One size does not fit all – Student affairs in a dozen countries

Delivery of student affairs and services varies from country to country depending on history and cultural context. Unique delivery systems in a dozen countries are described in a section of the new book Student Affairs and Services in Higher Education: Global foundations, issues, and best practices.

In the section “One size does not fit all: Unique delivery systems in student affairs and services around the world”, 21 authors from the 12 countries give differing perspectives on how student affairs and services are delivered to students in colleges and universities.

In a short overview (p 183), the book’s editor Roger B Ludeman writes that when talk began (2000) about the need to create a global organisation in higher education and student affairs and services, the single most prevalent topic that drove those discussions was related to the differences that exist among countries in ways they deliver services and programmes to students.

“It was fascinating to learn from each other how our systems developed based on history, tradition, culture, politics, economy, language and, sometimes, events.”

In Section XVI of the book (Country reports) can be found reports on countries around the world describing the basics of their student affairs and services delivery systems.

In Section XII, “One size does not fit all: Unique delivery systems in student affairs and services around the world”, the editors chose a few of the countries to describe, in more detail, how their approach is unique and, therefore, does not match the methods used in other countries.

“While the delivery of student affairs and services may vary, one constant is the central focus on students and their needs. It is interesting to compare among the countries and, in the end, better understand our own approach to working with our students,” Ludeman writes.

The following reports on unique delivery systems can be found in “One size does not fit all”:

1. Australia by Jordi Austin: pp 184-187

2. People’s Republic of China by Qi Li: pp 187-190

3. Ecuador by Mariel Paz y Miño Maya: pp 190-191

4. France by Jean-Paul Roumegas and Sabrina Pawlak: pp 430-432

5. Germany by Sven Engel and Danja Oste: pp 435-437

6. Italy by Gian Luca Giovannucci and Mirela Mazalu: pp 192-193

7. The Philippines by Maria Paquita Diongon-Bonnet: pp 194-195

8. Spain – University-based approach by Adriana Perez-Encinas, Fernando Casani and Jesus Rodriguez Pomeda: pp 195-198. Spain – Servicios de Información y Orientación Universitarios (SIOU) by Coro Pozuela and Mar Gil Ràfols: pp 198-199. And Spain – Colegios Mayores by Enrique Iglesias H and Roger B Ludeman: pp 199-200

9. Thailand by Will Barratt and Kriangsak Srisombut: pp 200-203

10. Turkey by Leyla Ylmaz Fndk, Yüksel Kavak and Aydn Ulucan: pp 203-206

11. United Kingdom by Vianna Renaud and Ben Lewis: pp 206-209

12. United States of America by Susan Richardson Komives: pp 210-213.