This article explores the concept of Student Affairs and Services (SAS) as a global profession, how it is positioned and positions itself in the context of what it means to be a profession and reflects on the ways in which SAS has and can professionalize. The literature related to professionalization is presented along with a discussion of the…

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.…

An imaginary divide exists between academic affairs and student affairs, fueled by disagreements over responsibility for the educational mission of a university. Some in academic affairs doubt the capability of student affairs professionals to promote rigorous learning, because student affairs is often viewed as the realm outside of the classroom.…

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…

Doing more with less is a continual dynamic faced by leaders in higher education, particularly within small institutions where resources can be scarce, and professionals often are wearing multiple hats. The ability to prioritize programs and services in student affairs rises to the forefront of our work every day. As a result, leaders often need…

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…

This article examines how appreciative inquiry can be a helpful tool to improve the supervision of graduate assistants in student affairs. Representing the future of the field, these emerging professionals need supervisors willing to invest in their development, a process that can be improved when approached with appreciative frameworks.

This study examines how higher education professionals navigate intersectional failures in institutional, state, and federal support as advocates for undocumented students. Semi-structured interviews with these professionals reveal that they rely on college interventionists to fill the gaps in undocumented student support on their college…

Since 2010, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among college students have increased. Student affairs (SA) practitioners may not have received sufficient training to handle issues regarding student suicidality. Results of a survey of SA professionals across the United States assessing their knowledge, opinions, and actions taken around student…

Using a constructivist paradigm, this qualitative study investigated the impact of social identities on how professionalism is learned, practiced, and challenged by new professionals in student affairs. Collaborators in this study included 25 recent graduates of a student affairs professional preparation program. Findings suggest race, gender,…