The purpose of this action research study was to understand and strengthen staff and administrators' sense of workplace belonging in a small, private, family-founded college. In Cycle 1 the researcher aimed to understand factors that contributed to participants sense of belonging. Cycle 1 participants responded to a survey to provide insight on…

This study examines how Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAO) make sense of their role engaging with fundraising at small, private, liberal arts institutions with endowments below the median endowment size of $140.2 million. Specifically examining how they make sense of engaging with fundraising and how they have gained knowledge or experience in…

Student affairs practitioners in higher education have been leaving the field at an alarming rate (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, 2022). As personnel working on the front lines in efforts related to student success and retention, early-career incumbents in these positions experiencing such high rates of attrition…

The former provost of Southern Vermont College (SVC) highlights the work of Greg Winterhalter, Sarah Nosek, Lynda Sinkiewich, Eric Despard, and Jennifer Nelson at SVC. He notes that SVC has left an indelible mark on higher education and in all those who have played a role advancing its noble mission.

This paper outlines evidence-based practice in the context of professionalism, and highlights the contribution evidence-based practice can make to the professional practice of higher education course managers. Implications of the changing HE landscape for the status of academics as professionals are reviewed, and evidence-based practice is…

This study explored how mid-level student affairs professionals professionally socialized to their work roles in order to understand how this socialization process contributed to the exchange of institutional values, norms, and customs within the work place at two small liberal arts colleges. This study is structured around three questions: 1) how…

Development and implementation of promise scholarship programs has risen over the last 15 years, yet research into their effects on the higher education landscape has been relatively scarce. While researchers have mostly examined how these programs impact students and communities, they have neglected to study how promise programs impact…

Many institutions of higher education are facing significant financial challenges, resulting in diminished economic viability and, in the worst cases, the threat of closure (Moody's Investor Services, 2015). The study was designed to explore the effectiveness of competitive strategies for small colleges in terms of financial performance. Five…

To accomplish the important work of diversifying the student body, staff, faculty and administrators in order to create a welcoming and inclusive culture, many institutions of higher education have installed an executive leader to serve as the organization's chief officer of diversity, with the objective of infusing diversity into the college or…

Strong relationships with senior administrators, effective cross-campus collaboration, and efficient use of technology are central to impactful IR in small colleges.

The Luther College Concert Band has enjoyed nearly 150 years of success. International tours, regional tours, concerts, service to the college and recording projects aided the success of this small college band that retained its Lutheran, liberal arts identity. Published documents exist about the Luther College band before 1948 but no…