This episode features an engaging in-class conversation about expectations and realities for the first student affairs job search. Facilitated by the course instructor and Student Affairs NOW host, Dr. Heather Shea, the panelists were directed questions crowd-sourced from students in the class. The six panelists, all alumni of the same program from the classes of 2019, 2020, and 2021, share their advice about navigating a complex job market, searching while finishing graduate school, and recommendations for negotiating the first job offer.

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Student transitions have often captured our attention as we consider the various interventions and opportunities for engagement with new students on campus. For many campuses, this year brought two groups of first-time-on-campus students. Dr. Heather Shea discusses with Dr. Jennifer Keup, Brian MacDonald, and Dr. Laura Randolph the unique needs of the two cohorts of college students arriving for the first time on college campuses and other complications of the pandemic.

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In celebration of our one year anniversary as a podcast, this episode features the voices and perspectives from across the field of student affairs. Joining Dr. Heather Shea are four incredible student affairs educators participating from coast-to-coast discussing all of the ways in which their lives and work coalesce in higher education in service of students.

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Many of the United State’s oldest institutions of higher education have their origins in Christianity. Today, even at public institutions, some campus systems (specifically university holidays and the academic calendar) are still very Christian-centric. And yet, with the influx of international students and faculty from more diverse religious backgrounds as well as an influx of secular identities, a system built on Christian supremacy may not be serving the needs of our entire campus populations. In what ways should student affairs educators consider religious, secular, and spiritual diversity as part of campus DEI efforts? What about the concerns of atheist, agnostic, and other secular-identifying students? On this episode of Student Affairs NOW we discuss policies and practices based in research with four scholars and practitioners whose work lies at the convergence of religion, secularism, and spirituality on campus.

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Case Studies as a tool for learning are ubiquitous in student affairs professional preparation programs. As faculty seek to provide theory-to-practice opportunities, case studies are often the tool.

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Dr. Heather Shea discusses how campuses and racial justice activists are grappling with issues of campus policing with four panelists who sit at various vantage points--scholars, activists, students--in the Black Lives Matter movement. Joining the conversation are Dr. Charles H.F. Davis, III, Dr. Erin S. Corbett, Jude Paul Dizon, and Jael Kerandi.

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Dr. Heather Shea discusses college students in recovery from alcohol and substance use disorder with Drs, Becki Elkins, Penny Rosenthal, and Eran Hanke--three of the contributors to a New Directions for Student Services monograph. The conversation explores the complexities of the recovery movement, evolving definitions/language, and attends to issues of social justice and race. The episode ends with a discussion of recommendations for student affairs educators, faculty, and students in professional preparation programs.

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We are thrilled to welcome to Student Affairs NOW a scholar, an author, and a student affairs educator who truly needs no introduction, the newest member to join the host team, Dr. Raechele Pope! On today’s episode, Dr. Heather Shea chats and gets to know her, talk a bit about her pathway into and through various roles in student affairs, and look to the future about the various episodes she will bring to the podcast.

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Dr. Heather Shea discusses assessing student learning and development outcomes with four assessment experts, including the co-editors of the new FALDOs book from CAS. Panelists share ways to streamline the process through frameworks as well as learn what various campuses are doing to build a culture of assessment.

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We engage in a conversation with two GenZ scholars, about the defining characteristics, motivations, and misperceptions of the newest generation of student affairs educators to join our campus ranks.

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