Leadership Characteristics and Professional Development Needs of Collegiate Student Organizations

NACTA Journal, Jun 2004 by Hoover, Tracy S, Dunigan, Anne H

Abstract

Student involvement in collegiate organizations has implications for administrators, faculty advisors and students. Previous studies concluded that participation in collegiate student organizations is associated with retention and satisfaction in college;, student development; increased interpersonal skills; leadership development; and development of communication, teamwork, organizational, decision making, and planning skills, in addition to developing a positive longitudinal view on volunteering and community service. This study assessed the leadership characteristics and traits of student organizations, the degree of involvement, and the professional development needs of collegiate organizations in a College of Agricultural Sciences. Participants noted the three best collegiate activities of the organizations included fundraisers and sales, participation in shows, and trips. The most frequently reported reason for joining a collegiate organization was because it related to career goals, followed by the opportunity for leadership development. Professional development needs included various statements in the categories of activities, involvement, organization, membership, and time. Results from this study provide an understanding for the leadership patterns of collegiate members, influences on involvement in the organization, and the needs of the members.

Literature Review and Theoretical Framework

Student involvement theory focuses on what students do in their collegiate experience in relation to the level of motivation and the amount of time and energy they place in the learning process (Astin, 1984). Astin supported the term involvement rather than motivation, for he feels involvement is easier to observe than motivation and this translates to an easier construct to measure for educators, "..the theory of student involvement is more concerned with the behavioral mechanisms or processes that facilitate student development (the how of student development)" (p. 301).

Astin's theory of student involvement stems from his previous research on factors influencing students' decisions to drop out of college (1975) and several longitudinal studies on college student development (1977; 1993). He found that the most significant factors associated with retention and satisfaction in college were related to "involvement." Students who lived on campus and were involved in fraternities, sororities or extracurricular activities were less likely to drop out of college (Astin, 1984). Faculty interaction was also strongly associated with satisfaction with college (Chickering, 1972; Astin, 1984, 1993; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). Cognetta (1993) and Light (2001) also noted the relationship between participation in collegiate organizations and satisfaction with college. Astin (1993) reported the top three involvement variables associated with reported student leadership growth were: hours per week in student clubs/organizations, election to an office, and giving presentations in class. The value and importance of student participation in collegiate organizations clearly has a link to student development and satisfaction with the college experience. Astin concluded, "the student's peer group is the single most potent source of influence on growth and development during the undergraduate years "(1993, p. 398).

In 1979, Anthony and Roberts created an integrated leadership model for higher education. This model, the Comprehensive Leadership Model, was developed to provide a holistic approach to leadership development and subsequent leadership programming on college campuses. The model contains three main components: training, education and development. Training is associated with those activities designed to improve the performance of the individual; education deals with activities that will improve leadership competence of the student; and development is designed to help the individual develop and mature in a way that will enhance his/her leadership potential (Anthony & Roberts, 1979).

Student involvement in collegiate organizations provides numerous opportunities for growth, development and maturation. Floerchinger (1998) in a review of literature found six key benefits associated with student involvement in collegiate activities: 1) increased retention; 2) enhanced interpersonal skills; 3) positive influence on leadership, communication, teamwork, organization, decision making and planning skills; 4) greater satisfaction with their college experience; 5) useful job procurement skills and experience; and 6) lasting views on volunteering and community service. Several other authors confirmed the benefits noted by Floerchinger. Eklund-Leen and Young (1996) found community college students who were more involved in collegiate activities held a more positive attitude toward community involvement. The authors noted that "involvement in student organizations enhances the educational outcomes of the institution" (p. 79). Sommers (1991) reported that participation in collegiate leadership activities was proportional to participation in post-college leadership activities. Finally, in a meta analysis of research, Pascarella and Terenzini (1991) found that college alumni reported holding leadership positions in college significantly enhanced their interpersonal and leadership skills contributing to job success.