College Student Development

In this Issue: one theory of college student development and how families can understand the phases/changes our students go through as they strive for adulthood

This is a Daily Deac that I like to repeat every summer, and it is not just for the new parents and families. Today we are talking about the phases of college student development that students must go through as they move from dependence (on their parents/guardians) to independence (as fully functioning adults). This development process likely will take place during all 4 years of college for your Deacs.

There are a number of theories of college student identity development, but one that has been around a long time – and appears to stand the test of time – is Chickering and Reisser’s 7 Vectors. These are the phases (click to enlarge):

So how can families support their students as they go through these developmental stages?

First: be aware that this identity development is taking place, and that your students are learning – often through trial and error – how to grow into themselves. While every student will vary in terms of when and how they move through these stages, the earlier vectors might correspond to younger students, and the later ones to older students.

Second: give them space and freedom as they are on this journey. Example: they need practice in developing competence – so the more we help, the less they grow. This is where Stop, Drop, and Roll comes in 🙂 So if you ask me how to help your student with X and I encourage you to have your student do the work/make the call/schedule an appointment with Y staff memeber (rather than me give the answer to you to tell your student), understand that my goal is to help your student grow and give them what they need to take these developmental steps forward.

Third: recognize that as students become more mature, they might ask for your help less, and/or might choose not to follow the advice you give them. This is normal and part of the student development process, and is not a repudiation of your parenting or your values. Successfully moving towards adulthood means that students become more confident in their own decisions and don’t have to rely on the affirmation of family, friends, or others as they chart their course.

Fourth: love and accept them for who they are, in all senses of that word. An example: you don’t have to share their life’s purpose, but you can accept and affirm that their purpose is right for them.

That’s my very brief, high level interpretation of student development. But I hope it might be helpful in understanding some of the inner work your students are doing (even though they are not consciously aware of it!) and how you can best support them.