the role of student affairs and services in higher education

The assumptions found in the WDHE that call for such efforts are as follows:
1. Education at all levels clearly has been established as a staple process in
the development of a just and prosperous society. It has a number of roles
including that of preparing students for active roles in society, matching their
skills and needs to those of society. Regional and international cooperation
would be beneficial in accomplishing that task.
2. Women are underrepresented in higher education, resulting in the denial of a
portion of the benefits derived from their being educated and how that
affects their children. Equity in educational access of prospective students of
all groups and levels of society is a foundation for success in higher
education. Note: As was pointed out in the Preamble, there are numerous
underrepresented groups based on geography, demography, and/or personal
characteristics, that need to be encouraged and supported as they consider
higher education as a possibility for improving their lives. The discrimination
against and under-representation of these groups will be addressed in several
locations throughout the remainder of the Manual.
3. Information technology and telecommunications must play a major role in
developing a quality educational program. Access to this technology must be
available regardless of the backgrounds of the students involved. Training of
faculty, staff, and students to utilize the full range of available hardware,
software, and structures/systems to deliver timely and accurate information is
just as important as the access to the same.
4. Freedom of expression and a free exchange of ideas are central to a quality
higher education system. Academic freedom is a concept that must extend
to faculty, staff, and students alike. To ensure these principles will prevail, it
is essential for higher education to have ongoing and systemic support. This
support must include not only direct financial assistance for institutions and
students, but also an integrated support system that weaves government,
community, the private sector, and education of all kinds and levels into a
seamless whole.
5. Sound management and fiscal autonomy, with appropriate oversight by
governmental agencies and guided by constituent involvement and critique,
are important ingredients in successful higher education structures. Related
to those principles is the reality that higher education must seek multiple
sources of funding both within the traditional structures and throughout the
public and private sectors. Formation of strategic partnerships with these
groups could afford higher education new ways to achieve its goals of
enhanced student learning and success.
12