Enhancing Student Learning and Development in Cross-Border Higher Education
New Directions for Higher Education, Number 175
J–B HE Single Issue Higher Education Series

Higher education is expanding, internationalizing, and changing rapidly around the world. Yet, many of the broader international higher education community and funders are unaware that much of what the United States has achieved in quality higher education derives from the student affairs staff.

This volume addresses the opportunities and challenges in creating student learning and development programs and strategies that are culturally appropriate and use best practices from regions around the world. This volume includes:

• suggestions using the whole institutional environment curriculum and co–curriculum;
• examples from China, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, and the United Kingdom; and
• holistic and engaging approaches through student affairs, student development, and student services.

This will be of interest to all those who value quality higher education no matter what their role. The intent is to convince broader constituencies of the merit of enhancing the student experience so that students worldwide will benefit from enhanced learning and development opportunities.

This is the 175th volume of the Jossey–Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Higher Education. Addressed to presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other higher education decision makers on all kinds of campuses, it provides timely information and authoritative advice about major issues and administrative problems confronting every institution.

EDITORS NOTES 5
Dennis C. Roberts, Susan R. Komives

Part One: Considering Cross–Border Applications

1. Internationalizing Student Learning and Development 9
Dennis C. Roberts, Susan R. Komives

Best practices in internationalizing student learning and development require cultural critical analysis before transferring, adapting, hedging, or avoiding existing practices in cross–border applications both in and beyond the classroom.

2. Student Learning in an International Context: Examining Motivations for Education Transfer 23
Darbi Roberts

This chapter applies a lens of five diffusion models learning, imitation, competition, normative, and coercion to understand the motivations that decision makers and implementers use in their specific international context.

Part Two: Examples in Practice

3. First–Year Village: Experimenting With an African Model for First–Year Adjustment and Support in South Africa 33
McGlory Speckman

Predicated on the principles of success and contextuality, this chapter shares an African perspective on a first–year adjustment programme, known as First–Year Village, including its potential and challenges in establishing it.

4. Adversity Training for Chinese University Students 41
H. C. J. Wong

Helping students who were born under China s 1979 One Child Policy learn to face adversity was the target of multiple programs including whole person education during first– and second–year study.

5. Who Cares for Care Leavers? 49
Julie Askew, Paul Rodgers, Andrew West

This chapter describes a programme of learning and development at the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, to support looked–after children and care leavers throughout the student lifecycle.

6. Educating Transformational Leaders in Mexico at Universidad de Monterrey 57
Alicia Canton

Higher education institutions in Mexico provide opportunity for change by educating socially responsible leaders to become civic engaged citizens.

Part Three: Foundations and Strategies

7. Promoting Student Learning and Development 65
Ellen M. Broido, Birgit Schreiber

This chapter reviews models, theories, and cross–national data on student learning and development and explores these within their context.

8. Student and Community Characteristics 75
Susan R. Komives, Teck Koon Tan

This chapter explores students interacting in their environments, specifically the influence of culture in student learning and development. Cultural applications in Singapore are featured.

9. Assessment, Evaluation, and Research 85
P. Daniel Chen, Charles Mathies

This chapter explores the best practices and resources for adopting assessment and evaluation strategies and practices across countries.

10. Staffing for Success 93
Brett Perozzi, Tricia Seifert, Mary Ann Bodine Al–Sharif

This chapter explores institutional capacity building in cross–border student affairs and services focusing on human capital and its importance to international higher education within local contexts.

11. Innovation Partnerships to Enhance Student Learning and Development 103
Dennis C. Roberts, Susan R. Komives

This chapter summarizes and extends the conversation of how true partnerships can be cultivated to achieve the deepest impact to enhance student learning and development.

INDEX 111

Dennis C. Roberts is an independent consultant who works with colleges and universities to enhance their impact in student leadership learning and international understanding.

Susan R. Komives is professor emerita from the student affairs graduate program at the University of Maryland.