This article traces the evolution of holistic student development as the centerpiece of the college experience in the 1960s to its current all-too-often overlooked function in postsecondary education, and it explains why students, employers, and the democracy all benefit from educating the whole person. Holistic student development encompasses…

Nature positively impacts holistic wellness and K-12 student learning, although this phenomenon has largely been unstudied in school counseling. School counselors are in a unique position to champion nature connection in school communities to promote holistic wellness and positive learning outcomes. This article introduces EcoWellness as a…

The Better Arguments Project was created to encourage Americans to engage one other in better, more productive debates about core American ideals. The project stems from the foundational premise that America doesn't just contain arguments, America is an argument -- between Federalist and Anti-Federalist worldviews, strong national government and…

This article discusses the use of digital storytelling, a pedagogical tool, to enhance student learning and meaning-making. During the process of creating and sharing their digital stories, students engaged in self-reflexivity and demonstrated the ability to apply theories of student development to their personal experiences. Findings have…

Sports participation in high school has positive effects on students' later civic engagement. But that is true of nearly all forms of extracurricular participation in high school--whether a group is explicitly civic (student government or a service club) or far removed from civic life (an academic club or a music group). Indeed, the civic…

In order to sustain a thriving democracy, civic action must be infused into the day-to-day practice and methods of teachers and professors (Giroux, 2011). Unfortunately, many public education institutions are sorely lacking when it comes to fostering civic action in their curriculum and practice (Giroux, 2011; Reason, 2013). If higher education…

Efforts to promote college for all for all has opened college doors to a broad range of students. But college--and career success after college--doesn't have to mean a bachelor's degree. Community college credentials, such as associate's degrees and one-year certificates, can lead to further degrees or jobs that offer more benefits than students…

Why do most individuals make use of only a small percentage of their resources, whereas a few exceptional individuals push themselves to their limits? Why do some individuals accomplish more than others of equal intelligence? One personal quality that is shared by most high achieving and successful people is grit. Grit may be the quality that sets…

Working within a multiliteracies framework, this paper moves beyond the traditional concerns with comprehension of a video text or the use of video for communicative purposes and demonstrates how a film clip might be used in a language classroom to explore the meaning-making process in film. Specifically, I investigate how language, filmic…

Since 2009 almost 90% of the surveyed college freshmen have identified "getting a better job" as a major reason for attending college (Pryor et al). College educators can help students work towards this goal by producing mature, critical-thinking graduates who are well-prepared not only for life but also for a career. Many students,…

Liberal education has been, since the creation of the republic, America's "signature" higher learning curriculum. There have been three enduring purposes for a liberal education: (1) developing the powers of the mind; (2) cultivating an examined sense of responsibility to self and others; and (3) acquiring empowering knowledge--the kind…

Defining the practical and theoretical context of honors programs and courses in today's complex educational climate is challenging. Many institutions have used budget shortages to make decisions to reduce honors offerings that are not in the best interest of the students. Funding for honors programs may seem to be extraneous, but these programs…

The mid-1960s were a time of historic social and cultural change, creating a perfect climate for a small university with a handful of students and some revolutionary ideas to take shape. During that dynamic era, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was founded in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In 2014, NSU celebrated fifty years of growth, innovation,…

Not every student has done honors work in the humanities, but all students experience research at a human level that necessarily recalls the work of the humanities. This article describes how Joe Kraus, a professor of literature at the University of Scranton, was inspired to see applied humanities in stories of human experiences, which helped him…

Ethical impotence occurs when one wants to act ethically but feels powerless to do anything about the perceived unethical behavior. One may feel that one's actions will have no impact or that those actions actually will have harmful consequences to oneself and/or others. Ethical impotence can be understood in terms of an eight-step model of…