Institutional Objectives and Student Development in College

Abstract

Two general objectives, the development of independence and the development of purpose, were translated into six more specific variables of student development: Venturesomeness; Interdependence; Resourcefulness and Organization; Goal Directedness; Full Involvement, Motivation, and Persistence; Personal Stability and Integration. Next, for each variable, questions concerning concrete behaviors and attitudes reflected in the self-evaluations and instructor comments comprising the students' records were developed. Then, for 1964 graduates, each semester was rated for each question and ratings were pooled to generate scores for each of the six variables. Multiple discriminant analysis and covariance analyses revealed significant change on all variables. Ratings on Goal Directedness changed most, followed by Personal Stability and Integration; Venturesomeness; Resourcefulness and Organization; Full Involvement, Motivation, and Persistence; and Interdependence. Two major patterns were found. Goal Directedness and Personal Stability and Integration showed fairly regular progress during the four years, while ratings on Resourcefulness and Organization; Full Involvement, Motivation, and Persistence; and Interdependence dropped for the fifth semester. The findings suggest that student development in college (a) occurs according to generalizable patterns, (b) occurs through sequences of differentiation and integration, (c) is congruent rather than compensatory, and (d) decreases as relevant conditions become more constant. They also demonstrate that general institutional objectives can be redefined and assessed to better inform decisions concerning institutional practice and innovation.