the public sector. Some senior student affairs administrators and graduate students in higher education programs may also find this book stimulating.

In the introduction of this book, Arthur Cohen states that The Shaping of American Higher Education is less a history than a synthesis. While accurate, this depiction in no way detracts from the value of the book. This work synthesizes the first three centuries of development of high-er education in the United States. A number of books detail the early history of the American collegiate system; however, this book also pro-vides an up-to-date account of developments and context for under-standing the transformation of American higher education in the last quarter century. A broad understanding of the book’s subtitle, Emergence and Growth of the Contemporary System, is truly realized by the reader.

Catherine McHugh Engstrom and Kevin Kruger’s book reveals how the widespread use of technology is reshaping the higher education and student affairs landscape. Just the arcana of the Internet leads one to conclude that, like Dorothy and Toto, "We’re not in Kansas anymore." Concepts like structured query languages, intellectual property infringement, cybernars, technology clusters, computer use policies, MUDs (multi-user domains), MOOs (multi-user domains, object-oriented) and Mushes (multi-user shared hallucinations) require that student affairs educators reconsider their roles and purposes on the college campus. The authors and editors of the sourcebook have done an admirable job of guiding the reader through this quickly shifting landscape and present a thorough analysis of the challenges and opportunities that information technology offers to student affairs educators.

A survey of college and university judicial officers and counseling center directors explored the use of disciplinary counseling in the student judicial process and how it is viewed by the individuals in these positions. Data about demographics and the frequency of referrals are given, and issues related to disciplinary counseling are discussed. Implications and recommendations for future policy and practice are provided.

This study reviews the effects of university financial constraints on student affairs services from 1992 to 1997. Senior student affairs officers at 4-year, state-assisted institutions of higher education that were NASPA members with undergraduate enrollments between 5,000 to 11,000 were surveyed. Additionally, productivity strategies used by senior student affairs officers were identified. A questionnaire was developed to solicit information on the effect financial constraints had on student affairs in the areas of service changes, funding shifts, and perceived program quality.

Traditional (age 23 and under) and nontraditional (age 25 and over) full-time undergraduates were assessed on five personal dimensions, two learning dimensions, and two collegiate goals (GPA and career decidedness). Multiple regression assessed which dimensions predicted the two collegiate goals. Significant predictors were generally the same for both traditional and nontraditional students. Academic efficacy, self-regulation, and social support were positive predictors of GPA. Career decisionmaking self-efficacy and social support were positive predictors of career decidedness. Nontraditional students and females had higher GPAs and greater decidedness. Academic performance and career development were seen as concurrent but largely separate processes.

This article describes how Ramapo College preserved and redesigned its student affairs programs and services while being forced to manage statewide cutbacks in overall funding. This process was compounded in difficulty by the college’s size—the smallest institution within New Jersey’s state colleges—and its broad-based curricular mission, offering degrees in the liberal arts and sciences as well as professional studies. By agreeing upon concrete principles on how to best use resources and services, the Division of Student Affairs not only met the challenges of the fiscal crisis but also made the college better able to face future challenges. These principles, proven effective at Ramapo College, may assist other institutions facing reduced funding.

Technology and access are both issues in higher education today. But what happens when the two intersect? This study examined outcomes associatedwith the use of technology in the admissions process. Students who applied for admission electronically were compared to those who applied nonelectronically. Results revealed significant differences by race, gender, SAT score, residency, and type of application.

In a 2-year qualitative study, 1,382 parents of first-year students at two institutions used interactive websites to list their hopes and goals for their students’ overall college experience. Top goals include quality education, job preparation, maturity/independence, fun/enjoyment, graduation, friendships/networks, and academic success.