Degrees of Choice: Social Class, Race, and Gender in Higher Education (review)

Abstract

black colleges and universities was particularly well-researched, complete, and informative. hirt adds to the readability and digestibility of her wealth of information by employing a consistent structure throughout her chapters. identical subheadings and sections across chapters guide the reader through the discussion of the voluminous data summarized in the book. history, characteristics, nature of student affairs work, relationships, rewards, and conclusions by institutional type are reviewed by section in each chapter. subsections, similarly and consistently presented, review information about faculty, use of time, work environment, and mission. given the detail by institutional type, this book is perhaps best read like an encyclopedia where one picks and chooses the specific chapters from which to draw information relevant to a question or point of interest. there were several writing techniques hirt could have used to increase further the readability and comprehensibility of the text. tables summarizing survey data would have provided the reader with a quick review. shorter block quotes would have made her points more succinctly. A better balance may have been struck between the repetition required to have each chapter stand on its own and the similarity that that technique produces. Furthermore, in relation to hirt’s discussion about pace of work for student affairs administrators, it would have been helpful to speculate about the current fever pitch of student affairs practice, ways that student preparation and professional development programs can keep pace with management changes, and what current and future innovations are necessary to encourage effective student affairs practice. hirt’s extensive research as conveyed in Where You Work Matters promises to make a significant contribution to the student affairs field for years to come. REFERENCES