Robert H. Shaffer
Encyclopedia
Robert H. Shaffer was a pioneer in the field of college student personnel and student affairs. His work spanned the course of four decades (approximately 1940-1981), which can be characterized as a period of "incredible growth and social and poilitical change in American Society."
Believing that those who enter the field of student affairs must be “human development experts,” not simply administrators and bureaucrats, it was no doubt his own understanding of human development that enabled him to have so great an impact on both the students he served as dean and those entering his field.
. As a member of the Boy Scouts of America
, Shaffer earned the Eagle Scout
and Silver Beaver Awards. He graduated from Mishawaka High School in 1932. Shaffer was awarded a Rector's scholarship in 1932 to attend Depauw University
. Shaffer also was very involved in Greek life as a member and leader of the Depauw chapter of Sigma Chi
. He was the president of both the Alpha Phi Omega
national service organization and the Interfraternity Council. Eventually he would have the honor of becoming a Significant Sig. Shaffer graduated from Depauw with a degree in social science in 1936. After graduating, Shaffer moved to New York City and became the assistant to the director of personnel Boy Scouts of America
.
Shaffer Received his master's degree from Columbia University
in 1939. He enrolled in a doctoral program at New York University
in 1940. He received his Ph. D in 1945. Shaffer then worked at the International House in NYC, where he met his wife whom he married in 1940. In 1941 Shaffer took his first student affrairs related position as the assistant dean of the School of Business at Indiana University
.
Shaffer left Indiana University
for the Army in 1943, serving at Camp Lee, Petersburg, Virginia, Hawai'i and Boston. Shaffer worked with soldiers in a support capacity similar to what he experienced while at Indiana University
. Shaffer returned to Bloomington in 1946 to a joint appointment as a faculty member in the Schools of Business and Education and as assistant dean of students. Shaffer also served as the director of the Veteran's Guidance Center at Indiana University
.
Shaffer worked as dean of students at Indiana from 1955 until 1969. Shaffer proposed a successful student affairs research office as well as a faculty associate program at Indiana University
. The faculty associate program is a way to get faculty involved with student affairs.
Shaffer spent much of his personal time working with international students. His commitment to issues related to international students lead him to work in Thailand
, Afghanistan
, Saudi Arabia
and Malaysia. His numerous publications are landmarks in the field of student affairs, and throughout his career he has been a consultant to national educational and government organizations.
In 1956 Shaffer organized the student affairs division by function rather than by gender. This controversial approach allowed for the founding of various departments, such as residence life, orientation, financial aid, counseling, career placement and student health. Through the Vietnam War
, the Civil Rights movement
, and the student protests surrounding these and many other issues, Shaffer engaged student concerns in ways that earned him the respect of both students and faculty.
Another innovation by Shaffer was his creation of an extern program for student affairs graduate students. Students gain practical experience and gave them access to an environment to apply what was being learned in the classroom.
Shaffer went on to serve as an editor of the NASPA Journal in the late 1960s. After leaving his academic post in 1969, Shaffer became chairman of the Department of College Student Personnel Administration. He would retire from that post in 1981.
Believing that those who enter the field of student affairs must be “human development experts,” not simply administrators and bureaucrats, it was no doubt his own understanding of human development that enabled him to have so great an impact on both the students he served as dean and those entering his field.
Early life
Shaffer was born in 1915 in Delphi, IndianaDelphi, Indiana
Delphi is a city in and the county seat of Carroll County, Indiana, United States. Located twenty minutes northeast of Lafayette, it is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. As a member of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, Shaffer earned the Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and Silver Beaver Awards. He graduated from Mishawaka High School in 1932. Shaffer was awarded a Rector's scholarship in 1932 to attend Depauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
. Shaffer also was very involved in Greek life as a member and leader of the Depauw chapter of Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
. He was the president of both the Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
national service organization and the Interfraternity Council. Eventually he would have the honor of becoming a Significant Sig. Shaffer graduated from Depauw with a degree in social science in 1936. After graduating, Shaffer moved to New York City and became the assistant to the director of personnel Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
.
Shaffer Received his master's degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1939. He enrolled in a doctoral program at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
in 1940. He received his Ph. D in 1945. Shaffer then worked at the International House in NYC, where he met his wife whom he married in 1940. In 1941 Shaffer took his first student affrairs related position as the assistant dean of the School of Business at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
Shaffer left Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
for the Army in 1943, serving at Camp Lee, Petersburg, Virginia, Hawai'i and Boston. Shaffer worked with soldiers in a support capacity similar to what he experienced while at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. Shaffer returned to Bloomington in 1946 to a joint appointment as a faculty member in the Schools of Business and Education and as assistant dean of students. Shaffer also served as the director of the Veteran's Guidance Center at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
Career highlights
Early on at Indiana, Shaffer had a wide variety of experiences. He worked with students in regards to health, housing, financial aid and academic issues. Shaffer worked with several associations of professional student affairs workers. In 1948, Shaffer was elected secretary of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). Shaffer was elected the first president of the newly formed American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA) in 1951.Shaffer worked as dean of students at Indiana from 1955 until 1969. Shaffer proposed a successful student affairs research office as well as a faculty associate program at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. The faculty associate program is a way to get faculty involved with student affairs.
Shaffer spent much of his personal time working with international students. His commitment to issues related to international students lead him to work in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and Malaysia. His numerous publications are landmarks in the field of student affairs, and throughout his career he has been a consultant to national educational and government organizations.
In 1956 Shaffer organized the student affairs division by function rather than by gender. This controversial approach allowed for the founding of various departments, such as residence life, orientation, financial aid, counseling, career placement and student health. Through the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the Civil Rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
, and the student protests surrounding these and many other issues, Shaffer engaged student concerns in ways that earned him the respect of both students and faculty.
Another innovation by Shaffer was his creation of an extern program for student affairs graduate students. Students gain practical experience and gave them access to an environment to apply what was being learned in the classroom.
Shaffer went on to serve as an editor of the NASPA Journal in the late 1960s. After leaving his academic post in 1969, Shaffer became chairman of the Department of College Student Personnel Administration. He would retire from that post in 1981.