This qualitative study explored how U.S. higher education/student affairs (HESA) master's graduate preparation programs and curriculum socialized graduates for full time HESA work abroad post-graduation. Participants revealed that the formal curriculum was U.S.-centric in classroom conversations, course projects, and electives. The informal…

Using data from twenty-one interviews conducted with student affairs practitioners within a constructivist grounded theory study, we examined how legal issues influence the daily work of student affairs professionals. Findings demonstrate that concerns about legal issues may intrude on student-centered practice, which participants identified as a…

Among many challenges that first-generation college students face, navigating how to balance the financial costs of college with covering monthly expenses can be particularly challenging. The present study uses the lens of person-in-environment theory to conceptualize how the financial attitudes, behaviors, and resources of first-generation…

The purpose of the present study was to understand students' perceptions of the impact of a study strategy workshop intervention. For decades, researchers and higher education practitioners have used workshops as a method to buffer against the challenges that college students face. Prior research has supported the value of such interventions;…

Division I student-athletes navigate tensions between athletic performance and academic obligations against their own private experiences. These various challenges specific to student-athletes potentially result in various mental health challenges, which athletic departments and their staff struggle to address. The purpose of this study was to…

This study explored what motivated undergraduates to serve as peer mentors in a leadership-themed living-learning community. Using McClelland's Acquired Needs Theory (1961) as the theoretical framework, we conducted a deductive content analysis to describe peer mentors' motivation to lead. We found evidence of all three of McClelland's identified…

This study examined an intervention designed to improve sense of belongingness for new students at a medium-sized, four-year, public university in the Eastern United States. A randomized controlled trial was used to assess the impact of The Connection Project, a novel, 9-session intervention in a sample of 128 first-year students (77 treatment, 48…

A national survey of 350 student conduct administrators set out to determine the ways in which the changing nature of their profession affected their personal lives, professional work, and beliefs about the profession of college discipline. The Concerns About Litigation Survey for Student Conduct Professionals revealed significant differences in…

Student affairs practitioner-scholarship has the potential to transform higher education and improve the lives of students; however, it is rarely cultivated on college campuses. Instead, many practitioner-scholars struggle with systemic barriers to their success, much of which can be linked to the influence of neoliberalism in higher education. In…

This mixed methods case study explored how graduate students in a higher education and student affairs (HESA) program perceive their preparation to engage in scholarly practice. The study provides insights for faculty members and administrators seeking to enhance current HESA graduate programs with a thesis-only option, and impart opportunities…

Given calls to integrate critical perspectives in leadership education, this paper presents the findings from a study conducted to see how efficacious early-career professionals are in translating these concepts into their practice. Guided by narrative inquiry, we centered the stories of nine practitioners after they participated in CSP 786, a…

This article focuses on the role of theory and assessment in shaping student services and support through collaboration between student and academic affairs. Specifically, this paper highlights the use of a first-year student assessment tool that informs student support practices in the College of Agriculture at Louisiana State University (LSU).…

The students at Southern Methodist University (SMU) did not have a favorable view of the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards. To change this connotation, the staff members developed a new innovative sanctioning model to allow students to select their educational sanctions. The model is inspired by restorative justice and is in line…

In this article, we discuss the role of scholarly practice in activism and advocacy for student affairs professionals. We provide an overview and history of scholarly practice in student affairs, highlight the challenges and barriers to scholarly practice, and provide a needed connection between scholarly practice and activism in student affairs.…

In this conceptual article, we explore allyship as the intended result of participation in LGBTQ+ social justice education interventions on college campuses, often called Safe Zone or Safe Space trainings. We contextualize how these trainings align with Boyer's (1990) concepts of teaching and learning in student affairs practice. We argue how the…