Problematize and Deconstruct: Alternative Approaches to Diverse College Student Development Theory

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Utilizing Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods for Critical Examination

Abstract

College student development theory has maintained a longstanding tradition among the ranks of higher education institutions. According to Evans, Forney, and Guido-DiBrito (1998),
From the paternalistic faculty authority figure who supervised Harvard students in 1636 to the contemporary student affairs professional who uses developmental theory to examine students’ human potential, student development has existed in some configuration, from cryptic to sophisticated, since the beginnings of American higher education. (p.3)
This presentation will explore the uses and misuses of traditional student development theory when applied to diverse college student populations. In addition, alternative theories and theoretical frameworks will be explored to provide new and contemporary ways of addressing developmental issues from a culturally relevant perspective.

Authors

• Fred Arthur Bonner, Prairie Vew A&M University

• Elsa M. Gonzalez, University of Houston

• Stella L. Smith, Prairie View A&M University

• Kamala Vychel Williams, Prairie View A&M University