While many higher education institutions highlight their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), recent legislation and policies across several Southern states have indicated significant pushback against these initiatives, with some states enacting bans or restrictions on DEI efforts on college campuses. This essay will examine the…

Previous research on preparation for the VPSA role has emphasized career progression rather than participation in professional development activities. This study aimed to explore the perceived effectiveness of 11 different professional development activities across 8 of the NASPA/ACPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators in…

Many student affairs practitioners passionately support students, but the cost of caring may include compassion fatigue or secondary stress. This constructivist case study examined how a program that serves at-promise students contributes to and alleviates compassion fatigue among staff members. While the scope of work, position of the program at…

For this reflexive essay, I examine how immigration policy influences the student affairs profession, with a particular focus on undocumented students. I will first review how immigration and student affairs intersect. Then, I will discuss ideologies that shape Southern student affairs. Finally, I will share brief findings from my research and…

Since its founding in 1949, the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) has served as a vital professional association for student affairs practitioners across the southeastern United States. This article provides a historical overview of SACSA's evolution, highlighting its foundational values of inclusiveness, professionalism,…

Some of the first competencies for higher education professionals were published in the 1937 "Student Personnel Point of View." These have evolved and expanded over time, and professional associations have defined knowledge, skills, and dispositions for the field in general and specific functional areas. These competencies, along with…

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…

Student development theory (SDT) is a diverse corpus of academic and popular psychology with real-world application to the maturation of college and university students. It originated during the campus upheavals of the 1960s as part of a collective effort to reconcile restive students to mass higher education and modern technological society.…

Many student affairs professionals had impactful experiences as undergraduate students, themselves, and they want to facilitate those same opportunities. They believe their work is meaningful to students' experiences and is also valued by institutions. So if that is what motivates many student affairs professionals, what happens when they begin to…

Pervasive narratives drive the perception that student affairs practitioners (SAPs) at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are doing little to ensure the inclusion of quare students. Therefore, drawing from a Quared Perspective of Grassroots Leadership at HBCUs conceptual framework, this qualitative research inquiry sought to…

In this final article, we have been tasked with discussing the future of professional preparation in student affairs. Making predictions about the future of anything, even in sedentary times, is dicey, so given the dynamism and chaos of today's world, the reader will find no such forecasts here. Instead, we summarize the challenges facing the…

The power of being a first-generation college student was a life-changing experience. The barriers that existed for first-generation students were often fearsome. However, being a first-generation student was also a time of excitement because first-generation students had unique viewpoints, and it was a significant time of self-development. Higher…

We examine the experiences of student leaders working with student affairs educators (SAEs). Framed by social exchange, we identified three themes highlighting how, from the perspectives of student leaders, (in)actions contribute to complicating the working relationship between student leaders and SAEs: (a) deprioritizing and devaluing student…

The purpose of this paper is to share preliminary findings from a grant-funded research project that explores the experiences of higher education and student affairs (HESA) professionals who work with undocumented students. Specifically, we derived our conclusions from the experiences of 10 HESA professionals with advising responsibilities.…

In this reflexive essay we examine the shifting landscape of higher education in the southern United States, focusing on the impact of anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) legislation on public higher education. Across the United States over 136 anti-DEI bills have been introduced since 2023, significantly affecting university programs and…