This chapter reports on a qualitative study conducted in 2005 and 2009, describing the experiences of twelve senior student affairs officers at public universities as they managed significant budget reductions.

Designing buildings that incorporate and integrate a number of departments and functions is one way that colleges and universities are balancing financial challenges and facility needs. These buildings can transform the campus, but they require planning and coordination from a carefully assembled design team.

There are many who have supported and assisted me in this work, some in direct, tangible ways, and others made less tangible, but equally important contributions. My sincere thanks and appreciation to *the fifteen women student leaders who participated in the study, whose honesty, forthright attitude, and dedication made this study possible. *Daniel C. Robinson, whose guidance through this PhD program and the dissertation has been invaluable. •Elizabeth J. Whitt under whose instruction I learned and became committed to qualitative research methods. *John E. McRoberts, my brother-in-law and data base specialist, who spend countless hours developing the computer program and working out the bugs with me, over the telephone, in the wee hours of the morning. His motivation was the challenge and excitement of problem solving and helping me succeed. *my mother and father who supported me in all my endeavors and stressed the value of education. *my daughter Angela Sherwood, who kept asking "Why do you like the computer better than me?", during the eighteen months I worked on this project. *my husband, Robert Sherwood, who supported me financially and emotionally during the dissertation and PhD program, without fail. CHAPTER ONE OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY Higher education provides a myriad opportunities for the intellectual and personal development of students in and out of the classroom. One of the out-of-class experiences is leadership in student organizations and student government, providing a wealth of challenges and opportunities for students to practice their skills, learn more about their abilities, their social and ethical standards, and interact with faculty, staff, and peers. The more educators learn about student leadership in higher education, the better able they are to maximize the developmental outcomes of this out-of-class experience. Information about student leaders, what motivates them, and what they learn from the activity is invaluable to student affairs professionals, faculty, and the students themselves. In order to gather information about the characteristics and experiences of student leaders, this study focuses on female presidents of campus-wide, coeducational student organizations at large universities.