PAGE TURNER
by Tony W. Cawthon
Comprehensive, resourceful, educational, and insightful are only a few words that describe this book. Small and Mighty: Student Affairs at Small Colleges and Universities (2023) by Carolyn H. Livingston, Christa J. Porter, Thomas C. Shandley, and associates is the perfect book for individuals wanting to learn about the challenges, rewards, and opportunities of working in student affairs at small colleges and universities. It captures the nuances of working at these institutions like no other resource does and presents a variety of topics and actions necessary for serving students on small campuses. This book should be at the top of the reading list for student affairs professionals who are employed at, want to be employed at, or want to understand how student affairs functions at such institutions.
Defining small colleges and universities as 5,000 students or less, the editors purport that the small campus size and structure is advantageous, allowing them to be more innovative, nimble, and responsive; however, to survive they must maintain the distinctiveness and unique characteristics that define the small college experience. These editors challenge those at small colleges to focus on their strengths, which they identify as discussion-based instruction, faculty who have students and teaching as their core, the town and gown relationship, undergraduate students engaged in the research process, a centralized career center, student engagement, and residential living and learning.
The book is divided into five sections and 15 chapters. Section I (“Small College and University Demographics”) offers a strong foundation for examining the distinctiveness and current demographics of small institutions. Chapter 1 examines the history and current perspective of small colleges and universities, with particular attention paid to their mission and purpose. Chapter 2 offers a comprehensive overview of institutional types, changing student demographics, and a typology of three student affairs services.
Section II (“Crucial Collaborations”) examines the important connections that are essential to student success. Chapter 3 focuses on relationships with students, in particular student activism, whereas Chapter 4 examines relationships and the unique strategies needed for working with stakeholders such as a board of trustees, parents, alumni, and student organizations. The role of academic freedom and free speech and the tension of responding to bias incidents is explored in Chapter 5. Chapter 6 covers a robust case study of the COVID-19 pandemic at small institutions by focusing on the experiences of six senior student affairs officers and how they managed the early days.
Section III (“Strategic Innovations”) considers the numerous challenges experienced by those working at these institutions while also offering strategic solutions. Chapter 7 illustrates the importance of strategic planning and assessment and offers examples from three colleges that have been successful at assessment. Chapter 8 concentrates on innovations at small colleges from the perspective of student affairs officers and discusses the role that students can play in these innovations and changes. Chapter 9 examines inclusive excellence via partnerships between student affairs and academic affairs that can contribute to students’ experience of a sense of belonging and success.
Section IV (“Fiscal Sustainability”) offers strategies to overcome the financial challenges consuming many small colleges and universities. In Chapter 10, the authors discuss the role of student affairs advancement as budgets diminish, offering concrete examples of collaborative success between these two functional areas. In Chapter 11, the authors share their institutional budgeting experiences in responding to the constant challenge of reallocating and realigning resources. Key to this chapter is their discussion of five “strategic paths” institutions have as they face reductions in resources.
Section V (“Leveraging the Small College”) includes several important topics: the necessity of a strong career development program to ensure that students are career ready (Chapter 12), narratives and advice from three vice presidents who transitioned from large public institutions to small private liberal arts colleges (Chapter 13), and a more detailed narrative of a vice president who selected the small college and university path (Chapter 14). Finally, Chapter 15 covers the future of these institutions.
This book will strongly resonate with those working in housing at small colleges and universities. The summary of the working conditions, the advice offered, the rewards and the recommendations provided will affirm their work and its impact on student belonging and success. The real-life examples provide best practices that can be easily implemented at other institutions. This book is a comprehensive resource for those committed to the mission and purpose of small colleges and universities.
The book is informative about complex issues and politics related to student affairs practice at small institutions. It is engaging and instructive, and it challenges often-held stereotypes about working at small colleges and universities. It will challenge readers, whether reading it in total or only reading select chapters, to recognize the impact of the work of these “small and mighty” institutions.
Tony Cawthon, Ph.D., is the director of graduate studies for the Clemson University College of Education. "Page Turner" is a recurring column that often pairs Cawthon with a graduate student or professional colleague as they review books and scholarship of interest to campus housing and student affairs.
