Many institutions implement assessment teams as resources to develop faculty and staff knowledge of and confidence in programmatic assessment processes. Additional resources may include rubrics or peer review and feedback, but effectiveness of these resources is rarely evaluated. Programmatic assessment allows institutions to examine the impact of…

The term "Latinx" emerged recently as a gender-neutral label for Latino/a and Latin@. The purpose of this paper is to examine ways in which Latinx is used within the higher education context, and to provide an analysis of how the term can disrupt traditional notions of inclusivity and shape institutional understandings of…

Compassion fatigue describes what may happen when those whose role it is to provide care for others experience a diminished capacity for empathy. This is a natural consequence of engaging with people who are suffering. Empathy is important for caregivers in working with people who need support, and these empathetic relationships expose caregivers…

In this narrative inquiry study, we interviewed 5 graduate assistants who served as the primary point of contact for their public university's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) student services. We were interested in understanding the structural challenges that affected these employees' experiences in their roles. Participants were…

This dissertation examines Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in Student Affairs Professionals actively working in various Student Affairs roles at small, residential colleges and universities within Southern California. The study investigates factors related to Burnout using the three constructs identified in Dr. Christina Maslach's Maslach Burnout…

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of 14 Student Affairs mid-managers. These mid-managers represented a variety of student affairs functional areas including Residence Life, Service Learning, Student Conduct, and Student Union/Activities/Government. Study participants met the following criteria: (a) mid-managers with at…

Despite the increase in efforts to recruit Black student affairs professionals in the field to keep pace with the growing level of Black students entering university doors, Black student affairs professionals are still heavily underrepresented across campuses in proportion to their White counterparts. This is attributed to the often subtle, yet…

The authors of this article invite disability and student affairs professionals to engage autistic college students and colleagues in program development and assessment efforts. Ten strategies to construct student support programs and assessment designs are provided that are inclusive of autistic students, staff, and faculty input and…

Student affairs professionals are often called upon to act as first-responders to students experiencing trauma, leaving them exposed to secondary traumatic stress. In this study, I used phenomenological methods supported by an arts-based research exercise to explore the experiences and meaning making processes of student affairs professionals who…

Bell's (1992) thesis of racial realism, in concert with the work of Wilderson (2007), Hartman (1997), and Sharpe (2016), positions the afterlife of slavery as an irreconciled event that is ongoing and permanent. If the assumption is that racism exists and, subsequently, racial battle fatigue is and will be an enduring embodied experience that…

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…

Student affairs was founded on student needs surrounding advocacy and inclusion. Due to a general lack of knowledge surrounding the field's formation, NASPA worked to create the book "Reflecting Back, Looking Forward: Civil Rights and Student Affairs." This article highlights the role of student affairs officers during challenging times,…

This article examines the ACPA/NASPA Competencies as functional protocol of the neoliberal state. Described as 'not a checklist', Competencies structure rubrics, conferences, jobs, and performance as static, indicative of a power/knowledge rooted in protocol. We utilize post qualitative thinking, specifically poetics, to create a series of…

Trauma is a present issue on college campuses, yet there is a lack of research on how best to promote positive outcomes for college students who have experienced trauma. With college being an important time for developmental growth, it is vital to encourage more research that investigates the effect of trauma on students as well as ways that…

Susan Gottheil is Vice Provost (Students) at the University of Manitoba, where she is involved in strategic enrollment management planning and working with colleagues across campus to enhance the student experience. Here she writes that periodically she engages in critical reflection on the state of her profession as a student affairs professional…