Student Affairs Case Study

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Appealing Characteristics of the Student Affairs Profession
Upon arriving to college, many students face the challenge of finding a community to belong to. I believe the student affairs professionals on campus are the resource to building communities within the student body. Reflecting back on my first semester of college, I found my community within two organizations; Dance Marathon and UI Alumni Association Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (S.T.A.T.). Within the organizations I met two advisers who opened my eyes to the world of student affairs.
As described in the historical context of the student affairs profession, the development of student personnel was a huge milestone for the life of universities. In loco parentis; responsibility and concern for the whole student body, assuming the role as a parent to assist students in all aspects of their undergraduate experience. This concept has been embedded in the profession since the colonial system. A unique aspect of the colonial system was the …show more content…

With the in loco parentis being a staple to student affairs practice a pivotal moment in the student personnel work was post-Civil Rights, when colleges started to view students as adults, shifting the attitude of the practice from reactive to proactive (Zhang and Associations, 52). Giving students a voice in what accommodations colleges need to make created the practice of student development, according to Paul Bloland, one premises of the student development movement is how university staff should intentionally introduce proactive programs called interventions, to promote development (Schuh, 68). My interpretation of development interventions would be when a student needs assistance making a decision (academic, career, life), student affairs professionals need to development the skill set for the student to do

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