Oregon State University. College Student Services Administration Program.

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 CSSA program 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. 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 CSSA program 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 Service 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/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.

The CSSA program has been under the direction of the following: Arthur L. Tollefson (1966-1972); Jo Anne J. Trow (1972-1983); J. Roger Penn (1983-2002); Thomas Scheuermann, (2002-2003); and Richard H. Shintaku, (2003-present).