Institutional politics and emerging changes to the professoriate have potentially positioned tenure-track faculty within an academic labor system that assumes academic training and expertise guides their progression. This qualitative narrative study of 12 higher education and student affairs (HESA) pre-tenure faculty explored their navigation of…

Researchers have discussed the significance of Black male educators in secondary and post-secondary education for decades. While there is extensive research on the impact of Black male teachers, education administrators, and those in the professoriate, there is a noticeable gap concerning the experiences of Black male student affairs staff in…

In the ever-changing contexts of higher education in the U.S., the field of student affairs strives to evolve the knowledge and skills for effective professional practice. Through this article, the authors invite their colleagues to start a dialogue about another troublesome phenomenon that observed in the field - professional authenticity.…

The sustainability of the student affairs profession continues to be questioned, as is the conditions influencing attrition and "burnout" of those working in the student affairs profession over time. Therefore, understanding the workplace conditions of midlevel student affairs administrators continues to be an important area of inquiry…

Neoliberalism and patriarchal norms have shaped the working conditions for student affairs professionals. This case study collected individual and focus group interviews, leveraging the experiences and situated knowledge of working mothers in student affairs to develop organizational guidelines for more equitable and unified work environments. By…

This basic qualitative study contributes to what is known about mentoring in higher education: the mentoring experiences of minority women leading in academic and student affairs at Pacific Island community colleges (PICC). This study examined the mentoring experiences of these minority women leaders and related mentorship to their leadership…

With the growth of LGBTQIA+ services as a functional area in Student Affairs has come an influx of research relating to best practices for promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion, support, and sense of belonging on college campuses (Kortegast & Van der Toorn, 2018; Sanlo, Rankin, & Schoenberg, 2002). Despite the growth in this field of practice and…

This study explored the explanations for why Black diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners in higher education between Fall 2020 and Fall 2022. Nine participants participated in semi-structured interviews lasting 60-90 minutes to explore a range of topics including their experience as Black DEI practitioners in higher education, their…

Promoting staff well-being has been a challenge for many residence life departments long before the COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in the mental well-being of the general population as well as in residence life staff. The stressful work environment and demanding work hours in residence life have been linked to burnout and intentions to leave…

While many studies have examined work-life satisfaction within the field of student affairs, few have examined the dissonance between new professionals' expectations for professional practice and their experience in the first few years. Using a narrative inquiry method, this qualitative study investigated how professionalism is both practiced and…

Henryism as a construct draws comparisons to what is commonly referred to as respectability politics, or the active adoption of standards rooted in whiteness as a regulatory instrument of one's behavior and emotions. This manuscript will bring Henryism and respectability politics into conversation in an effort to illuminate the paradox of…

In this instrumental case study, we explored the experiences of working mothers in student affairs and how their situated realities are shaped by institutional and professional norms, including commonly understood written and unwritten practices. We conducted interviews and focus groups with 21 mothers working full-time at a research-intensive…

Staff participation in professional development is critical for the success of divisions of student affairs and institutions of higher education at large. However, mandating participation can lead to adverse effects and hostile workplace climates. This study examined what individual and organizational culture factors predicted participation in…

LGBTQ+ affairs professionals are often marginalized in their work and identities and therefore develop strategies to resist this continued marginalization. Using a critical conceptual framework, the traditionally heterogendered institution (THI), we show how LGBTQ+ affairs staff resist bureaucratic systems in their praxis to center LGBTQ+ (and…

Black women have made tremendous progress in higher education. However, despite increases in enrollment and graduation, research regarding Black women's experiences in senior-level positions in the student affairs field is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of seven Black women in senior-level positions…