College Environment

Prompt 2

Introduction

Strategic planning in college education is very important as it plays a significant role in creating conducive learning environment. In implementing strategic planning, the important thing is to focus on student development in order to create new environment. There are various external pressures which are changing the college environment and so there is need to implement new approaches and theories which will help the college to respond to the new changes. In strategic planning, useful models and guiding principles which will facilitate progress must be applied. Strategic planning in changing institution and culture is an important aspect but in order to have an effective planning it is important to focus on students’ development theories in implementing changes and approaches to analyze the conditional effect in co-curriculum setting.

 In setting strategic planning, it is important to focus on guiding principles which will help in applying theories in changing institution and culture. Considering students’ characteristics and understanding their backgrounds and personality will help to implement changes (Jones & Abes, 2013). First, considering race and ethnicity in creating conducive learning environment is an important aspect in analyzing the relationship between different racial groups (Schuh, Jones & Harper, 2011). In taking a nuanced approach, it is important to understand how students behave in certain environment and how they are impacted.  Secondly, in strategic planning, understanding environment will create the path of providing students with opportunities.  In environment perspective, the strategic approach will be based on providing living-learning programs, honors programs and other opportunities. Exploring the environment will help students in identity development as well as academic development (Schuh, Jones & Harper, 2011. Third, before moving in theory perspective it is important to follow the guiding principles like socioeconomic status.  These statuses have both negative and positive impact in that according to the research by Schuh, Jones & Harper (2011), students with low socio economic status tend to have slow school attendance compared with high class of socio status.

In institution context, conditional effects will help to effectively incorporate the theories into practice.  The reason as to why theories must be applied in strategic planning is because they help in making wise decisions based on lives and experiences and they make implicit connection (Dalin & Kitson, 2005). The key issue to focus on in making strategic planning is creating students affairs and institutional changes. In strategic planning, I would suggest that new planning should be set through applying involvement theory (Patton et al, 2016). The theory play a significant role in student development as it introduces the educational engagement by developing learning and leading and cognitive complexity. In planning, involvement focuses on both physical and psychological power which helps the student to achieve academic interest. In addition, the theory helps to focus on student behavior and analyzing behavior will create the path of implementing necessary changes (Jones & Abes, 2013).  Secondly, a new institutional environment can be created by applying transition theory in strategic planning. The theory focuses on individual self-perception and the relationship between individual and transition. Using this theory, it is important to concentrate on individuals’ daily life, role of transition, situation and the degree of control (Patton et al, 2016). Third, strategic planning must be connected with developmental ecology in order to comprehensive understand the student development in different contexts. This will give an insight on how to shape the new environment for optimal growth in diverse population. According to the research, the theory focuses on four components and the interaction they help to create an environment where students will achieve their goals. The components in development ecology involve process of student development, time of development, person and context (Forney et al, 2013).

Conclusion

In strategic planning, there are various approaches and theories which have to be applied to ensure that student live in good environment and that they achieve their educational goals.   Strategic planning involves incorporating all the important aspect which bring success, create a well-defined culture and student affairs. Thus, the theories and approaches help to understand how students develop, their experience, their socioeconomic and psychological status. These approaches play a significant role in identity development, cognitive and career development. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., Quaye, S. J., & Evans, N., & Forney, D. S., (2016). Student

development in college: Theory , research, and practice (3rd ed.). San Francisco, C A: Jossey-

Bass.

Schuh, J. H., Jones, S. R., & Harper, S. R. (Eds.). (2011). Student services: A handbook for the profession

(5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 

Forney, D. S., Evans, N. J., Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., & Guido, F. M. (2013). Student development in

college: Theory, research, and practice. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.

 

Jones, S. R., & Abes, E. S. (2013). Identity development of college students: Advancing frameworks for

multiple dimensions of identity.

 

Dalin, P., & Kitson, K. (2005). School development: Theories and strategies : an international handbook.

London: Continuum.