College students and graduates have fond memories of campus events such as commencement, founder's days, convocations, and baccalaureate. These events, defined as rites of passage, secular ceremonies, or cultural performances, create a special feel to a campus remembered for years to come. Borrowing from interpretive anthropology, the author spotlights the following ideas: culture is revealed and forms of life are expressed through the actions and words of community members; human communities are dynamic, complex, and ever-changing environments revealed though analysis of cultural events; and commonplace rituals and ceremonies play a central role in the cultural work of human meaning. The purpose of the book is to explore campus culture as revealed through rituals and ceremonies.

While rituals are unique to each campus, this book discusses higher education ceremonies and traditions and offers explanations about the roles they play in building and maintaining campus culture. Dr. Manning combines educational research methodology, higher education and anthropological theory to vividly describe college rituals. In a readable fashion, case studies describing the rituals are interspersed between chapters discussing the theory of rituals. The cases include convocation, presidential inauguration, junior show, charter day, founder's birthday celebration, baccalaureate, and laurel chain and alumnae parade.

This volume of case studies, based on original qualitative research, has been written expressly for student affairs educators and administrators at the college and university level. Giving Voice to Critical Campus Issues addresses the complex issues of classism, student suicide, alcohol-related death, acquaintance rape, multiracial identity, and the self-development of young adults with alcoholic parents. Practitioners and faculty can use this crucial book to enrich their understanding of the deep complexities of campus life; and they will also find themselves more attuned to the often unheard and/or unacknowledged voices of young men and women who have both distinctive needs and dynamic potential. With introductory chapters describing the constructivist qualitative methodology that underlies each case study, this book will serve as an excellent text for graduate-level research classes. It will also be an outstanding resource for undergraduate leadership and residence life classes, and for training and seminars aimed at student affairs staff. Co-published with American College Personnel Association.

In the second edition of this influential book, leading scholars Kathleen Manning, Jillian Kinzie, and John H. Schuh advocate an original approach by presenting 11 models of student affairs practice, including both traditional and innovative programs. Based on a qualitative, multi-institutional research project, One Size Does Not Fit All explores a variety of policies, practices, and programs that contribute to increased student engagement, success, and learning. This book is a must read for all higher education administrators and student affairs professionals. New to this Revised Edition: Refinement of models in light of recent NSSE data and current developments in higher education, including budget cuts and the economic crisis, Updated information throughout about model assessment and techniques to renew divisions of student affairs, A deeper analysis of how models of student affairs practice relate to institutional mission and purposes, End-of-chapter discussion questions to guide thinking about ways to incorporate models in one's own context, An entirely new Part IV, including chapters on "Catalysts and Tools for Change" and "Redesigning Your Student Affairs Division."

Research in the College Context, 2nd Edition provides faculty, students, practitioners, and researchers in the college environment with a manual of diverse approaches and methods for researching higher education and college students. The text offers the reader a variety of qualitative and quantitative research tools including interviewing, surveys, mixed methods, focus groups, visual methods, participatory action research, policy analysis, document analysis and historical methods, secondary data analysis, and use of large national data sets. This revised edition provides readers with current and innovative methodological tools needed to research the complex issues facing higher education today. Each technique is thoroughly presented with accompanying examples, advice for designing research projects, and tips for data collection, analysis, and dissemination of results. Clearly organized and accessible, this volume is the essential guide for experienced and novice researchers.

In the second edition of this influential book, leading scholars Kathleen Manning, Jillian Kinzie, and John H. Schuh advocate an original approach by presenting 11 models of student affairs practice, including both traditional and innovative programs. Based on a qualitative, multi-institutional research project, One Size Does Not Fit All explores a variety of policies, practices, and programs that contribute to increased student engagement, success, and learning. This book is a must read for all higher education administrators and student affairs professionals. New to this Revised Edition: Refinement of models in light of recent NSSE data and current developments in higher education, including budget cuts and the economic crisis, Updated information throughout about model assessment and techniques to renew divisions of student affairs, A deeper analysis of how models of student affairs practice relate to institutional mission and purposes, End-of-chapter discussion questions to guide thinking about ways to incorporate models in one's own context, An entirely new Part IV, including chapters on "Catalysts and Tools for Change" and "Redesigning Your Student Affairs Division."

Research in the College Context, 2nd Edition provides faculty, students, practitioners, and researchers in the college environment with a manual of diverse approaches and methods for researching higher education and college students. The text offers the reader a variety of qualitative and quantitative research tools including interviewing, surveys, mixed methods, focus groups, visual methods, participatory action research, policy analysis, document analysis and historical methods, secondary data analysis, and use of large national data sets. This revised edition provides readers with current and innovative methodological tools needed to research the complex issues facing higher education today. Each technique is thoroughly presented with accompanying examples, advice for designing research projects, and tips for data collection, analysis, and dissemination of results. Clearly organized and accessible, this volume is the essential guide for experienced and novice researchers.