EDHP 687: Student Development

Purpose of the Course

Administrative and teaching effectiveness in postsecondary education are largely dependent upon one's familiarity with and appreciation for the unique developmental needs of students. Student outcomes are more significantly enhanced when programs, services, and pedagogical techniques are designed by those who understand and intentionally apply appropriate theoretical frameworks to their work with and on behalf of students. Exposure to student development theory is essential in the academic preparation of postsecondary administrators and faculty, as students unarguably should be the primary focus of your current and/or future efforts in higher education. To this end, theories that have emerged from years of research on college students will be reviewed and discussed in this course, with the ultimate goal of inspiring class members to become more reflective and intentional facilitators of environments and experiences that offer healthy, constructive developmental opportunities to diverse groups of students on college and university campuses.

This course is designed to provide you with a basic understanding of college student development theory, which is viewed by many as the foundation of the student affairs profession. Specifically, four families of developmental theories will be explored: 1) psychosocial and identity, 2) cognitive-structural, 3) typology, and 4) person-environment /college impact. The theories will be discussed in terms of their foundations, constructs, and applicability to work in various functional areas of higher education. An important goal for college educators and administrators is to facilitate and enhance the growth and development of students. Understanding and applying student development theories will assist you in this quest. It should also be noted that this course provides an introduction to many different developmental theories and frameworks; none are covered exhaustively. However, each student will develop and demonstrate expertise on at least one developmental theory of her or his choice by the end of the course.

Course Information & Requirements

• Course Syllabus

Course-Specific Resources & Handouts

• Books and Movies for the Application Paper
• Resources for the Subgroup Presentations
• Using Human Sculpture to Teach Helms's Racial Identity Models
• Week 2 PowerPoint -- Psychosocial Developmental Models
• Week 3 PowerPoint -- Cognitive-Structural Theories
• Week 4 PowerPoint -- Typological Theories
• Week 5 PowerPoint -- Environmental & College Impact Theories

About the Program

• The Masters in Postsecondary Administration in Student Affairs (PASA) program at USC.