This article explores the ways faculty and student affairs professionals can impact the student experience, particularly for Students of Color. Experiences at two institutions illustrate how developing deeper relationships and broader perspectives make a significant difference not only for students, but also for those who teach and support them.…

The increased diversity of students enrolling in courses on college campuses today brings increased expectations regarding the capabilities of faculty and staff to address the many different needs of students. If colleges and universities are to promote greater staff effectiveness, they will need to create open environments that encourage campus…

Student affairs, as an integral part of universities, has taken on a key position in contributing to social justice as one of the central imperatives of higher education in South Africa. This article sketches the development of this role and outlines some important tasks for contemporary student affairs. Three conceptual models within the social…

Student affairs is a relatively new profession in higher education, and only recently has its history begun to be systematically examined. This article describes one of the earliest venues in which student affairs leaders gathered to discuss current issues and to reflect with colleagues about the emerging student affairs profession. This article…

Using longitudinal data from the Wabash National Study on Liberal Arts Education, this research explored the impact of students' interactions with student affairs professionals on socially responsible leadership development during the first year of college. Overall, students' interactions with student affairs professionals were…

Over the past several years, there has been a resurgence of interest in--and reconceptualizing of-- character education in primary and secondary schools across the United States. An important question, then, is how this new emphasis on character development at the K-12 level impacts the work of university faculty and student affairs professionals.…

Faculty, student affairs professionals, and most importantly, students, are paying the price as institutions of higher education increasingly operate in a top-down manner with an over-emphasis on the bottom line. The corporatization of higher education creates lopsided reward (and punishment) systems for faculty, unreasonably stressful…

In the late 19th century, faculty members on American college campuses turned their attention away from life outside the classroom, a responsibility they had assumed from the earliest days of the colonial college. The result was the establishment of a field known familiarly today as "student affairs", which focuses on the work of…

As resources have become tighter, campus leaders must make tough decisions about priorities. Many people value the out-of-classroom experience, but there is a cost to staffing and providing these opportunities and resources. Some argue that technology will change education so completely that campuses as we know them today will become extinct.…

As student affairs professionals, we are expected to meet students where they are developmentally and challenge and support them as they learn, develop, and grow into productive citizens. Since our institutions, and society as a whole, are becoming increasingly diverse, it is imperative that we acknowledge the numerous ways cultural background…

This article examines the current growth statistics of international graduate student populations in the United States in order to present trends in international student mobility. Although many scholars suggest the United States is facing a decrease in future international student demand, recent studies seem to challenge this theory. This article…

Colleges and universities are places where students are immersed in course work and planned activities outside the classroom, where habits based on values and character can be formed. Whether working with students to achieve learning outcomes specifically related to academic courses or helping them work through the consequences of a conduct issue,…

Student poverty is an issue with which far too many students are confronted. Student affairs professionals must increase their awareness of this human dynamic and develop programs, services, and personal knowledge to support students faced with this challenge.

As a result of environmental turbulence created by economic turmoil and shifting social policies, the world of higher education is experiencing widespread change. Student affairs professionals are well-positioned to influence the future direction of higher education and the impact education has for students and society. The NASPA 2012 conference…

Student affairs is a relatively new profession and has changed in significant ways in response to new developments in higher education, innovations in practice, new conceptual paradigms, and changing economic and political conditions. As a result there is much debate about the core mission and purpose of student affairs and whether it is possible…