February 1, 2008

Student Affairs Leader - February 1, 2008 - Full Issue PDF
…

Observe, Report, Serve, Protect, Enforce, Apprehend – Or All of These?
By Ralph Hatley
The mission of the campus protective agency can include the following: observe, report, serve, protect, enforce, apprehend, or all of these. Historically, most institutions that enroll less than 15,000 students have determined that their campus agencies should serve them (accesses, flat tires, etc.) and protect them (patrols, escorts, preventive acts), but should not enforce or apprehend violators – especially if the violator is a campus community member.

News Capsules
Inside Higher Eddid an analysis of National Collegiate Athletic Association graduation rates and found that scholarship athletes make up at least 20 percent of the full-time black male undergraduates at 96 of the nearly 330 colleges that play sports in Division I, the NCAA’s top competitive level. The article, titled “Diversifying Through Football,” notes that some campus administrators say they recognize the possibility that having a large number of their black males students be athletes can diminish the experience for black students, especially if the athletes aren’t integrated into campus life. If your campus has found a better way to attract a diverse student body, please write to us: Catherine.stover@magnapubs.com/.

Setting a Policy for Hosting Political Candidates
By Dennis R. Black
As we head into the election year, our campus will again become a sought-after location for all types of political speakers. We really don’t have any policies; we evaluate requests and say “yes” or “no.” There have been controversies over campus speakers and speech policies. What’s new?

The Campus Sustainability Movement Is Growing - An Interview with Debra Rowe
We hear about the concept of “sustainability” nearly every day, though we all may be operating on different basic assumptions about what that concept means.

How Should We Handle Helicopter Parents?
On our campus, we are debating how we should manage “helicopter parents.” Some believe that parents are important allies who need to be “brought into the fold.” Others believe that these parents should be discouraged from interfering with their students’ development. We can’t seem to move beyond this debate and set a policy on parents.