Episodes (List) - Student Affairs NOW

Heather Shea, Leadership, New Episode, Podcast

Peril and Promise: What Higher Education Needs from Leaders Right Now

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What happens when student affairs educators come together to discuss leadership, hope, and the future of higher education? In this special Student Affairs NOW Book Club episode, Heather Shea facilitates a live conversation with members of the Student Affairs NOW learning community inspired by Beverly Daniel Tatum’s Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times. Together, participants reflect on the challenges facing higher education today, the opportunities they see emerging, and the leadership practices needed to navigate an increasingly complex landscape.

Keith Edwards, Leadership, New Episode, Podcast

Leading through the Storm: Capacity and Clarity to Lead through Complexity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:53 — 40.5MB)

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Panelists Keith Edwards Dr. Keith Edwards empowers higher education leaders with internal and structural capacity to lead with and through the storm toward better tomorrows for us all. He is an authentic educator, trusted leader,…

Keith Edwards, Leadership, New Episode, Podcast

Redefining Alpha: Leadership for Well-Being, Engagement, and Success

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:26 — 34.7MB)

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Mark Butler breaks the myth of Alpha leadership based on wolves in captivity and redefines it as the behavior of wolves in the wild, where the Alpha focuses on protection, service, and responsibility. An expert in mental health, psychological safety, and leadership, Mark shares how leaders can be effective in leading teams, fostering well-being, avoiding burnout, and fostering psychological safety through simple practices any leader can utilize.

Heather Shea, New Episode, Podcast, Student Learning and Development

Education Abroad in a Changing Higher Ed Landscape

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:12 — 26.3MB)

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Education abroad is not just “travel.” It is a high-impact learning experience shaped by the current realities of U.S. higher education: student mental health, belonging, political polarization, affordability, global awareness, career readiness, and the role of faculty and staff in helping students make meaning across difference. While co-leading an undergraduate education abroad program in Europe, Student Affairs NOW host Heather Shea connected with four students, a faculty co-leader, and a program assistant to discuss the importance of education abroad in a changing higher education landscape. Together, they reflect on identity, history, learning, and student development while exploring how education abroad can help students better understand themselves, others, and their place in an increasingly interconnected world.

Keith Edwards, New Episode, Podcast, Student Learning and Development

Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn’t Really Matter – And What Really Does

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:59 — 17.2MB)

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What if everything you’ve been told about picking the right college major is wrong? In Hacking College, Ned Scott Laff and Scott Carlson argue that the obsession with choosing the “right” major has left generations of students with what they call “empty college degrees.” Find out how students can stop jumping hurdles and start hacking the college game.

Here's The Story, New Episode, Podcast

Here’s the Story: “Finding Joy”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:39 — 28.6MB)

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In this episode, a higher education housing professional reflects on a career shaped by intentionally seeking joy in both everyday moments and unexpected opportunities. He shares how investing in personal passions and relationships sustains his energy and strengthens his effectiveness at work. He encourages young professionals to define success beyond burnout, recognize small wins, and build routines that prioritize purpose and fulfillment. His message is simple: joy isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you create.

Leadership, Mamta Accapadi, New Episode, Podcast, Values, Philosophy, and History

The Vital Role of Student Affairs in Community Colleges

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What does student affairs work really look like at a community college? From helping a first-generation student find their footing to supporting a working parent juggling classes and life, to guiding professionals with previous degrees to upskill and pursue different career paths- community college student affairs leaders and teams meet students where they are. Their work is hands-on, deeply relational, and shaped by a commitment to removing barriers and opening doors- it is truly love, justice, and humanity work. If you’ve ever wondered what makes community colleges feel so connected and responsive, this conversation offers a window into the educators who make it happen.

Keith Edwards, New Episode, Podcast, Social Justice and Inclusion

Alliance for Higher Education: A Unified Voice to Protect Higher Ed’s Role in Democracy

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:15 — 37.3MB)

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In these times of sustained and coordinated assaults on the mission and values of higher education, the Alliance for Higher Education is trying to bring a fragmented higher education industry together into a coalition with agency. Learn about the Alliance and how we can push back on the regressive legalism to help higher education move closer to our aspirations from our current realities.

Here's The Story, New Episode, Podcast

Here’s the Story: “Policies have Purpose”

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In this episode, Jackson Tidwell shares a powerful story of enforcing an unpopular policy that, in the face of a looming hurricane, proved to be lifesaving. What felt rigid and frustrating in the moment became a clear reminder that policies aren’t about control—they’re about care. It’s a compelling look at leadership, trust, and the purpose behind the rules we’re sometimes called to uphold.

Heather Shea, New Episode, Podcast, Student Learning and Development

Student Development Theory in Action: Inside the SDTiA Model

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:14:22 — 51.1MB)

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In part two, authors Drs. Kristen Renn, Chayla Haynes Davison, Alex C. Lange, Cristobal Salinas Jr., and Rosemary Perez unpack the Student Development Theory in Action (SDTiA) model—the framework at the center of the book and a response to the need for more usable, practice-oriented theory. They explain how the model works, why it emphasizes developmental processes and context, and where educators have the most influence. This episode offers a clear, actionable way to connect theory to the real work of supporting students.