Overview Nancy C. Stoll and 
Larry G. Benedict 

Two of the 1990 issues of Metropolitan Universities addressed topics 
particularly relevant to student life: diversity and community interaction. 
The articles in both issues raised important questions and outlined 
challenges for all campuses as they strive to respond to the increasing 
demands of multiculturalism and to the need to support and develop 
community. Building on that foundation, in this issue we seek to address 
inamorespecificwaythechallengesraisedbycertainstudentpopulations 
and the role of organizational change as student affairs professionals 
respond to these challenges. In addition/ this issue extends the theoretical 
discussions of institutional approaches to multiculturalism. 

These articles are not only an extension of earlier topics presented in 
this journal. The content is also a reflection of the times. The national 
agenda has included discussions of new financial aid policies and 
alternative ways to manage student loan programs. The recent 
implementationofADAlegislationhasemphasizedinstitutiona]responses 
to those with disabilities. Considerable publicity has been given to President 
Clinton's desire to increase community service and to link those activities 
to colleges and universities. The national context for these issues heightens 
the challenges to administrators at urban institutions as we seek to 
respond to these external pressures. In addition, budget cuts and 
downsizing, from which no college or university has been spared, have 
forced all administrators and academic leaders to examine priorities and 
stretch resources. Changes in structures and roles are a natural by-
product of such struggles; yet it is not clear that out of largely fiscal 
agendas has come good thinking about organizational change. 
Multiculturalism has continued to create opportunities for dialogue and 
growth but not without divisiveness and frustration. 

Metropolitan universities face a future in which budget considerations 
will continue to impact decision making. They face a future in which the 
numbers of students will increase who are older, from single-parent 
homes, of a variety of cultural backgrounds, transferring from other 
institutions, and with significant financial need. In this climate the strategies 
for responsiveness fall heavily on the shoulders of the student affairs staff. 
The developmental approach1 common to student affairs professionals, 
takes time and patience under the best of circumstances. With the current 
issues, that approach is probably more important than ever, yet harder 
than ever to maintain. Consequently, we believe that it is important to 
underscore the student affairs staff role in setting the agenda for the 
institution and defining the challenges that must be met. 

The range of possible topics for an issue on student life was enormous. 
The selections presented here represent a sample of topics and not an 
exhaustive collection of challenges facing student affairs professionals on 
campuses. All of these topics deserve more discussion and analysis than 
these few pages allow, but we believe they extend the discussion of 
student life issues and raise thoughtful considerations for all institutional 
personnel who care about the quality of campus life. 



Overview 7 

This issue begins with two articles that focus on organizational 
ch.ange and student affairs professionals as change masters. The first 
article is a dialogue that grew out of ongoing discussions held by the New 
E!lgland Student Affairs Think Tank, a group of senior student affairs 
administrators from a wide variety of colleges and universities in New 
England who meet regularly under the auspices of the New England 
Resource Center for Higher Education at the University of Massachusetts 
at Boston. The six participants discuss the need for organizational change 
in today's higher education arena and, from a student affairs point of 
view, highlight the skills and insights that chief student affairs officers can 
bring to institutional challenges. In a climate of competition for resources, 
the article underscores the importance of caring about structure and 
accountability. This is juxtaposed against a backdrop of values clarification 
on the part of staff and institutions and the attributes of the developmental 
approach that typically guide student services. 

This article is followed by a discussion of two institutions' efforts at 
organizational change in student services. The experiences at a small 
private campus, Hampshire College, and those at a larger, more 
metropolitan, state institution, Keene State College, provide useful case 
studies in both the theoretical and practical elements of restructuring 
operations and of redefining staff roles in an attempt to better serve 
students. 

Two articles extend the discussion of organizational change to the 
area of multiculturalism. Jane Fried presents the concepts of milieu 
management/ campus ecology as viable and useful for institutions 
struggling with community development and conflict resolution. She 
emphasizes the need for student affairs professionals to be leaders in 
recognizing learning opportunities but cautions against using traditional 
programs and policies to respond to intergroup conflict. She explains the 
necessity for senior administrators and the president to be committed to 
creating an environment that affirms the value of many cultures and 
perspectives. Annamarie Melodia and J. Herman Blake raise the need for 
curriculum reform in liberal education as a means to create a sense of 
belonging and com.fort within a multicultural community. They assert 
the need for students not only to identify with the curriculum, professors, 
and their peers but to develop a sense of comfort that allows them to be 
actively involved in their education. Through that active involvement 
comes a redefinition and re-evaluation of values and perspectives-
student growth. 

Financial aid and community service are discussed in articles that 
examine two institutions' approaches to expanding institutional goals 
and meeting student needs. Patricia Somers describes research on financial 
aid, which suggests that financial aid awards significantly influence 
enrollment and persistence in urban institutions. She proposes a formula 
for determining this impact. Her findings indicate that, once an institutional 
assessment is completed, redirecting financial aid may have a positive 
effect on institutional goals. Dennis Golden, Bridgette Pregliasco, and 
Michelle Clemons focus on the importance of community service for the 
contemporary metropolitan university. They examine both the 



8 Metropolitan Universities/Fall 1993 

philosophical and practical underpinnings of such programs and then 
go on to discuss the benefits that accrue to the students involved in such 
outreach efforts and to the institution itself, as well as discuss the 
contributions such efforts make to the local community. Citing a variety 
of programs and initiatives at the University of Louisville, the authors 
illustrate how a metropolitan university can create opportunities for 
volunteer service at all levels of the institution, in both the academic 
and co,urricular spheres, thereby enhancing student development, 
promoting an ethic of care within students, and adding to the quality of 
life in the community. 

The final two articles bring the discussion about student life issues to 
specific student populations. The two student groups-disabled students 
and community college transfers-comprise important portions of most 
metropolitan university student populations, and, as such, these 
institutions have the opportunity to be leaders and role models in the 
student service provided. 

Richard Harris, who has spent most of his professional life working 
with disabled-student services, identifies the challenges of serving students 
with both physical and learning disabilities. He particularly notes the 
areas in which institutions need to educate their community and to 
proactively plan for the inclusion and full participation of these students. 
He provides useful examples of the ways in which meeting the letter and 
spirit of the ADA legislation provides both access and opportunity for 
students and the institution. Barbara Townsend presents research 
illuminating the difficulties community college students experience when 
they transfer to metropolitan four-year institutions. She references 
academic practices and describes the academic culture of universities that 
may hinder these transfer students as they strive to succeed in a four-year 
institution. Her research offers suggestions for changes in practice by 
highlighting the need for both academic and student affairs administrators 
to consciously and consistently focus on the financial, social, and 
psychological needs of these students. 

The environment of higher education becomes ever more complex. 
This issue of Metropolitan Universities shows the changingnature of higher 
education institutions, focusing in many ways on issues that were not 
even items on the agenda ten years ago. The need for constant vigilance, 
ongoing reflection, and flexibility is demonstrated time and again in these 
articles. The successful practitioner needs to be able to recreate herself or 
himself on an ongoing basis and to be prepared to act quickly and 
creatively as new challenges arise. The experiences, wisdom, and insight 
demonstrated throughout this issue will hopefully inform such practice.