Student Affairs NOW

The leadership of Black women in student affairs and higher education is part of the essential story of the success and challenges of our colleges and universities. Unfortunately, these stories are often erased and thus their contributions minimized. Black women’s experiences as supervisors and supervisees is a key part of their leadership journey. It’s time for us to explore how the changing landscape affects the experiences and leadership pathways for Black women.

In this episode, we explore the power of grassroots voting initiatives on college campuses. Join host Heather Shea as she speaks with leaders from key organizations dedicated to mobilizing and empowering student voters. They share their stories, strategies for increasing voter registration and turnout, and practical advice for student affairs staff ahead of the national election. Tune in to discover how these initiatives are making a difference and what steps can be taken to engage more students in the political process.

In this conversation, we discuss the challenges, pride, and support for first-generation graduate students. Guests share their experiences, tips for others, recommendations and suggestions for faculty and staff working to support these students, and ways involvement and engagement with ACPA can help get that support and look to address systemic issues in higher education and society.

For over 4 decades, Harry LeGrande has been a student affairs senior leader innovating and breaking barriers through his no-nonsense and people-first approach philosophy. His career spans multiple institutions and holding senior executive positions at the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems. His commitment to helping  underrepresented professionals break through the glass ceiling, maneuvering the politics of higher education, and championing the values of our profession is well documented in his professional career. Listen in to a master storyteller as he takes us down his professional journey and shares a bit about his thoughts about the future of student affairs.

In this episode we are discussing serving minoritized students and the unique institutional types that focus on supporting minoritized students. Our hope is to focus on ways we can serve minoritized student populations at institutions that may not have been created with these populations in mind but are now playing an important role in providing access to higher education. By doing so, we hope to highlight what all institutions can learn about serving minoritized students and how professional associations, like ACPA, can better support student affairs and higher education professionals engaging in this important work.

Join Stefaan Van Hooydonk, author of The Workplace Curiosity Manifesto, and Dr. Hilary Lichterman as they make a case for the curiosity of a key capacity of leadership within and beyond higher education. This conversation covers everything from children's books to neuroscience. They discuss three key aspects of curiosity and three key pathways for practicing curiosity.

In this episode, we’re discussing how to support students' mental health and well-being during education abroad programs. Join us for an insightful discussion with experts Vernon Wall and Drs. Shayna Perry and Matt Rader as we explore the unique challenges students face, best practices for support, and strategies for faculty and staff to enhance mental health resources during international programs.

Join four game designers as they discuss the role of games and play in learning. Drs. Tricia Siefert,  Colleen Smith, Tracy Fullerton, and Andrew Peterson challenge the misalignment of education as only linear and structured and explore the paradox of play -  how games' mystery, rules, and openness can create space for creativity, connection, emotion, learning, and more.

The Racial Healing Project is a collaboration among Fernell Miller and Drs. Mollie Monahan Jen Self (Dr. J). In this conversation, they not only share but also model their approach, helping all of us bring our whole selves with authenticity in the context of systemic oppression related to race, gender, sexuality, gender identity, class, and more. They discuss education as caring for the whole person, the core skills of humility, curiosity, and care, and the intentional, purposeful, and mindful practice of humanity.

Two years ago, when SCOTUS released the Dobbs decision, overturning Roe v. Wade, college students all over the U.S. mobilized to advocate for a variety of initiatives to address the concerns facing students in the wake of the decision. In this episode, we’ll meet five student activists from one campus and discuss their multi-pronged approach to supporting students’ sexual and reproductive health.