The purpose of this research was to develop an understanding of student affairs staff experiences with the departure of a chief student affairs officer (CSAO) at a 4-year college or university. The topic was investigated through the perspective of staff who reported to a CSAO at the time the CSAO departed the organization. The study's primary objective was to understand participants' experiences with CSAO departures from an organization; thus, interpretative phenomenological analysis was the chosen research method. Seven semi structured interviews with student affairs professionals representing five institutions generated this study's findings. Four primary themes emerged from the data collected: the situation surrounding the CSAO departure influenced the employee experience; all participants clearly outlined both professional and personal impacts experienced as a result of the leadership transition, participants reflected on strategies for managing ambiguity, and participants experienced varying levels of support from their support systems. Rather than the actual loss of the CSAO from the organization, institutional planning and execution of the leadership transition heavily influenced the participants' responses to a CSAO departure. The leadership transition challenged participants, and their experiences led to specific recommendations for enhancing institutional support. These included increasing communication, engaging employees in change efforts, supporting midlevel managers, and promoting understanding of emotional responses to leadership change. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]