Our Philosophy
The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership facilitates programs and experiences grounded in student development theory. Our work is grounded in several assumptions about the student experience and our learning community.
Our Assumptions about Students and Their Learning
- Student learning and development occures inside and outside the classroom (Astin, 199).
- Student learning and development requires experiential opportunities that allow students to apply their knowledge (Kuh et al., 2008).
Our Assumptions about Students and Their Involvement
- Student involvement positively impacts the college student experience (Astin, 1999).
- Student involvement in campus activities leads to a greater sense of belonging and affinity at their institution and among their peers (Tinto, 1994)
- Student involvement leads to greater persistence, retention, and graduation (Astin, 1999).
Our Assumptions about Students and Their Communities
- Community participation serves as an experiential learning opportunity which is a high impact practice for student development (Kuh et al., 2008)
- Community participation, including student organizations, volunteerism, and leadership experiences should be aimed at impacting social change (Komives et al., 2007)
- Change agency is a key function of effective leadership (Komives et al., 2007)
References
Astin, A.W. (1999). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Development, 40(5), 518-29.
Tinto, V. (1994). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition (2nd ed.) Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press
Komives, S.R., Lucas, N.J., & McMahon, T.R. (2007). Developing a leadership identity. In Exploring leadership: For college students who want to make a difference (2nd ed.) (pp. 385-409). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Kuh, G.D., Schneider, C.G., & Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2008). High-impact education practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.