Date of Award
5-2019
Culminating Project Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Higher Education Administration: Ed.D.
Department
Educational Administration and Higher Education
College
School of Education
First Advisor
Steven McCullar
Second Advisor
Michael Mills
Third Advisor
Wanda Overland
Fourth Advisor
Ellyn Bartges
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords and Subject Headings
student affairs, spirituality, spiritual identity, authentic self
Abstract
While scholarly research has documented an increased interest in spirituality by college students and investigated the way spirituality influences faculty and students of various worldviews, research had yet to extensively examine the spirituality of student affairs practitioners. Accordingly, this study sought to understand the factors that influence how student affairs practitioners live out spiritual authenticity at work, including in their conversations with students.
The study was based on a qualitative research design, including semi-structured interviews with ten student affairs practitioners working in public higher education in a Midwestern state, and the spiritual development theories of James Fowler and Sharon Daloz Parks. The following research questions informed this study: How do student affairs practitioners integrate spirituality into their work? To what extent do student affairs practitioners feel they bring their authentic self to work? What factors influence student affairs practitioners’ conversations with students regarding spirituality?
The study suggested student affairs practitioners’ spiritual identity at work is complex and influenced by many factors. Likewise, societal, institutional, professional, and personal issues create challenges for having spiritual conversations with students.
Recommended Citation
Sarnicki, Margaret, "The Spirit at Work: Student Affairs Practitioners and Spiritual Identity" (2019). Culminating Projects in Higher Education Administration. 34.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/hied_etds/34
