“In this time of racial unrest, and deliberate attempts to become more effective anti-racist practitioners, this book is a critical resource. In addition to doing the important work of centering race in this book, the authors also address the ever-expanding learning as it relates to gender and sexuality.The final part of the book addresses the experience of non-traditional students. This offers us a look at not only the students, but the locations of these students. Again, most frameworks and models that have been a part of our cannon have been based on the experience of students at predominately and historically white institutions and students of ages 18-24. There have been very few models that address the differences in the developmental experience for students who are older than 24, or those attending community colleges, HBCUs, HSIs, or Tribal college. As a result, the faculty, staff and administrators serving those populations often have to extrapolate from work that does not take into account the unique experiences that come with a difference academic environment and age.Each section of this book will provide you with new insights, new questions and opportunities to meet the needs of often misunderstood populations. A major take away for me is that each chapter is framed as ‘Alternative Frameworks and Model’, This says to me that, these scholars are offering more resources and tools for the work. They are not suggesting that we throw everything that’s been done away. Nor have they suggested that previous frameworks models are not useful. They are simply stating that we need to have alternatives for a growing and changing demographic so that we are not forcing square pegs in round holes.”Rev. Dr. Jamie WashingtonPresident, Washington Consulting Group (WCG); President & Co-Founder, Social Justice Training Institute (SJTI); President (2019), ACPA – College Student Educators International“Previous examinations of student development theory have prompted scholars, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to better understand the myriad ways in which students’ learn and engage. This book expands on those prior examples and creates new areas for discussion and inquiry. For example, as America continues to grapple with the many racial injustices and inequities that permeate the fabric of nearly every industry, this is the perfect time for a volume that uses critical race theory as a central frame. The selected topics stress the importance of not forcing conversations about students’ development into previous models but instead reframing the dialogues in new and more appropriate ways. i>Square Pegs and Round Holes definitely fills a void in literature by providing an abundance of approaches that help practitioners better understand the nuances of students’ progress. The effect should be a cadre of professionals who can make more precise adjustments to policies and procedures and thus positively impact student outcomes. In this time of continued uncertainty regarding how the field of higher education will transform to address new demands and unanticipated challenges, professionals need an evergreen resource that focuses on students’ development. This book’s arrival could not be timelier, as the pressure on both campuses and students to succeed is arguably higher than ever. The approaches included in this volume certainly answer the call for new models and, in some ways, provide a glimpse of the kind of interactions that are possible when students are consistently placed at the center of campus strategies. This book contains a remarkable blend of historical contexts, current paradigms, and future aspirations and offers a means for connecting student populations that have traditionally received less attention in published scholarly works.It is urgent that institutions demonstrate their capacity to deliver personalized experiences to students, particularly those who are expecting their college experience to result in greater financial stability and social mobility. As professionals respond to those expectations, the frameworks included in Square Pegs and Round Holes offer a foundation to provoke them to acknowledge, welcome, and support students whose identities need to be visible and prioritized every day. Regardless of what the future holds, those who refer to this book often will have a reliable guide to make students’ experience the most optimal possible, which is a goal that every institution should have today and beyond.”Amelia Parnell, Vice President for Research and PolicyNASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education“Hallowed past practices in the field of student development have often failed to engender student empowerment and success among the diverse students that universities serve. Help has finally arrived in the form of Square Pegs and Round Holes which offers invaluable \ perspectives on how to reframe and enhance narrow and outmoded practices in this field.”Ruth J. Simmons, PresidentPrairie View A&M University“Square Pegs Round Holes is an important asset to the field of higher education and student affairs. Uniquely centering critical race theory as the organizing frame for alternative student development models and perspectives presented, the book empowers practitioners and faculty with updated tools for understanding the intersectional, contextualized, and diverse identities of today’s college students. While this book thoughtfully critiques the shortcomings of traditional theories, it does not reject them entirely. Rather, it builds new space for emerging voices that tell a more complete story about the complexity of student experiences and identities.”Alexa Wesley, Associate Director for Research and PolicyNASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education“Square Pegs and Round Holes does an exceptional job of honoring and acknowledging past and current theoretical perspectives. Simultaneously, the book pushes the boundaries of how we need to reconceptualize our understanding of the complex nature of identity development and the lived experiences of historically minoritized groups in higher education. Furthermore, it positions the construct of race as central to understanding marginalization across different identity groups. Finding ourselves amid a reckoning with racial injustice and other isms in the United States, this book's timeliness is appreciated and welcomed as we seek new perspectives to help us serve and understand a growing and evolving diverse segment of the college-going population.”Salvador B. Mena, Vice Chancellor of Student AffairsRutgers University-New Brunswick“I have taught Student Development Theory for the majority of my faculty career. For a long time, I had to teach using theoretical frameworks that are outdated and not representative of the diverse student populations on college campuses today. Square Pegs and Round Holes provides a much-needed expansion of theories and perspectives to understand better the lives and experiences of the multiple, intersectional, and complex populations left out of traditional student development theories. As an instructor, I no longer have to rely solely on theories void of diverse perspectives. Students entering higher education preparation programs desire to learn more about diverse populations and grapple with social justice issues. This text answers that call by bringing together seminal minds in the field who center marginalized populations' experiences and voices. As a practitioner-based field that relies on theory to guide practice, we must use theories and perspectives that are inclusive. Texts like this one challenge our thinking, research, and practice in ways that help us "know better so that we can do better!"Joy Gaston Gayles, Ph.D. Professor, Senior Advisor for the Advancement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, & President-ElectAssociation for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)“This text privileges the experiences of those of us left out of early “mainstream” student development theories. Chapters offer critical insight regarding the many ways-of-being of post-secondary students with models and frameworks to guide and further our understanding of student development. Square Pegs and Round Holes is particularly timely given current social stresses and pandemic—the implications of which will impact our students, our institutions, and our communities for years to come.”Stephanie J. Waterman, Associate Professor, Leadership, Higher & Adult Education; Coordinator, Student Development/Student Services StreamOntario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto
