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Synthesizing Chickerings Seven Principles and Vectors

The Seven Vectors of Change

While many elements of Dr. Art Chickerings
Seven Principles and Seven Vectors are
overlapping and interchangeably supporting,
some stand out in direct correlation to the goals
and outcomes they address in the lives and
successful pursuits of students, and in the
discussion of good practice in undergraduate
education. Following are some similarities I
observed in the literature of the two guiding
forces.

Chickerings Vector 1, Developing Competence, relates to the 3-tined pitchfork

that exhibits the important factors of intellectual competence, physical and
manual skills, and interpersonal competence. Chickering's logic explores the
human dynamics of learning, giving us a platform upon which to establish our
teaching and leadership practices to help insure that students succeed, and the
pitchforks handle reminds us that the success of the three approaches depends
on our steering the process as effective faculty and education leaders. This
coincides well with Chickerings Principles 3 and 4, of Active Learning and Prompt
Feedback.
Chickering's 2nd Vector, Managing Emotions speaks to the goals and challenges
of conflict resolution, developing healthy relationships and a positive self-image,
managing stress and anger, and learning appropriate expressions for one's ideas,
thoughts and frustrations in life.Also, it encourages the acknowledgement and
management of conflict, and screening for depression and other negative aspects
that might occur in a students experience. As education leaders we must be ever
cognizant of the important role that emotions play in the lives of students, faculty
and staff. This vector coincides with Chickerings Principle 1 which Encourages
Student-Faculty Contact, helping students to navigate in difficult and
interpersonal situations and through rough times.

Chickering's 3rd Vector, Developing Emotional Independence,

which explores learning autonomy, making progress in
emotional management, letting go of dependencies, learning
confidence in speaking, and overcoming fears and selfconsciousness coincides well with his Principle 2 which
Encourages Cooperation Among Students, and with Principle
6, Communicating High Expectations.
Chickering's Vector 4, Developing Mature Relationships,
which speaks to differences in ethnocentricity and
ethnorelativity, and the distinctions regarding these that are
important for us to observe as leaders, coincides well with his
Principle 7 which in good practice Respects Diverse Talents
and Ways of Learning.

Chickering's Vector 5, Identity Formation, which describes his

psychological, cognitive, personal environment and interaction
theories, and is a primer to understanding the human ego,
conscious and sub-conscious states of being, coincides well with
his Principle 2, which encourages cooperation among students,
Principle 6, the good practice of Communicating High Expectations,
and Principle 7, respecting diverse talents and ways of learning.
Chickering's Vector 6, Developing Purpose, encouraging the
establishment of priorities that integrate the three major elements
of vocational, personal interests and interpersonal and family
commitments, establishes intentionality to help align action with
purpose.This vector coincides well with his Principle 1,
encouraging student-faculty contact for reinforcement, Principle 3,
Encouraging Active Learning, and Principle 5 which Emphasizes
Time on Task.

Chickerings Vector 7, Developing Integrity, encouragesthe

establishment of ethics as a way of guiding life principles in
the highest pursuit of goals. This vector coincides well with
his Principle 2, cooperation among students, Principle 6,
communicating high expectations, and Principle 7, respecting
diverse talents and ways of learning.
Dr. Chickerings well-defined principles and vectors
thoroughly explore the interpersonal and interdisciplinary
dynamics involved in successful student life and in the
accomplishment of ones life goals. It is refreshing to
observe how well they interrelate in principle and in
application. This paper explored some associations that
combined the two forces, but certainly more could be derived
from an ongoing utilization of Chickerings vectors and
principles as we, as educators, explore good practice in
undergraduate education.

Bibliography:
Chickering, A.W. & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and
identity (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Chickering, A.W. & Gamson, Z. (1987) Seven principles
for good practice in undergraduate education. The
Wingspread Journal, Volume 9, No. 2. Racine,
Wisconsin: The Johnson Foundation.