Lane, T. (2013). Student development theory series: Development ecology. The Bulletin, 81 (3). Retrieved from http://www.acui.org/publications/bulletin/article.aspx?issue=41797&id=21014.
“College is one of the most transformative experiences an individual can have. Student affairs professionals and campus environments play a critical role in catalyzing this transformation for students. Ecological theories and approaches provide a foundation for shaping environments to elicit student development and behavior. In the third edition of Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession, Carney Strange posited: “If enough is known about students, environments, and behaviors … then student affairs educators might predict student behaviors and take steps to manage the setting to elicit different behaviors.” Intuitively, student union professionals know about students, environments, and behaviors, but ecological theories and approaches can better inform practice and management” (first page).