Advanced and Emerging Topics in Student Development: What's New in Theory and Practice?
Instructor: Dr. Jason Laker
CLOSED
Course Overview:
This course is designed for professionals working in a Student Affairs context, who are interested in knowing about some of the new and emerging issues, literature, and debates associated with the Field. Material will include promising new research and practice relating to specific student populations; current and emerging political and professional issues and potential responses; and interesting new approaches being undertaken on campuses (e.g. Student Affairs/Academic Affairs collaborations; Assessment; Student Learning approaches; Community-Based and other Leadership and Civic Engagement programs). Enrollees will be encouraged to take ownership for, and to actively plan their own professional development goals.
Course Outline:
This is a no-pressure three-week course encouraging approximately 3-5 hours of study each week. During the first week, students will become acquainted with each other and review new literature about at-risk and disadvantaged student sub-populations with a view to engaging them and promoting successful outcomes. The role of, and implications for their advantaged peers will be considered. Week two will focus on politics and relations among and between students, staff, and faculty, with an emphasis on implications for Student Affairs. During week three, specific hopeful case examples of programs, services, and approaches will be examined, with a view to enhancing enrollees' analytical and planning skills. The course will conclude with a planning exercise for individual professional development and career advancement goals.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
A basic understanding of new literature relating to student sub-populations who are being marginalized or excluded in higher education.
A basic understanding of newer thinking about the relationship between marginalized and advantaged student populations.
A basic command of the issues relating to campus politics within and between student, staff, and faculty groups; and some ideas for navigating these successfully.
A basic understanding of several examples of inventive programs and services being undertaken on college campuses, based on contemporary literature.
An opportunity, and encouragement to plan for professional development and advancement.
Instructor Bio: Dr. Jason Laker is the Chief Student Affairs Officer at Queen's University, a national research university of 20,000 students located in Kingston, Ontario Canada-having moved from the U.S.
to take up the post in 2006. He also teaches in Women's Studies and is an Affiliated Faculty member in Cultural Studies.
Previously, he was the Dean of Campus Life and Instructor in Gender and Women's Studies at St. John's University in Minnesota. He also taught undergraduate general and honors courses about community engagement, gender, race,
and ethnicity and graduate-level courses in the Student Development graduate program at Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) - and is a recipient of SCSU's Honors Teacher of the Year award by vote of students.
He holds a Ph.D. from the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona, an M.A. in Community Counseling from Adams State College (Colorado), and a B.S. in Organizational Communication from Central Michigan University. His dissertation, which received the ASJA Dissertation-of-the-Year award and the ACPA Standing Committee for Men Research Award, related to the socialization of Student Affairs professionals and their perceptions of male students. He has presented over 100 sessions and/or keynote talks at international, national, regional, and local professional conferences. In June 2007, Jason began service as the Scholar-Practitioner in Residence for NASPA's Men & Masculinities Knowledge Community. He has also held consulting engagements at several universities, providing training and presentations about various aspects of students' experiences and issues.
