| With the shift from an industry-based to a knowledge-based society, American higher education is under increasing pressure to prove its role in facilitating students' learning both inside and outside the classroom. Because student affairs is the institutional division most responsible for shaping the co-curriculum, it has begun focusing more on promoting student learning. The Student Learning Imperative (ACPA, 1994) and the Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs (ACPA & NASPA, 1997) provided a professionally supported foundation for the new learning philosophy within student life.; Student services divisions at Christian colleges also have been encouraged to place more emphasis on students' learning. However, the pervading religious environment and the popularity of the student ministry model may hinder the incorporation of student learning in these institutions' student affairs divisions.; This quantitative study was based on the survey results of 216 chief student affairs officers' (CSAOs) at United States' colleges and universities whose enrollments were between 500 and 3,000 students. Fifty-eight percent of the CSAOs returned the 54-item Survey of Student Learning Principles, based on the seven Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs (ACPA & NASPA, 1997).; Comparison of means and factor analysis revealed that student affairs divisions were most successful at incorporating principles of learning based on direct interaction with students, including (1) engaging students in active learning, (2) helping students develop coherent values, and (3) building supportive and inclusive communities. Principles of learning having to do with improving management practices within student development, such as using resources effectively, using systematic inquiry, and forging educational partnerships, were least incorporated within student affairs divisions. These results indicate that although student affairs divisions are successful in building relationships with students that enhance learning, in order to maintain this interaction they may need to focus more efforts on improving management practices. This study also found that student affairs divisions that invested more time clarifying their core values and striving for continual improvement were successful in improving their management practices.; Using repeated-measures analysis of variance, student affairs divisions at Christian universities were found, in comparison to non-Christian universities, to be more successful at helping students develop coherent values and less successful at building inclusive communities. The strong emphasis on moral education from both faculty and student affairs staff at Christian colleges may be one reason for the emphasis on developing values. The predominantly white demographics of Christian colleges may be a factor in their failure to make more efforts to include underrepresented groups. |
