Chapter 6: Engagement That Matters: Exploring the Relationship of Co-Curricular Activities to Self-Reported Gains in Learning Outcomes for Racially Minoritized Students in the United States

The role of the co-curriculum in colleges and universities has been asserted, denied, and defended since the earliest days of the student affairs profession. The writers of the Student Personnel Point of View first asserted the validity of extra-curricular activities to complement and supplement classroom learning (ACE, 1937, 1949). These authors asserted a holistic view of student development that has been reiterated in several documents since, particularly the Student Learning Imperative (SLI; American College Personnel Association [ACPA], 1996) and Learning Reconsidered (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators [NASPA] & ACPA, 2004). However, claims regarding the positive contributions of students' co-curricular activities to their learning have not gone without rebuttal. Notably, the National Association of Scholars issued a response in 2008 decrying the ability and legitimacy of student affairs to support the educational mission of colleges and universities. The Senior Scholars of ACPA issued a response later in 2008 (Arminio et al., 2008), but such wars of words are ultimately ineffectual to inform policy and practice in colleges and universities. Consequently, it is necessary to use empirical data to support the claims of student affairs professionals that co-curricular involvement and engagement are valid and valuable pieces of the student learning and development puzzle.