the role of student affairs and services in higher education

terms of demographics, including age, gender, ethnicity and social class factors,
but also in terms of personal attributes and characteristics, including
psychosocial characteristics, learning styles, abilities, motivation, and academic
and personal preparedness for higher education. Accordingly, student affairs
and services is one of the most appropriately positioned entities in universities to
collect meaningful student data and for that data to be evaluated, synthesized
and placed into research and program development. Good, firm data inform
theoretical development that in turn informs practice and further research.
Some of the major research and quantitative (as well as qualitative) foci include:
acculturating curricula; improving teaching; addressing systemic inequities in
enrolment patterns; addressing participation, success and graduation outcomes;
examining culture-fair assessment and evaluation procedures; ensuring equitable
progression and learning outcomes; addressing retention issues; ensuring the
capacity of graduates to successfully negotiate and undertake careers of first
choice, and social or environmental surveys.
For example, European student services agencies are noted for their regular
social surveys of students. In other parts of the world these studies are called
environment or student needs studies. It is recommended that a comprehensive
and extensive study of the social and economic living conditions of students be
carried out on a regular basis (at least once every 3-4 years). The aim is to
initiate the collection of long-term trends in socio-economic conditions faced by
students with particular interest directed toward the interaction between social
framework conditions and the studies themselves. These surveys can also
provide the opportunity to review existing student services structures and
programs looking particularly at the opinions of students and how important
these programs/services are from their perspective. The following areas are
examples of those that could be covered by a social/environmental study:
• trends in student numbers, access, participation rates, demographics
• student funding (financial aid) student income, living expenses-spending
• educational assistance and support system/progress toward graduation
• choice of discipline, student interest patterns, impact of advising
• study conditions, time spent on studying, use of leisure time
• commuter/married student needs, e.g., child care, transportation, parking
• internationalisation of the student experience, global attitudes of students
• impacts of career counselling, health services, social issues on college life
• impact of employment on success in higher education
• accommodation (housing), eating habits and food services
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