Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-131).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 176-180)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2000. / Title from title page screen, viewed May 16, 2006. Dissertation Committee: James C. Palmer (chair), Victor J. Boschini, Patricia H. Klass, James J. Johnson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-92) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (M. P. A.)--Texas State University-San Marcos, 2006. / "Spring 2006." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-60).

In this study, I explored critical approaches to social justice in student affairs. I sought to understand how student affairs administrators understand and communicate about social justice. Furthermore, I studied how a critical paradigm informs the work of student affairs practitioners in their everyday lives, and what we might learn from the experiences of professionals who ground their work in such paradigms. This was a qualitative study, in which I used snowball sampling as the method for recruiting participants. I conducted semi structured interviews with 14 full time student affairs administrators, who I refer to as critically-oriented student affairs administrators. Consistent with critical theory, I employ a language of critique and a language of possibility in this dissertation. The findings in this study suggest that there is much work to be done in more productively addressing social justice in student affairs. The lived experiences the participants in this study shared provide insight into living out critical commitments to social justice in the student affairs field. Furthermore, there is space in the student affairs field for more in-depth analysis and consideration for what it means to be "critical" in the student affairs profession.

The current and growing shortage of student affairs administrators is a growing concern among colleges and universities within the United States, and raising awareness and recruitment within the profession are recognized national priorities (NASPA, 2012). The growth and sustainability of the student affairs profession is largely dependent on the ability to recruit the next generation of administrators. However, there is not a clear understanding of the experiences that influence student affairs administrators' decision to choose student affairs as a career. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences (personal, professional, social) that influenced African American student affairs administrators at public, four-year, predominantly White institutions decision to pursue student affairs as a career. Further, this study investigates the association between these experiences and anticipatory socialization. The concept of early professional socialization or anticipatory socialization is the first step that takes place in the socialization process and occurs prior to entry into an organization. I argue that African American student affairs administrators are imperative to the student affairs profession because they play an instrumental role in the development of African American college students, as well diversifying the field of student affairs as a whole. This diversity enhances the educational experience for both minority and majority students. Therefore, it is imperative that student affairs administrators continue to encourage and recruit more African Americans to the field, by building a pipeline of future student affairs professionals. This qualitative study examines the previous experiences and backgrounds of African American student affairs administrators. Focusing on professionals working at four-year, predominantly White institutions (PWIs), this study seeks to learn about the personal, professional, and social experiences that led participating staff members to pursue work in the area of student affairs. The central focus of this study is to examine and understand how African American student affairs administrators come to choose their profession, and ways in which current African American student affairs administrators may recruit and encourage students to enter into the student affairs profession. Socialization is the process by which an individual learn the necessary attitudes, skills, and behaviors in order to fulfill professional roles organization (Merton, 1957; Tierney, 1997; Van Maanen & Schein, 1979). Socialization theory frames this study and provides a framework for analyzing my research problem in light of understanding how minority student affairs professionals may apply the socialization process in order to recruit and influence African American students to pursue careers in the student affairs profession. I hope that the significance of my findings will assist current African American student affairs administrators in gaining a better understanding of how these experiences impact the decision of African Americans to pursue careers in student affairs, so that they can better recruit more African American students into the field.

Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) play an important role in post-secondary institutions ensuring their institutions’ policies, goals and strategic plans are respected while simultaneously supporting students’ academic and campus life needs. Their work is complex, challenging and constantly changing; the decisions they make can impact reputations, academic careers and the integrity of programs and institutions. It would be assumed, then, that the literature is replete with first-hand accounts of how SSAOs do their jobs, what skills they need, and what tools they use. Surprisingly, this is not the case. While the literature is not lacking research about the profession generally, it has limited personal accounts by practitioners describing the work they do, and how they make their complex decisions. This dissertation addresses this issue by presenting a first hand account of my work as a SSAO. In addition to a commitment to add to the student affairs literature base, the purpose of this study was to develop a decision-making model that would provide a structure to my practice and guide a process to develop consistent and fair courses of action. I began the task by reviewing existing decision-making models and making a series of adaptations that would create a framework that would be useful in my decision-making efforts. I then constructed four vignettes, exemplifying the types of issues I encounter in my role as a SSAO. Each vignette was used sequentially to test and critique the decision-making framework thereby indicating places where refinements were needed. The first three vignettes were instrumental in illustrating and exposing the shortcomings of the framework. The fourth vignette provided a scenario that challenged the model and suggested where limitations lie not just in the framework, but also in the work of SSAOs. The end result of this iterative process is a refined two-stage decision-making framework. This work has added to the literature of the student affairs profession; it provides a much needed tool, a decision-making framework that can assist practitioners in their role of providing consistent and fair decisions in an environment fraught with change and uncertainties. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

This study compares the official and the ideal duties and responsibilities of the director of international student affairs in selected institutions of higher education in the United States.

After almost two semesters as a graduate student at the University of Vermont, I decided that I wanted to do more in my second year of graduate school. It was through conversations with my colleagues that I determined that stepping out of my comfort zone of student affairs and looking into academic affairs would help develop me as not only a student affairs professional but as an educator as well. During the fall semester of 2016, I participated in an independent study where I served as a Teaching Assistant for a university diversity requirement course titled “The Political Economy of Race”. For this course I worked directly with a faculty member in the Department of Economics to cultivate a holistic classroom experience for the students in the course. Throughout the course of the semester, I was able to witness many different dynamics that were helpful to not only the students but to the professionals in the room as well. Upon completing the semester, I determined that I wanted to do more research and explore the benefits of collaborative partnerships between faculty and staff on college campuses; my focus for this research was to be around partnerships between professionals in student affairs and academic affairs. Although there has not been a lot of research around this particular topic in Higher Education, it is beginning to be studied as colleges and universities are expected to produce more valuable experiences for students. Through both research and experiential learning, I have found that there are benefits to collaborative partnerships between academic and student affairs in Higher Education as well as drawbacks to these partnerships. I have also made recommendations for future collaborative projects between faculty and staff as well as recommendations for future research in this area. Overall, there is value in the collaboration of student and academic affairs; however, it is the duty of Higher Education professionals to understand that value and work more collaboratively to ensure that students are served holistically.

M.Com. (Business Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract