Student development theories and frameworks are foundational to the student affairs professions; however, there have often been concerns about their applicability to and effectiveness with marginalized college students.

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Trauma is omnipresent in the lives of college students despite receiving limited attention in student affairs literature. Whether sexual assault and intimate partner violence, campus shootings, or racial trauma, many students arrive on our campuses and have either experienced trauma before arriving or while in college. It is critical for student affairs professionals to increase their understanding of trauma and its effect on the mental health and well-being of students.

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The term “anti-racism” has become part of the everyday lexicon in the media, organizations, schools, and higher education. Unfortunately, for many individuals and organizations, this has simply involved replacing the word diversity with the word anti-racism. What is really needed is for white individuals to more deeply understand their role and responsibility in first evaluating their identity, privilege, and power and then committing to creating anti-racist cultures, campus environments, and structures.

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Dr. Carlton Green talks with host Raechele Pope about how racism often manifests in a culture of nice in higher education where white individuals hesitate to discuss race and racism openly and directly thus reinforcing long standing harms and racial trauma for people of color. Fear of being called racist often becomes more important than the fear of actually acting in racist ways. They also discuss how to move beyond the culture of nice in student affairs and higher education.

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The rise in the number of young people who identify as biracial or multiracial presents college campuses with an opportunity to expand their racial understanding to better serve this growing population and become more inclusive in the process. Improving the college experience for multiracial students will require modifying existing student data-collection methods and providing better resources and support to ensure their inclusion.

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Leaders discuss innovative approaches to mental health and well-being for the most marginalized.

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College student mental health and well-being is a priority across the United States because of the growing demand and increasing severity of mental health concerns (i.e., rising anxiety, depression, and suicidality) on campus. Many college and university counseling centers have waiting lists and struggle to meet the needs of all students. Additionally, many students are struggling but not reaching out for help. These challenges have led to innovation and re-imagining the most effective ways to meet the mental health needs of college students. Student affair professionals are well-positioned to play an important role in addressing this campus challenge because of their extensive contact and relationships with students.

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Renn and Reason have once again brought us back to our roots by updating their vital text, College Students in the United States: Characteristics, Experiences, and Outcomes. In this episode, Dr. Raechele Pope discusses the ways we can study and better meet the needs of our students.

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In higher education, we have been engaging in incomplete and short-sighted conversations about race and racism for decades. Many campuses have been discussing how to combat racism as if that is the final goal or destination. Never do we discuss what happens next or how to center racial healing or liberation in our work.

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