Putting Students First: How Colleges Develop Students Purposefully »

Larry A Braskamp received his B.A. from College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. In 1967, he joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a professor in the department of Educational Psychology, where he received a Distinguished Teacher Award. After serving at Nebraska as assistant to the chancellor, he came to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1976. There he held a number of administrative positions, including associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, director of the Office of Instructional and Management Services and acting dean of the College of Applied Life Studies. He was dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) from 1989-1996. From 1996-1997, he was professor of policy studies in the College of Education and a faculty fellow in the International Center for Health Leadership Development at UIC. Currently he is professor emeritus of education at Loyola University Chicago, where he served as senior vice president for academic affairs and senior fellow at the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
His research interests include the role of church colleges in American Higher education and the role of faculty assessment in faculty development and organization decision-making. He is the coauthor or coeditor of six books, including Assessing Faculty Work: Enhancing Individual and Institutional Performance (Jossey-Bass, 1994), Evaluation of Campus Services and Programs (Jossey-Bass, 1987), and The Motivation Factor: A Theory of Personal Investment (Lexington Books, 1986), and has published more than 100 research articles and papers.

Lois CalianTrautvetter is associate director for Northwestern University's Higher Education Administration and Policy Program and assistant professor in the School of Education and Social Policy. She received her Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Michigan, her M.S. in polymer chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University, and her B.A. in chemistry from the University of Michigan, her M.S. in polymer chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University, and her B.A. in chemistry from The College of Wooster. She teaches college student development theory and research methodology courses. Her research interests include faculty and professional development issues such as productivity, enhancing research and teaching, motivation, and new and junior faculty. She is also interested the role, of church colleges in American higher education as well as professional development for K-12 teachers to improve math and science teaching, gender issues, and females in science. She participated as a researcher in the past two postsecondary national centers for education funded by the Department of Education (Office of Education Research and Improvement) and has written book chapters and articles on faculty. She also has patents as a chemist in the coatings and resins industry.

Kelly Ward is associate professor of higher education at Washington State University. Her research interests are in the areas of faculty work, including balancing teaching, research, and service; faculty involvement in the community; and balancing work and family for those on the tenure track. She is also interested in campus and community engagement, service-learning, and policy issues related to equity and diversity. Dr. Ward has held faculty and administrative positions at Oklahoma State University and the University of Montana. She earned her Ph.D. in higher education from Penn State University.

In Putting Students First, the authors argue that colleges can and should invest in holistic student development by recognizing and building on the students’ search for purpose in life, intellectually, spiritually, and morally. Based on a study conducted at ten religiously-affiliated schools, the book urges all colleges to rethink their approach to teaching and advising the increasingly diverse students of today; their critical mission should be to prepare students to become ethically responsible and active contributors to society, as well as critical thinkers and skilled professionals.

Putting Students First offers perspectives and recommendations in areas of holistic student development such as

• Understanding millennial college students
• The role of faculty in defining culture
• The design and implementation of curriculum
• The impact of cocurricular involvement
• Fostering relationships with on-campus and off-campus communities

By organizing the campus environment into “4Cs”—culture, curriculum, cocurriculum, and community—the authors create a conceptual framework for faculty, student affairs staff, and administrators to discuss, plan, and create college environments that effectively support the learning and development of students. Each chapter includes an introduction, evidence and analysis, a summary, and questions to help readers consider how to develop students holistically on their own campuses.

About the Authors     ix
Foreword     xi
Acknowledgements     xiii
Introduction     xvii
Putting Students First     1
Introduction
Why Is It Important to Put Students and Their Development First?
Who Are Today's College Students?
Who Develops These Students?
In What Context Is Holistic Development Occurring?
Why Study Church-Related Colleges and Universities?
Summary
Conceptual Framework and Design of the Project     19
Introduction
Theoretical Bases for Holistic Student Development
Faith, Spirituality, and Student Development
Student Development and the Church-Related Context
Conceptual Framework: Personal Investment Theory
Project Design
Summary
Culture     43
Introduction
Discerning and Acting on Institutional Mission
Building on a Legacy
Communicating Institutional Mission and Identity
Leadership
College Location
Campus Facilities
Expectations and Contributions of Faculty
Faculty as Role Models
Using a Career Perspective on Faculty Development
Faculty Evaluation as a Reflection of Culture
Support and Challenge
Summary
Questions for Campus Conversations
Curriculum     87
Introduction
Philosophical Foundations of the Curriculum
Centrality of a Liberal Arts Education
Integrating Faith and Learning
Worldviews
Pedagogy
Developmentally Tailored Experiences for Students
Pedagogy of Engagement: Field-Based and Community-Based Learning
Summary
Questions for CampusConversations
Cocurriculum     129
Introduction
Mutual Reinforcement of Learning
Campus Rituals
Residence Life
Student Leadership
Relationships With Coaches, Professional Staff, and Campus Ministry
Faculty Interactions
Immersion Experiences
Summary
Questions for Campus Conversations
Community     159
Introduction
Shared Governance
Defining Community
Maintaining Community Amidst Change
Diversity Within Community
Communities Beyond the Campus
Dealing With Difference and External Communities
Summary
Questions for Campus Conversations
Creating Communities That Put Students First     191
Introduction
Chapter Overview
Mission Is Reality, Not Rhetoric
Learning and Development Are Integrated
The Campus Community Fosters Support and Challenge
Summary
Bibliography     219
Index     241