University Student Affairs Staff and Their Spiritual Discussions with Students

University student affairs professionals are in a unique position to provide outlets for students to grapple with spirituality issues outside the formal classroom setting. But, how do their feelings about spirituality affect their interactions with students? The purpose of this research is to examine how student affairs professionals' comfort level with spirituality affects their interactions with students. Based on interviews with 70 student affairs professionals, this study identifies a range of ways spiritual discussions may occur. KEYWORDS: conversationsdiscussionshigher educationstudent affairs Notes L. Stamm, “Can We Bring Spirituality Back to Campus? Higher Education's Re-engagement with Values and Spirituality,” Journal of College and Character 4, no. 5 (2003): 1–11. P. Love and D. Talbot, “Defining Spiritual Development: A Missing Consideration for Student Affairs,” NASPA Journal 37, no. 1 (1999): 361–375. L. Temkins and N. J. Evans, “Religion on Campus: Suggestions for Cooperation Between Student Affairs and Campus-based Religious Organizations,” NASPA Journal 36, no. 1 (1998): 61–69. Stamm, L. “Can We Bring Spirituality Back to Campus? Higher Education's Re-engagement with values and spirituality,” Journal of College and Character 4, no. 5 (2003): 1–11. C. D. Moran and G. D. Curtis, “Blending Two Worlds: Religio-spirituality in the Professional Lives of Student Affairs Administrators,” NASPA Journal 41, no. 3 (2004): 631–646. J. L. Rogers and P. Love, “Graduate Student Constructions of Spirituality in Preparation Programs,” Journal of College Student Development 48, no. 6 (2007): 689–705. Retrieved on 4/14/08 from http://www.collegevalues.org/articles.cfm?a=1&id=1075 Higher Education Research Institute, The Spiritual Life of College Students: A National Study of College Students' Search for Meaning and Purpose (UCLA: HERI, 2005b). Moran, C. D., & Curtis, G. D. “Blending Two Worlds: Religio-spirituality in the Professional Lives of Student Affairs Administrators,” NASPA Journal 41, no. 3 (2004): 631–646. Ibid. A. Astin, “Why Spirituality Deserves a Central Place in Liberal Education,” Liberal Education (2004): 34–41. Higher Education Research Institute, Spirituality and the Professoriate: A National Study of Faculty Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors (UCLA: HERI, 2005a). American Council on Education, “Student Personnel Point of View,” Points of View (1937): 17–35. J. Capeheart-Meningall, “Role of Spirituality and Spiritual Development in Student Life Outside the Classroom,” New Directions for Teaching and Learning 104 (Winter 2005): 31–36. Tempkin, L. & Evans, N. J. “Religion on Campus: Suggestions for Cooperation Between Student Affairs and Campus-based Religious Organizations,” NASPA Journal 35, no. 1 (Fall 1998): 61–69. K. E. Allen and G. E. Kellom, “The Role of Spirituality in Student Affairs and Staff Development,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 47–55; Love, P. & Talbot, D. “Defining Spiritual Development: A Missing Consideration for Student Affairs,” NASPA Journal 37, no. 1 (Fall 1999): 361–375. P. G. Love, “Spirituality and Student Development: Theoretical Connections,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 7–16. A. Chickering, “Strengthening Spirituality and Civic Engagement in Higher Education,” Journal of College & Character 8, no. 1 (November 2006): 1–5. Ibid., 3. Ibid., 4. Rogers, J. L. & Love, P. “Graduate Student Constructions of Spirituality in Preparation Programs,” Journal of College Student Development 48, no. 6 (2007): 689–705; Allen, K.E. & Kellom, G.E. “The Role of Spirituality in Student Affairs and Staff Development,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 47–55; Love, P. & Talbot, D. “Defining Spiritual Development: Theoretical Connections,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 1999): 7–16. C. C. Strange, “Spiritual Dimensions of Graduate Preparation in Student Affairs,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 57–67. Rogers, J. L. & Love, P. “Graduate Student Constructions of Spirituality in Preparation Programs,” Journal of College Student Development 48, no. 6 (2007): 689–705. Moran, C. D. & Curtis, G. D. “Blending Two Worlds: Religio-spirituality in the Professional Lives of Student Affairs Administrators,” NASPA Journal 41, no. 3 (2004): 631–646. L. Jones, “What Does Spirituality in Education Mean? Stumbling Towards Wholeness,” Journal of College & Character 6, no. 7 (2005): 1–7. Moran, C. D. & Curtis, G. D. “Blending Two Worlds: Religio-spirituality in the Professional Lives of Student Affairs Administrators,” NASPA Journal 41, no. 3 (2004): 631–646. J. Dalton, “The Place of Spirituality in the Mission and Work of College Student Affairs,” in Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education, ed. Arthur W. Chickering, Jon C. Dalton, and Liesa Stamm (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006). S. D. Parks, Big Questions Worthy Dreams: Mentoring Young Adults in Their Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Faith (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000); Love, P. G. “Spirituality and Student Development: Theoretical Connections,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 7–16. Tempkins, L. & Evans, N. J. “Religion on Campus: Suggestions for Cooperation Between Student Affairs and Campus-based Religious Organizations,” NASPA Journal 36, no. 1 (Fall 1998): 61–69. Love, P. G. “Spirituality and Student Development: Theoretical Connections,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 7–16. Ibid., 15. J. W. Lowery, “What Higher Education Law Says About Spirituality,” New Directions for Teaching and Learning 104 (Winter 2005): 15–22. Dalton, J. “The Place of Spirituality in the Mission and Work of College Student Affairs.” In Chickering, A. W., Dalton, J. C., & Stamm, L (Eds). Encouraging Authenticity and Spirituality in Higher Education (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2006). Stamm, L. “Can We Bring Spirituality Back to Campus? Higher Education's Re-engagement with Values and Spirituality,” Journal of College and Character 4, no. 5 (2003): 1–11. Ibid. C. Marshall and G. B. Rossman, Designing Qualitative Research (Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1989). Ibid. R. C. Bogdan and S. K. Biklen, Qualitative Research for Education: An Introduction to Theory and Methods (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998). Love, P. & Talbot, D. “Defining Spiritual Development: A Missing Consideration in Student Affairs,” NASPA Journal 37, no. 1 (Fall 1999): 361–375; Love, P. G. “Spirituality and Student Development: Theoretical connections,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 7–16. Moran, C. D., & Curtis, G. D. “Blending Two Worlds: Religio-spirituality in the Professional Lives of Student Affairs Administrators,” NASPA Journal 41, no. 3 (2004): 631–646; Jones, L. “What Does Spirituality in Education Mean? Stumbling Towards Wholeness,” Journal of College & Character 6, no. 7 (2005): 1–7. Allen, K. E. & Kellom, G. E. “The Role of Spirituality in Student Affairs and Staff Development,” New Directions for Student Services 95 (Fall 2001): 47–55. Additional informationNotes on contributorsJill A. Burchell Jill A. Burchell, M.A., Coordinator of Sustainability Education in Residence Life at the University of Arizona. Her interests include sustainability education, the complex relationship between sustainability and social justice, as well as spiritual learning/interactions with students. Jenny J. Lee Jenny J. Lee, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Arizona. Her research encompasses a range of key higher education issues that center on the role of individual and collective consciousness in shaping the culture and ultimately the practices of higher institutions and its students. Dr. Lee has also examined student engagement with their learning outside the immediate classroom, such as in service learning and outreach, activism, collective bargaining, and religious and spiritual pursuits. Sara M. Olson Sara M. Olson, M.A., is a Residence Life professional at Northern Arizona University. Sara is interested in diversity and social justice education as well as the out of class experience of college juniors and seniors.