Volume 42, Issue 1

The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to determine fraternity men and student athletes' perceptions of a commonly used rape-prevention program. Participants saw “The Men’s Program” and then participated in 60–90 minute focus groups assessing whether their attitudes and behavior would change, what about the program led to that change, and what improvements they recommended. After seeing this peer education program that included a video describing a male-on-male rape experience, participants reported increased empathy with rape survivors, an increased ability to help survivors recover, and several areas where they planned to change their behavior. Areas of planned change included behavior in intimate encounters and responding to survivors by believing their stories. Participants suggested a stronger emphasis on alcohol and consent and a less intense plea to help change social norms. Several implications for student affairs generalists and rape prevention programmers are discussed.

Do students accurately perceive the sexual behavior of their peers? The results of this study indicate a dramatic difference between students’ self-reported sexual behavior and their perceptions of peer sexual behavior. Specifically, students tend to overestimate the potentially risky sexual activity of their peers. The data also challenge popular myths regarding the sexual behavior of Greek and athlete populations. As with alcohol prevention efforts, the disparity between behavior and perception raises the question of whether social marketing strategies may be effective in lowering the incidence of unsafe sexual behaviors among college students.

A content analysis of 20 student conduct codes identified through stratified random sampling was performed to determine the extent to which legal terminology had been eliminated, as suggested by judicial affairs experts. The results showed that 80% of the codes selected in this study still contained some legal terms. These words and phrases are identified and appropriate substitutes are recommended. When type and size of institutions were examined, the authors found that private and smaller institutions were more likely to have removed more of this language from their codes than other types of institutions.

The study examines the perceptions of chief student affairs officers at 50 colleges/universities in order to provide insights into the extent to which preparation programs are effectively preparing new professionals for the field. The results of the study will assist faculty teaching in these programs in future decisions regarding curricula; provide a rich source of information to practitioners interested in the preparation of new professionals entering the field; and delineate specific areas of skill development, knowledge, and personal traits important for advancement in the field. Results indicate that there may be a need to consider additional course work in several content areas.

Based on concerns regarding current trends in higher education, one Research I institution set out to measure knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and perceptions related to academic misconduct. Through a self-report survey, trends specific to the university’s community as well as educational interventions were identified to further educate the campus community about academic integrity in order to reduce academic misconduct.

The mission of the liberal arts institution is to educate the whole student; this parallels the aims of student affairs administration. How does this mission affect what student affairs professionals employed at these institutions do? For this study, researchers examined the nature of work for student affairs administrators at liberal arts institutions. Results revealed that professional life can be conceptualized through three themes: the manner in which work is conducted, work habits in relation to students, and the work environment.

This study investigated college student perceptions of leadership and beliefs that both empower students towards and constrain students from involvement in leadership. Interviews were conducted with student leaders (students who held leadership positions) and disengaged students (students who had not held leadership positions). The student leaders generally regarded leadership to be an individualistic phenomenon pertaining to positions of power and influence, which require possession of particular qualities. They received more encouragement and opportunities from others, and had a background that fostered their desire to be leaders. The disengaged students demonstrated a lack of confidence, a lack of interest in leadership, a self-perceived deficiency in leadership qualities, and fewer opportunities to lead.

This study examined the impact of gender, race, intergroup contact, and diversity training on racial prejudice of student affairs professionals. Diversity training and race of participants were statistically significant contributors to change in racial prejudice. Findings suggest that racial prejudice decreases as diversity training increases. Implications for student affairs professionals are provided.