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Managing Student Death at Small College Campuses: Experiences of Senior Student Affairs Administrators

Kirchner, Lisa Maureen
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1467724086

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, Higher Education Administration.
With an increase in focus on critical incident management in higher education in recent years, a better understanding of the experiences of senior student affairs administrators who have the duty to respond to incidents and care for students and families is important. In particular, the response of these administrators to student death can have powerful positive or negative ramifications, depending upon the effectiveness and professionalism of their actions. By considering a phenomenon that senior administrators experience at small college campuses and learning how others deal with these events, professionals can consider different insights that will help them to be successful and effective, if and when they are faced with these responsibilities. Through a naturalistic inquiry involving interviews with five senior student affairs administrators, this study illuminates how they planned for, responded to, and managed student death at their small college campuses. The study also explored how they navigated the emotions involved, and what they found to be meaningful from what they learned as a result of their experiences. Guiding with compassion is a key factor in the effective management of critical incidents involving college student death. Administrators should approach death incidents by being inclusive of the community and allowing for the different and unique aspects that comprise each situation. Student death can take an emotional toll on a small campus community and the responders, but the priority for responders is to ensure that necessary tasks are completed. Proactive and ongoing training and preparation of staff, faculty, and students may help to foster a more seamless institutional response and better overall management of the incident.
Maureen E. Wilson, Ph.D (Advisor)
Madeline Duntley, Ph.D (Other)
Ellen M. Broido, D.Ed (Committee Member)
Michael D. Coomes, Ed.D (Committee Member)
275 p.
Adult Education; American Studies; Education; Educational Leadership; Higher Education Administration
college; student; death; managing; critical; incidents; student; affairs; administrators; compassion; fatigue;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kirchner, L. M. (2016). Managing Student Death at Small College Campuses: Experiences of Senior Student Affairs Administrators [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1467724086

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kirchner, Lisa. Managing Student Death at Small College Campuses: Experiences of Senior Student Affairs Administrators. 2016. Bowling Green State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1467724086.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kirchner, Lisa. "Managing Student Death at Small College Campuses: Experiences of Senior Student Affairs Administrators." Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1467724086

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1467724086
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© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.