Book Description

This book presents and examines key issues not only on addressing changing student demographics and needs but also on aligning institutional and student expectations, connecting student-oriented services systemically, organizing and fostering student services for learning, and creating and delivering services for students to achieve success on campus. While the essential supportive role student services plays in student retention and success is generally understood, this book provides several constructive approaches and key indicators that service providers can use to challenge their campuses for better results in achieving student success. While this book does not define what student success is for all institutions or suggest that one size fits all institutions, it does emphasize that student learning and achieving student success on campus is everyone’s business. The chapter contributors share their wisdom on and experience in creating a student-centered culture and emphasize student services as the primary approach for putting students first in the campus community. Written for student service providers, academic departments, and others responsible for the support, direction, and coordination of services to students—vice presidents, deans, directors, and department chairs—readers will learn how to encourage a variety of desired outcomes, including student persistence, satisfaction, learning, and personal development. Also included is a systems perspective that will help readers evaluate and align services for students with the goals of both the students and the institution.