University Student Affairs Research Articles

Engaging parents and families: They are an audience too

Parents and families play a key role in a college student's life. It is crucial for campus communicators to establish better lines of communication with this audience, provide them with information about services and programmes in easily understood ways and engage them as important members of the campus community. This case study analyses the strategies Stony Brook University's Student Affairs implemented to decrease the information gap with parents and families, how various communication channels were set up to help this audience stay informed and connected with the university, and provides a summary of insights and approaches helpful for other institutions looking to implement a similar programme.

Student affairs and services leadership in trying times: Student social behaviour project and psycho-social support interventions at a comprehensive university in south africa

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the lockdown measures that were widely implemented in response to the pandemic forced many of the forms of engagement and activities promoted by student affairs and services staff among students at universities to be curtailed or transformed – at first, so that they entailed no interpersonal contact and later so that they took place in line with health and safety protocols restricting contact. The moment of crisis required decisive, innovative leadership from this staff as they sought to help meet the needs of students who were now deprived of the benefits of the psycho-social, intellectual and physical engagements that had been provided by in-person contact on highly interactive campuses. Accordingly, the student affairs and services staff at North-West University in South Africa collaborated with students, leveraging their creative potential to reach out, create and implement new student support systems and programmes through structured activities that could take place online and in the form of strictly controlled contact sessions. In this context, two new initiatives were established at the university: a student behaviour project which sought to deploy student peers to promote adherence to COVID-19 occupational health and safety protocols among the student population; and a raft of psycho-social support interventions, including webinars, cultural and sporting activities, and residence activities which promoted student welfare including by helping students to manage the realities of the pandemic more effectively. This reflective article, authored by two of the North-West University student affairs and services staff responsible for launching and leading these initiatives, considers the kinds of collaboration among university staff and with students that informed the establishment and implementation of these projects. Focusing particularly on how these projects may have contributed towards increased levels of social capital among the students at the university at a moment of crisis, with a view to extract lessons that may be learned for the proactive development of student-support measures under similar conditions in future.

Experiential Education Conference at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, 10–11 November 2020

Experiential Education as Pedagogy for Social Justice, Praxis and Practice for Shaping 21st-Century Global Citizen Leaders Stellenbosch University's Division Student Affairs, Centre for Student Leadership, Experiential Education end Citizenship's Co-curriculum Office, presented the Stellenbosch University Experiential Education Conference (SUEEC) from 10 to 11 November 2020. This was Stellenbosch University's first online conference and a first in South Africa and Africa focusing on experiential education and social justice. This two-day virtual highereducation conference was designed with experiential educators in civil society, university student affairs practitioners, and academics from across the world.The conference theme of Experiential education as pedagogy for social justice: praxis and practice for shaping 21st century global citizen leaders' emerged even more pertinent at a time of mass global upheaval, uncertainty and humanitarian crises. The intention of the SUEEC was to spotlight emerging trends and transitions in the higher education experiential learning domain and the intersections thereof with social justice and the formation of the global citizen leader. To accomplish the above entailed inviting world renown keynote speakers and subject matter experts, and to call for abstracts, master classesand exemplars (examples of best practice in experiential education).

BLENDING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WITH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: PAIN OR GAIN?

Purpose of the study: This paper determined the positive and negative impacts of extracurricular activities (ECAs) and its relationship with the academic performance of college students at a State University in the Philippines. Methodology: The correlation method with document scanning was used in this study. College students with extracurricular activities were randomly selected to serve as respondents. Mean, and correlation procedures were employed to answer the descriptive and inferential problems. Main Findings: Male and single students exceptionally considered engaging in ECAs as a chance to enrich their leadership skills and expand their friendship with new acquaintances. Older students with family responsibilities and who came from higher year levels critically experienced failing to beat targets, limiting their time for review and sacrificing their academic undertakings. Applications of this study: As the prime mover of ECAs, the University Student Affairs and Services together with the Student Council officers may craft clear-cut policy in terms of grade requirement for those students who are involved in ECAs and come up with General Plan of Action such that the academic undertakings of the students will not be sacrificed. Novelty/Originality of this study: Positive and negative relationships between the advantages or disadvantages of ECAs and respondents' demographics were established in this study. However, the students' academic performance was not associated with their involvement in any extracurricular activities.

Pengembangan Kewirausahaan di Universitas Muhammadiyah Pontianak

Entrepreneurship Development Program (PPK) at Muhammadiyah Pontianak University is a program with a mission to produce new entrepreneurs, through an integrated program involving students managing PPK and resource persons. PPK Muhammadiyah University Pontianak activities include: management training, business skills with the Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) method consisting of Generate Business Idea (GBI), Start Your Business (SYB) and modules Improve Your Business (IYB) covering Marketing, Financial Planning, Bookkeeping, Purchasing, Stock Control and Financing in the context of empowering the potential of entrepreneurship for students. Students who have started entrepreneurship, Student Entrepreneurship Student Creativity Program (PKMK), alumni who are interested in or are just starting a business can perfect their previous entrepreneurial activities, to increase its business. Manager of PPK Muhamamdiyah University Pontianak will explore the types of tenant business commodities according to their talents and interests. The PPK program service unit at the Muhammadiyah University of Pontianak each year will produce at least five new science-based independent entrepreneurs per year who are ready to move in the community. The recruitment of PPK tenants is carried out through synergy with the Muhamamdiyah University Student Affairs in Pontianak to recruit students who get PKMK or other PKM, students and alumni who are pioneering businesses

Management Consultancy Projects in Student Affairs Division

This paper describes the implementation of two management consultancy projects and their impact on the effectiveness of university student affairs unit and the development of human potential. The purpose of this paper is to identify the success factors of change initiatives, to analyze and to overcome the challenges encountered through practical management consultancy tools. Two different approaches are adopted: The EFQM which is an excellence model and the Socio-Economic Approach to Management (SEAM) which is an intervention research dedicated at transforming organizations. The researchers show the results of the EFQM and SEAM change processes introduced in higher education institutions to ensure continuous improvement and development of the student affairs office. The prominent finding is that a participatory consultancy approach results in strong personal staff engagement and commitment. Hence, the application of this managerial approach namely the RADAR (Required results, approach, deployment and assessment), the participatory self-assessment, the “mirror effect”, the internal external strategic plan, improvement analysis, the priority action plan, team formation and building and the estimation of hidden costs assured the implementation of change and improved performance. This intervention research provides a clear understanding for the implications of a management consultancy project and accentuates the significance of the human contribution in institutions.

From Living Space to Cultural Space: How a Modern University Academy System is Possible

The reforms on the modern university academy system that preserve certain elements of China’s ancient traditional academies have currently encountered a series of difficulties. The crux of the problem is that living and educational spaces were integrated in the traditional academy, while modern school education institution has separated the two. So the modern university academy system only inherits the spatial form of the traditional academy. To resolve these difficulties requires creatively preserving the spirit rather than the form of the traditional academy, systemically innovating in institutions such as the advisor system, general education curriculum, and association activities, and also exploring mechanisms for academies to coordinate with professional schools and university student affairs.

To Enhance the Level of Students Affairs Management by Target Navigation

University has entered into a new era, in terms of educators, how to improve their abilities at students affairs management has become an important of university student affairs management. University students are in a critical period of ideological maturity, they will not only be imparted knowledge in university, but also they should be provided with excellent services and scientific management from school. With Target Navigation, diversified and multiple demands of students can be meet.

Efficiency evaluation of an Internet Plus University Student Affairs System based on fuzzy theory and the analytic hierarchy process

Efficiency evaluation of an Internet Plus University Student Affairs System based on fuzzy theory and the analytic hierarchy process

University Student Affairs Staff and Their Spiritual Discussions with Students

University student affairs professionals are in a unique position to provide outlets for students to grapple with spirituality issues outside the formal classroom setting. But, how do their feelings about spirituality affect their interactions with students? The purpose of this research is to examine how student affairs professionals' comfort level with spirituality affects their interactions with students. Based on interviews with 70 student affairs professionals, this study identifies a range of ways spiritual discussions may occur.