Course Overview:
Student affairs professionals must be able to work with individuals, groups, and organizations within the campus community to establish learning environments that are conducive to the success of students from a variety of backgrounds. The purposes of this course are (a.) to introduce participants to the complexity of today's campus environments and cultures and (b) to examine theoretical concepts and empirical findings which help to describe the college environment and explain its impact on students and staff.
A knowledge of the theories and methods associated with interventions in behavioral environments will assist student affairs professionals to maximize student learning and development. This three week course will serve as an overview of some of some foundational theories and practices in this area. Through readings, personal reflections, and threaded discussions, participants will gain an understanding of the utility of these approaches to the student affairs profession.
Course Outline:
There will be three broad sections to this course: understanding the interactional perspective, designing educational environments (the largest), and community and involvement. Participants will be introduced to various theories and models from these areas and how they can be applied in higher education settings.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, active participants will:
- Upon completion of this course, active participants will:
- Become familiar with the major theoretical perspectives that focus on person/environment interactions.
- Explore theories and models for describing and creating effective educational environments.
- Develop an understanding of the cultural context and environmental factors that impact on diverse student populations.
- Examine the role of community and campus environments on student involvement.
- Learn some of the various methods of assessing (both descriptive and evaluative) the college environment.
Participant Expectations:
Participants should expect to devote about 5 hours during each of the three weeks of the course in order to make a solid contribution to the class. Assignments will include selected readings and discussions. This is a discussion based course that is dependent upon each student being prepared to be open and honest with regard to their views of the material. Active participation in the discussion board will significantly enhance the learning experience and help bring the course material to life.
Individuals registering for CEUs will receive 1.0 CEU upon successful
completion of the course.
Instructor Bio:
Daniel Salter, Ph.D. is currently teaching development psychology at Lock Haven University and was recently on the graduate faculty at Penn Sate University. Over the past 10 years, he has taught coursework in Student Development Theory, Human Development Across the Lifespan, College Environments and Cultures, and Testing and Assessment, at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. He is the author of a published environmental assessment instrument (the SETA), and some of his recent research has involved ways to address the chilly academic climate for college women through the use of Jungian psychology. Dr. Salter is on the editorial board of the Journal of College Student Development and has given many conference presentations related to student learning and development.
