Student Affairs and Services in Higher Education: Global

362 Pages·2009·1.52 MB·English

Student Affairs and Services in Higher Education:
Global Foundations, Issues and Best Practices
Roger B. Ludeman
Kenneth J. Osfield
Enrique Iglesias Hidalgo
Danja Oste
Howard S.Wang
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Student Affairs and Services in Higher Education:
Global Foundations, Issues and Best Practices
Roger B. Ludeman, Editor-in-chief
Kenneth J. Osfield,Associate editor
Enrique Iglesias Hidalgo,Assistant editor
Danja Oste,Assistant editor
Howard S.Wang,Assistant editor
Presented by the:
International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS)
In cooperation with:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
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The editors and authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts
contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not
necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.
The designations employed and the presentation of the material throughout this
document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of
UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its
authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Published in 2009
by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP
Set and printed in the workshops of UNESCO
Graphic design - www.barbara-brink.com
Cover photos
© UNESCO/K. Anis
© UNESCO/N. Axelrod
© UNESCO/G. Boccardi
© UNESCO/R. Dominique
© UNESCO/P. Lissac
© UNESCO/M. Loncarevic
ED.2009/Conf.402/inf.7
© UNESCO 2009
Printed in France
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Foreword
Foreword
We are very pleased to present policy and decision makers in higher education and
the academic community as a whole with this publication titled "Student affairs and
services in higher education: global foundations, issues and best practices".
This project follows the successful practical manual for developing, implementing and
assessing student affairs programmes and services published in 2002, as part of the
follow-up to the 1998 World Conference on Higher Education.
Prepared in collaboration with the International Association of Student Affairs and
Services (IASAS), the present book gives useful insights regarding the theoretical
foundations and provides an overview of student affairs and services around the
world.
UNESCO thanks the International Association of Student Affairs and Services
Professionals for their continued support and expert contribution to the development
of an area which has become a key concern for higher education systems and
institutions.
Georges Haddad
Director
Division of Higher Education
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Preface
IASAS
The International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS) currently is an
informal confederation of higher education student affairs/services professionals from
around the world. A number of its members have been actively engaged for some
time in defining the need for and organization of an international community of
student affairs and services professionals. Several national and regional organizations
have recognized the need for better communication and the sharing of professional
development experiences such as best practices, internships, exchanges, conferences,
colloquia, symposia and other professional development opportunities. Others are
assisting developing countries in the preparation of student services workers and the
creation of new organizational structures as they build their universities and higher
education systems.
Meetings of student affairs/services practitioners
Regular national and international gatherings of student affairs and services
professionals occur in such countries as Australia/New Zealand, Belgium, Canada,
China, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, the
United Kingdom and the United States, with regional meetings in Asia and the Pacific,
and Europe. Others have included an international component in their meetings and
they have been well attended by individuals from other countries. For example, the
association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) of the
United States has held 14 annual international symposia, the latest in Seattle,
Washington, in 2009.
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Preface
Inception of this publication
The closing speaker for the 2000 NASPA International Symposium was Mary-Louise
Kearney, who was the Head of the Unit for the World Conference on Higher
Education Follow-up, Division of Higher Education of UNESCO. During her
presentation, she challenged the attendees to work collaboratively with UNESCO
and the various student NGOs that are affiliated with UNESCO to develop a student
affairs and services manual. She believed that such a publication could be of assistance
to those countries and universities around the world that would like to create a high
quality and robust set of higher education student services and programmes. These
initiatives would be designed to meet both basic student services and more advanced
student needs including the enhancement of student learning and student retention,
and graduation rates.
The challenge was taken up by a writing team comprised of writers and affiliates from
22 countries. The resulting document, The Role of Student Affairs and Services in Higher
Education: A Practical Manual for Developing, Implementing, and Assessing Student Affairs
Programmes and Services (2002), was supported by 29 professional and governmental
organizations from around the world supported the project.
Foundations of student affairs and services
The 1998 World Declaration on Higher Education calls for a major global effort to
improve the delivery of higher education in every country in the world (WCHE,
1998). This call was formulated for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the
important role that higher education plays in the improvement of the social, cultural,
political, economic and environmental aspects of the global society. This progress may
well occur in different fashions and on different time lines depending on the region
or country; however, if any area of the world wants to provide its citizens with an
improved quality of life, it must include the funding of a higher education system that
will help move citizens toward a better life through teaching, research, advanced
employment and service.
The more traditional and most of the not-so-traditional methods of delivering higher
education academic degrees are primarily comprised of the classroom instructional
model or approach. In addition, there is increasing evidence that higher education also
must address the basic personal needs of students by providing a comprehensive set
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Preface
of out-of-classroom student services and programmes commonly referred to as
student affairs and services. These efforts should be designed to enable and empower
students to focus more intensely on their studies and on their personal growth and
maturation, both cognitively and emotionally. They also should result in enhanced
student learning outcomes. Another important rationale for these efforts is economic,
because investments in students, and student affairs and services provide a healthy
return to national economies as the investments help to assure students' success in
higher education and their subsequent contributions to the national welfare.
Student affairs and services professional theory and practice are informed by a
number of academic disciplines. Student development theory draws from
research in psychology, sociology and human biology. Mental and physical health
services rely heavily on medicine, psychiatry, clinical and counselling psychology,
education, exercise sciences and health education/wellness, as well as others. The
effective administration and leadership of the wide variety of student affairs and
services is based, in part, on the theories of management, accounting, human
resources, marketing, statistics and educational research, and leadership studies.
Because the array of the services and programmes offered by student affairs and
services is wide and diverse, the latest thinking, research and practice from an
equally wide and diverse set of areas of academic study and practice necessarily
underpin its effectiveness (see Section II: Basic principles, values and beliefs that
underpin an effective student affairs and services programme in higher education).
These perspectives also are utilized in other sectors of society, both private and
public.
Another important role for Student Affairs and Services is to prepare students for a
life of service to their society. Every day we are reminded of the critical work in the
areas of human and social development that needs to be done in many areas of the
world, developing and developed countries alike (GUNI, 2008). These professionals
are increasingly being prepared to work with their teaching colleagues and non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) to increase the amount of community services
and service learning opportunities, e.g., internships, experiential units and short-term
experiences, available to students as a part of their coursework and degree
programmes.
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Preface
Purpose and use of this manual
The present manual developed by IASAS makes the case for inclusion of a student
services/student affairs presence in higher education institutions and how that effort
is directly related to the World Declaration on Higher Education. First, this manual
has been developed based on the assumptions coming from the World Declaration,
especially those that call for student affairs and services functions in higher education.
Second, it outlines the principles and values upon which pertinent and effective
student affairs and services are based. Third, with the increasing evidence that
globalization has spurred a corresponding increase in internationalization of higher
education (UNESCO, 2004), it is imperative that all aspects of the academy, including
student affairs and services, must respond to and support these new efforts.
Focus is placed on ways to build an effective student affairs and services operation
that puts the student at the centre of all efforts by supporting students in their
academic endeavours and enhancing their personal, social, cultural and cognitive
development. The desired outcomes are the same as those for higher education in
general and include:
(cid:122) a high-quality, well-rounded higher learning experience;
(cid:122) improved higher education access regardless of ability/background;
(cid:122) better retention and progress toward graduation; higher graduation rates;
(cid:122) enhanced career/employment prospects and lifelong learning interests; and
(cid:122) a life as a responsible, contributing community member and citizen.
Countries or institutions interested in evaluating the effectiveness of their current
efforts in student affairs and services or are interested in developing a more
structured and complete higher education student affairs and services operation are
encouraged to utilise this manual as a guide, template or model to work through
those processes. Using an approach that recognizes the need to be cognizant of
culture specific situations, it also provides basic standards or guidelines that are
applicable anywhere. Members of IASAS are prepared to work cooperatively to
facilitate such reviews.
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Preface
References
UNESCO.2004. Higher Education in a Globalized Society. Paris, UNESCO.
Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI). 2003. Higher Education in the
World 3 - Higher Education: New Challenges and Emerging Roles for Human and
Social Development. 2008. Barcelona/Houndmills, United Kingdom,
GUNI/Palgrave Macmillan.
UNESCO.2002. The Role of Student Affairs and Services in Higher Education: A Practical
Manual for Developing, Implementing, and Assessing Student Affairs Programmes and
Services. Paris, UNESCO. (ED-2002/WS/27)
World Conference on Higher Education (WCHE). 1998. Higher Education in the
Twenty-first Century: Vision and Action. World Declaration on Higher Education for
the Twenty-first Century; Framework for Priority Action for Change and Development
in Higher Education. Paris, UNESCO.
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Contents
Foreword i
Preface iii
Contents ix
Introduction xiii
Acknowledgements xiv
Executive summary xv
Preamble xvii
Section I Assumptions 1
Section II Basic principles,values and beliefs that support an effective 5
student affairs and services programme in higher education
Section III The central role of professional preparation and professional 11
development of student affairs and services staff
Section IV Research,evaluation,assessment and strategic planning in 21
higher education student affairs and services
Section V Health,safety,legal aspects of student affairs and services 39
Section VI Ethics and student affairs practitioners 53
Section VII Higher education student affairs and services in post- 59
conflict/post-disaster countries:laying a foundation for the
future
Section VIII The student affairs and services functions in higher education: 65
professional services and programmes delivered for
enhancement of student learning and successA
The senior student affairs and services officer 68
Descriptions of student affairs/services specialty units 70
Academic advising/educational counselling 70
Academic support centres 73
Admissions 74
Adult/non-traditional/commuter student services 76
Alumni relations in student affairs 79
Bookstore services 80
Call centres 81
Campus activities/student organizations 83
Campus security/police and protection services 85
Careers service 86
Chaplaincy and multi-faith services 89
Childcare 92
College unions/university centres/student centres 94
Community service/service learning 97
Counselling services 100
Dining/food services 106
Disability services 107
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