Methods for Assessing Inner Development: Spirituality andBeyond

Abstract

As practitioners and scholars of student affairs administration, we are committed to the development and growth of the whole student, a concept that has guided our profession since its inception (American Council on Education, 1937; American College Personnel Association & National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, 2004). Likewise, accompanying students on their journey of developing meaning and purpose has long been a foundational pillar of liberal education (Astin, 2004). We believe creating environments and conditions that enable students to focus on existential issues in their lives and discuss the Big Questions (Who am I? What can I believe in? Will my life make a difference?) (Dalton, Eberhardt, Bracken, & Echols, 2006) is one of the central purposes of college. As such, we must find means to measure and assess the inner workings of students’ lives: How do they make meaning? How do they define themselves? What is the state of their psychological well-being? What role does spirituality or religion play in their lives? How do they relate to others? However, the instruments and methods used–and the concepts and language they engender–will affect how students react and respond to assessment efforts. In the past 10-15 years, spirituality has been the term used to signify this aspect of student development, garnering much attention by postsecondary educators and administrators alike; yet the use of the term spirituality may not be appropriate for all students.