Estanek, Sandra M.; Meyer, Robert S.; Wankel, Laura A. & Wright, Edward P. (Eds.). (2008). Reading the Signs: Using Case Studies to Discuss Student Life Issues at Catholic Colleges and Universities in the United States. Reviewed by Marcia Kennard Kiessling, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Estanek, Sandra M.; Meyer, Robert S.; Wankel, Laura A. & Wright, Edward P. (Eds.). (2008). Reading the Signs: Using Case Studies to Discuss Student Life Issues at Catholic Colleges and Universities in the United States. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Pp. 128         ISBN 978-1-59311-918-8 Reviewed by Marcia Kennard Kiessling University of North Carolina, Charlotte March 7, 2009 Through educational preparation programs, student affairs professionals are exposed to a variety of student development theories. Student developmental theories are generally categorized as: psychosocial and identity development, cognitive-structural, typology, and person-environment interaction theories (Pascarella and Terenzini, 1991; Evans, Forney and Guido-DiBrito, 1998). All offer perspectives of how one might understand and manage the important task of promoting student development, which so often occurs in the realm of the student affairs profession. Depending on the specific type and mission of institution, various factors influence the manner and extent to which certain student development theories are integrated into the work of student affairs professionals with their students. In Reading the signs: Using case studies to discuss student life issues at Catholic colleges and universities in the United States, editors Estanek, Meyer, Wankel, and Wright focus on institutional culture and mission of Catholic institutions as related to the work of the student affairs profession. “There are differences in the epistemology of student development theory and the Catholic intellectual tradition that must be considered (Estanek, 2002)” (p. 3). The editors stress the value of complex thinking as an avenue to move beyond ineffective dualistic thinking by student affairs professionals facing difficult issues at Catholic institutions in today’s society. Perhaps the main catalyst for this book as well as related projects was the publication by the Vatican of the apostolic constitution Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990), which “triggered discussions of Catholic identity on Catholic colleges and universities throughout the United States” (p. 1). Sandra Estanek is clearly a major contributor in the formal discussion about the interplay between Catholic Church teaching and how it is operationalized in the field of student affairs. While much of the initial discussion related to Ex Corde Ecclesiae was centered on academic concerns, Estanek’s efforts and focus applied it to the profession of student affairs. As a result of her 1994 qualitative study, Estanek found that even though student affairs professionals understand they have a responsibility to integrate “Catholic teaching and student affairs professional practice in their work with students” (p. 1), they do not know how to do so. Student affairs professionals indicate inadequate knowledge about Catholic Church teaching coupled with a lack of knowledge of resources to help them become more proficient. A brief and informative educational element is contained in the introduction and first chapter of this book to help orient student affairs professionals in this regard. The introduction provides a section on purpose, organization and audience, and an overview of the case study method which includes two established case study models and an extended model developed by the editors. Chapter one is an overview of the Catholic approach to student affairs practice. A particularly effective component of this chapter delineates the conceptual differences between a newly emerging non-theistic spirituality becoming prevalent on college campuses and the specific Catholic context of spirituality, which is inherently linked with religion. Importantly, the authors provide insight into the Catholic perspective on the shortcomings of this non-theistic spirituality. Together, these two sections provide resources and perspective for the non-Catholic professional in a Catholic setting. Additionally, they provide the context in which to discuss the case studies. One of the intentions of this book is to address the identified knowledge gap by creating opportunities for dialogue and reflection to help student affairs professionals become more effective in their roles at Catholic institutions. Case study is the method chosen by the editors to accomplish this objective. Drawing upon the work of Stage & Dannells (2000) and Estanek & Love (2004), the editors note that case studies provide value because they enable broader thinking. “The case study method is particularly useful in helping student affairs professionals evaluate the difficult issues they face on campus and embrace the creative tension inherent in their efforts to integrate their Catholic identity and their student affairs perspective” (p. 2). Multiple perspectives can be considered through use of case studies. This is important because it diminishes familiar either/or, dualistic thinking, which is often where student affairs professionals find themselves in their struggle with integrating student development theory and Catholic Church teaching. “Complex thinking recognizes the elements of the dualism and looks to transcend them and find new alternatives by searching for hidden connections and commonalities” (p.3). The editors offer eighteen case studies that cover a variety of realistic scenarios. The case studies were solicited from the mailing list of the Association of Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU). This association, currently celebrating the 10th year of their founding, is a permanent national organization comprised of student affairs professionals at Catholic institutions. ASACCU developed out of and replaced the Institute for Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges (ISACC) which was created in 1995 as a result of Estanek’s 1994 study. The cases in this book are realistic and broad in scope. Some are more clearly written than others, reflective of the fact that the editors invited a variety of individuals to submit cases. Regardless of the fact that writing quality, clarity, and complexity of cases range from adequate to exceptional, the book provides a mixture of worthwhile topics from which to facilitate staff and student dialogue about difficult situations within the specific context of a Catholic educational institution. Each case study ranges from four to ten pages in length and is structured to include the four main components of: Setting, Characters, Case, and Questions for Consideration. Setting provides information such as institutional history, culture, financial status, size, and student demographics, to name a few. Setting provides the context in which to reflect on and discuss each case. The Characters section provides details on individuals involved in the case, while the Case section describes the specific situation to be discussed. Each case study is followed by a consistent set of Questions for Consideration that are developed and described in Chapter One by the editors in relationship to widely used case study models offered by Stage & Dannells (2000) and Nash (1997). Stage and Dannells (2000) provide a “framework for analyzing cases of general interest to student affairs professionals” (p. 4), while Nash’s framework focuses on the ethical aspect of the situation. Estanek, Meyer, Wankel, and Wright add to these two models by developing their own framework which “highlights the dimension of mission and Catholic identity when analyzing a situation” (p. 4). The editors note: We believe that by using these questions to process the issues presented in the cases included in this book, student affairs professionals who work at Catholic colleges and universities can think more complexly about the issues they face and become more comfortable with issues involving aspects of the institution’s Catholic identity. (p. 8). It is not the intent of this book review to dissect each case study, but rather, to provide a broad overview of the types of issues included among the case studies. The editors did an excellent job of integrating timely and important topics that are widely relevant. Case study topics include but are not limited to: sexual activity, homosexuality, multiculturalism and inclusion, visitation policies, integrating Catholic identity into staff development, violence, and co-curricular programmatic decisions in terms of conflicting values. These case studies provide realistic challenges similar to situations in which many student affairs professionals are or may be involved. For example, one case study explores the impact of changing student demographics on Catholic institutions in the form of prayer practice needs of non-Catholic student members of the university community. An integral component of these case studies deals with value conflicts among a variety of stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and/or community members. Clashing values scenarios are not surprising, particularly in light of the fact that Catholic institutions are becoming more diverse. Based on data reported by the Cooperative Institutional Research Project, enrollment at Catholic institutions is approximately 65% Catholic, and 35% non-Catholic. Changing demographics and shifting values provide one glimpse into the timely and excellent content within this book. The framework from which this book is written is rich with Catholic Church history and scholarly writing, including a brief overview of specific convictions grounded in the Vatican II document, Gaudium et Spes: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World (Paul VI, 1965) (p. 15). The authors note that the phrase reading the signs is directly related to this document. This is a call to the people of God to read the signs of the times “in light of the Gospel” (p. 16). Thus, in their work at Catholic institutions, student affairs professionals are challenged and encouraged to connect teachings of the Catholic Church with the need for student development, part of which includes conscience formation, closely related to student development identity theory (Christie, 2002). Two important points of the book are the limited knowledge base that student affairs staff members have regarding Catholic Church teaching and the struggle that staff and students have moving beyond dualistic thinking to complex thinking in their efforts to integrate Catholic teachings into their work. Discussion results or excerpts that illustrate process and outcomes of complex thinking for one or two of the case studies could enhance the potential for learning and skill development of this concept, particularly in the specific context of a Catholic institution. This could be a strong addition to a second printing of this book. This book can and should be used by student affairs professionals as a “tool for reflection and dialogue on difficult issues they face in their campuses” (p. 1). It is a resource both in providing basic knowledge about the Catholic perspective and in providing a tool to use in facilitating staff and student discussion. One can pick and choose among topics relevant to a particular challenge faced by one’s institution. The introduction and chapter one should be read first because they provide important context and also support for how to proceed through the volume and specific case studies. Additionally, for those interested in pursuing additional related readings, these sections reference several worthwhile sources. While written specifically for Catholic settings, this book has applicability for those dealing with concepts of religious pluralism at their institutions. In addition to excellent case studies, this book provides a basic Catholic perspective for the non-Catholic student affairs practitioner. References Christie, J. P. (2002). Student affairs and conscience formation. In S. M. Estanek (Ed.), Understanding student affairs at Catholic colleges and universities: A comprehensive resource (pp. 75-95). Chicago: Sheed and Ward. Estanek, S. M. (2002). Student development and the Catholic university: Philosophic reflections. In S. M. Estanek (Ed.), Understanding student affairs at Catholic colleges and universities: A comprehensive resource (pp. 75-95). Chicago: Sheed and Ward. Estanek, S. M., & Love, P. G. (2003/2004). Critical thinking and seamless learning: A postmodern approach. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines, 23(1-2), 63-68. Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student development in college: Theory research, and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Nash, R. J. (2002). “Real world” ethics: Frameworks for educators and human service professionals. New York: Teachers College Press. Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1991) How college affects students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Stage, F. K., & Dannells, M. (Eds.). (2000). Linking theory to practice: Case studies for working with college students (2ne 3e.). Philadelphia: Accelerated Development. About the Reviewer Marcia Kennard Kiessling currently serves as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Activities, Diversity, and Special Projects at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is also a doctoral student at North Carolina State University. Her research interests include higher education and holistic student development, particularly as it relates to the spiritual development of college students. Education Review recently published her review of Encountering Faith in the Classroom: Turning Difficult Discussions into Constructive Engagement, edited by M. Diamond. Marcia currently serves as public policy coordinator for Region III of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.