Refocusing the Self in Higher Education ― A Phenomenological Perspective

In higher education literature, theories of learning and development have largely been adapted from psychology to the exclusion of basic insights from philosophy. This volume addresses the gaps in higher education’s theoretical base created by this inattention to philosophy and reflects on the significance of the history of philosophy for the field of higher education. Key insights from phenomenological and then deconstructive philosophy are explained in an accessible and useful way and woven into a practical theory of the student-subject and its implications for learning and development. Finally, narrative theory is introduced in conjunction with these philosophical considerations as the author considers alternative ways of conceptualizing the student, the student’s experience, and the unification of the curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular aspects of higher education.

Glen L. Sherman is Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Development at William Paterson University in New Jersey. He received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Duquesne University, and has previously published two articles in the Journal of College and Character in the area of existential phenomenology. He holds a leadership role in the Division of Student Development (student affairs) and has been involved nationally with NASPA, a leading student affairs professional organization.