Putting Students First

Book excerpt: Brasksamp (emeritus, education, Loyola U., Chicago), along with colleagues at Northwestern and Washington State, discuss their study of how ten diverse church-related colleges and universities (of some 900) prepare their students for life beyond the campus. Through a "4C framework" based on personal investment theory--culture, curriculum, co-curriculum (connecting in-class and out-of-class experiences), and community, they examine the career training, intellectual, moral, and spiritual contexts in which this mission is pursued. Questions are posed about how campuses can support holistic student development.