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  • The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration, 3rd edition
  • Maureen E. Wilson
The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration, 3rd edition. (Sponsored by NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) George S. McClellan, Jeremy Stringer, and Associates. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2009, 671 pages, $75.00 (hardcover)

Now in its third edition, the Handbook of Student Affairs Administration is a “practical and informative resource for those interested in the student affairs profession” (p. xxi). Using a new organizational framework of professional practice, the book has six sections. Of the 31 chapters, 27 are updated from the second edition, one appeared in the first edition, and three are new. Two from the second edition were cut; some of that content was incorporated into other chapters.

Ten more than the second edition, 48 authors contribute to the third edition and 37 of them are new to the Handbook. Of the 11 who return from the second edition, some present an update on the same chapter while others take on new chapters. Half of the chapters have two or more authors. Although many familiar names from earlier editions are absent, the new line-up is a mix of prominent and rising scholars and practitioners from a diverse array of backgrounds and institutions.

Recognizing that student affairs work takes place “in a variety of economic, historic, political, and social contexts” (p. 1), the first section of the text is called “Contexts of Professional Practice.” In it, James Rhatigan, George Kuh, and John Schuh return with chapters on the history of student affairs administration, campus environments, and financial pressures, respectively. Joan Hirt writes the chapter on institutional mission, a topic on which she has written extensively. New [End Page 356] chapters on accountability by Sherry Mallory and Linda Clement and internationalization by Kenneth Osfield and Patricia Smith Terrell round out the first section. This is one of the two largest sections of the book.

“Frameworks for Professional Practice” is the focus of the second section. Lori Patton and Shaun Harper write about theory-to-practice in student affairs. Ethics are discussed by Jon Dalton, Pamela Crosby, Aurelio Valente, and David Eberhardt. Jan Arminio handles professional standards while Nancy Evans and Jessica Ranero tackle professional associations in student affairs.

The third section of the book, “Students: The Reason for Our Professional Practice,” represents a significant shift from the last edition. In the second edition, just one chapter focused exclusively on students (“Who are the New Students”) and another on “Supporting People, Programs, and Structures for Diversity” and these were in the final section called “Challenges for the Future.” Now, an expanded and arguably more positive focus on students occurs earlier in the text. The theme in this section is the “solitary purpose” of the profession: “to support the success of our students through services and programs to foster their development and learning” (p. 223). George McClellan and Jim Larimore write about the changing student population. Jason Laker and Tracy Davis present the chapter on multicultural campus communities. After its absence in the second edition, the chapter on health and wellness issues returns and is written by John Dunkle and Cheryl Presley. The chapter on online students by Anita Crawley and Christine LeGore is new.

Because staff are the primary resource for achieving the profession’s primary purpose, supporting students, the fourth section focuses on human resources. Linda Kuk writes about organizational models within student affairs. Michael Jackson, Larry Moneta, and Kelly Anne Nelson focus on management of human capital. Donald Mills returns with his chapter on middle managers. Professional development is discussed by Susan Komives and Stan Carpenter and Mary Howard-Hamilton and Randy Hyman author the chapter on doctoral education.

Given its pivotal role in successful student affairs practice, “Interpersonal Dynamics in Professional Practice” is the theme of the fifth section of the Handbook. In it, Adrianna Kezar focuses on supporting and enhancing student learning through partnerships with academic colleagues. Jeremy Stringer discusses the political environment for administrators in student affairs. Shannon Ellis covers campus and community relationships and Dale Nienow and Jeremy Stringer address conflict.

In another large section (but smaller than in the second edition), a number of skills and competencies that...

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