The Four Environmental Perspectives On College Students

Introduction College student’s today face a higher education system that at times can feel like an up-hill battle, with no end in sight. According to a report done by Complete College American (2014) only 19 percent of full-time students at public universities earn a degree in four years, and at state flagship campuses only 36 percent of full-time students earn their degree in four years. This causes stress on the students because of pressures from parents or guardians, economic pressure from the continued cost of education and pressures from society saying they should be done in four years. While a multitude of factors can influence the time in college; economic cost, remedial students, transfer of credits, and major life events; some of these factors can be accounted for and helped to influence in a positive way. This paper will focus on how student affairs professionals can use the four environmental perspectives to help women who are from low-income families succeed in college. Two perspectives; the human aggregate and constructed/perceptual will be focused on directly and how we can curb the six-year itch or dropping out all together of this sub-group in the higher education population.

Type of Institution The Carnegie Foundation that has a Basic Classification

While a majority of the tuition dollars come from undergraduate students, these institutions have come under heavy fire for their lack of attention and responsibility to the undergraduate population (Schuh, Jones & Harper, 2011). This is further strained because individual schools within the university typically hire their own staff, which includes; admissions, advisors, recruiters, and student services personnel (Schuh, Jones & Harper, 2011). This can cause strain because the different offices and personnel may not all function in the same way the mission of the universities