EDUC 785 Current Issues and Trends In Student Affairs

An overview of the current issues and trends in the field of student affairs administration.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

It is important for a student affairs professional to be aware of various issues that affect students in higher education and to be well-informed of the current research in his/her field. The purpose of this course is to provide a knowledge base concerning issues and trends in the field of higher education administration, specifically the area of student affairs. The candidate will also begin to consider areas of interest for his/her own future research.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each Discussion. Each thread must be 300 words, demonstrate course-related knowledge, and support assertions with at least 2 scholarly citations in APA format. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 150 words and incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current APA format. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Course Project Assignments (4)

The candidate will research a topic of interest related to the student affairs profession and analyze how a curricular approach can be applied to support student learning and development. This project will be completed in stages throughout the course. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Course Project: Part 1 – Institutional Context and Current Issue Assignment

The candidate will complete the Overview portion of the course project in which they will briefly describe an institution of higher education and its mission statement, as well as describe a functional area of student affairs related to a chosen topic that will be the focus of the project. (CLO: A)

Course Project: Part 2 – Literature Review and Learning Aims Assignment

The candidate will conduct a literature review of their topic and use their findings to determine an educational priority statement and learning goals that can be used in a curricular approach designed to address the chosen current issue. (CLO: B, D)

Course Project: Part 3 – Student Development Theory Assignment

The candidate will incorporate a relevant student development theory into the project in order to ensure that their educational priority and learning goals are appropriately aligned with students’ needs and abilities in the context of higher education. (CLO: B, C)

Course Project: Part 4 – Summary and Final Draft Assignment

The candidate will summarize the information from the previous parts of the project and explain how their project would support a meaningful curricular plan to promote student success in alignment with the institutional mission and in the context of current research and theory. (CLO: A, B, C, D)

Learning Outcomes Assignment

The candidate will create measurable learning outcomes that assess student achievement related to a specific student affairs initiative. This assignment builds on the learning aims developed in Course Project: Part 2 and the theoretical framework identified in Course Project: Part 3. Additionally, the candidate are required to integrate an AI tool to support the development and refinement of their learning outcomes. (CLO: B, C, D)

Biblical Integration Assignment

The candidate will write an essay exploring how the principles of the curricular approach to student affairs strongly align with the values inherent in a Christian worldview. The candidate will consider how a Christian worldview provides justification as well as an essential framework for guiding a shift in mindset from traditional perspectives on student support to a more holistic, learning-centered approach. (CLO: A, D)

Reflection Essay Assignment

The candidate will reflect on what they have learned in the course and discuss how their research will impact their current professional practices in a 300–500-word essay. (CLO: B, C, D, E)

Quizzes (5)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the assigned module(s): week(s). Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain multiple-choice and true/false questions, and have a 2-hour time limit.(CLO: B, D).