Currently, more students receive leadership education from student affairs offerings than academic leadership courses. Using two simultaneous Delphi panels, Group A-17 student affairs managers and Group B-20 student affairs preparatory program faculty members, this study sought to identify the characteristics of a student affairs leadership educator. While there was agreement (93.8%, n = 32) that student affairs practitioners are leadership educators, there was a disconnect between the two panels in how leadership education should be demonstrated within the context of student affairs. These findings support previous research that student affairs practitioners and preparatory program faculty disagree on the characteristics needed to be a successful student affairs practitioner and expands the impact of these findings into the area of leadership education. not have a systematic approach to follow for teaching or developing leadership (Northouse, 2019; Rosch,
Although leadership education typically is not explicitly incorporated into student affairs preparatory programs, student affairs practitioners are expected to facilitate the leadership development of their students. Thus, through two simultaneous Delphi panels, Group A: Student Affairs Practitioners (n=17) and Group B: Student Affairs Preparatory Program Faculty (n=20), this study explored the places or experiences where student affairs practitioners should learn and practice the professional competencies needed to be a student affairs leadership educator. Both expert panels agreed the graduate assistantship was the most important place to learn and practice how to be a leadership educator. Yet these findings demonstrate a gap between research and practice within student affairs preparatory programs. Four recommendations are provided to strengthen the professional preparation of student affairs practitioners as leadership educators.
Surveys of the attitudes of students, faculty, staff, and administrators consistently demonstrate that higher education is one of the leading sectors in recognizing the importance of the sustainability revolution. Yet, to date, its most important impact and visible gains have been on the nonacademic side of the house, in areas such as facilities, operations and maintenance, groundskeeping, purchasing, and food service. Lagging behind, but still robust, are developments in teaching and research in the newly emerging field of sustainability studies. At first blush, this seems like a counterintuitive irony or just another example of the residents of the ivory tower out of touch with the real world. Upon closer examination, it is not surprising.
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