A Developmental Perspective on Learning.

The Student Learning Imperative (SLI ) (American College Personnel Association [ACPA], 1994) was written to spark discussion of “how student affairs professionals can intentionally create the conditions that enhance student learning and personal development” (p. 1); it is a call to transform student affairs practice to promote student learning and personal development. Although the terms student learning and personal development have different historical roots and focus on different aspects of the educational process, they are described in the SLI as “inextricably intertwined and inseparable” (p. 1). In this paper, we elaborate on this assertion and argue for an integrated view of learning and personal development. From this integrated perspective, the cognitive and affective dimensions are seen as parts of one process; dimensions as seemingly distinct as knowledge construction, meaning making, and awareness of self are presumed to be integrated within the developing human being. The SLI argued that the educational experiences offered to college students—including those sponsored by student affairs—should be intentionally grounded in the educational missions of colleges and universities. This grounding requires a clear understanding of these missions and the educational goals they embody, as these are the goals toward which educational efforts should be directed. These efforts include the creation of “educationally purposeful” (Boyer, 1990, p. 9) experiences that should enable students to learn, practice, and develop the attributes of a college-educated person. As listed in the SLI, the hallmarks of a collegeeducated person include: