Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This…

A dissertation research study was conducted to examine the conditions behind the continued lack of advancement for Black student affairs professionals within the California State University (CSU) System. This study sought to understand the perspective of the executive and management-level positions categorized as the Management Personnel Plan…

This study collected information on the professional development of 177 senior student affairs officers (SSAO) at higher education institutions in the United States. The purpose of the study was to identify the professional development activities that these SSAOs engaged in to prepare for the role and the perceived effectiveness of those…

Addressing working conditions in higher education is crucial to retaining student affairs professionals. This study explores the current state of working conditions in the field and the influence working conditions have on professionals' turnover intentions. Perceptions of psychological contract fulfillment is a factor that can interact with…

Catholic institutions of higher education have continued to operate at a crossroads as challenges to long-term financial sustainability have intensified the need to reduce costs and increase revenue. Institutional personnel must find ways to streamline offerings in academic programs and student services while maintaining a commitment to their…

Professionals within the field of student affairs administration provide essential support services to students within American higher education. As a profession, it is important to understand the way in which new student affairs professionals are socialized, supervised, and prepared for the demands of student support work. This arts-based,…

When a college student dies, student affairs professionals are often responsible for ensuring specific administrative processes are completed, providing emotional support for the campus community, and sponsoring memorials that facilitate formal mourning. This last responsibility has received little attention in the student affairs literature.…

Higher education institutions over the last half-century have invested in hiring student affairs personnel to administer student recruitment and retention efforts (Schwartz & Stewart, 2017). Mid-level student affairs and services managers play a critical role as leaders in administering programs, supervising staff, and reporting to…

Women comprise most of the professionals in student affairs in higher education in the United States. They are tasked with supporting students and campus communities with complex challenges and needs. Women student affairs leaders simultaneously manage multiple roles and responsibilities, both personal and professional. The work of women student…

This study explores specific examples of social pressures and performances Black women student affairs professionals have navigated, adapted, and challenged since the pandemic's beginning (2020) to the present era. While utilizing Black Feminist Performance Theory (BFPT) and radical Black subjectivity (hooks, 2015), this study centers on the…

Although research has been conducted on the lived experiences of Black student affairs professionals and academic advisors at Historically White Institutions (HWIs), the literature is scant in its representation of the larger body of Black Professional Staff (BPS) and their experiences. BPS are undervalued and disregarded and are a vital part of…

This study investigated the use of othermothering as a relationship building approach in student affairs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and its association with job burnout outcomes in HBCU student affairs professionals. Job burnout outcomes affect job turnover intention decisions (Michaels & Spector, 1982); therefore,…

More than 17,000 professional staff live where they work in Residence Life and Housing (RL&H). Those staff members live in the dorms with the college students whom they serve, as has been the arrangement of RL&H staff members since the inception of colleges in the U.S. in the 1600s. However, there have been recent shifts in the ways in…

Supervisors of on-campus student employees are perhaps the most consistent touchpoint of a working undergraduate's college experience and the criticality of this role within higher education has gone relatively unrecognized. The current study explored how student affairs professionals learn to supervise student employees who work part-time on…

This quantitative, exploratory study examined perceptions of preparedness among entry-level student affairs professionals for an active shooter event (ASE) on campus. Institutions of higher education (IHE) have experienced an uptick of deadly and destructive ASEs in the last two decades. Colleges and universities vary on whether they provide…