When college students are in a mental health crisis, they often turn to a peer or a trusted faculty or staff member first. As the number of students struggling with mental health issues continues to rise, higher education professionals are called upon to do even more. "Basic Counseling Skills for Higher Education Professionals" equips…

Racial justice in higher education cannot be meaningfully advanced without campus leadership understanding the lived experiences of students, particularly those who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx/a/o, Asian, or Pacific Islander. Over the 3 years following the murder of George Floyd and the social uprisings in 2020, colleges and universities…

As institutions seek to improve their structures, processes, and policies, a holistic lens--one that takes into account students' intersecting identities and differences in lived experiences--is required. "(Mis)Understanding Students," updated in 2022, is a resource from the Advising Success Network and NASPA - Student Affairs…

The move to online instruction and service delivery has created both a critical need and a unique opportunity to investigate the innovative uses of technologies and practices. In the fall of 2020, NASPA launched the Virtual Innovation Awards: Excellence in Delivering Virtual Student Services. Over 100 submissions were vetted by an advising…

Over the last decade, sexual violence in higher education has been a focus for colleges and universities, student activists, parents and families, and the media alike. As institutions responded to these complaints and students demanded action and accountability, it became clear there were too few resources available to address this issue.…

Higher education is deploying a range of innovative strategies in response to rising costs and financial challenges. This report presents findings from a NASPA [National Association of Student Personnel Administrators] study on cost-saving initiatives at three institutions. Each institution aimed to creatively address different areas affecting…

Student affairs professionals can play a significant role in ensuring the success of justice-involved students given their historic commitment to the holistic development of college students through programs, services, and resources that supplement their curricular experiences, enhance learning, and facilitate inclusive and equitable campus…

This report presents findings from a national survey to ascertain the prevalence of respondent services on college and university campuses, the institutional positionality of those services, and how those support services operate. A joint project of NASPA and the University of Kentucky College of Education, this research provides a landscape view…

In today's contentious and divided political environment, what should colleges and universities do to meet the roles and responsibilities of higher education to foster the campus community we want? This guide presents three options for deliberation about difficult problems regarding free speech and inclusion--for which there are no perfect…

"Crisis, Compassion, and Resiliency in Student Affairs" focuses on the personal lived experiences of student affairs professionals who frequently encounter crisis situations and disasters on college and university campuses. The book explores how to apply triage practices--doing what matters most in the moment during a crisis event--to…

Traditionally seen as a way for institutions to help students alleviate some of the financial demands placed on them, on-campus student employment has several additional benefits institutions can leverage to assist students along their collegiate journey. If designed and operationalized effectively, institutions can use their on-campus student…

This issue of "Policy and Practice" offers counselors and student affairs professionals strategies to effectively support the mental health needs of today's students. Students require transparent, connected, and flexible systems that meet the full range of mental health needs. To achieve such systems, institutions must have a robust…

A diverse faculty and staff reflects an important measure of success for higher education institutions. Recent gains in diversifying higher education have become more evident, as growing numbers of individuals from racialized minority communities have assumed senior executive leadership positions, from vice presidents for student affairs to…

Following numerous high-profile incidents involving provocative speakers and organizations on college and university campuses, student affairs leaders are revisiting free speech policies and practices to ensure alignment with the First Amendment. Student affairs educators are also exercising care and precaution to maintain the integrity of their…

Nearly half of students enrolled in colleges and universities today are adult learners, who often must balance their education with other family or work-related priorities. However, institutional policies and practices continue to be largely developed based on the needs of traditional students. Drawing on national research findings, widely cited…