ERIC Number: EJ979521
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 10
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0164-7970
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Role of the Campus Professional as a Moral Mentor
Healy, Margaret A.; Lancaster, James M.; Liddell, Debora L.; Stewart, Dafina Lazarus
New Directions for Student Services, n139 p83-92 Fall 2012
Student affairs professionals traditionally struggle with how to bring the proper balance to their work. Their work takes place in a variety of settings--some informal, some structured. In each of these settings, they may find opportunity to serve as moral mentors. The authors describe the moral mentor as a professional practicing in the field of student affairs, concerned holistically with student development, of which a significant part is moral development. This professional works within the framework discussed in Chapter One of this volume, as one who is focused on moral development as an aspect of cognitive development, assisting students in meaning making and decision making, where moral actions are weighed and moral principles serve as the boundaries for those actions. The authors' framework for such work is grounded in theory, experience, and professional standards including, among others, the Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners and the Council for the Advancement of Standards, as well as from the guidance on practice provided by various educational activities and professional statements such as the Association of American Colleges and Universities VALUE Rubrics. In this article, the authors examine how this framework informs practice and how that practice, through the authors' various roles as campus educators, reflects their efforts to facilitate moral learning among their students. The authors explore the learning dynamic between mentor and mentee, including the discomfort, resistance, and retreat that may be an aspect of this learning. They conclude with some ideas for building everyday moral habits that encourage the practice of good mentoring.
Descriptors: Colleges, Student Personnel Services, Student Personnel Workers, Role, Mentors, Student Development, Moral Development, Cognitive Development, Psychological Patterns, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Consciousness Raising, Ethics, Perspective Taking
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A