Theory: Sanford's Theory of Challenge and Support (1968)

Nevitt Sanford's theory of challenge and support is about student learning and the belief that, in order for student development to occur there needs to be equal amounts of challenge and support. The quote below summarizes generally what Sanford is getting at and it may be familiar to you.

Professor Bill Drury: “If you begin to feel uncomfortable, pay attention—you are about to learn something.” Source

This relates back to Maslow's Hierarchy of Need, shown in the diagram below.

 

(Source: Wikipedia)

Maslow believes that the most basic needs must be met before anything beyond those needs can be addressed. This is connected to challenge and support because in order for students to feel like they can face challenges confidently they need to believe there is a strong support network to fall back on. However, balance of the two is the most important factor - too much support and students can become complacent and comfortable, they aren't faced with situations that encourage them to push themselves beyond their safety zone or general norms. Alternately, if students feel that they are being constantly challenged they can become overwhelmed and can believe themselves as incapable or unable to address the stream of difficult demands on their abilities. 

As an Resident Advisor being able to challenge and support your residents equally is a delicate balancing act. We must adjust our techniques dependent on the student and what we perceive their level of independence and dependence is throughout the year. Some residents will need more support than others and some residents will just need a hand to point them in the right direction, there is no one technique that works for every resident. If we believe that our role is to support residents in developing a strong sense of independence and self responsibility then we must make sure that we are not babying them or demanding beyond their abilities. Recognizing that residents come from differing family backgrounds with different life experiences is important.

Student Life staff are well versed in the theory of challenge and support. If you are wanting more information or resources surrounding this topic, don't be afraid to reach out to them.

Bibliography

Ward, Kelly, Lois Trautvetter, and Larry Braskamp. "Putting students first: Creating a climate of support and challenge." Journal of College and Character 6.8 (2005).

Theory: Astin's Theory of Involvement (1985)

Alexander Astin studied how student involvement helps motivate student success. Astin found that "greater degrees of involvement with the programs and activities of the campus influence student satisfaction with college, academic achievement, and persistence toward graduation" (Schlossberg 5). Essentially, the more involved a student is in the community of the college outside of the classroom, the more likely they are to succeed and feel good about their experience. As Resident Advisors we are constantly trying to get students involved but what is involvement? Astin defines involvement as "the amount of physical and psychological energy that the student devotes to the academic experience." This kind of holistic involvement "creates connections between students, faculty and staff that allow individuals to believe in their own personal worth" (Schlossberg 5).

This relates back to Schlossberg's theory of mattering. When a student is involved in the college community they experience the 5 aspects of mattering. Astin's theory helps support the understanding that a positive student experience exists beyond the classroom as well as in the classroom.

"The study of patterns of student involvement and what encourages or discourages that involvement could result in more purposefully designed programs and activities that more effectively promote the quality of community. The concepts of marginality and mattering offer new ways to explore these concerns." (Schlossberg 5) 
See Marginality and Mattering.

Works Cited:
Rendon, Laura I., and Romero Jalomo Jr. "Validating Student Experience and Promoting Progress, Performance, and Persistence through Assessment." (1995).

Schlossberg, Nancy K. "Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community." New Directions for Student Services 1989.48 (1989): 5-15.

Ward, Kelly, Lois Trautvetter, and Larry Braskamp. "Putting students first: Creating a climate of support and challenge." Journal of College and Character 6.8 (2005).

Theory: Schlossberg's Theory of Marginality and Mattering (1989)

Moving to a new and strange place can be daunting and overwhelming. Think back to when you first started College and reflect on how you felt. What were you worried about? For a lot of university students, the concerns about starting College remain the same regardless of which university you choose to attend - Will I fit in? Will I make friends? Do I belong here? Nancy Schlossberg (1989) studied transitions, "events of nonevents that alter our lives" such as moving to a new neighborhood, starting a new job or going to College, in relation to how they affected our feelings of marginality and mattering. Schlossberg found that people "in transition often feel marginal and that they do not matter... Every time an individual changes roles or experiences a transition, the potential for feeling marginal arises."

Why do you think that is?



When a person is in transition they are experiencing a disequilibrium between their old role and their new role. As Schlossberg notes "the more difference between the former role and the new role the more marginal a person may feel, especially if there are no norms for the new role." Perceiving oneself as not fitting in well, not making friends, feeling like no one cares about you and what you do, not believing yourself to be important etc, whether true or not, impacts a person's feeling of marginality. The less information known about our knew role, the more daunting and out of place a student may feel especially after leaving a familiar space - home town, high school, home country etc.

"Robert E. Park labeled the marginal person as 'one who is living and sharing intimately in the cultural life and traditions of two distinct peoples, never quite willing to break, even if permitted to do so, with past and traditions, and not quite accepted, because of prejudice, in the new society in which the individual seeks to find a place (Park, 1928, p.892)

Everyone feels out of place at particular points in time which allows us to develop and learn. However feeling out of place can make a student feel like the don't matter. Sociologist Morris Rosenberg and colleagues note that "mattering is a motive: a feeling that others depend on us, are interested in us, are concerned with our fate, or experience us as an ego extension [which] exercises a powerful influence on our actions (Rosenberg and McCullough, 1981, p.165 as cited in Schlossberg, 1989). Mattering is our belief, whether right or wrong, that we matter to someone else. A large part of the Resident Advisor job is supporting students who feel marginal and develop their belief that they matter. We do this is many different formats like community dinners, one on one discussions, learning every resident's name, sitting with residents in TAB and so on and so forth. Instinctively you may create situations to help bring marginal students into a wider community but you may not know you are in fact taking theory and putting it into practice. The five aspects of mattering that Schlossberg defines located below may be more familiar to you than you realize. 

5 Aspects of Mattering

1. Attention

"'The most elementary form of mattering is the feeling that one commands the interest or notice of another person' (Rosenberg and McCullough, 1981, p.164)."

Have you said "Hello" to a resident passing you on the path? Have you sat with a student who was eating alone at lunch? Did you make an effort to learn the names of your residents? Did you make fancy door tags?
All of these are examples of actively giving attention to others which in turn signals to them that they matter to you. You are willing to make an effort to acknowledge their presence in the world and though it could be a simple 'hello Timmy' it could mean a great deal to someone feeling marginal.

2. Importance

"'To believe that the other person cares about what we want, think, and do, or is concerned with our fate, is to matter' (Rosenberg and McCullough, 1981, p.64)."
While giving attention is a good start the value and depth of attention makes a difference. If a person feels like a burden or a passing acknowledgement their feeling of importance can be lowered. Making sure to focus attention on residents in a meaningful manner create a greater sense of mattering. Ask them about classes, praise and encourage them in projects, ask their opinions about situations - show them you see them as important. Even expressing disappointment in uncompleted SHR's or attendance at events shows you are paying attention to and value their involvement.

3. Ego-extension

"...refers to the feeling that other people will be proud of our accomplishments or saddened by our failures."

Do you remember when you passed a difficult test, trial, interview etc. and your whole family celebrated like it was their success? You experienced Ego-extension Ego-extension is the idea that someone takes our success as their own and our failure as their own, signifying that what happens to us matters to them. Don't be afraid to celebrate huge achievements with your residents or honor events as if they were you own. By connecting yourself to their experiences you are reinforcing that you pay attention and displaying how important they are to you.

4. Dependence

"'Our behaviour is influenced by our dependence on other people is easily understood. What is... more mysterious is why our actions are equally governed by their dependence on us' (Rosenberg and McCullough, 1981, p.165)."

Dependence is not just a resident depending on you to aid them but the resident feels that others are depending on them. Involvement in activities where you are seen as a key role in the success of an event, program etc. can mean all the difference. If a resident is involved in a theatre production the cast and crew are depending on the resident attending in order for the production to function. This kind of dependence gives people a sense of purpose and they gain strength from the notion their presence is necessary and helpful.

5. Appreciation

Appreciation is hugely important and often overlooked. It's easy to congratulate someone who has exceeded expectations but how often do small achievements go unnoticed? Sure we all love straight A's and winning scholarships but not everyone is accomplishing huge things. Appreciation is the idea that you are recognized and thanked for what you do even if it is something you are expected to do. Praise a resident for completing their SHR, thank residents for taking time out of their day to attend house meetings. Just because it is required doesn't mean it can't be appreciated. You can never thank and appreciate people too much.

Understanding the theory of Marginality and Mattering can help us see behind our intuitive actions to the real theory that supports how and why we do what we do. Community dinner is more than just eating food together and talking to residents about classes is larger than preparing for registration. Creating a sense of mattering and belonging in a community allows residents to feel safe and supported.

"We are connected by the need to matter and the need to belong. The creation of environments that clearly indicate to all students that they matter will urge them to greater involvement... [making successful institutions] where students are motivated to learn, where their retention is high, where their institutional loyalty for the short- and long-term future is ensured (Schlossberg, Lynch and Chickering, 1989)."

Bibliography

Schlossberg, Nancy K. "Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community." New Directions for Student Services 1989.48 (1989): 5-15.

SHR: Cleaning Star of the Week

Summary

This technique identifies who has done their Shared House Responsibility and, if everyone has completed theirs, who has been the STAR!!! You can identify this person in a number of ways - poster with everyone's names, a gift with acknowledgement during community dinner, a crown on their door tag or a grand prize! This is great positive affirmation of people's contributions to the house cleanliness and can get competitive...

SHR: Wall of Shame

Summary

The Wall of Shame is a way to identify who hasn't been doing their Shared House Responsibility. It shouldn't be mean or overly cruel but can be done kindly and with fun. It is a display/poster in your house common area with all of the residents in the house identified - even you. There is a space in the middle for the person who didn't complete their SHR. You can make little stick people with print outs of people's photos or you could make them characters from a movie, tv show, book etc.

Dishues: District 13

Summary

District 13 is a last resort technique. If dishes get to a point of no return - clogging up the sink, never being washed, growing bacteria etc. - there comes the time of removal. Essentially, if cleaning in your house has reached the danger zone multiple times with no signs of change from the community you can start taking the dirty dishes away to District 13. They can be earned back over time but until the community shows signs of change and a willingness to be responsible for the mess they create. This can have negative reactions from a community, especially if they feel you are an "authority" and just using your "power." You have been warned!

Dishues: The Selfie

Summary

Standards of cleanliness differ from person to person. My level of clean could be your level of gross. My internal cleanliness watchdog might be less awake than yours. Making expectations of cleanliness clear is difficult because "clean" can mean a different image to everyone in your household. It's understandable that during the year the house isn't going to remain spotless much to the cleanliness watchdogs dismay! The selfie is a way to make clear what is expected of everyone by displaying what "clean" looks like so everyone can remember and compare whether or not the area is clean by the communities standards.

Dishues: The Clothesline

Summary

The Clothesline technique is a useful tool if you have a small community of residents. The idea is that you create a clothesline with everyone's name on it and a peg that moves from name to name once you have cleaned. You can alternately use any version of this that allows an object to be moved from one name to another and is in a visible spot e.g. the fridge with a magnet, a sticky tack arrow and names on a wall. The idea is whoever's name the peg is on has to clean a dish, wipe the counters or load something into the dishwasher. Once you have completed something you can move the peg to the next persons name on the line, allowing the cleaning to rotate between members of the house.

Game Nights

Objectives

• Build community
• Interpersonal bonding
• Hanging out and spending time together
• Encouraging team work
• Mix residents with people they don't usually spend time with

Summary
Game night is an awesome way to encourage residents to interact with one another in a team work capacity without having to get personal. You can arrange the teams yourself to put people who don't usually spend time together in the same team or you can just play as a whole house. Depending on what you are wanting to help build within your community to can pick any number of games. The key aspect of game night is your residents need to buy into the event otherwise it will be you and the same people who get involved in everything. Sometimes a reward or prize is incentive enough to get residents to attend.

House Hike/Walk

Objectives

• Get people outdoors
• See more of Acadia National Park
• Build Community
• Release endorphin
• Hang out casually

Summary
Hikes and walks are a great way to get residents out of the house, into fresh air and see more of the park. It's also a great way to get some exercise in and force residents to put away their phones, tablets and laptops. Ah, there's nothing like nature and conversation.

Conversation Traditions

Objectives

• Encourage conversation at house meals
• Sharing information without being too personal
• Updating others on your current life situations
• Positive thinking
• Low key resident check-in

Summary
These conversation traditions are a great way to encourage everyday in the house to have a voice. Everyone could have a turn or you could just let people volunteer. This allows residents to share information about themselves, their lives, what they see as important etc. without having to get too personal. By creating a tradition, you can also build conversation when things could get strained, weird or awkward. You can have things such as a a word of thanks - a thankful for _____ - peach, fuzz, bud - a good thing, a difficult thing, a thing you're looking forward to - or simply a good thing about the week. Another idea is to think about impact - who have you impacted someone positively this week?

Community Dinners/Meals

Objectives

• Build community
• Feed yourself and residents
• Check-in  with people
• Help residents bond

Summary
Community Dinner is almost considered part of the RA job description. It is often used by RA's to build community from the start of the year until the end. Sometimes it works wonderfully and sometimes your residents would prefer to feed themselves. Community dinner can be adapted in various different meal times and locations e.g. dessert, brunch, picnic, potluck, afternoon tea time.

Registration Parties

Objectives

• De-stress residents
• Help with registration problems
• Hangout with the community mid-term
• Chat with and check-in with residents about classes
• Eat food or drink tea - Yumma!

Summary
Registration parties became a huge hit with residents. They come in all types from pancake extravaganzas to small tea times around midnight. The trick is to cater to your community within reason and have a supportive time during what can be, a very stressful process. Depending on what you want to do with your residents you will need to prepare accordingly. Also if you are wanting to speak with residents about what classes they are planning on taking or how they feel their current classes are going this is a great time to start the conversation. It can encourage residents to help one another (all being in similar situations) and you to check with residents when in the coming weeks it will become difficult to pin them down!

Kitten Cuddling

Objectives

• Get residents off island and out of COA for awhile
• Stress relief around weeks nine and ten
• Bond together as a community over kittens!

Summary
Kitten cuddling is actually an outing to the SPCA to play with their kittens for a period of time. It was a great stress relief for residents during week nine of winter term which is always very difficult emotionally. There isn't a lot of sunlight, it's cold and people stay inside more. This can create a lot of tension and sometimes stir crazy energy from being around the same people, in the same space for ten straight weeks. The SPCA was in Ellsworth so it got residents off island and the kittens were cute and fluffy, nuff said.

Secret Valentine

Objectives

• Celebrate Valentines Day
• Community building
• Encourage positive interactions between residents

Summary
Secret Valentines were created to celebrate Valentines Day. They are an anonymous way for residents to do something positive for others. It can generate better inter-resident relationships and help build community. This program doesn't have to be solely Valentines Day, it can be adapted for Christmas, Easter, Summer and Winter Solstice, whatever you think will work.

Movie Nights

Objectives

•  Get to know people
• Hang out without expectations about conversation
• Activity that could include homework as well as hangout

Summary
Movie Nights were a way to get to know residents in a way that didn't put pressure on anyone to make conversation. It was also created to allow multitasking so that during the busy periods of the year residents could complete homework as well. Snacks were offered and there was some conversation before the movie as people grabbed food.

Wall of Positivity

Objectives

• Focus on the positive contributions of others
• Community building
• People become aware of their own as well as others impacts

Summary
The Wall of Positivity was a way for people to recognize, anonymously, the positive things other people in the house do for them. This was to steer away from the negative comments surrounding what people haven't done. It was also to build a better positive energy and community in the house between people who don't usually interact with one another. The anonymity focused the notes solely on the person being mentioned and the action of writing a note didn't take much effort to complete.

Water Balloon Ice Breaker

Objectives

• To build community
• A chance for residents to get to know each other
• Active participation
• Fun

Summary
This ice breaker allowed people to get to know each other without sitting in an awkward circle. It was implemented during Week One of Fall Term and was a lot of fun.