Running head: APPLYING STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORY 1

Applying Student Development Theory in Practice

Eden Driscoll

Western Illinois University

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Applying Student Development Theory in Practice

A common theme that emerged throughout my ‘My Story’ assignment was the fear of

someone close to me dying. As I mentioned towards the end of my story, that fear became a

reality when my friend passed away from cancer. During my career in student affairs, I will

probably come across several students who have also suffered the loss of a loved one. Since my

personal struggle with grief forced me to examine who I was and how I wanted to incorporate

the memory of my friend into my life, I believe that this same potential for development exists in

all students who are grieving.

Coping Resources

The first resource I found was a website document titled “Coping with Grief and Loss.”

It gave a comprehensive overview of what grief is, the symptoms of it, and different coping

strategies. Just as some student development theories are composed of stages, this document

included a discussion on Elisabeth ​Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining,

depression, and acceptance. However, Smith, Robinson, and Segal (2017) stressed that not

everyone goes through each, if any, of the five stages of grief, and if they do, they do not have to

experience them sequentially. In fact, the premise of their entire document was that grieving is a

highly individualized process. They explained, “There’s no right or wrong way to grieve. How

you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life

experience, your faith, and how significant the loss was to you” (Smith et al., 2017). In this way,

the authors addressed the common critique that stage theories try to put people in boxes rather

than regarding them as unique individuals.

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This resource also took the whole person into account when suggesting coping strategies.

Not only did it address how to cope with emotional pain by acknowledging it and finding

creative ways to express the sense of loss, it also urged grievers to take care of their physical and

spiritual health as well. The authors reminded people that “the​ ​mind and body are connected.

When you feel healthy physically, you’ll be better able to cope emotionally” (Smith et al., 2017).

They also recommended that followers of a faith “embrace the comfort its mourning rituals can

provide” (Smith et al., 2017). Furthermore, they acknowledged that faith may be shaken by a

loss and urged grievers in this situation to discuss this feeling with other members of their faith

community. Even though the authors did not say this outright, they encouraged people to use the

dissonance that grief causes as a catalyst for emotional, physical, and spiritual growth. I would

therefore argue that they do use student development theory.

The second resource I found was a brochure distributed by Western Illinois University’s

Counseling Center entitled “Grief and Loss.” While this resource also stated that grief is an

experience unique to every individual, it addressed this issue differently from the website

document. Instead of using ​Kübler-Ross’ five stages, the brochure described the process of grief

as being composed of shock, suffering, and recovery. A description of what typically happens in

each stage was provided; these broad descriptions tended to be generalizable to anyone since

they encapsulated a wide range of responses and emotions. However, the main difference

between these two resources was that the brochure was written for people who are trying to help

someone through a loss rather than the grievers themselves. Unlike the other resource, no

specific coping strategies for grievers were suggested, but there was a ‘Guidelines for Helping’

section that gave tips on how best to assist someone who is going through the grieving process.
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It is more difficult to see student development theory at play in the brochure than the

website document. On one hand, the brochure seemed to imply that people will naturally

develop during the grieving process. It stated that “the grieving person will likely experience

many changes throughout the process” and that the goal of grieving is “to reorganize one’s life

so that the loss is one important part of life rather than the center of one’s life” (The Board of

Trustees, 2009). This description of developing a new sense of self that incorporates the loss

into one’s life instead of being dominated by it seemed to hint at self-authorship, but no

suggestions of how to navigate this journey were given. Furthermore, the tips for helpers

included suggestions like attend the funeral, bake and deliver cookies, provide practical help, and

model self-care (The Board of Trustees, 2009). While these are nice acts of kindness, they are

not focused on helping grievers make meaning of their loss.

Student Development

Although no students develop in exactly the same way, one could argue that students

generally fall along a spectrum between being completely defined by external factors to having a

sense of self that they themselves have created through critically evaluating and inventing their

own internal beliefs and knowledge. Evidence to support this argument is provided by existing

student development theories and firsthand accounts from students themselves. For this

assignment, these firsthand accounts will be drawn from interviews conducted for our class’

student stories and analyses, as well as from my personal experience as I have written about it in

the ‘My Story’ paper.

According to Perry’s (1981) theory on cognitive and ethical growth, individuals at the

beginning of the spectrum believe that authority figures have absolute knowledge. As they
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develop they realize that there is no such construct as ‘absolute’ knowledge, and they begin to

engage in relativistic thinking. On the most complex side of the spectrum, individuals create

their own knowledge. Support for this theory exists in my own experiences. In the beginning of

my story, I regarded my mother as an authority figure who had all the right answers, so I did not

question her when she told me that my father would not die. My shift towards relativism

appeared during the scene I described in the therapist’s office: “I described all the fear and

uncertainty that had colored my imagination of what life would be like after high school.” I was

forced to acknowledge the lack of absolutes in life, and it was a frightening transition.

This theme also occurred throughout the student stories presentations. Daly, Leek,

McInerney, and Oparnico (2017) stated that the students they interviewed accepted facts that

were given to them without question. For example, one of their students mentioned that “every

eighteen year old kid coming to college thinks it’s gonna be partying” because of what they have

seen on the media (Daly et al., 2017). Daly et al. further explained that students do allow facts to

be more subjective after going through a stage of cognitive dissonance. Bahena, Cheung,

Driscoll, and Moss (2017) also identified a shift from accepting an authority’s knowledge to

self-authoring knowledge. An interviewee in their study described how she had let her

community define who she was when she was growing up. “In the neighborhood I was growing

up in Chicago, people wouldn’t say this but you know that there is no room for weakness or

vulnerability...I still have that thing in my mind where it’s like ‘Don’t show weakness” (Bahena

et al., 2017). However, that influence is lessening now that she is listening to her own internal

voice. “But it’s changing because I’m being myself” (Bahena et al., 2017).
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The transition to greater self-authorship can also be seen in Chickering and Reisser’s

(1993) vectors of ‘moving through autonomy to interdependence’ and ‘developing mature

interpersonal relationships.’ Hanson, Mclean, and Vang (2017) noted that the students they

interviewed were trying to be their own person while negotiating family commitments. An

interviewee from Bahena et al.’s (2017) study also described working through this balance. “My

parents, even my grandparents, are always like ‘we got this’... You can’t depend on them all the

time; you have to be the adult and step up” (Bahena et al., 2017). Another theme that occurred in

a couple of the student stories presentations is the shift from friendships of convenience to

building authentic relationships (Daly et al., 2017; & Hanson et al., 2017). One student said,

“When I first got [to WIU], I was mostly speaking to people from my high school who came

here because we didn’t know anyone” (Hanson et al., 2017). Another student described how he

makes friends while being true to himself, “I sort of do my thing and people either respond to it

or they super don’t, and the people that respond to it become my friends and the ones who super

don’t, super don’t become my friends” (Hanson et al., 2017).

Other student development theories describe how students develop from external to

internal definition. Baxter Magolda (2001) explains the process in four phases. Students are first

‘following formulas’ because they unknowingly allow others to define who they are and what

they believe. They then reach a ‘crossroads’ marked by some type of dissonance and

dissatisfaction between who they are and who they want to be. The next phase is ‘becoming the

author of one’s life’ when they choose their own beliefs and create their own knowledge.

Finally, they operate from a strong ‘internal foundation’ or internal sense of self. Subject-object

theory as explained by Kegan (1994) provides another way to interpret this concept. When an
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individual cannot separate their identities from external forces, these influences are considered

‘subject’ to them. Kegan would label this as third-order consciousness. This can be seen

particularly clearly in the therapist’s office vignette of my story when I could not imagine who I

would be if I lost my loved ones. Once a person is able to separate themselves from these

external influences and make them ‘object’ to themselves, they can critically choose what they

want to incorporate into their identities. At that time, they have engaged in fourth-order

thinking. ​ I saw evidence of this shift towards self-authorship in my story as well. ​When I wrote

to my friend who had passed away that “I will never forget you; you are always in my heart,” I

was making a conscious decision to incorporate him into my sense of identity by making him a

part of my heart. “I am extremely grateful that I met you, even though it’s hurting me now. You

have made my life special.” Instead of being defined by emotions, I chose to embrace the pain

of loss as a part of who I was.

Approaching Grief from a Developmental Perspective

“The sadness of losing someone you love never goes away completely, but it shouldn’t

remain center stage” (Smith et al., 2017). According to both resources I found, the goal of the

grieving process is to make the loss a piece of your identity rather than letting it consume you

completely.​ “You can move on with your life and keep the memory of someone or something

you lost as an important part of you. In fact, as we move through life, these memories can

become more and more integral to defining the people we are” (Smith et al., 2017). As a student

affairs professional, I have the opportunity to help students achieve this goal while

simultaneously promoting their development by incorporating design principles within my

practice that will assist students in making meaning from tragedy.

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The first design principle that promotes student development is cognitive dissonance.

According to Torres and Baxter Magolda’s (2004) study, this was “a common movement point

that prompted participants to abandon external formulas” (p. 343). Therefore, the disruption that

a significant loss causes in a student’s life can provide optimal conditions for development. It is

the responsibility of student affairs professionals to help students navigate and grow from this

dissonance. However, the first support that I could provide for this journey should occur before

the tragedy strikes. In order for students to feel comfortable coming to me after a traumatic loss,

I would need to be building trust with students from our very first encounter. Talking with them

about their lives outside of academic advising, student organizations, or whatever other student

affairs department has brought us together would allow me to regard students holistically and

foster strong relationships with them.

After a student has lost a loved one and has come to me for help, it would be important

for me to be empathetic and avoid reciting platitudes like “give it time.” Doing so could make

students feel as though I am minimizing an issue that is currently their entire world. Emotionally

engagement is critical to being approachable, so I would put myself in their shoes and remember

how it feels to lose a loved one. However, I would have to find a balance between being

empathetic and completely taking on their pain. If I become too emotionally involved, I would

risk making the situation about me instead of the students. If they feel like they are burdening

me, they would most likely feel unsupported and not want to seek my help again.

Another design principle needed for development is critical reflection. The intent of all

my previous actions would be to create a space where students feel comfortable talking about

their loss if they choose to do so. If students are in a place of their development where they are
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being defined by external influences, the person they lost could have been key to their current

sense of self. In order to build a bridge from this ‘third order’ thinking to ‘fourth order’ thinking,

I would first meet them where they are at by validating how they are currently making meaning.

This can be accomplished by simply stating something like “It sounds like this individual was

very important to you.” I could then slowly take it a step further by asking intentional questions

like “How did this person help you become who you are now?” This conversation could help

students begin to differentiate themselves from the influence their loved one has had on them.

While this would only be a starting point, further discussions could then prompt greater agency

for students over how they want to incorporate the memory of their loved one into their sense of

identity.

On a related note, many students could still be looking to authority figures for answers,

which could result in them coming to me with questions about the ‘right way’ to grieve. Since

every individual grieves differently, there is no right answer that I could give them. This would

be an opportunity to assist students in developing towards more relativistic thinking. My

approach for this would be to first validate the student’s unique talents and knowledge by

brainstorming ideas to deal with grief in ways that play to his or her strengths. For example, a

student who loves to write can journal about the loss, a musically-inclined student can write a

song, etc. By brainstorming together, we will also be mutually constructing knowledge. Finally, I

would validate a student’s ability to handle this situation with sincerity. Instead of simply saying

that they are strong enough to overcome this tragedy, I would remind them of specific instances

when I saw their strength.

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In order to assess the success of this approach, I would set up one-on-one appointments

with the students that spread throughout the semester, year, or however long until they graduate.

Having informal conversations with them in a manner similar to how we conducted interviews

for our student stories and analyses projects could help me discern how the way they are

constructing meaning of the loss changes over time. This would in turn help me gauge their

developmental progress. Additionally, to evaluate whether the goal of the grieving process has

also been achieved, looking at clues like grade changes, how they interact with others, and what

activities they are involved in could give me insight into whether or not they moving on with life

after loss.

In conclusion, developing a stronger, self-constructed identity is something good that can

come from a tragic situation. It will be extremely difficult to watch my students struggle with

the immense heartbreak that the loss of a loved one will cause. I already recognize that I have a

tendency to want to ‘fix’ people and take away their pain, but I have to remind myself that this is

an impossible feat for any human being. The best we humans can do is try to lessen each other’s

pain by supporting one another. Hopefully by helping students make meaning from their grief, I

can at least assist them in achieving a small sense of comfort.

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Resources

Bahena, Y., Cheung, J., Driscoll, E., & Moss, A. (2017). ​Development Theory for Minority

Student Leaders. ​Unpublished manuscript, CSP 559: Student Development Theory and

Application I, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

Chickering, A.W. & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and identity (2nd Ed). Jossey Bass. San

Francisco, CA. 43-52.

Daly, S., Leek, S., McInerney, H., & Oparnico, K. (2017). ​First Generation Student Development

Theory.​ Unpublished manuscript, CSP 559: Student Development Theory and

Application I, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

Hanson, A., Mclean, T., & Vang, N. (2017). ​Urban Student Stories & Development Theory.

Unpublished manuscript, CSP 559: Student Development Theory and Application I,

Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL.

Kegan, R. (1994).​ In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life.​ Cambridge, MA:

Harvard University Press.

Perry, W.G. (1981). Cognitive and ethical growth: The making of meaning. In A.W. Chickering

& Associates (eds.), ​The modern American college​ (pp. 76-116). San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass.

Smith, M., Robinson, L., & Segal, J. (2017, April). Coping with Grief and Loss: Understanding

the Grieving Process and Learning to Heal. In ​Help Guide​. Retrieved May 6, 2017, from

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief-loss/coping-with-grief-and-loss.htm
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The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (2009). ​Grief and Loss​ [Brochure]. University

of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Torres, V., & Baxter Magolda, M.B. (2004). Reconstructing Latino identity: The influence of

cognitive development on the ethnic identity process of Latino students. ​Journal of

College Student Development, 45​, 333-347.