Influence of Alternative Break Program Participation on College Students\u27 Development of

Although an ample amount of research on college students\u27 moral reasoning exists, little has been written about the degree to which participation in community service and alternative break programs results in growth of moral reasoning. This study investigated the extent to which participation in alternative break programs resulted in the development of college students\u27 moral reasoning. Results of pre- and post-Defining Issues Tests showed statistically significant differences between males and females and between White and non-White students. Implications regarding the influence of gender and ethnicity on alternative break programs outcomes and further research are discussed

Boyeristic Tendencies: A Look into the Life History of the Student Affairs Scholar-Practitioner

The purpose of this study was to provide more insight into the skills and support systems needed to encourage scholarship among student affairs practitioners. We used topical life history to examine the scholarly lives of eight student affairs practitioners. To guide that examination, we leveraged the questions posed by Jablonski et al. (2006) as our research questions: “What skills and knowledge [did] practitioners need to develop a scholarship agenda? and What support, coaching, and job modifications create[d] environments for practitioners to be successful” (p. 197). Participant life histories revealed a variety of direct and indirect influences, such as institutional context, mentorship, personal characteristics, and significant others on the participants\u27 work as student affairs practitioners. The findings highlighted the following as major influences on the professionals’ decision to engage and sustain scholarship: community, intrinsic motivation, and cultural change. What these findings also suggest is practitioners are willing and desirous to make an impact on the broader field through scholarly engagement; they just need support and compelling reasons to do so