Celebrating Our Successes (Week 4): The Final TACUSPA Newsletter for 2009!

Our final blog post for 2009 focuses on the final newsletter of the year! We would like to give a special thanks to Hope Garcia (TACUSPA Newsletter Editor) for all of her hard work!

Newsletter - Nov.dec. 09

Next month's topic focuses on volunteerism! Have a great 2010!

-The Graduate Education and Research Commission

Celebrating Our Successes (Week 3): Highlighting TACUSPA Members on YouTube!

We have several graduate students and student affairs programs that post clips on youtube. This week we are focusing on those youtube clips! Enjoy! We are celebrating OUR successes!

Celebrating Our Successes (Week 2): Books on Happiness & Work/Life Balance

As higher education professionals, we often dedicate much of our time to our occupations than almost any other aspect of our lives. Staying true to our theme, "Celebrating Our Successes", the GEAR commission would like to focus on happiness and the work/life balance. Here are some books on those topics:

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

December 2009 (Weeks 1-4): Celebrating Our Successes

It's December! The Graduate Education and Research Commission is celebrating and highlighting great programs, focusing on graduate students' new ideas, and promoting the December 2009 TACUSPA newsletter.

In addition, we would like to formally thank the UNT Office of Planning and Development for their blog contributions for September 2009!

Dr. Jan Hillman, Executive Director, Planning and Advancement for Student Development, University of North Texas

 

Dr. Sharon Karackattu, Director, Planning and Assessment Office in Student Development, University of North Texas

 

Jason F. Simon, M. Ed., Graduate Assistant Planning and Assessment Office in Student Development, University of North Texas

 

Have a Great Holiday Season!

 

- The Graduate Education and Research Commission 

Career Services (Week 5) - The National Association of Colleges and Employers (Recent Tweets)

An increasing number of career services' offices are embracing Twitter. This may be a result of many employers who are recruiting candidates through the social media website.

Here are some Texas institutions who are using Twitter to advertise their career services initiatives:

Texas Tech Careers (TTUCareers) on Twitter

NLC Career Services (Career_Blazers) on Twitter

TxWes Career Serv. (TxWesCareerServ) on Twitter

Career Services (pvamucareers) on Twitter

BobcatCareers (BobcatCareers) on Twitter

Here are some recent tweets from the National Association of Colleges and Employers:

Career Services (Week 4) - The National Association of Colleges and Employers (Youtube Clip)

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is one of the largest organizational resources for college and university career services initiatives. Here is a recent message from the NACE president:

Career Services (Week 3) - Recent Presentations on Career Services

Meeting Their Needs Career Counseling Students Of Color Eace 2009

View more presentations from Nancy Richmond.

Transition from College to Employment: Lived Employment Experiences and Perceptions of Seniors and Recent College Graduates with Physical Disabilities Seeking Employment Opportunities after Graduation

View more presentations from Dr. Brenda C Williams.

Career Services (Week 2) - Current Books on Career Services

Here is a list of books focused on career services and higher education. At least one person from the Graduate Education and Research Commission has read at least one of the books listed on the bookshelf below:

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

November 2009 - Career Services (Weeks 1-5)

Today's tough economy is causing many career services offices to become one of the busiest offices on campus for current students and alumni. As a result, November's blog topic is focused on career services. We are examining the topic through current issues, recently published books, recent presentations, youtube clips, and current tweets.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers - http://www.naceweb.org/home.aspx

The Top 10 College Career Services Blogs
http://www.onedayonejob.com/blog/top-10-college-career-services-blogs/

Facebook Premier for Career Services Professionals
https://www.optimalresume.com/MediaKit/1.%20Advertising/4.%20Facebook/Facebook%20Primer.pdf

Diversity in Higher Education (Week 4) - Diversity in Higher Education Tweets

Diversity in Higher Education (Week 3) - Presentations on "Diversity in Higher Education"

Readers,

Here are some recent presentations on "diversity in higher education":

Creating an Inclusive Excellence Campus Diversity Plan: Vision to Reality

Diversity as a Catalyst for Civic Engagement and Student Success

Making Diversity Work on Campus: A Research-Based Perspective

If you have links to other recent presentations on diversity in higher education, please let us know! We will post your link in this section.

-The Graduate Education and Research Commission

Diversity in Higher Education (Week 2) - Books on "Diversity in Higher Education"

Here is a list of recent books on "diversity in higher education". At least one member of the Graduate Education and Research Commission has read one of the books below: 


Please ask us any questions! We would love to see your feedback!


*For more information, hover your mouse over the books below.

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

Week 5 - Tapping Non-Users for 360 Degree Evaluation

Tapping Non-Users for 360 Degree Evaluation

Over the last 15 years, Student Affairs has made great strides toward a more robust toolkit of assessment and evaluation. What we may be neglecting are the students that do not use our services--the students we never see. Rather than speculate why, surveying (by phone or electronic survey) can net us very useful information to make changes and improvements. By tapping non-users you not only complete a 360 degree feedback of your department (staff and user input are the other two sources), but by surveying, you also are marketing your department and letting students know that you care about their success.

For example, you might discover that some students have a misperception of their study skills expertise and expectations of academic success coming from high school. That information can be useful in marketing your learning center. Including a testimonial from a student interviewed about the difference between academics in high school and college with a listing of your services is more effective. Adding data that the most successful students are the majority who use the Learning Center services seals the deal! Another example is changing office hours and service delivery because commuters, non-traditional and graduate students indicate that closing your office at 5:00pm excludes them from using your services.

Students today are very vocal about what they want and need and are willing to take the time to fill out those comment boxes in your online surveys. Be sure to advertise that you are using student feedback to make changes to encourage future feedback.

Author - Dr. Jan Hillman, Executive Director, Planning and Advancement for Student Development, University of North Texas

Question: What changes have you implemented because you listened to your students?

October 2009 - Diversity in Higher Education (Weeks 1-4)

October's focus is on "Diversity in Higher Education"! This month, we will continue our organizational pattern: current books, recent presentations, youtube clips, and recent tweets.


Great Resources for Diversity & Higher Education:

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Diversity Statement - http://www.sacscoc.org/documents/DiversityStatement.pdf

DiversityWeb - A Resource Hub for Higher Education:
http://www.diversityweb.org

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education's Guiding Principles for Diversity:
http://www.cas.edu/CAS%20History/CAS%20Guiding%20Principles.html

Week 4 - Future Implications for Student Affairs Assessment

Future Implications for Student Affairs Assessment

Since former U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings, issued the final report from the Commission on the Future of Higher Education in 2006, higher education has been on the accountability radar as never before. Higher education, specifically NASULGC (now known as APLU) and AASCU responded in 2006 to what is now called the Spellings Report by creating the Voluntary System of Accountability using the College Portrait standardized website. Participating colleges and universities volunteer to use the site, which includes such information as the Common Data Set, the National Survey of Student Engagement and the CLA to provide a “portrait” of its institution for prospective students and parents. Accountability to governments as well as our students and other constituents is part of the fabric of higher education today. VSA also provides a vehicle for collaboration between academic affairs and student affairs to provide the best possible data for their institution.

The U.S. News and World Report just published its 2009 report on colleges and universities. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education (date), the number of institutions submitting information has increased again this year.

Planning and assessment courses are now common in higher education programs, including specific courses in student affairs assessment and research on students. Speakers at assessment conferences emphasize the importance of including assessment activity in job descriptions. The SAAER Knowledge Community within NASPA is discussing the use of assessment mentors and for-credit assessment practitioner internships to increase knowledge and develop skills within our profession.

It is important to remember that we need to “tell our story” in student affairs by using our data in interactions with faculty and staff, students and parents and with our alumni. Everyone loves to be connected to a winning team, and Student Affairs is a vital contributor to student success.

Author - Dr. Jan Hillman, Executive Director, Planning and Advancement for Student Development, University of North Texas

References:

www.voluntarysystem.org

www.collegeportraits.org

www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2006/09/09192006.html

www.educause.edu/resources/browse/spellingsreport/31947

Questions:

What are you doing in your offices to prepare staff to be successful in assessment?

How are you using your data to “tell your story”?

What successful collaborations do you have with Academic Affairs in the area of assessment?

Week 3 - Two Innovative Assessment Programs in Student Affairs

The Planning and Assessment Office at the University of North Texas developed an interactive, MS Excel-based document to facilitate departmental program review using Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education guidelines. The Excel document automatically generates real-time graphical summaries of criterion measure scores for each part of the review as well as a text report of these measures to share with upper administration. In addition, the interactive format is equipped with placeholders for documents associated to programmatic review to allow easy access in following years. To date, three Student Development departments have used this new tool to facilitate their CAS programmatic reviews with significant time savings. The Dashboard is the centerpiece in a comprehensive “CAS process” at UNT that includes peripheral documents and presentations to create a retreat-style program review with maximum staff participation. 

This format creates an inclusive environment as well as dialogue to engage student affairs staff in continuous improvement efforts. More information about the CAS Dashboard can be found at: http://pasd.unt.edu/resources/index.html#presentations

The advent of electronic portfolios allows students, staff and faculty to track accomplishments and learning outcomes over time. These portfolios allow students to store evidence from both curricular and co-curricular outcomes and represent a content-rich assessment that documents student learning and development. The portfolios can also be used to track the progress and improvement of programs and services. Electronic portfolios have become a hot topic at recent assessment conferences including the 2008 IUPUI Assessment Institute for both academic and student affairs assessment. More information on the use of electronic portfolios can be found here:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/112217001/PDFSTART
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume39/TheDigitalConvergenceExtending/157910
http://portfolio.psu.edu/

Author - Dr. Sharon Karackattu, Director, Planning and Assessment Office in Student Development, University of North Texas


Question: What other innovative ideas do you know about in student affairs assessment?

Week 2 - Student Affairs Practitioners as Assessment Practitioners

Student Affairs Practitioners as Assessment Practitioners

As the call to demonstrate the value and learning outcomes of programs grows, student affairs practitioners are increasingly finding themselves responsible for comprehensive assessment activities from instrument development to data analysis and reporting. This emphasis on assessment within the realm of student affairs practice is illustrated through a variety of publications and programs including:
“Assessment Tips for Student Affairs Professionals” (Bauer & Hanson) http://www.elcamino.edu/administration/vpsca/docs/assessment/AssessmentTips_StudentAffairs_NASPA.pdf

The Student Learning Imperative: Implications for Student Affairs

(American College Personnel Association) http://www.acpa.nche.edu/sli/sli.htm

Many large universities now have a student affairs assessment office with one or multiple full-time staff and graduate students to oversee and assist with assessment projects including collaborations with other campus entities including Institutional Research and Academic Affairs. Many offices maintain websites with sample instruments, assessment plans and the results of recent student affairs assessment projects as a model and source of information for student assessment practitioners. NASPA’s SAAER Knowledge Community maintains a list of relevant student affairs assessment websites from a variety of institutions. http://www.naspa.org/kc/saaer/websites.cfm

It is necessary for student affairs departments to conduct program reviews that revisit mission statements, demonstrate evidence for achievement of learning outcomes and benchmark their practices against peer institutions. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) provides guidelines to assist most student affairs departments in their program reviews with emphasis on learning outcomes. Other departments may choose to use standards set by their professional organizations.

NASPA’s Framework for Assessment http://www.uncc.edu/stuaffairsFrameworkBrochure-Feb09.pdf


NASPA’s Student Affairs Assessment, Evaluation and Research Knowledge Community provides information such as an Assessment Framework, Student Affairs Websites, Accreditation Websites and Resources as well as a Listserv to foster networking and disseminate information. The Assessment Framework is particularly useful in allowing practitioners to select training options and to develop in-house training seminars for their colleagues throughout Student Affairs. http://www.naspa.org/kc/saaer/default.cfm

Conferences dedicated to student affairs assessment like the IUPUI Assessment Institute, ACPA’s Assessment In Student Affairs Institute and NASPA’s International Assessment and Retention Conference draw assessment practitioners from around the world to share best practices, research and novel strategies employed at their institutions. These assessment conferences address a wide range of topics in student affairs from creating comprehensive assessment plans to finding time for assessment to issues of retention and graduation. http://www.myacpa.org/pd/assessment/
http://www.assessconf.net/
http://planning.iupui.edu/701.html

Beyond external assessment resources available to practitioners, another suggestion is reaching out to staff, that have experience with qualitative and quantitative research within your Division. Planning a series of internal assessment brownbag sessions would assist staff members whose direct role may not be assessment. Topics which could prove helpful include utilizing survey data, interpreting results, and conducting focus groups. Building partnerships with the College of Education faculty and Institutional Research would be advantageous.

Authors: Dr. Sharon Karackattu, Director, and Jason F. Simon, M. Ed., Graduate Assistant Planning and Assessment Office in Student Development, University of North Texas

Question: What other resources would you suggest to improve assessment activities?

Week 1 - History of Student Affairs Assessment

Assessment in Student Affairs has come a long way from satisfaction surveys and activity/program evaluations in the last 10-15 years. We in Student Affairs also rely less on our corporate wisdom of what students need and look to hard data and listen to our students’ voices. According to El-Khawas (1995), in the early 1980’s only a small number of campuses were assessing educational programs. In large part both academics and student affairs have increased assessment and evaluation activities due to pressure from outside entities such as federal and state governments, governing boards, parents, students and the general public (Upcraft and Schuh, 1996).

Ten years ago when we established our Assessment Office in our Student Development Division, there were very few student affairs assessment offices across the United States. Two Texas institutions, Texas State University and Texas A&M, were the first in the state to set the pace for the rest of us. At that time research on students and any surveys for student affairs departments were handled by institutional research offices and academic departments. A good example of this is the Cooperative Institutional Research Project (CIRP) surveys that have been administered for over 40 years by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.

Today student affairs professionals are more likely to be familiar with comprehensive assessment plans using both qualitative and quantitative data to make informed decisions. With the publication of Learning Reconsidered (NASPA, ACPA, etc.), we are focusing on student learning outcomes.

References:

ACPA, NASPA. Learning Reconsidered. Washington, DC: NASPA, ACPA, 2004.
El-Khawas, E. Campus Trends, 1995. 
Higher Education Panel Report No. 85. Washington, DC: American Council on Education, 1995
Upcraft, M.L. &; Schuh, J.H. Assessment in Student Affairs: A Guide for Practitioners. San
Francisco: Jossey- Bass, 1996.

Blog Author - Dr. Jan Hillman, Executive Director, Planning and Advancement for Student Development University of North Texas

Processing Question: What structure does your student affairs division use to

direct assessment activities?

September's Focus: Assessment in Student Affairs (Weeks 1-5)

Readers,

Welcome to a new school year! This month, we are very fortunate to have guest bloggers from the Office of Planning and Advancement for Student Development at the University of North Texas. Our guest bloggers are:

Dr. Jan Hillman, Executive Director, Planning and Advancement for Student Development

Dr. Sharon Karackattu, Director, Planning and Advancement for Student Development

Mr. Jason F. Simon, M.Ed., Graduate Assistant, Office of Planning and Advancement for Student Development

The TACUSPA blog will feature weekly posts from our guest bloggers on the topic of "Assessment in Student Affairs". This month's posts will focus on the following topics:

Week 1 - History of Student Affairs Assessment
Week 2 - Student Affairs Practitioners as Assessment Practitioners
Week 3 - Two Innovative Assessment Programs in Student Affairs
Week 4 - Future Implications for Student Affairs Assessment
Week 5 - Tapping Non-Users for 360 Degree Evaluation

*Each post will feature PROCESSING QUESTIONS. Please respond to these processing questions. We want to have YOUR take on the subject!

Millennial College Students (Week 5) - Millennial Generation Tweets

Several tweets about the millennial generation appear daily on twitter.com. Here are some of the most current tweets:

Millennial College Students (Week 4) - Videos on Millennial College Students

This week is focused on videos pertaining to millennial college students on youtube.com. These are some videos produced by a Communication Class at Penn State University. What are your reactions to the videos?







.

Millennial College Students (Week 3) - Presentations on Millennial College Students

On slideshare.com, we found several scholarly presentations focused on millennial college students. We sorted through the presentations and thought the following were the most noteworthy:

Using Social Media to Connect Parents with Millennials on College Campuses

View more documents from John Della Volpe.

How to Recruit Students using New Media Outlets

View more documents from Brad Ward.

You can use Facebook for that? Research-supported strategies to engage your students.

View more documents from Rey Junco.

What are your reactions? Do you think these are true depictions of millennial college students on your campus?

Millennial College Students (Week 2) - Books on Millennial College Students

Hello Readers!

We are trying something new this month. The first week of each topic, we will introduce several books on the topic. At least one person from the GEAR Commission has read a book from the book shelf below. Please feel free to ask us questions! :)

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

August 2009 - Millennial College Students (Weeks 1-5)

The August 2009 blog topic is focused on "millennial college students". This month we will utilize slideshare.com and youtube.com to examine this month's topic. Both of these websites are utilized in college classrooms and during professional conferences, but how can we use such websites in student affairs?

Here is a clip about the millennial generation:

Professional Development Resources (Week 4): Tweets on Student Affairs/Higher Education

For those web-savvy student affairs graduate students/practioners/administrators/faculty, try twitter! Twitter gives users second-to-second updates of 140 characters or less on their friends' updates and/or current issues.

A quick search for "student affairs" resulted in over 200 daily results. Look at the current results in the window below:

Do any of you use twitter?

Professional Development Resources (Week 3): Low-Cost/No-Cost Alternatives

The current state of the economy is causing many universities and colleges to decrease travel budgets. As a result, many graduate students and student affairs practitioners think their professional development opportunities are over! However, this is not the case! Here are some low-cost, no-cost ideas for professional development at the university/state level.

Create an Institution-Based Conference 

Every institution of higher education has an incredible resource...their personnel! Everyone has something to contribute - graduate students, entry-level/mid-level/senior personnel, faculty, and chief student affairs officers! Utilize your resources to create a half-day/full-day conference for your student services department. This is also an opportunity for participants to build their resumes and improve their presentation skills.

Do Not Order Books - Borrow Them for Free! 

If you found a great book on higher education/student affairs, do not order it! Check it out from your college or university library. If the library does not have the publication, ask them to order it or request the item through interlibrary loan. If a local library has the item, request a TexShare card through your university library. This card enables users to check out five or more books from almost any community or higher education library in Texas.

Attend the Fall TACUSPA Conference 

You do not have to attend NASPA or ACPA to gain access to great speakers and researchers. As TACUSPA members, you have low-cost access to the annual TACUSPA conference. For $250.00 or less, your registration fee covers almost all conference meals, great speakers, wonderful networking opportunities, and access to higher education researchers (i.e. - George Kuh, Laura L. Rendon, etc.). In fact, here is the 2009 schedule - http://academics.utep.edu/Default.aspx?tabid=60276. Try the TACUSPA conference!

Sponsor a Lunch and Learn Opportunity (A Webinar)

Usually held at lunch or in the afternoon, these webinars provide attendees with power point slides before the presentation date. Attendees can usually ask questions via a chat window or by calling into a central number. Here are some upcoming opportunities:

• ACPA Webinars - http://www.myacpa.org/pd/webinars/
• ACUHO-I - http://www.acuho-i.org/Default.aspx?tabid=643
• National Center for Higher Education Risk Management - http://www.ncherm.org/webinars.html
• National Survey of Student Engagement - http://nsse.iub.edu/webinars/TuesdaysWithNSSE.cfm (2009)
  
• National Survey of Student Engagement - http://nsse.iub.edu/webinars/schedule.cfm (2010)
• Paper Clip Communications - http://www.paper-clip.com/ME2/Default.asp
• Student Voice - http://www.studentvoice.com/app/training
  

*Sometimes the sponsoring organizations post free recordings or documents after the webinar.



If you have any additional ideas for low-cost or non-cost professional development alternatives, please post the ideas in the comment section below!

The Graduate Education and Research Committee

Professional Development Resources (Week 2): The Student Affairs Collaborative Blog & Forum

The Student Affairs Collaborative is an interesting website that enables readers to interact with over 17 authors in the student affairs field. Equipped with polls and a discussion board, this website focuses on interactivity between bloggers and readers. Some of the posts are:


"programming idea" pieces (i.e. - Old Prom Dress Drive - Student Activites Event Idea, Sexual Responsibility Week - Student Activites Event Idea, Random Acts of Kindness Week on College Campuses Feb 11th - 17th),  

others are "news updates" (Integrating Public Service into the College Experience, Student Affairs and Campus Crises- A View from New Orleans)

and others are "how to" pieces" (Higher Tweducation, Pre-order Your School's Unique Facebook Username).


Explore the website and post your opinion on the TACUSPA blog! 


The Graduate Education and Research Committee

July 2009 - Student Affairs: Professional Development Resources (Weeks 1-4)

This month, we will highlight several professional development resources for student affairs practitioners and graduate students. Despite having a meager travel budget, student affairs practitioners and graduate students can utilize the internet as a professional development resource. Stay tuned!


The Graduate Education and Research Commission

Higher Education Law (Week 5): 14th Annual Texas Higher Education Law Conference (March 29-30, 2010)

If you are interested in higher education law on the state level, please make plans to attend the upcoming Texas-based higher education law conference.

The University of North Texas College of Education and Center for Higher Education (main sponsor) and co-sponsors TACUSPA, ICUT, and TACC will hold their 14th annual Texas Higher Education Law Conference on March 29-30, 2010 in Denton, TX. This conference will focus on on issues ranging from the student loan crisis and ethical issues in higher education to "search and seizure and privacy rights of students" to "facebook and electronic social media".

The agenda for the conference is available here - http://www.unt.edu/administration/2010_Conference_Agenda.pdf.

The registration form for the conference is available here - http://www.peopleware.net/index.cfm?siteCode=2694&eventDisp=ADMIN10&CFID=27756902&CFTOKEN=267e06-4d02221d-27c9-4ed2-8b74-205e2a62726e.

For more information, please contact Richard Fossey (UNT Center for Higher Education) via email Richard.Fossey@unt.edu or via telephone (940) 565-2514.

Higher Education Law (Week 4): National Higher Education Law Issues

Stetson University's School of Law sponsors their annual National Conference on Law and Higher Education every spring semester. This conference focuses on topics ranging from the impact of immigration law on higher education to FERPA updates.  Conference archives from 2009 are published here - http://www.law.stetson.edu/tmpl/academics/edlaw/internal-1-sub.aspx?id=7325.

Papers of interest to TACUSPA members include:

• Litigation and Insurance Trends (1 paper)
  
• The Continuing Quest for Equality in Sexual Orientation and Identity:
  GLBTQ Issues for Today’s Campuses (13 papers)
  
• The Intersection of Disability and Discipline (3 papers)
  
• Higher Education on ICE: Special Issues in Immigration Law (6 papers)
  
• FERPA Updates (5 papers)
  
• “Generation Me”: Students — and Their Parents — in the Modern University (4 papers)
  
• Emerging Best Practices in Campus Risk Management (1 paper)
  
• Face the Music: The Law and Policy of File Sharing (7 papers)
  
• Millennial Challenges: Alcohol, Prescription and Illicit Drugs, and Other Risks (3 papers)
  
• That’s My Room! Balancing Privacy, the 4th Amendment, and Safety Responsibilities in Residence Halls (3 papers)
  
• Higher Education Act – Short-Term and Long-Term Impacts (1 paper)
• Law and Policy Issues Associated with Service Learning Programs (1 paper)

 

For information on the 2010 National Conference on Law and Higher Education, please access the following link - http://www.law.stetson.edu/tmpl/academics/helps/conf/conf.aspx?id=7744&ekmensel=78e6e020_152_0_7744_2.

Higher Education Law (Week 3): Higher Education Law - Books

Most masters and doctoral programs focused on student affairs/higher education require a higher education law course. However, if someone is interested in the field but is not currently enrolled in graduate school, they could purchase (or request through their library's interlibrary loan system) one of the following higher education law books.

 

The Law of Higher Education by William A. Kaplin and Barbara A. Lee (Paperback - Jul 20, 2007) - Student Edition

The Law And Higher Education: Cases And Materials on Colleges in Court Third Edition by Michael A. Olivas (Hardcover - April 30, 2006)

Contemporary Issues in Higher Education Law by Joseph Beckham and David Dagley (Paperback - Jul 31, 2005)

Higher Education Law: The Faculty by Steven G. Poskanzer (Paperback - Dec 20, 2001)

Higher Education and the Law, Cases and Materials (University Casebook Series) by Judith C. Areen (Hardcover - Dec 19, 2008)

A Legal Guide for Student Affairs Professionals: Adapted from The Law of Higher Education (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series) by William A. Kaplin and Barbara A. Lee (Hardcover - May 9, 1997)

*These books are not listed in any particular order. This list of books was gathered from a series of Amazon.com and BN.com searches. 

Higher Education Law (Week 2): Texas Higher Education Law

Student affairs practitioners and higher education faculty who are interested in Texas higher education law should should access the following links:

• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: Key Recommendations for the 81 Texas Legislature - http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/PDF/1683.PDF?CFID=4792781&CFTOKEN=14382716 

• Texas House of Representatives: Archived Broadcasts of Live Coverage (Higher Education) http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/broadcasts.php?session=81&committeeCode=290 

• Texas Senate: Video/Audio Archives (Committee on Education) http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/commit/c530/c530.htm 

• Texas Legislature Online: House Committee Meetings (Hearing Notices, Minutes, Witness List) http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Committees/MeetingsByCmte.aspx?Leg=81&Chamber=H&CmteCode=C290 

• Texas Legislature Online: Bills By Committee (In Committee & Bills Out-of-Committee) http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Reports/Report.aspx?ID=committee&LegSess=81R&Code=C560

June 2009 - Higher Education Law (Weeks 1-5)

This month's blog topic is focused on higher education law. Specifically, the TACUSPA blog will focus on various higher education law resources that are available to readers for free on the internet.


Specifically, we will focus on recent higher education law conference proceedings, higher education law books, annual Texas Higher Education Law Conference, and the latest Texas higher education legislation (in committee and out-of-committee).


Sincerely,



The TACUSPA Graduate Education and Research Commission

Mental Health Month: The JED Foundation

As a part of Mental Health Month, our Graduate Education and Research Commission would like to highlight the JED Foundation. This foundation focuses on the prevention of suicide and reducing emotional distress among college students. The JED Foundation estimates that slightly over 1,000 college students will commit suicide each year and one in 10 college students has considered committing suicide (JED Foundation website, 2009).

Disability Services: College Students with Physical and/or Mental Disabilities - A Brief History

An increasing amount of high school students with physical and mental disabilities are entering America's colleges and universities (U.S. Department of Education, 2007). This increase is partly due to changes in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which include accessibility, the work of disability groups, increased media coverage, and political support (Hirschhorn, 1992). Unfortunately, These college students encounter physical and attitiudinal barriers in the higher education environment (Paul, 2000). Student affairs administrators have a wonderful opportunity to help these students make a successful transition from high school to college.

Almost as meaningful as the transition into to the college environment is the transition out of the college environment to the workplace. During the past few years, college and career services centers worked together to create opportunities for college seniors with disabilities to seek employment. Last February, the NEC Foundation sponsored the first virtual job fair for Texas college students with disabilities - http://www.necfoundation.org/news/news_show.htm?doc_id=838808.

QUESTION - It seems that most campuses have an disability services office that is either housed in student affairs or academic affairs. Should all campus offices become focused on students with disabilties to make this a campus-wide effort? Why or why not?

References

Hirschhorn, B. E. (1992). The relationship among school accessibility, student locus of control and the satisfaction of New York City high school wheelchair users. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, New York University.

Paul, S. (2000, June). Students with disabilities in higher education: A review of the literature. College Student Journal, 34(2), 200. Retrieved May 9, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database.

U.S. Department of Education. (2007). Students with disabilities preparing for postsecondary education: Know your rights and responsibilities. Washington, DC: Office for Civil Rights. Retrieved May 9, 2009, from http://www.ed.gov/ocr/transition.html

Join the TACUSPA Blog Team!

Join the TACUSPA blog team! The Graduate Education and Research Committee is searching for a few good "blog contributors". These blog contributors are responsible for contributing five posts on one of the subjects listed below:

October 2009 - Diversity in Higher Education
November 2009 - Career Services
December 2009 - Celebrating Our Successes: Highlighting Innovative Programs in Student Affairs
January 2010 - Volunteer Programs
February 2010 - Judicial Affairs
March 2010 - Community Colleges
April 2010 - Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)/Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs)
May 2010 - Disability Services
June 2010 - Higher Education Law
July 2010 - Student Affairs: Professional Development
August 2010 - The Millennial College Student
September 2010 - Assessment in Student Affairs

The five posts on the blog contributor's selected subject should be at least one paragraph and should address the following:

Post 1 - The history of the subject.
Post 2 - The current status of the subject.
Post 3 - The future implications of the subject.
Post 4 - Innovative programs that address the subject.
Post 5 - "Blog Contributor's Pick"

If you are interested in serving as a "blog contributor", please contact Jennifer Edwards at jtedwards@tarleton.edu or jennifertedwards@gmail.com. In your e-mail, please include your selected subject.

***Blog contributors can submit their posts via e-mail or through blogger (after they are added as a contributor). The five posts must be received at least 15 days before your specified month begins. In addition, your posts can be submitted before the deadline at anytime (i.e. - during the summer, etc.).

We look forward to having some wonderful posts from our "blog contributors"! Please submit your selected subject(s) soon!

Drs. Jennifer Edwards and Sandi Osters
Graduate Education and Research Committee Co-Chairs

Fall 2009 TACUSPA Conference - "Bright Horizons: Future Trends in Higher Education"

The Fall 2009 TACUSPA Conference,
"Bright Horizons: Future Trends in Higher Education" will be held October 4-6, 2009 at the Hilton Garden Inn (located on the University of Texas El Paso campus) in El Paso, TX. For more information, please contact the conference chair, Dr. Gary Edens at gedens@utep.edu or call 915-747-7471.

Please look forward to wonderful speakers and networking with colleagues.

Spring Break 2009: Keeping Our Students Safe

Many of our college students will head to Spring Break destinations over the next few weeks. In the meantime, colleges and universities across the nation will sponsor "Safe Spring Break" programming.

This educational programming usually features activities focused on the dangers of drinking and driving and the importance of staying healthy during their week away from school (BACCHUS). However, this year's Safe Spring Break programming may feature some special activities on "Staying Safe in Mexico". Recently, U.S. Department of State issued a press release titled,"International Travel Safety Information for American Students". This press release urges college students to remain cautious while traveling abroad during spring break. U.S. Department of State also encourages students to register their foreign travel on their website at https://travelregistration.state.gov.

This press release includes the following statement, "Each year, more than 2,500 American citizens are arrested abroad - about half on narcotics charges, including possession of very small amounts of illegal substances. Alcohol also can cause trouble for U.S. citizens traveling abroad. Students have been arrested for being intoxicated in public areas, for underage drinking, and for driving under the influence of alcohol. Some people are victimized because they are unaware of the laws, customs, or standards of the countries they visit."

What is your college or university planning for "Safe Spring Break"?

What Does 2009 Have in Store For Texas Higher Education?

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities recently issued a higher education policy brief. This brief titled, "Top 10 State Policy Issues for Higher Education in 2009", offers the most prominent issues that states are likely to encounter this year (based on past trends). Here are the following issues:

1. States' Fiscal Crises
2. Tuition Prices and Tuition Policy
3. State Student Grant Aid Programs
4. Enrollment Capacity
5. Implementation of Higher Education Opportunity Act
6. The Incoming Obama Administration
7. College Readiness
8. Veterans' Education
9. Undocumented Students
10. Sustainability

To further explore these issues, please access the following report - "Top 10 State Policy Issues for Higher Education in 2009".

The Recession and College Campuses

Recently, NPR posted an audio file titled, "Recession Hits College Campuses". This file features an interview with Ronald Liebowitz, president of Middlebury College in Vermont.

What are your thoughts about the economic recession and its impact on college campuses?

A List of Student Affairs-Based Journals

A List of Student Affairs Journals

 Here is a list of student affairs journals and links to the publishers' websites.

American Educational Research Journal (American Educational Research Association)

Career Development Quarterly

College and University Student Housing  

College Student Affairs Journal

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis

Educational Researcher

Journal of Career Development

Journal of College and University Law

Journal of College Counseling (American College Counseling Association)

Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics

Journal of Student Affairs (Colorado State University)

Journal of College Counseling

Journal of College Orientation and Transition  

Journal of College Student Development 

Journal of College Student Retention

Journal of Higher Education 

NACADA Journal (National Academic Advising Association) 

NASPA Journal (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) 

National Association of Student Affairs Professionals Journal

Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity Advisors

Review of Educational Research
Review of Research in Education

Student Affairs Online Journal