Student Affairs Professionals of Color (SAPC) serve a critical role in the field of higher education. Using a phenomenological approach, this study gathered data from semi-structured interviews with eight SAPC from various backgrounds and institutions. Findings from this study illuminated how the participating SAPC experienced code-switching,…

The financial aid process extends beyond once a student submits the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. Scholars have found that the financial aid process can be cumbersome, especially for minoritized students. What is unclear in the literature are the additional hurdles students encounter to obtain financial aid. I…

On May 4, 1970, four students were killed and nine were wounded when National Guardsmen opened fire on anti-war protestors at Kent State University. This case study explores the tragedy and the experiences of student affairs professionals at KSU leading up to and after the shootings. Although the field of crisis management did not exist in 1970,…

This program description provides an overview of the peer-to-peer student staff model used by the Women and Gender Studies Program and Center at George Mason University. The program description lays out the unique structure of the unit, the need for this type of model, and how its structure is feminist in nature while also catering to student…

Student affairs professionals are at risk of leaving both their jobs and higher education in general. A survey of higher ed professionals was conducted in May of 2022 examining student affairs professionals' likelihood of leaving their jobs, why they are considering leaving, and what factors may contribute to their retention. Results revealed that…

This chapter discusses strategies that administrators, particularly student affairs educators, can use to support and honor the labor of student activists, using the authors' experiences navigating their responsibilities to campuses and students.

Poor supervision has long been cited by new student affairs professionals, particularly practitioners of color, as a factor contributing to their early departures from the field. This, coupled with the hierarchical and often authoritative structures of higher education, has led to practitioners of color feeling burned out and often devalued in…

Student support is seen as a necessity to better students' progress. For students to succeed when studying at a distance, they need a great deal of support to adjust to the institution of higher learning. Independence theory was used as a lens to understand the role of student support staff in providing services to students. A qualitative case…

This descriptive study aimed to answer two research questions: (a) what are the assessment, evaluation, and research (AER) competencies necessary for three educator types (teachers, K-12 administrators, and higher education student affairs professionals); and (b) what are the similarities and differences in competencies by educator type? Current…

Scholars and practitioners have discussed the professionalization of student affairs almost since the birth of the field in 19th century. Professionalizing a field can improve its status and better serve members of an occupation and their clients (Pavalko, 1988). The purpose of this paper is to identify points of tension that illustrate efforts to…

The value of lifelong learning and alterations in course delivery modes and programme structures of graduate education to include evening and weekend coursework have increased the presence of multiple generations in educational settings (Sánchez & Kaplan, 2014). In a number of fields, such as business and public administration, age diversity…

Operating from intersecting theories of validation, marginality, and mattering, this phenomenological study investigated undocumented student support services from the perspective of 49 Undocumented Student Resource Center (USRC) practitioners. In-depth interviews highlighted the ways that USRC practitioners served as validating agents, directly…

This qualitative narrative inquiry examined the professional preparation of sorority and fraternity (SFL) professionals working with culturally-based sororities and fraternities. Using narratives drawn from 15 professionals and guided by our conceptual framework, we unpacked important findings in terms of ways participants referenced their limited…

This article primarily uses document-based historical methods to reconstruct Stephen Lenton's LGBTQ advocacy while a student affairs professional at Virginia Commonwealth University from 1970 to 1980. Lenton enjoyed significant career success in his first several years at VCU, establishing popular and successful programs and a strong rapport with…

As the number of racially diverse students on university campuses in Canada increases, so too do questions about whether and how postsecondary institutions are equipped to create a welcoming, respectful, and supportive learning community for a racially diverse student body. This research explored how a residence life management (RLM) team could…