Student development needs: Are undergraduates in online distance learning degree programs receiving a holistic education

Historically, America's colleges and universities have incorporated a holistic educational approach for their traditional-aged (18--24 year-old) undergraduate students. In addition to a student's academic and professional endeavors, these institutions of higher education have integrated various growth and development components in co-curricular enrichment opportunities to nurture well-rounded and mature young adults. Recently these traditional values have been challenged by advances in the digital revolution where information technology, the Internet, and online distance learning have rapidly changed how these institutions have been doing business. These innovations have impacted institutional priorities, mission, allocation of resources, student demographics, accreditation requirements, and the formation of new partnerships and new institutions (for-profit). In this study Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAOs) were surveyed in an effort to obtain a current snapshot of these professionals' perceived levels of importance and effectiveness to integrate various growth and development components through co-curricular. These pertinent administrators were from 4-year, undergraduate degree-granting institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and School-Commission on Colleges (SACS-CoC). The entire population of 450 SSAOs was surveyed. One hundred and fifteen (115) responded, 29 of which worked at institutions that offered undergraduate degree programs that could be obtained entirely online as well as on-site. The findings revealed that over 90% of the responding SSAOs perceived 10 of 14 listed growth and development components to be of high or of extremely high importance to integrate into co-curricular programs for traditional-aged students enrolled in undergraduate degree-granting programs. Religious development and physical wellness were the only components to receive a perceived rating of no importance or were not applicable from the SSAOs, eight and one respectively. It was also determined that there were very significant differences in the perceived effectiveness of the co-curricular integration of all 14 listed growth and development components for traditional-aged students enrolled in on-site undergraduate degree programs and their counterparts enrolled in degree programs obtained completely online. "Some components are difficult to integrate online" was the most frequent reason reported that hindered the areas of Student Affairs' effectiveness in co-curricular integration of student growth and development components online.