Higher Education Programs

Abstract

ONCE AGAIN it must be reported that research on student personnel programs in higher education in the past three years has been characterized by paucity. The little that has been done will be reported under the following headings: four-year colleges, extended education, and junior colleges. What might be described as sage literature-thoughtful writing by those of broad and long experience-will be briefly summarized. In the October 1960 issue of the REVIEW, Feder and Siller concluded that there is little evidence concerning the validity of certain stereotypes of organization and function that have been adopted in student personnel practices. They recommended more research involving use of controlled experimentation as well as study of similar institutions with some variation of program in order that the assumptions under which present programs are operating might be validated. Although the tendency to lean heavily on surveys of practices may reveal normative practice and, in effect, establish least common denominators, it may stifle organizational and operational experimentation. Although the guidance movement is entering into its second half-century, Rothney and Farwell reported in the April 1960 REVIEW that there is general recognition of the need for evaluation of guidance services. However, there is little evidence that this need is being met. Guidance services, like many other services in education, are still offered largely on the basis of hope and faith. After reviewing research activities pertaining to students and student personnel programs being conducted by 13 agencies and centers for the study of higher education, Robinson and Brown (1961) reported 77 studies in progress or recently concluded. All of these have to do with such matters as student characteristics, attendance, retention, and withdrawal, as well as with aspects of student personnel programs. No studies were reported that looked at student personnel programs as a whole.