Positive Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry in Higher Education - New Directions for Student Services

Given the shared interest between higher education and positivepsychology in developing healthy and productive human beings, thisissue explores how this new subdiscipline of psychology cancontribute to the mission of higher education. It presents avariety of strategies for bolstering student learning anddevelopment.

The authors also draw from appreciative inquiry, which, likepositive psychology, is based on studying strengths, but focuses onorganizational rather than individual performance. During a time ofdaunting challenges, positive psychology and appreciative inquirycan help to leverage higher education's many assets tooptimize the potential of students, faculty, and staff.

This is the 143^rd volume of this Jossey-Bass highereducation quarterly series. An indispensable resource for vicepresidents of student affairs, deans of students, studentcounselors, and other student services professionals, NewDirections for Student Services offers guidelines andprograms for aiding students in their total development: emotional,social, physical, and intellectual.