Debora L. Liddell

Development of Professional Identity Through Socialization in Graduate School

Abstract Professional identity is one outcome of successful socialization. The purpose of this study was to understand how socialization in graduate programs contributes to the development of professional identity for new professionals in student affairs. Via survey, we found significant relationships between program qualities, standards, activities, and experiences and measures of professional identity. Out-of-class experiences were perceived to have a stronger influence than in-class experiences. Implications for graduate preparation programs and supervisors are discussed.

Socialization to Student Affairs: Early Career Experiences Associated With Professional Identity Development

In this study, the authors propose and test a model of professional identity development among early career student affairs professionals. Using survey data from 173 new professionals (0–5 years of experience), factor analysis revealed 3 dimensions of professional identity: commitment, values congruence, and intellectual investment. Multivariate analyses found significant associations of age, master’s program characteristics, and influential people and experiences (e.g., interactions with professional colleagues and associations) with the dimensions of professional identity. Findings indicated key socialization experiences during and after graduate school were associated with the development of professional identity. The authors conclude with recommendations for practice and research.

Ethical Elders: Campus Role Models for Moral Development.

Dana is a graduate assistant in the second year of a masters program in student personnel. In a class discussion of assistantship issues, Dana reveals that he has decided not to enforce the universitys policy of “writing up” all underage students who are in a residence hall room where alcohol is present. He says that in his opinion the punitive nature of the policy, which imposes a

Professional identity, career commitment, and career entrenchment of midlevel student affairs professionals

200 fine, flies in the face of any opportunity for learning and drives the targeted behavior further underground. Dana says that the residence hall supervisors know about the decision and that they have discussed the possible ramifications and consequences. As an educator, what is your responsibility to both Dana and to others in the campus community? What are the obligations of others? The purpose of this article is to explore the layered dimensions of learning in the context of everyday ethical dilemmas and to examine the ways in which student affairs educators, classroom faculty, and institutional leaders can serve as ethical elders on campus. We believe that educators are obligated to serve as ethical role models, especially for students and younger colleagues who aspire to serve as educators themselves.

Finding the Good Life: How Positive Psychology Can HelpCollege Students to Discover and Utilize their PersonalStrengths and Virtues--An Interview with Matthew J.Bundick

The purposes of this study were to identify factors of midlevel student affairs administrators’ professional identity and to examine the association of those factors to career commitment, career entrenchment, and demographic characteristics. Principal axis factor analysis derived 3 dimensions of professional identity: career contentment, community connection, and values congruence with the profession. Regression analyses conducted on 377 survey responses revealed that 3 of 4 demographic characteristics, all 3 career commitment subscales, and all 3 career entrenchment subscales were significantly associated with at least 1 of the professional identity subscales. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Controversy, Conflict, and Moral Learning: An Interview with Michelle Tichy

Matthew Bundick is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in educational psychology, specializing in adolescent development, at Stanford University’s School of Education, and serves as a researcher in the Stanford Center on Adolescence. Prior to his doctoral studies, he took an undergraduate degree in psychology, and earned master’s degrees in social/personality psychology and higher education. He worked for a number of years as an academic advisor and career counselor at the University of Pittsburgh. Following completion of his doctorate, Matthew will serve as a postdoctoral fellow in the MacArthur Foundation’s Network on Transitions to Adulthood.

Service Learning and Expectations for Ethical Growth: An Interview with Brian Hoyt

Michelle Tichy is an applied social psychologist in the field of education. She earned her PhD in 2006 from the University of Minnesota in educational psychology with an emphasis in social psychology of education. She took a graduate minor in spirituality and healing. Currently an assistant professor of education at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, Dr. Tichy’s teaching and research are focused on early childhood education, the social psychology of human development, and holistic learning models. Holistic also describes her research, as she is actively engaged in work related to peace education, peace psychology, social Justice, feminist pedagogy, and cooperative learning. She recently presented this work at the annual meeting of the Association of Moral Education at New York University. Dr. Tichy was contacted about her work.

New Scholars, New Scholarship: Service Learning and Moral Judgment Spotlight on Jayne Donovan and Peggy Jenkins

About Brian Hoyt Brian Hoyt is associate professor of management at Ohio University in the department of management. He teaches management and marketing classes. Prior to entering the higher education work force, Brian was an executive in the manufacturing and distribution business sectors. He continues to consult with companies in a variety of industry sectors on strategic planning and training

Adventures in Creating a Culture of Integrity: Developing and Implementing an Honor Code

Column editor, Debora Liddell, University of Iowa. Jayne Donovan is a recent graduate from Hartwick College in Oneanta, New York. She became interested in studying moral judgment through her role as a mentor in a first year seminar ethics course. Peggy Jenkins is a Professor of Nursing at Hartwick College interested in investigating the effect of a variety of pedagogical strategies to promote learning and critical thinking in first year undergraduate students.

College students' vocational choice: Understanding the personal call to work. Spotlight on Rodger Narloch

Kathleen Crowley is currently Professor of Psychology at The College of Saint Rose. This interview focuses on her research.