Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Student Development in College, Theory, and Practice (Online)

PADM 6570-70I

Course: PADM 6570-70I
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: PSCJ
CRN: 32445

Course Description

Student development theory investigates the personal growth and development of college students and how they make meaning of their experiences. This course explores a range of development theories that offer insight into the processes of student learning and growth during the college years. Over the course of the semester, we will examine how students make meaning of themselves (intrapersonal), other people (intrapersonal), and the world around them (cognitive). Student development theory offers student affairs professionals a framework and understanding when working with college students. There will be a focus encompassing how these models can be applied and utilized within higher education.
Course objectives include:
  • Understanding theories related to student growth and development in college
  • Understanding the historical theories of student development up to current theory
  • Critically reflect on major theories and how those theories address the changing needs of college students
  • Understand and explain how individual differences such as social class, gender, race, sexual orientation, faith, and ability influence student development
  • Explain how environments and context a person is situated in or with influence their development
  • Reflection on your role as a student affairs professional and developing your own philosophies about student development theory
  • Effectively communicate through online discussions and assignments designed to express your viewpoints  

Required Texts

Text: Patton, L.D., Renn, K.A., Guido, F.M., & Quaye, S.J. (2010). Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice- 3rd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes:
  • Students will recall important terminology; differentiate between theories; recognize stages of development; summarize major life events and theories
  • Students will think critically on material; evaluate research; synthesize information; engage in written and oral communication 
  • Students will increase intercultural knowledge; engage in purposeful learning activities
  • Student will make connections between class material and real-life context, transfer information beyond the classroom or to future professions
NASPAA Universal Competencies
NASPAA Universal Competencies/SUU Mission-Specific Competencies
1)  To Lead, Manage and Apply Effective Public Governance
2) To Participate and Contribute to the Public, Fiscal and Economic Policy Process
3) To Solve Problems Using Analytics, Critical Thinking, Ethical Thinking and Conceptualize and Apply Best Practices
4) To Articulate and Apply Public Service Perspectives Norms and Legal Standards
5) To Communicate orally and in writing and Interact Productively with a Diverse and Changing Workforce and Citizenry
In particular, this course focuses on MPA competencies #3 and #5, as measured by written (Case Studies, Discussions, and Final Paper) assignments.

Course Requirements

Course Requirements   
Class Participation and Engagement:  Regular and active participation is required and
expected for optimal learning. As this is an online course, time management and
organizational skills are needed to keep up with readings and complete assignments by
the due date.
Course Grading
Grades will be determined on a point system. Each case study will be graded based on the Rubric provided with each assignment. Students are encouraged to review each case study rubric before writing their assignment.
There is a total of 290 points for the course. The points are distributed by task:
Written Assignment = 10
Case Studies = Six Case Studies @ 25 points each. Total points = 150
Discussions = Seven discussions @ 10 points each. Total points = 70
Final Paper = 60 points
A 100% to 94%
A- <94% to 90%
B+ <90% to 87%
B  <87% to 84%
B- <84% to 80%
(Minimum passing grade for MPA courses is B-)
C+ <80% to 77%
C  <77% to 74%
C- <74% to 70%
D+ <70% to 67%
D  <64% to 64%
D- <64% to 61%
F  <61% to 0%

Please Note: I am happy to discuss your progress in the course at any point in the semester. You are encouraged to contact me at any point during the semester. Do not wait until the end of the semester to try to review concerns. If you find yourself having difficulty with the course, please contact me to arrange a telephone conversation or Zoom meeting.

APA Writing Style Format for Case Studies
During this course the American Psychological Association (APA) writing format is required for all Case Studies. A sample format is attached to each case study for your review and use. A sample APA Template (link) is provided within each case study is provide for your consideration and use. All Case Studies must be submitted as a "Word Document". If you are not familiar with APA, the publications listed below will serve as reference material and resource guides.

Seventh Edition Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Quick Study Academic, APA guidelines 7th Edition

Statement on Plagiarism

In a nutshell, give credit where it is due, and ultimately to do your own work. Passing off someone else’s work as your own – or the failure to cite sources properly – can be construed as plagiarism. Plagiarism can result in a failing grade for a paper, or a course, or further consequences at the University (see statement on Academic Misconduct).

Technology Usage:
All graduate students in public administration must have a comprehensive understanding of computer technology to effectively engage in their coursework and collaborative activities. They are expected to know how to confidently participate in virtual meetings using both video and audio features on platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet. In addition, they must be proficient in using standard office software, including Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Excel, All Google products (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, etc), and similar tools. As collaboration and group projects are integral to public administration programs, students must be prepared to fully participate and contribute with other students in projects and with the coursework using these digital resources.  Students who find themselves struggling and in need of additional resources are strongly encouraged to reach out to MEET with their professor for additional assistance.

 





 

 



 

Course Outline

Course Summary:

Date    Details             Due

Mon Sep 1, 2025         Quiz Commenced Attendance Quiz    due by 11:59pm

Sun Sep 7, 2025          Assignment Written Assignment        due by 11:59pm

Sun Sep 14, 2025       Discussion Topic Discussion #1         due by 11:59pm

Sun Sep 21, 2025       Assignment Case Study #1               due by 11:59pm

Sun Sep 28, 2025       Discussion Topic Discussion #2        due by 11:59pm

Sun Oct 5, 2025          Assignment Case Study #2               due by 11:59pm

Sun Oct 12, 2025        Discussion Topic Discussion #3        due by 11:59pm

Sun Oct 19, 2025        Assignment Case Study #3               due by 11:59pm

Sun Oct 26, 2025        Discussion Topic Discussion #4        due by 11:59pm

Sun Nov 2, 2025         Discussion Topic Discussion #5        due by 11:59pm

Sun Nov 9, 2025         Assignment Case Study #4               due by 11:59pm

Sun Nov 16, 2025       Discussion Topic Discussion #6        due by 11:59pm

Sun Nov 23, 2025       Assignment Case Study #5              due by 11:59pm

Sun Nov 30, 2025       Discussion Topic Discussion #7       due by 11:59pm

Sun Dec 7, 2025         Assignment Case Study #6             due by 11:59pm

Thu Dec 11, 2025        Assignment Final Paper                  due by 11:59pm



Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

All assignments are due at 11:59 (Mountain Time) on the day listed in the course outline. It is your responsibility to ensure that the correct and final version of your assignment has been submitted by the deadline. Assignments received after the due date and time are considered late and will be penalized 10% of the possible grade (this includes Case Studies and Discussion Posts). For each week after the initial week that assignments are late, an additional 10% penalty will be applied. If there are extenuating circumstances, you are encouraged to contact your instructor prior to the assignment due date.

Attendance Policy

This is a asynchronous fully online.
As an online course, attendance is not required. However, in order to receive the full benefit of the course, you must complete the reading assignments prior to engaging the discussion posts and case studies. Assigned reading are important to the content of the course. Your instructor will arrange several synchronous online discussions and check-in during the semester.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.