Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education 

About: Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education is an academic journal. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Higher education & Student affairs. It has an ISSN identifier of 2378-5497. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 69 publications have been published receiving 279 citations.

Preparing Community College Leaders to Meet Tomorrow's Challenges

Abstract: Aim/Purpose This article reviews the leadership development literature and posits that a learning centered approach will best support the development of community college leaders. But, it is important to recognize that community colleges have differing needs due to size, location, and the communities they serve. Background American community colleges have received a great deal of attention over the last decade as institutions poised to contribute to the education of the workforce and to increase the number of citizens who possess a certificate or degree. Concurrently, community colleges also received attention due to the warnings about a pending presidential leadership crisis in the sector. As more and more sitting leaders retire, the demands of the job increase, and fewer individuals seek out top-level leadership positions, it is important to address how to develop community college leaders. Contribution The review of leadership development literature provides the backdrop for creating new programs to develop community college leaders. A multi-faceted approach is required in which succession planning occurs, graduate programs are revamped, and both individuals and organizations engage in the development of community college leaders. Findings It is important to recognize that community colleges have differing needs due to size, location, and the communities they serve. Graduate doctoral programs targeting community college leadership and national training programs can help prepare leaders, but they need curricular and program alignment targeting development of authentic leadership and ways to bridge theory with practice. Establishing succession planning can build a robust leadership pipeline that supports networked leadership and nurtures contextual competencies. Preparing Community College Leaders to Meet Tomorrow’s Challenges 128 Impact on Society Understanding better how to prepare leaders to face the challenges now facing community colleges requires questioning current practices and building different leadership development programs.

A Conceptual Model of Professional Socialization within Student Affairs Graduate Preparation Programs

Abstract: Prior research exploring professional socialization in student affairs has been grounded in models that do not fully capture the distinct features of the field. Moreover, these studies have primarily focused on the transition into full-time work positions, and they have captured what happens to new professionals rather than how individuals understand their socialization experiences. With these gaps in mind, this conceptual paper presents a new model of professional socialization in student affairs graduate preparation programs that draws upon literature in the helping professions (i.e., nursing, social work), research on doctoral students and pre-tenure faculty, and the theoretical frameworks of sensemaking and self-authorship to highlight the dynamic relationship between individuals and organizations during the socialization process. Specifically, this model attempts to illuminate the cognitive mechanisms that undergird how individuals interpret their professional socialization. In doing so, the model proposes different ways individuals may make sense of their student affairs graduate training experiences based on (a) whether or not they encounter discrepancies and (b) their developmental capacity for self-authorship. The conceptual model presented here has implications for shaping graduate level coursework and fieldwork within student affairs preparation programs.

Review of Laura I. Rendon's "Sentipensante (Seeing/Thinking) Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice, and Liberation." Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Abstract: In her book, Sentipensante (Sensing/Thinking) Pedagogy: Educating for Wholeness, Social Justice, and Liberation, author, educator, and Fetzer Institute Fellowship alumnus Laura I. Rendon lays the framework and provides the rationalization for the need for higher education professionals to embrace and integrate the concepts of “wholeness, consonance, social justice, and liberation” in teaching and learning.