Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This…

This study collected information on the professional development of 177 senior student affairs officers (SSAO) at higher education institutions in the United States. The purpose of the study was to identify the professional development activities that these SSAOs engaged in to prepare for the role and the perceived effectiveness of those…

This qualitative study explored how supervisors in student affairs describe their supervisory learning journey. Supervision is an important facet of the student affairs profession, yet there is an apparent lack of intentional supervisory training and development for these professionals. This study endeavored to understand how supervisors in…

Although universities often expect student affairs staff to possess advanced leadership skills, many have not undergone formal training as leadership educators, which often leads to inconsistent outcomes in leadership development programs. Drawing on best practices in facilitating leadership learning --including the use of multiple pedagogies,…

The principal purpose of this doctoral study was to investigate how intersectionality is understood and utilized by practitioners within the field of student affairs in North American higher education. Additionally, the study explored how intersectionality is applied to student affairs practitioners' student development and identity development…

This multiple site case study explored staffing in student affairs divisions and the experiences of practitioners. This research study used Creamer and Winston's (2002) Integrated Model of Staffing Practices to structure the case study and analyze the data. A systematic approach to staffing is necessary to provide student affairs staff the…

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;…

This article discusses various ways for student affairs professionals, faculty, educators, and policymakers to contribute to the personal, academic, and professional development of international graduate students in the U.S. higher education within their functional areas and their expertise. By highlighting the culturally sensitive support and…

A correlational student was conducted to explore the relationships between student affairs professional self-efficacy, participation in professional development, and career commitment. For the quantitative portion, the researcher ran Pearson r correlations for self-efficacy scores, career commitment scores, and the number of professional…

Professional development in higher education is increasingly shifting to online formats. However, online professional development often does not lend itself well to fostering meaningful human interconnection. Taking a constructivist approach, we share findings from a qualitative research study that explored what participants found meaningful in a…

This study focused on understanding how college student educators use The Student Affairs Professional Facebook group. Through descriptive and qualitative analysis of posts, shares, comments, and interactions, this study identifies central topics and issues discussed over a 14-month period. This research shows how college student educators use…

This report examines the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in student affairs, demonstrating its potential to personalize student interactions, automate routine processes, and leverage data insights for informed decision-making. AI presents unprecedented opportunities to enhance the student experience. The report emphasizes…

Beginning at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education experienced a sea of change in reduced enrollment, altered course delivery models, and increased need for student support. While observing staff's actual impact on the student experience during this time, this study will address the question, "How do professional staff in small…

The relationship between faith-based institutions and students who identify as LGBTQ+ has attracted considerable attention of late. Most of this scholarly attention, however, has focused upon the students themselves. In this article, we examine the contemporary experience of 371 student affairs leaders (SALs) who serve as the primary mediators…

Student Affairs Professionals of Color (SAPC) serve a critical role in the field of higher education. Using a phenomenological approach, this study gathered data from semi-structured interviews with eight SAPC from various backgrounds and institutions. Findings from this study illuminated how the participating SAPC experienced code-switching,…