Implications for Student Affairs Professionals Based on Chickering and Cross

Based on the aforementioned literature and the present study several implications can be made for student affairs professionals. Pope discusses that is important for student affairs professionals to pay attention to the multiple realms of development (2000). Student affairs professionals need to be aware of Chickering’s seven vectors of psychosocial development. At the same, student affairs educators should encourage the racial identity of students in these particular organizations. Using other methods to explore Nigrescence model should be used to encourage the process of becoming black (Cross, 1991).

Student affairs professionals that advise these organizations should encourage students to see themselves as crucial members of the organization so that their purpose can be actualized. It is possible that joining organizations like these can foster a lifestyle that influences their decision-making ability and goal-setting skills. Student affairs professionals should be intentional in their engagement with members of these organizations to connect what they are doing in their organization to what they would be doing for their career and in life generally. Student affairs professionals that work with students in these organizations should continue to emphasize the student’s social responsibility and social role in society. Administrators should intentionally engage students to help find their purpose, their role in society, develop cultural understanding, and connect these values to uplifting other. The participants in this study were able to understand who they were and how they are viewed in society through their own conclusions. However, if student affairs professionals are intentional about the holistic development of these students could possibly yield stronger social justice advocates.

Furthermore, student affairs professional should be encourage the racial identity development of internalization among these students. Programs and workshops should be geared towards multicultural understanding of different groups while ensuring the uplift of the black community. If participants continue on this continuum their role in society will continue to increase as they progress through the cycle of psychosocial development with full understanding of their racial identity.