When a residence hall went off the rails during the pandemic, Craig Allen didn’t send emails or wag his finger—he showed up with pizza, t-shirts, and presence. Hear how those small acts sparked a culture shift and reminded his team of the real power of connection.

Given the challenges higher education is facing right now, we need models of leadership that are mission-driven, student-centered, and nimble and adaptable. Dr. Brian Bruess, is the first president of both the College of St Benedict and St. John’s University. He is leading what they call strong integration and putting systemness into practice to bring a more interconnected and relational way of leading.

In The Connected College, Elliot Felix talks about breaking down silos through a more connected structure and strategy for student success. He is joined by Dr. Daniel Maxwell, who has decades of student affairs experience to bring The Connected College to practical applications for student affairs leaders to improve the quantitative and qualitative student experience through more integrated approaches.

Learning to release the pressure of the "shoulds" and leaning into authentic desires is not easy feat. This episode explores the courageous decision of releasing the rules and making the decision to embrace a life worth living.

This episode was inspired by the recent article by Drs. Shaun Harper and Oscar Patrón, Three Decades of Campus Racial Climate Studies and 25 New Directions for Future Research, which builds on the foundational work of Dr. Sylvia Hurtado. Together, their scholarship has profoundly shaped how we understand race, racism, and belonging in higher education. We’ll discuss how campus racial climate research has evolved over the past 30 years, what challenges and opportunities remain, and where this critical field is headed next.

As the federal government shutdown continues, colleges and universities are grappling with its immediate effects on students and operations. Meanwhile, the proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence” is sparking debate about federal influence over campus policies and values. This episode explores how funding, freedom, and inclusion intersect in today’s political climate—and how student affairs professionals are helping students and institutions navigate these challenges.

Vicarious trauma is real, it’s widespread, and it’s not the same thing as “needing more self-care.” In this episode, Dr. Jill Bassett-Cameron joins Student Affairs NOW to explain what vicarious trauma is, how it shows up in our work, and why student affairs professionals must stop ignoring or minimizing it. Dr. Bassett-Cameron offers a timely and validating conversation about how we can name, manage, and reduce the trauma we absorb through service.

A student affairs professional navigating the challenges of living and working with long COVID is learning to reimagine both leadership and life. Balancing the demands of a high-energy, people-centered field with the unpredictability of chronic illness requires new rhythms of care, patience, and adaptability. This journey is less about returning to “normal” and more about creating a sustainable way forward—leading with vulnerability, modeling resilience, and redefining success through balance, boundaries, and community.

In this episode, we learn of a professional journey done with humbly. The importance of valuing feedback as wisdom and an opportunity to grow in all phases of life.

Dr. Kathleen Fitzpatrick discusses two of her books Generous Thinking and the companion, Leading Generously. She argues against critique for critique's sake, zero-sum thinking, and competitive individualism toward collaborative, mutually supportive, and generative ways of being, thinking, and leading. In this conversation, she shares why, what, and how of leading generously.