the role of student affairs and services in higher education
the role of student affairs and services in higher education
the role of student affairs and services in higher education
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provide its citizens with an improved quality <strong>of</strong> life, it must <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>the</strong> fund<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong><br />
a <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> system that will help move that social group toward a better<br />
life through teach<strong>in</strong>g, research, advanced employment, <strong>and</strong> service.<br />
The more traditional <strong>and</strong> most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> not-so-traditional methods <strong>of</strong> deliver<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> academic degrees are primarily comprised <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> classroom<br />
<strong>in</strong>structional model or approach. In addition, <strong>the</strong>re is <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g evidence that<br />
<strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> also must address <strong>the</strong> basic personal needs <strong>of</strong> <strong>student</strong>s by<br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g a comprehensive set <strong>of</strong> out-<strong>of</strong>-classroom <strong>student</strong> <strong>services</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
programs commonly referred to as <strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong>. These efforts<br />
should be designed to enable <strong>and</strong> empower <strong>student</strong>s to focus more <strong>in</strong>tensely on<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir studies <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir personal growth <strong>and</strong> maturation, both cognitively <strong>and</strong><br />
emotionally. They also should result <strong>in</strong> enhanced <strong>student</strong> learn<strong>in</strong>g outcomes.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r important rationale for <strong>the</strong>se efforts is economic, because <strong>in</strong>vestments <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>student</strong>s <strong>and</strong> <strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong> provide a healthy return to national<br />
economies as <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestments help to assure <strong>student</strong>s' success <strong>in</strong> <strong>higher</strong><br />
<strong>education</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir subsequent contributions to <strong>the</strong> national welfare.<br />
Student <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional <strong>the</strong>ory <strong>and</strong> practice are <strong>in</strong>formed by a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> academic discipl<strong>in</strong>es. Student development <strong>the</strong>ory draws from<br />
research <strong>in</strong> psychology, sociology, <strong>and</strong> human biology. Mental <strong>and</strong> physical<br />
health <strong>services</strong> rely heavily on medic<strong>in</strong>e, psychiatry, cl<strong>in</strong>ical <strong>and</strong> counsel<strong>in</strong>g<br />
psychology, <strong>education</strong>, exercise sciences, <strong>and</strong> health <strong>education</strong>/wellness, as well<br />
as o<strong>the</strong>rs. The effective adm<strong>in</strong>istration <strong>and</strong> leadership <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wide variety <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong> is based, <strong>in</strong> part, on <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ories <strong>of</strong> management,<br />
account<strong>in</strong>g, human resources, market<strong>in</strong>g, statistics <strong>and</strong> <strong>education</strong>al research,<br />
<strong>and</strong> leadership studies. Because <strong>the</strong> array <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>services</strong> <strong>and</strong> programs <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
by <strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong> is wide <strong>and</strong> diverse, <strong>the</strong> latest th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, research,<br />
<strong>and</strong> practice from an equally wide <strong>and</strong> diverse set <strong>of</strong> areas <strong>of</strong> academic study<br />
<strong>and</strong> practice necessarily underp<strong>in</strong> its effectiveness. These perspectives also are<br />
utilized <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r sectors <strong>of</strong> society, both private <strong>and</strong> public.<br />
The Manual on <strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>services</strong> <strong>and</strong> programs <strong>in</strong> <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong>,<br />
developed by <strong>the</strong> International Association <strong>of</strong> Student Affairs <strong>and</strong> Services<br />
(IASAS), will make <strong>the</strong> case for <strong>in</strong>clusion <strong>of</strong> a <strong>student</strong> <strong>services</strong>/<strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong><br />
presence <strong>in</strong> <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutions <strong>and</strong> how that effort is directly related to<br />
<strong>the</strong> WDHE. First, this publication has been developed based on <strong>the</strong> assumptions<br />
com<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> WDHE, especially those that call for <strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong><br />
functions <strong>in</strong> <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong>. Second, it will outl<strong>in</strong>e <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ciples <strong>and</strong> values<br />
upon which pert<strong>in</strong>ent <strong>and</strong> effective <strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong> are based.<br />
Those countries or <strong>in</strong>stitutions that would like to evaluate <strong>the</strong> effectiveness <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir current efforts <strong>in</strong> this area or are giv<strong>in</strong>g serious consideration to <strong>the</strong><br />
development <strong>of</strong> a more structured <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> <strong>student</strong> <strong>affairs</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>services</strong><br />
operation, could utilise <strong>the</strong> Manual as a guide, template, or model to work<br />
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