Chris and the Seven Vectors

Any course in student development theory wouldn't be complete without discussing Chickering and Reisser's Seven Vectors.  Therefore, my voice project just wouldn't feel complete without discussing the vectors in relation to Chris, and in order to better understand him I believe it is important to explore the seven vectors and his current development.

In order to develop students move through the vectors.  There are differing opinions in regards to if people have to be fully developed in one vector to progress to another.  Personally, I view the vectors as something people progress back and forth through.

The 7 vectors are as follows: (Chickering & Reisser, 1993)

1.  Developing Competence: Competence refers to intellectual, physical, and interpersonal competence
2.  Managing Emotions:  Students move from having little to no control over fear, anxiety, anger, etc with little awareness of feelings to being aware of emotions and exhibiting control over their emotions and expressing them appropriately
3.  Moving Through Autonomy Toward Interdependence:  Students move from being unable to problem solve and  having little self direction and freedom as well as being emotionally dependent on others to no longer needing constant reassurance
4.  Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships:  Students move from not regonizing differences and having short and unhealthy relationships to tolerating and appreciating differences as well as being able to be intimate
5.  Establishing Identity:  Students move from being confused and uncomfortable with who they are to self-acceptance and being comfortable with their body, orientation while maintaining a sense of self in a social, historical, and cultural context
6.  Developing Purpose: Students move from unclear vocational goals, activities, and interests to clear vocational goals, focused activities, and strong commitments
7.  Developing Integrity:  Students move from dualistic thinking, unclear and unaligned values to values congruence, respecting others' beliefs, and becoming socially responsible

Chickering, A., & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and identity (2nd edition). San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers

Chris and the 7 Vectors

1.  Developing Competence:  Chris will struggle with this vector the most in terms of intellectual competence and confidence.  He may feel intimidated or unprepared in some areas academically.  I will explore how Chris is doing academically later, but I imagine he will go through and adjustment and may need to take a developmental course in English. 
2.  Managing Emotions:  I imagine that Chris may keep emotions inside and struggle internally with anxiety and fear.  He will struggle with expressing his emotion.  In order for Chris to express himself he will need to find people that he is comfortable with and establish a "family" at school.
3.  Moving Through Autonomy Towards Interdependence:  In some ways Chris will be ahead of his peers in developing because he will have to problem solve, make decisions for himself, and navigate the college process by himself compared to peers at a predominately white institution.
4.  Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships:  Chris may struggle to develop relationships and be overwhelmed with the environment as well as loosing confidence, and taking a step back in his level of comfort-ability and ability to manage and display emotion.
5.   Establishing Identity:  Chris will be challenged in this vector and how he chooses to identify such as Mexican, Mexican American,Latino, etc?  With the change in environment and having his first experience attending a predominantly white institution Chris will face change and challenge.
6.  Developing Purpose:  Chris is focused on what he wants to achieve, but will probably being to question what his purpose is and how/if he can achieve it.
7.  Chris has potential to develop in this vector.  As a first-year student who is facing a great deal of change it will be a long time before he gets to this vector.