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Helping College Students: Developing Essential Support Skills for Student Affairs Practice

Amy L. Reynolds

3.58 · Rating details · 57 ratings · 6 reviews

There is a need for a book that fully examines the specific and unique awareness, knowledge, and skills that are necessary for student affairs and other practitioners to be effective and ethical in their helping, counseling, and advising roles. This book addresses the core assumptions and underlying beliefs that impact the helping, counseling, and advising roles and skills ...more

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Hardcover, 302 pages

Published December 3rd 2008 by Jossey-Bass

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Apr 16, 2019 James rated it liked it

A useful overview of why we need to consider student affairs staff and their educationally based engagement work as fundamentally helping, however at time it veers toward contradiction and oversimplification. The theory is vital and sound, but it is lessened in impact by some elements. For instance, it discusses the multicultural aspects of students, but then uses some ageist elements and terminology in applying a child status to all students, stating in the conclusion "Student affairs practitio A useful overview of why we need to consider student affairs staff and their educationally based engagement work as fundamentally helping, however at time it veers toward contradiction and oversimplification. The theory is vital and sound, but it is lessened in impact by some elements. For instance, it discusses the multicultural aspects of students, but then uses some ageist elements and terminology in applying a child status to all students, stating in the conclusion "Student affairs practitioners are typically quite visible and are often the first adult on campus that students turn to..." (p. 244). For a book that wishes to focus on relevant, modern, and engaging elements of student affairs, this idea that student affairs staff do not interact with students diverse in age and lived experiences is frustrating, as is the idea that college students are still completely divided from the adult world.

In using this book in a course I taught, I found there were layers of excellent overview, but these little "slights" made several of my students uncomfortable, asking how the book could apply to the student veteran population, the non-traditional population, and even retirees that they encounter who are returning to school. The overview of multiculturalism was brief and effective for many students' purposes, but when they encounter elements such as the aforementioned, it echoes against their experiences and thoughts that student affairs has a responsibility and a sense of pride in meeting students where they are, thus undermining some of the book's efforts. Class discussions veered into how many working class students had lived experiences that the author failed to consider in making such claims of the student as not an "adult." While this is but one example, and may feel minor, it is important also, as a helper, that student affairs staff speak back to elements of stereotype in studies and works such as this.

In the end, the book has a great value, especially in discussing the differentiation and importance of such in regard to counseling and helping and the vitality of student affairs in those endeavors, but for both seasoned and "newer" professionals, there seemed to be much that was also concerning as some elements seemed to apply a "standardized" if not stereotypical view in some aspects to what a college student looks like today on campus. I am glad I used the book, but in the future, upon reviewing it again for class, I find myself continually pulled back to this element that there is a sense of disconnect from the book's goal of "Developing Essential Support Skills for Student Affairs Practice" and the lived experience of many who are familiar with the modern student campus and the diverse socioeconomic origins, ages, service statuses, and so forth prevalent on campuses across America. The data is solid and the skills important, but should there be production of a newer edition, it could benefit from engagement and editing by a few more student affairs practitioners. ...more

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Jun 29, 2018 Christina Brandsma rated it liked it

Practical and helpful information. Some of the content felt overly simplified, but was generally research-based and useful.

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Mar 16, 2017 Russell rated it really liked it

This was a solid read with applicable techniques for every day interactions with students. A must read for anyone in student affairs.

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Jun 22, 2012 Dina rated it really liked it

Still reading this for graduate school, excellent book, with real life examples, wonderful reference for anyone working in higher education.

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Jan 23, 2017 Amy Ledin rated it really liked it

Great resource for new student affairs professionals.

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Mar 14, 2014 Kari Jo rated it liked it

Not bad. Was used as a text for a counseling class for students in the student affairs program. Most of what I read was already touched on in the intro class or through on the job experiences.

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