Student Affairs NOW

Student affairs workplace norms and practices have long needed updating and rethinking. Now is the time to address these long-overdue needs and innovate to meet this current moment for our profession and ultimately for students. Dr. Keith Edwards discusses challenges, opportunities, and innovative practices to transform the student affairs workplace for us all with Drs. Chris Conzen, Margaret Sallee, and David Surratt.

Many student affairs professionals engage in additional projects or offer their services outside their primary role within the University, often to pursue passion projects and/or to earn additional income. These sidehustles continue to be a part of the lives of even more professionals in higher education due to various reasons such as financial need and passion areas. Dr. Glenn DeGuzman meets with Dr. Joshua Moon Johnson, Marney Randle, and Nat Ambrosey as they share more about their experience with their sidehustles, “why” they believe other SA professionals are pursuing them in larger numbers, and lessons they have learned.

In this episode, we discuss a variety of career transitions including seeking a terminal degree, mid to senior-level, practitioner to faculty, student affairs adjacent roles, retirement, and more. Dr. Keith Edwards discusses the role of identity, imperfect institutions, purpose, and transformation with an editor and contributing author to the book Managing Career Transitions Across the Lifespan for Student Affairs Practitioners.

In this episode, we discuss early to mid-career transitions for student affairs professionals including challenges around identity, institutional structure, power, community, purpose, role, and more. Dr. Keith Edwards discusses early to mid-career transitions with two editors and a contributing author to the book Managing Career Transitions Across the Lifespan for Student Affairs Practitioners.

College student mental health and well-being is a priority across the United States because of the growing demand and increasing severity of mental health concerns (i.e., rising anxiety, depression, and suicidality) on campus. Many college and university counseling centers have waiting lists and struggle to meet the needs of all students. Additionally, many students are struggling but not reaching out for help. These challenges have led to innovation and re-imagining the most effective ways to meet the mental health needs of college students. Student affair professionals are well-positioned to play an important role in addressing this campus challenge because of their extensive contact and relationships with students.

Case Studies as a tool for learning are ubiquitous in student affairs professional preparation programs. As faculty seek to provide theory-to-practice opportunities, case studies are often the tool.

ACPA and NASPA leaders discuss professional association involvement, ACPA and NASPA's similarities and differences, and benefits and ways to get engaged. These leaders also discuss the current and future challenges and ways forward for these associations, student affairs professionals, and for student affairs as a profession.

Dr. Heather Shea discusses how campuses and racial justice activists are grappling with issues of campus policing with four panelists who sit at various vantage points--scholars, activists, students--in the Black Lives Matter movement. Joining the conversation are Dr. Charles H.F. Davis, III, Dr. Erin S. Corbett, Jude Paul Dizon, and Jael Kerandi.