Student Stories and Analyses

ELMP 6102 NA
Dr. Kim

Chickerings Identity Development Theory

Introduced in Education and Identity (1969).
Chickering administered 16 hours of
achievement tests, personality inventories and
other instruments to students at the end of their
sophomore and senior years from 1959 to
1965.
Chickering served as director of the Project on
Student Development in Small Colleges from
1964 to 1969.*
*Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student Development in
College. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Identity Development Theory

Revised in 1993
Arthur Chickering
Professor Emeritus of Educational
Leadership and Human Development at
George Mason University Fairfax, VA.

Linda Reisser
Dean of Student Development at Portland
Community College Portland, OR.

Seven Vectors of College Student Development

Developing Competence
Managing Emotions
Moving Through Autonomy Toward
Interdependence
Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships
Establishing Identity
Developing Purpose
Developing Integrity

Environmental Influences
Key influences that affect student identity
development:

Institutional Objectives
Institutional Size
Student-Faculty Relationships
Curriculum
Teaching
Friendships and Student Communities
Student Development Programs and Services

Vector / Environmental Influence

Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships
To sustain mature interpersonal relationships
students must be capable of trust, open and honest
communication, and unconditional positive regard.

Student-Faculty Relationships
Prolonged exposure to faculty outside of the
classroom will lead students to perceive faculty as
real people who are accessible and interested in
them beyond the classroom (Evans et al., 2010).

Design and Methodology

We conducted a small-scale assessment
project at Seton Hall University analyzing
students development along Chickering and
Reissers fourth vector.
Participants were undergraduate and graduate
students, employed full- and part-time.
Students responded to open-ended questions
derived from the Student Development Task
and Lifestyle Inventory (SDTLI).

SDTLI
The SDTLI instrument was developed to collect
students self-reported behaviors, attitudes, and
opinions on psychosocial topics that specifically
relate to Chickering and Reissers theory,
particularly establishing and clarifying purpose,
developing mature interpersonal relationships,
and academic autonomy.*
121 True / False / Other questions.

*Martin, L. M. (2000). The relationship of college experiences to psychosocial outcomes in students.

Journal of College Student Development, 41, 294303.

Question #1
Establishing a mature working relationship with
faculty members can greatly enhance your
college experience. Please explain at least one
example of such a relationship that you share
with a Seton Hall professor (Such as research
experience, co-authoring, internship, etc).
Original question:
True or False - I have a mature working relationship with one or more members
of the academic community (faculty member, student affairs staff member,
administrator).

Answer #1
Undergraduate
I have a mature working relationship with almost all
of my teachers.

Graduate Assistant
during theatre performances...It became
invaluable in my hopeful career in the theatre,
as we were educated and expected to behave
on a professional level.

PT Grad/FT Employee
Beyond exchanging ideas for papers and projects,
the relationship pretty much ends there.

Question #2
If the situation allows, it would be nice to have a
friendly, personal relationship with faculty as
well. Describe at least one example of how you
have forged such a friendship / personal
relationship with a faculty member.
T or F - I have formed a personal relationship (friendly
acquaintanceship) with one or more professors.

Answer #2
Undergraduate
Our TV class is very laid back which makes it easy
for myself and my fellow classmates to form such a
relationship.

Graduate Assistant
Working long theatrical hours forge friendships... It
makes you realize that these professors arent up in
the clouds, but normal people just doing their jobs.

PT Grad/FT Employee
I have made a number of connections with
professors throughout the years.

Question #3
If you have experienced difficulty in establishing
ANY kind of a relationship with a member of the
Seton Hall University faculty, please explain
why you found it hard to deal openly with them.
T or F - I find it hard to deal openly with college administrators and
others in authority.

Answer #3
Undergraduate
I had difficulty establishing any kind of relationship
with one of my professors mainly because I felt
intimidated by them in the classroom and out.

Graduate Assistant
I found it hard to confront the professor,
because not only was he a tenured member of
the faculty, he was my thesis advisor

PT Grad/FT Employee
Being a part-time grad student I find it harder to
establish relationships with faculty members.

Question #4
Please describe how you have taken the
initiative to set up a meeting with a faculty
member within the past 12 months? Also,
explain why the meeting was necessary.
T or F - I have taken the initiative to set up conferences with an
academic advisor within the past twelve months.

Answer #4
Undergraduate
My professor was impressed that I wanted to improve
and gave me great advice on how to revise my paper.

Graduate Assistant
I set up meetings with my academic advisor
periodically throughout the year... through the
process of emailing and phone calls and setting
up face to face meetings... (they) were necessary
to plan out the end of my academic career.

PT Grad/FT Employee
I obviously wanted to complete the assignment to the
best of my ability, so I sought out help from the faculty
member who was teaching the course.

Summary
Undergraduate Student
Graduate Assistant
PT Grad Student / FT Employee

Thank You !