Student LifeCycle, Affairs

Student LifeCycle, Student Affairs, resulting in Student Success Outcomes

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TomMcDonald’s Comments:

I’ve been asked the question how do you define student “success”?

I’ll start by stating the obvious:

• Students = education organization revenue
• Take away ALL students, educators have very little to do and the organization has little money to do with what remains
• Education’s primary purpose is to proactively, advance ALL individual students success outcomes, throughout each individual students lifecycle (organizational mission/vision), empowering each student with relevant curriculum, relevant deep adaptive learning skills, relevant individual career skills, that lead to long term, relevant individual job placements, resulting in relevant individual student performance improvement outcomes.

Student “success” is then the individual student centered, proactive, ongoing, measured, predictive, outcomes based, best practices, research based, coaching, mentoring, and  facilitation, throughout each students lifecycle.

It starts at the admissions process and follows the individual student through, student engagement, retention and graduation (admissions through alumni).

Student “success” is individually assessed, monitored, measured and corrected at each step along the student lifecycle.

When the student has achieved bullet point three, above, the process has been deemed a success.

Thought/comments?

 

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Student LifeCycle – Student affairs, student support, or student services is the department or division of services and support for students at institutions of higher education to enhance student growth and development in the United States and abroad.^[1] People who work in this field are known as student affairs practitioners or student affairs professionals. These student affairs practitioners work to provide services and support for students at institutions of higher education.^[1]

Student LifeCycle – The size and organization of a student affairs division or department may vary based on the size, type, and location of an institution. The title of the head of student affairs also varies widely; traditionally in the United States, this position has been known as the “dean of students”, as distinguished from the academic dean or the deans of individual schools with in a university. In some institutions today, student affairs departments are led by a vice president or vice chancellor who then reports directly to the president/chancellor of the institution. In other cases the head of student affairs may report to the provost or academic dean.

Student LifeCycle – Student Affairs Areas

The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration and professional associations, NASPA and ACPA, identify typical departments within a division of Student Affairs. Departments may overlap or combined into one office, especially at smaller institutions.^[28] Some departments can include:

• Academic services

• Academic advising the office or department providing student academic services related to course selection, finding a major, study skills, and referrals to tutoring and academic success skills^[28]
• Academic success skills/tutoring the office providing intensive tutoring and academic success skill interventions with math, science, writing, and other academic subjects
• Assessment and research focused on assessment, program evaluation, and research implementation in student services and other academic departments for both accreditation and continual improvement of student services and academic departments
• Higher Education Opportunity Programs (HEOP)/Summer Bridge are programs designed to support low-income, first-generation students, including students of color, in intensive academic advising and support either in the summer prior to enrollment and during the regular school year to increase graduation rates and close the attainment gap for poor/working class students and students of color.

• Admissions, enrollment, financial aid, orientation

• Admissions Recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students (often separate offices) from first point-of-contact such as high school visits or college fairs to answering student and family admissions questions, to monitoring submission of applications, to reading applications and making admissions decision recommendations in collaboration with faculty,^[28]
• Enrollment management may include Financial Aid, Bursar and Registrar.^[28] It can also relate to all aspects of incoming students and services provided to them
• Financial aid assists students in college affordability including the difference between grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans; processing federal and state aid, payment plans; minimizing debt and understanding how student loans cannot be discharged; the benefits of federal versus private loans; loan repayment plans and employers/careers that will reimburse tuition and/or pay off student loans^[28]
• Orientation and First-Year Experience provides support and programming for first-year and transfer students, usually includes orientation and may include family relations^[28]

• Alumni and advancement/development

• Alumni services focuses on graduated students’ interests, needs, activities, and information, as well as fundraising ^[28]
• Development/Advancement services Development or advancement of the college/university mission through fund-raising including capital campaigns and lobbying work with legislatures in public colleges and universities to provide greater support for public education ^[28]

• Campus life

• Campus safety may be law enforcement officers who provide intervention and prevention for campus crime including annual campus crime reporting and campus programs for public safety ^[28]
• Community Service engage students in on- and off-campus community service and experiential learning opportunitiesService Learning^[28]
• Commuter/Off-campus student services provides services for students living off-campus including social programs, transitions, transportation, housing, and dining options,^[28]
• Greek affairs includes advising governing councils and recruitment and leadership programs for new and initiated members^[28]
• Judicial affairs or student conduct office enforces community standards and campus codes of conduct, may include ethical and legal programs/education and mediation for academic and behavioral student concerns and referrals and collaboration with outside police agencies ^[28]
• Leadership programs provide leadership opportunities including Student Government^[28]
• Student activities provides co-curricular programming and advises student organizations and student government. It may include Student Activity Board, student government, and student activity fee disbursement.^[28]
• Union/Student center operates the student activities center/facility and may include food services/catering or other auxiliary services.
• Veteran’s affairs provides programs and support for Armed Forces members who have returned to college.

• Counseling, health, and wellness

• Career development or Career Services includes career education, career development, career counseling, job fairs, resume and cover letter workshops, mock interviews, interview placement, internships with employers, and coursework advising needed for graduate/professional programs ^[28]
• Counseling center provides individual, group and sometimes couple/family counseling, consultation, crisis, and prevention/intervention services for academic, career, and social/emotional/mental health issues by licensed mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychiatristscounseling staff
• Health services provides medical and/or mental health care, counseling, and consultation, and public health education for individuals and groups ^[28]
• Wellness education provides services and information on personal wellness including anti-violence education, alcohol and other drug abuse and prevention, nutrition, and finances.

• Diversity and inclusion

• Disability support services includes providing accommodations and advocacy for students with developmental, emotional, intellectual, learning, and physical disabilities. This office advocates for policies and services relating to accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990^[28]
• International student services/study abroad programs assist and support international students who are not citizens with visas, homesickness, linguistic and cultural transitions, and can include programs for citizens who seek Study or Education Abroad programs ^[28]
• Multicultural services provides support and programs to create an environment of respect and affirmation for students and staff of multiple cultural identities. Offices may include African and African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino/a, Native American Indian, and Multiracial Student services, programs, and supports; a Women’s Center, programs, and supports, and a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center, programs, and supports.
• Spirituality, faith-based and religious services provide a variety of supports for a range of belief systems at both public and independent institutions

• Residence life

• Residence life provides housing, programs, and academic and personal/social support including resident assistants/hall directors for on-campus undergraduate and graduate residents living in traditional residence halls, suites, or apartments, and may include food services^[28]
• Dining and food services may be auxiliary or part of the student Union and includes meal plans, meal plan options, campus restaurants, and catering services for student events ^[28]

• Sports and recreation

• Athletics includes student services for student athletes in four-year college and university Division I, II, II athletics and Community College athletics including advising, monitoring, and support of student scholarships and student academic, career, and personal-social development ^[28]
• Recreation and fitness programs or Campus Recreation, provides recreational activities such as campus fitness centers that include noncompetitive recreation (weight rooms, pools, exercise equipment and noncredit classes) as well as intramural sports, club sports, and outdoor activities for promoting wellness^[28]

Student LifeCycle – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_affairs

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To Discuss how these Solutions will add value for you, your organization and/or your clients, Affinity/Resale Opportunities, and/or Collaborative Efforts, Please Contact:

Tom McDonald, tsm@centurytel.net; 608-788-5144; Skype: tsmw5752