Volume 44, Issue 1

Although previous research provides empirical support for the “Freshman Myth,” qualitative inquiry is necessary to enhance our understanding of the content, complexities, and impact of students’ expectations about college. The current study analyzes in-depth interview data from nine students at three key time points in their transition from high school to college to provide new insights into the nature of students’ expectations about college, their subsequent first-year experiences, and how expectation fulfillment or disillusionment affects students’ adjustment to college. Findings revealed two new areas of student expectations about college: interpersonal relationships and personal development. Further, while their personal and interpersonal experiences in college resulted in some expectation disillusionment, most notably with respect to roommates, students generally felt well adjusted and that their first-year experiences lived up to their expectations. Specifically, their relationships with their families, exposure to new people and ideas, pursuit of personally and professionally relevant coursework, and progress toward their goals for individual development all met or exceeded their precollege expectations. The practical, methodological, and theoretical implications of these results are discussed, which help broaden our current understanding of student expectations about college, provide meaningful feedback to faculty and staff at the high school and college levels, and inform future research in this area.

Residence education professionals find themselves hiring more sophomores for resident assistant (RA) positions. Understanding the experience of sophomore RAs is an important step in identifying how this practice impacts student staff and students under their support and supervision. This is a phenomenological study of the experience of sophomore RAs at one private university. Findings suggest that sophomore RAs may require additional supports as they navigate their work.

Using a national sample, student race/ethnicity was disaggregated into seven distinct groups (n = 643 per group) to identify unique effects of student race/ethnicity and first-generation on involvement and learning. First-generation status had a positive effect on student learning, but a negative effect on involvement. Effects by student race/ethnicity were mixed, revealing some dynamics similar to those for first-generation students and some that were unique to student race/ethnicity. Findings suggest specific programming implications based on student race/ethnicity and first-generation status.

This article examines the intersection of health and culture with a focus on HIV/AIDS and Latino/a college students. An analysis of the complexity of some major traditional cultural values is provided, coupled with an overview of current medical concerns.

On college campuses across the country, high-risk drinking and the associated negative consequences have become a national concern. As colleges strive to find appropriate and effective approaches to deal with this issue, social norms theory provides a coherent framework for interventions that are relevant and positive. Small Group Social Norms (SGSN) interventions within affiliation groups offer a cost-effective, acceptable intervention that can decrease high-risk drinking and associated negative consequences. Experiences with SGSN interventions for student athletes and members of fraternities and sororities at a prominent state university demonstrate the process, effectiveness, and potential of these kinds of interventions.

This qualitative study of African American women holding midlevel administrative positions sought to broaden and challenge conceptualizations of leadership by focusing on respondents’ descriptions of their leadership experiences. Findings centered principally on the intensely relational qualities associated with leadership and leading, mentoring and supervising, and the off-campus nature of most sources for professional support and validation. Tenets of Black feminist thought (Collins, 2000) were used to analyze aspects of respondents’ experiences in light of controlling images of Black women, resistance strategies, and empowerment for activism. Implications for research and practice include further explorations of culturally informed meanings of leadership and leading, as well as coming to broader understandings of professionals’ myriad definitions and fulfillment of leadership.

Demographic data were collected from 38 program directors in a university-based community service center and a control group of 62 other students not engaged in any service activity randomly selected at a large, urban, research university. A series of multiple regression analysis were conducted to identify significant predictors of students likely to undertake leadership roles in community service. Results suggest a number of demographic factors are highly correlated with students’ level of service leadership. Some of the factors validate national trends while others are surprising, suggesting that much motivation stems from extrinsic professional goals rather than intrinsic motivation.

The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Michigan has engaged in an iterative strategic process to create and implement a set of long-range goals. This strategic journey continues to evolve, bringing together the guiding framework of strategic planning steps, a reflective process with an assessment component within each step, and a group process approach to support both individual growth and organizational change.

The purpose of this study was to assess individuals’ perceptions of and experiences with diversity in the curriculum of graduate preparation programs in student affairs. We were particularly interested in how diversity is incorporated into the curriculum and how individuals have been able to apply what they learned about diversity issues to student affairs practice. Using focus group interviews, data were collected from graduate students and student affairs practitioners. Three major themes that focus on requiring diversity in the curriculum, what should be included in diversity courses, and effective ways of linking theory to practice are discussed.

Fifteen student affairs administrators from five institutions of higher education in New Orleans were interviewed regarding their experiences immediately before and after Hurricane Katrina and how the crisis affected their work. Participants were chosen for their diversity among racial, gender, and institutional contexts. Analyses of the interviews resulted in four themes that describe the differences between how public versus private institutional cultures affected these administrators’ responses and the decision making that occurred in the wake of the storm. These themes include (a) decision making, (b) communication, (c) resources and limitations, and (d) student affairs status. Implications for policy, practice, and research are included.