The lack of women leaders in higher education and more specifically Christian higher education has been a concern for some time (Beeny et al., 2005; Haley & Jaeger, 2012; Kellerman & Rode, 2014; Longman & Anderson, 2016; Shepherd, 2017). While the number of women leaders in the field continues to grow, the specific experience of women…

This study aimed to critically explore and analyze the experiences of Black mothers who work in student affairs. Using Black Feminist Thought and a critical constructivist framework, this study sought to analyze how race and gender interacted for Black women who work in student affairs. Black women experience both racism and sexism in the…

Midlevel student services managers (MSSMs) in higher education institutions (HEIs) are middle managers overseeing critical programs and services impacting the retention and engagement of students. Besides having to negotiate competing priorities from superiors above and subordinates below, MSSMs must also navigate HEIs with distinctive features…

The purpose of this census-style quantitative research was to investigate what relationship existed between demographic and institutional factors and women's career advancement aspirations in student affairs in the state of Wisconsin. A Qualtrics survey that included Gregor and O'Brien's (2015) Career Aspirations Scale-Revised and Drasgow's (2001)…

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of student affairs staff members, with no formal counseling background, in their work to support student care, defined at the site of this research as the spectrum through low-level well-being to high-level mental health concerns. Additionally, focus was given to the actions that could be…

The culture of the student affairs profession supports a commitment to the holistic development of students, often requiring staff to be available around the clock. A Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO) must be prepared to address the evolving demands of student life and such attentiveness can make it difficult to disconnect from work in order…

Student affairs professionals play an integral role in supporting college students' mental health and well-being. Yet the current literature lacks research that specifically documents these phenomena within this set of professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic created additional mental health and well-being concerns that are worth empirically…

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…

This qualitative study explored student affairs knowledge-sharing influences through Clark and Estes's (2008) knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO) influence framework. The study was conducted at a 4-year higher education institution involving a diverse group of participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to…

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 experience of undergraduate students in American higher education is curated by student affairs and student services professionals. However, there is not a great deal of scholarship focusing on how these practitioners' leadership style impacts this experience. This study seeks to analyze how student affairs and student services directors'…

The goal of this qualitative case study was to determine what institutional processes and practices have been developed in relationship to mass shootings and gun violence, as well as how mass shootings in educational settings impact the way a campus responds and prepares a safety plan. Through speaking with threat assessment team members, student…

The student affairs profession has been aware of a high attrition rate for young professionals for over 40 years. Research into the phenomenon previously sought to identify the rate of attrition and factors leading to attrition. There is a gap in the literature regarding how these young professionals come to make the decision to change careers.…

Using testimonios, this study shares experiences of how structural inequalities impact self-care, wellness, mentoring, and career-related mobility of womxn of color in mid-senior-level student affairs roles at PWI's. Testimonios revealed three themes: how they engaged in self-care and wellness, challenges with self-care and wellness, and dreams of…

The study aimed to achieve two main objectives: first, to investigate the presence and nature of emotional labor within student affairs; and second, to explore the correlations between emotional labor and both individual and organizational well-being among student affairs professionals. This research examines the intricate interconnections between…