Limited research exists on middle level professionals working in higher education, and those who work in student affairs in community college settings specifically warrant inquiry. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of middle level student affairs professionals leading adaptive situations at their community…

A vocation is an individual's sense of being called to pursue a given profession. Vocations are typified by passion, absorption in work, a desire for prosocial work, and a tendency to sacrifice for the vocation. Vocations have been linked to both advantageous and adverse effects, including the propensity for vocational workers to suffer workplace…

The intent of this study was to explore and understand the effects of professional experience on the ethical profiles of housing and residence life staff. Through a survey design, this study used the Managerial Ethical Profile (MEP) to analyze the professional experience of members of the Association of College and University Housing Officers --…

In this duoethnography, the co-authors share their experiences and reactions to trauma as student affairs practitioners in the wake of a car and knife attack at Ohio State University. Our goal in sharing these stories is for readers to join us as collegiate educators in this journey of exploring trauma and the healing process. We want to continue…

This hermeneutic phenomenological study examined how Latiné/x classified student services staff experience cultural taxation in a predominantly White work setting within a rural Northern California Community College. There is a lack of research on how Latiné/x classified student services staff experience cultural taxation in a higher education…

This phenomenological study examined the reports of Foster Care Alumni (FCA) regarding their resilience while obtaining a postsecondary degree. According to recent estimates, there are 391,098 children in the U.S. foster care system (AFCARS, 2022, 2019; Child Trends, 2015). Foster youth are among America's most disadvantaged in terms of…

Housing and residence life as a functional area serves as a major entry point for careers in higher education and student affairs. With the majority of annual job postings within entry-level, live-in housing roles, the future of the field may well be predicted in these high-impact, high-turnover positions on college campuses. As these functional…

Employee retention is an ongoing challenge for higher education student affairs professionals, who account for the largest employee group across the higher education workforce. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment have previously been identified as correlated with college and university employees' decision to stay or vacate their…

Staff members in live-in positions often find themselves faced with a difficult choice: Leave their roles in search of a job that offers a better work/life balance or stay and hope their department is invested in making the changes necessary to support their staff. Live-in staff are in a unique position because the challenges they face in…

Inspired by a Tolkien quote, "Not All Who Wander Are Lost," the authors introduce the concept of "career wandering" in the context of undergraduate student development. Proposing an alternative to traditional linear career trajectories, we conceptualize a dynamic approach that embraces nonlinear paths, indecision, and…

The purpose of this research was to explore the perceptions of student affairs administrators, working in both public and private higher education institutions, regarding how they learned to use technology and gain insight into how their work would evolve in the future. While the COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone in the higher education…

Current American college administration has been charged with the development of the whole student, producing well-rounded, intelligent graduates ready to enter the workforce. Presently, mentorship and tutoring programs exist in many environments but have no cohesive aim to develop self-authorship. Untapped potential for promotion of college…

Navigating higher education can be a challenging experience for Black men. Among these, Black men often face unique mental health challenges stemming from systemic racism, cultural expectations, and societal pressures. Addressing their specific needs requires a comprehensive approach. However, supporting Black men's mental health in higher…

This study used findings from the Secondary Trauma in "Student Affairs Professionals Scale" to explore the extent to which student affairs professionals may experience secondary trauma as well as factors associated with secondary trauma symptomology. Findings indicated 44% of sampled professionals met minimum criteria for secondary…

Student affairs educators are asked fundamental questions about programming and its effectiveness. Stakeholders (e.g., students, parents, accreditors) ask what programming (e.g., activities, strategies, curriculum) is offered, "why" it is offered, and "who" benefits in terms of learning and development (e.g., Carpenter, 2001;…