Dr. Robert W. Chick, an administrator who had significant student affairs experience at the University of Missouri, University of Denver, and Washington State University, founded the College Student Services Administration (CSSA) program at Oregon State University in 1966. As the first Dean of Students and later the Vice President for Student Affairs at Oregon State University, Dr. Chick built an outstanding program of coordinated student services within the OSU community.
Dr. Chick provided leadership in bringing together student affairs professionals throughout Oregon and the Northwest to share ideas and discuss relevant issues in the field. From this, he recognized the need for a professional training and degree program in the region. In 1966, the State Board of Higher Education in Oregon approved the offering of Ed.D., Ph.D., Ed.M., and the M.S. degrees through the CSSA graduate programs at Oregon State University. Dr. Chick's mentorship of CSSA graduate students and of Oregon State University student affairs professionals has left a lasting legacy.
The College Student Services Administration program’s primary mission has been to prepare individuals for professional administrative positions in student services departments at two- and four-year colleges and universities. The curriculum has emphasized administrative leadership and management of programs and services.
Graduates of the CSSA program hold professional positions in nearly every state and in several other countries. Alumni hold numerous middle and upper management positions at colleges and universities including serving as Coordinators, Directors, Assistant and Associate Deans, Deans, Vice Presidents, and Presidents. Alumni have also held numerous leadership positions in professional associations as well as serving on numerous advisory boards, editorial boards, and national and regional committees.
Known as the College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) until the early 1970s the program title was changed to College Student Services Administration (CSSA). Those who had custody of the records at some time include: College of Education, School of Education, Office of Student Services, Office of Student Affairs, Office of Dean of Students. In 2003 the CSSA program was formally moved to the College of Education. As of 2017, the CSSA Program is situated in the School of Language, Culture, and Society (SLCS) within the College of Liberal Arts with Larry Roper serving as Director.
The following individuals have also served as Directors of the CSSA program: Arthur L. Tollefson (1966-1972); Jo Anne J. Trow (1972-1983); J. Roger Penn (1983-2002); Thomas Scheuermann, (interim during several years in the 2000s); and Richard H. Shintaku.
Records were received from the College Student Services Administration program by several transfers from 2006 through 2015. Publications that were previously part of the University Publications and the Student Affairs Records (RG 102) were incorporated into this collection in 2017.
Collection is open for research.
College Student Services Administration (CSSA) Program Records (RG 233), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Additional information pertaining to the College Student Services Administration program is available in the Dean of Students Office Records, Student Affairs Records (RG 102),
The College Student Services Administration (CSSA) Program Records are arranged in 7 series: 1. Publications, 1969-2002; 2. Correspondence, 1968-2010; 3. Program Evaluations and Reviews, 1965-2004; 4. Subject Files, 1950-2014; 5. Course Materials, 1987-1990; 6. Photographs, circa 1970 -2002; and 7. Scrapbooks and Photograph Albums, 1973-1993
The College Student Services Administration (CSSA) Program Records document the development and administration of the CSSA graduate program for student services professionals in colleges and universities. The collection provides extensive information about the directors of the program through 2002, faculty and staff affiliated with the program, students and alumni, the curriculum of the graduate program, and the types of work experiences that CSSA students obtained at Oregon State University.
The records include publications, graduate program reviews; course materials, subject files, photographs, photograph albums, and scrapbooks.
Due to the overlap of faculty and staff between the CSSA graduate program and the Office of Student Services and Office of the Dean of Students, the records include substantive documentation of those offices -- especially photographs of faculty and staff and special events. Numerous photographs of J. Roger Penn, Jo Anne Trow, Nancy Vanderpool, and Judy Brazee are part of the collection.
Born digital records are available to researchers in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center Reading Room.
Series 1 consists of several publications including a monthly program newsletter for current students, faculty, and staff published in 1978-2001; a report and update to alumni published once or twice per year from 1972 to 2002 that includes information about the program and news from alumni; two annotated bibliographies; a humorous student newsletter published in 1969-1970; and information about the 1972 graduates of the College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) program.
Includes two items: (1) An annotated bibliography of publications on student activities administration edited by Donald R. Sanderson and published in 1976 and (2) an expanded bibliography (identified as volume 2) that also includes publications on college unions. It was edited by Sanderson and George F. Stevens and published in 1980.
A humorous student newsletter.
Series 2 includes memoranda and announcements regarding the status of the CSSA program, administrative re-organization, and functioning of the program. Greeting cards and announcements, primarily from former students, are also included.
Series 3 consists of reports, correspondence, and self reviews assembled and prepared in the course of several evaluations and graduate program reviews of the CSSA program. The bulk of the materials pertain to reviews conducted in 1988, 1992, and 2004.
Series 4 consists of materials documenting the CSSA academic program; its administration; and the faculty, staff, and students affiliated with CSSA. Reference materials pertaining to legal decisions impacting student services as well as a compilation of survey and assessment tools are included in the series. The series includes documents summarizing the history of CSSA and biographical information for former CSSA Directors. Records pertaining to recruitment events for potential graduate students (Campus Days), alumni gatherings, and summer workshops are also included. This series includes a small quantity of born-digital records which consist of files for a 2002 marketing brochure, 2002 biographies of former CSSA directors, and a 2002 historical overview of the CSSA program.
Consists of exmples of survey instruments and assessment tools developed by Oregon State University, other universities, and testing organizations such as the Educational Testing Service. These surveys and tools gather information on graduating senior perspectives, learning styles, student diversity, alumni leadership, commuter students, and institutional goals. Most of the materials were prepared in the 1970s and 1980s. These were likely assembled by a CSSA faculty member for reference use and perhaps instruction.
These materials document legal decisions that impact colleges and universities, especially students and student services. Topics addressed include due process, drugs, firearms, freedom of expression, student records, student press, speakers, tuition and fees, and trespass. The materials include correspondence, memoranda, newspaper clippings, press releases, and court documents. These materials were likely assembled by one of the CSSA faculty or directors as a reference and for instruction.
Materials assembled for photographs of former CSSA Directors. Original photographs with captions are in Series 6 (Box-Folder 4.02). Includes information about the history of the CSSA program and biographical information on J. Roger Penn, Robert Chick, Art Tollefson, and Jo Ann Trow. Also includes 17 photographs.
Consists of electronic versions (Word documents) of biographies of former deans Trow, Penn, Tollefsson, and Chick and an historical overview of the CSSA program.
Includes an obituary for George F. Stevens (1996) and an article about the closure of the Dean of Students Office as of August 1, 1997.
Also includes staff and faculty directories.
At College of William and Mary.
"Ode to CSSA Class of 2001" by Angela Austin-Haney, Megan Horst, Gretta Mincer, Kris Winter, and Zea Wood, June 2001.
Digital files for Path of CSSA brochure; consists of 2 files.
Series 5 consists of course packets of readings for CSSA classes.
Robert Rice, Editor.
Volume 3; Robert Rice, Jr., Editor.
Series 6 consists of photographs depicting CSSA Program faculty, staff, and students as well as affiliated staff and faculty in the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Student Services. The bulk of the images are of groups at special events, holiday parties, graduation celebrations, retirement parties, and other gatherings. Numerous images of Judy Brazee, Roger Penn, Jo Anne Trow, and Nancy Vanderpool are part of this series. With a few exceptions, all of the images are color prints or negatives. Most are snapshots. The bulk of the images were made in the 1980s and 1990s. The series includes 1179 items (845 photographic prints and 334 film negatives).
4 photographs. Portrait photographs of four CSSA directors: Robert W. Chick, Arthur Tollefson, Jo Anne Trow, and J. Roger Penn. The mounted photographs were prepared for display in 2002; the original photographs were taken prior to 2002.
15 photographs; children of CSSA students and alumni. Theses images may have been sent to CSSA faculty and staff by former students.
33 prints and 21 negatives
9 prints and 4 negatives. Includes a chart identifying the individuals in the photographs.
72 photographs; trimmed prints that had been used in a display and removed from mounting paper; most of the photographs are of individuals that are not identified.
26 prints and 25 negatives
50 prints and 24 negatives.
13 photographs. Four of the prints have individuals identified; the other prints just indicate the class year.
34 prints and 25 negatives
140 prints and 49 negatives
19 prints and 24 negatives
1 photograph; group photograph of Mortar Board for 1987-1988; includes Roger Penn, Jo Anne Trow, and Bill Lunch.
8 photographs; perhaps student and alumni attending a social gathering at a conference. Individuals are not identified.
49 prints and 25 negatives
21 photographs
47 prints and 25 negatives
73 photographs
54 prints and 112 negatives; includes images of faculty, staff, students and alumni; holiday parties; special events; and group photographs. Includes views of student services offices in the 1970s. A snapshot of Dan Poling is part of this folder. Includes several photographs of Nancy Vanderpool, Judy Brazee, and Roger Penn.
1 photograph with individuals identified.
12 photographs; includes images of Student Services faculty and staff and special events. The following individuals are depicted: Judy Brazee, Jo Anne Trow, Nancy Vanderpool, and Roger Penn.
144 photographs; includes photographs of faculty, staff, and students; offices and work spaces; and special events, such as graduation and department parties.
20 photographs
Series 7 consists of 2 scrapbooks and 2 photograph albums that document special events and celebrations; students, staff, and faculty affiliatated with the CSSA Program; and campus events and activities. The series includes a total of 444 photographic prints. Because of the close administrative relationship between the Office of Student Services and the CSSA Program and overlap of staff and faculty between the two organizations, these albums may have been created by the Office of Student Services.
43 photographs. This scrapbook includes images of holiday and department events, ephemera, cards, handwritten notes, and newspaper clippings. Of special note are announcements that J. Franz Haun is the head of the New Student Programs Office and that Bill Mumford has been elected president of the Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU) for 1975-1976.
47 photographs. This scrapbook includes invitations and flyers for graduation celebrations. Most of the photographs depict the graduation party and barbecue. Poems written by people within CSSA are also included.
162 photographs. This album includes photographs of department events; certificates of appreciation; personal thank you notes and cards; a marriage announcement; and other ephemera. An award for excellence in student affairs, a 1988 newspaper clipping about a change in the Dean's Office name, and a printed banner are also included.
192 photographs. This album includes photographs of holiday events and the 20th anniversary celebration; achievement awards; holiday cards, limericks, songs, and ephemera; and newspaper clippings. Of special note is an article about the OPEU strike of classified employees at Oregon State University.