Dissertation (Ph.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2009. / Directed by Deborah Taub; submitted to the Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 11, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 71-82).

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was the level of knowledge about the leadership style of the chief student affairs administrators in Southern Baptist colleges and universities. The four purposes of the study were as follows: 1. To determine the prevalent leadership style of the chief student affairs administrators in Southern Baptist colleges and universities in terms of the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid concept• 2. To determine if self-reported leadership style is congruent with the leadership style determination obtained through an instrument developed to analyze leadership style; 3. To determine if the following are factors in the leadership choice of the chief student affairs administrators in Southern Baptist colleges and universities: - Size and complexity of the institution. - Age. - Years of experience as a chief student affairs administrator. - Educational preparation, i.e. academic, administrative, or religious

This study seeks to capture the professional ideology of student affairs administration through an examination of national policy statements published between 1937 and 1987. Both professionalization and deconstruction analytical frameworks are employed to identify the assumptions that underlie that ideology and the powerful social structures those assumptions represent. To explore how the student affairs ideology has been reflected in public expression of professional practice, national conference programs of the American College Personnel Association and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators are examined. The conference texts from years immediately succeeding and, in one case, preceding publication of the policy statements serve as the foundation for investigating the linkages between professional ideology and professional practice in student affairs. By defining the professional ideology of student affairs administration and demonstrating how the assumptions that underlie that philosophy have been manifested in practice, I reveal how the profession has been shaped and constrained by serving and protecting certain powerful social interests.

No description available.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine how participation in learning communities in colleges and universities affected the behaviors of faculty and residence life staff regarding student learning. Learning communities have been identified as instruments of curricular reform in higher education that focus institutional energies toward student learning. Several studies have documented the benefits that learning communities provide to students, and to a more limited extent, faculty members. However, information was lacking in the literature regarding how partcipation in learning communities affected the interaction between residence life staff members and faculty members.Purposive sampling was used to identify respondents in this study. Faculty and residence life staff members from five public, Midwestern universities with residentially-based learning communities were identified by the researcher. A semi-structured format was used to interview all respondents in their respective offices at their respective universities.The findings suggest that faculty and residence life staff who participate in learning communities have greater understanding and appreciation of one another's roles, are more likely to communicate with one another about specific student concerns, and coordinate in-class and out-of-class activities. Learning community models that are structured in such a manner that residence hall directors and faculty members regularly meet and are working with the same group of students appeared to foster the greatest degree of collaboration, cooperation, and communication between faculty and residence life staff. Additionally, the findings of this study support previous studies (Astin, 1996; Clark, 1987; Kirp, 1997) which indicated that the research orientation of a university can have negative effects upon teaching. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to describe the career paths of female senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) in American four-year institutions of higher education. Specific topics investigated included (a) demographic profile, (b) entry level and SSAO stepping stone positions, (c) work experience, (d) formal education, (e) promotion path, (f) career goals, (g) characteristics of the employing institutions, and (h) common career barriers.The population consisted of all 356 female NASPA members employed as SSAOs in American four-year institutions of higher education during the fall of 2000. A survey instrument designed by the researcher was used to gather data.The average age of female SSAOs when they were first appointed to this position was 41 years. The vast majority (81%) was White, and the most frequently reported marital status was married/partnered. Almost one-third of the SSAOs reported jobs in residence life as their entree into student affairs work. Jobs in the dean of students' office were the most frequently reported SSAO stepping stone positions. At the time they were first appointed SSAOs, they had worked an average of 14 years in higher education. Over half (51 %) held a doctorate. Over half (58%) received an internal promotion to their first SSAO position, and over half (57%) accepted this position at private institutions. For over half (55%), becoming an SSAO was a primary career goal at the time they were first appointed to this position. Close to two-thirds (66%) reported no barriers in achieving the first SSAO position.Major conclusions included: (a) student affairs positions that provide exposure, visibility, and connections provide a common career path to the SSAO position; (b) a doctorate has become a virtual necessity for women who aspire to be SSAOs; (c) women in general and minority women in particular have made gains in reaching the SSAO position. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences graduate students in student affairs administration programs had that inspired them to begin a Masters degree program in student affairs administration as well as what they did as undergraduates to prepare themselves for graduate work. A portion of the study focused on the role mentors played for student affairs administration graduate students as they explored the field.One hundred and one student affairs administration graduate students from four midwestern institutions completed a sixty item on-line survey. It was found the students had experiences as undergraduates which directly related to their graduate assistantship and mentors played an important role in multiple ways as the students' explored of the field of student affairs administration. Recommendations for assisting undergraduates interested in pursuing a student affairs administration were presented. / Department of Educational Leadership

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Educational Administration, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 6, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 140-143). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Bowling Green State University, 2009. / Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 145 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Jon C. Dalton, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 22, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.