Kling,Madeline1

HSLDPECT:
HolisticStudentLearning,Development,andProsperityin
EverChangingTimes
:
APhilosophyofStudentAffairsinHigherEducation

Thepurposeofhighereducationisforadults/studentstocontinueaslearnersandto
developdifferentaspectsofthemselvestobecomebetterpreparedforsuccessinthefuture,
societyandlife.Justasthepurposeofhighereducationhasgonethroughdifferent
transformations,sodostudentswhopursuehighereducation.Astimehaspassedandgenerations
havecontinuedthroughhighereducation,thepurposeoflearninghasgonefromonebroadfocus
tomanyintricatepiecesthatallworktogethertocreateabiggerandbettergoal.Higher
educationshouldchallengestudentstobuildrelationships,becomecitizens,research,take
advantageofallthattheinstitutionhastooffer,andbecomeapartofatraditionafamily.This
newgoaloflearningmoreaccuratelyaddressestheneedsandnatureofthelearner.
Oneoftheunavoidableneedsoflearnersistofindajobtopayofftheeducationand
financialresponsibilitiesthatcomewithhighereducationbutthisneedisworthitinthelongrun.
ResearchhasshownthatadulthoodhasbeenpushedbackfurtherforMillennialGeneration
studentsbecausemorestudentsaregraduatingfromcollegeandneedtodealwiththisfinancial
burden.Whatdoesitpayfor?Itpaystoprepareyoubetterforadulthoodandtoaddress
MaslowsHierarchyofNeedshighereducationshouldstrivetoaddressphysiologicalneeds,
safetyneeds,belongingnessandloveneeds,esteemneeds,andtheneedforselfactualization.
Someoftheseneedsaremetthroughclasses,research,residentiallife,extracurricularactivities,
clubsorstudentorganizations,orcloserelationshipswithotheradults,facultyorstaff.
Source:MurrayEducationalStudentAffairsAssociation&BucknellUniversityCollegePersonnelAssociation(2015).
Holisticstudentlearning,development,andprosperityineverchangingtimes:Aphilosophyofstudentaffairsinhigher
education.
Lewisburg,PA:

MadelineKling

Kling,Madeline2

AccordingtoPiagetsstagesofcognitivedevelopment,adultsareinaformaloperational
stagethatinvolvesincreaseinlogic,theabilitytousedeductivereasoning,andanunderstanding
ofabstractideas.Individualsareabletoseemultiplesolutionstoproblemsandthinkmore
scientificallyabouttheworldaroundthemtheperfecttimetodevelopmetacognitivelyandto
transitionfromyouthtorisingadulthood.Thedefinitionofeducation(bydictionary.com)is
the
actorprocessofimpartingoracquiringgeneralknowledge,developingthepowersofreasoning
andjudgment,andgenerallyofpreparingoneselforothersintellectuallyformaturelife.
Studentsinhighereducationarealwaysgrowingincognitiveskills,problemsolving,
appreciationofdifferences,practicalskills,andpersonaldevelopmentthroughtheireducation,
learning,andpersonalexperiences.
Theprocessesoflearninganddevelopmentcanbebrokendownintofivestages(A
TheorytoPracticeModelforStudentDevelopment):Observation,wherestudentsmustlook
aroundandopenuptonewexperiencesinterpretation,wheretheoriescanbeappliedtotryto
understandasituationverification,basedontheoreticalinterpretationinterventionand
evaluation,toassesstheeffectivenessoftheinterventionwiththepossibilityofhavingtocycle
throughtheprocessagain.Thismodelshowstheprocessbywithlearningandinterventioncan
leadtonewdevelopments.Itisnecessarytoaddressstudentculturewhilethinkingaboutstudent
learninganddevelopmentaswell.Studentsdifferinexperiencesinhighereducationdueto
differentsubcultures(academic,nonconformist,collegiate,andvocational)thattheybelongto
andthedegreetowhichtheyidentifyandinvolvethemselvesinthesesubcultures.
Inadditiontothesediversesubcultures,itisimportantforthecampusclimatetoinclude
studentandfacultydiversity.Diversityimprovestheeducationofallstudentssoitisimportant

Source:MurrayEducationalStudentAffairsAssociation&BucknellUniversityCollegePersonnelAssociation(2015).
Holisticstudentlearning,development,andprosperityineverchangingtimes:Aphilosophyofstudentaffairsinhigher
education.
Lewisburg,PA:

MadelineKling

Kling,Madeline3

tocapitalizeonthisdiversityinhighereducationalinstitutionsbytakingamultidimensional
approach,engagingallstudents,focusingontheprocess,andrequiringsustainedeffortfrom
everyone(Chang2011).Highereducationinstitutions,moresothaninlowerlevelsettings,
exposestudentstodifferentpeopleandcultures,comingclosetotherangeofdiversitythatwill
befacedinrealworld.Itisimportanttoworktodiminishthefactorsthathinderthe
educationalbenefitofdiversityandtostressthethingsthatmaketheexperiencebetterforall
individuals,improvingdevelopmentandmaturitythatstudentscantakewiththeminfuture
situations.
Therearesomanyneedstoaddresswithinhighereducationthatitisimpossibleforthe
studenttomakethisjourneyontheirownorwithonlytheassistanceofaprofessor.Thisis
whereStudentAffairsprofessionalscomein.SAprofessionalsservenotonlytohelpfix
problems,butarealsowelltrainedinrelevanttheoriesandcananticipateproblemsbeforethey
occurtheyservenotasanauthoritativeprofessorwhomustgiveagrade,butasamentorand
professionalfriendtoturnto.Thegrowthanddevelopmentofthestudentaffairsprofessionhas
changedsimilarlytothechangeinpurposeofhighereducation.
TheStudentPersonnelPointof
View
(ACoE,1937)establishedSAasaprofessionalfieldwithageneralphilosophythat
addressedsocietalconcerns(topreserveandenrichculture,promotedemocracy,promote
internationalunderstanding,andcreativeproblemsolving)andstudentconcerns(wholeperson,
activeparticipation,maturityanddevelopment,individualdifferences,andindividualand
groups).Thispointofviewpublishedfifteenneedsofthestudentsthatcontinuetoberelevant
andaddressedinhighereducationtoday,butthisviewdidnotyetencompasseverythingthat
shouldbetakenintoaccount.

Source:MurrayEducationalStudentAffairsAssociation&BucknellUniversityCollegePersonnelAssociation(2015).
Holisticstudentlearning,development,andprosperityineverchangingtimes:Aphilosophyofstudentaffairsinhigher
education.
Lewisburg,PA:

MadelineKling

Kling,Madeline4

TheStudentDevelopmentServicesinPostSecondaryEducationGeneralPhilosophy
(COSPA,1994)showedincreasingdependenceondevelopmentaltheorytocaptureamorefull
reflectionoftheneedforstudentstobeactiveintheireducation.Itisherethatsomeofthe
services/competencies,androlesofstudentaffairsprofessionalsarelaidout:asconsultants,
instructors,andadministratorswhodealwithindividuals,groups,andorganizationstoimprove
goalsetting,assessment,andchangeprocesses(COSPA,1975).Thisphilosophyistooformulaic
andnotflexibleenoughforwhatStudentAffairsshouldbeportrayedas,sosomenewchanges
werenecessary.Thenextimportantshiftinviewswasestablishedby
TheStudentLearning
Imperative
(SLI,1996)SAprofessionalsshouldestablishthemselvesaseducators.There
shouldbenodichotomybetweenacademicaffairsandstudentaffairsbecauselearningisthe
mainpurposeofbothanditcanhappeninmanydifferentways/environments.Itisimportantthat
SAprofessionalsworkas
educators
,withfacultyandadministratorstopursuethemaingoalof
highereducationtogetherbecausethiscreatesmoreofacomfortable,flexible,andinclusive
environment.
Ashighereducationisatimeforholisticdevelopment/learningandwerecognizethatthis
canbeachievedthroughacombinationofexperiencesinandoutoftheclassroom,student
affairsprofessionalsactasserviceprovidersandeducatorstohelpmeettheneedsofstudents
throughattentionandcare.Withtheseservices,itisimportantforprofessionalstobeawareof
manyvariablesoutlinedby
LearningReconsidered
(NASPA2004):theongoingchangeofthe
natureofstudents,knowledgeandprocessoflearningthechangesinsocial,economic,and
politicalcontextinwhichhighereducationoccursstudentpopulationsarebecoming
increasinglydiversecontextsforstudentlearning(social,academic,institutional)andthe

Source:MurrayEducationalStudentAffairsAssociation&BucknellUniversityCollegePersonnelAssociation(2015).
Holisticstudentlearning,development,andprosperityineverchangingtimes:Aphilosophyofstudentaffairsinhigher
education.
Lewisburg,PA:

MadelineKling

Kling,Madeline5

importanceofintegratedlearningexperience.Studentaffairsprofessionalsneedtobeadaptable
sothattheycontinuetofocusontheholisticgrowthanddevelopmentofstudentswhile
conditionsareconstantlyinflux.Theymustbefamiliarwithandmeettheethicalstandardsof1)
professionalresponsibilityandcompetence,2)studentlearninganddevelopment,3)
responsibilitytotheinstitution,and4)responsibilitytosociety.
Itiscrucialthatstudentaffairsprofessionalsremainrespectful,unbiased,educatedon
theoriespertainingtostudentdevelopment,andthattheycreateapartnershipwithacademic
affairsprofessionalstoassesslearningoutcomesofstudentsonalargerandmoreinclusivescale.
Someoftheselearningoutcomesinclude:civicengagement,humanitarianism,practical
competence,interpersonalandintrapersonalcompetence,cognitivecomplexity,andknowledge
acquisition,integration,andapplication.Thesegoalsareessentialtothemainpurposeofhigher
educationasithasbeenestablishedtoday(andinthefirstparagraphofthisstatement)for
studentstocontinueaslearnersandtodevelopdifferentaspectsofthemselvestobecomebetter
preparedforsuccessinthefuture,societyandlife.Withacademicandstudentaffairs
professionalspairingtoservetheneedsofstudentsandpromotedevelopment,theyareinamuch
betterpositiontohelpguidestudentsintheirjourneythroughprofessionalpreparationaswell.
Highereducationinstitutionshavethepotentialtoprovideatransformativeeducationthat
focusesoncreatingfundamentalchangeswithinlearnersthatfaceaconstantlychangingand
challengingworld.

Source:MurrayEducationalStudentAffairsAssociation&BucknellUniversityCollegePersonnelAssociation(2015).
Holisticstudentlearning,development,andprosperityineverchangingtimes:Aphilosophyofstudentaffairsinhigher
education.
Lewisburg,PA:

MadelineKling