Critical Praxis in Student Affairs

The two editors and two of the contributing authors to the new book Critical Praxis in Student Affairs discuss ways to bring our commitments to social justice and the use of critical theory into our student affairs practice toward liberation. The authors don’t just argue for justice and liberation, they explore the reflexive, messy, courageous, personal, and beautiful ways they have worked at it.

The First Job Search

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.

Design Thinking in Student Affairs

Dr. Keith Edwards explores design thinking as both a process and a mindset with two authors of the new book Design Thinking in Student Affairs and two students. The conversation explores wicked problems, learning from failure, empathy, assessment, equity, organizational change, and indigenous pedagogies.

The “Froshmore” Experience

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.

Being First (Part 1): First-Generation Students’ Experiences

First generation students are the first in their families to attend college. How has the needs of this student population evolved over the last decade? Listen in as Dr. Glenn DeGuzman sits down with Dr. Robert Longwell-Grice, Dr. Rashné Jehangir, and Dr. La’Tonya Rease Miles to discuss this topic, the latest research, and explore what campuses can do to support this vulnerable population.

Being First (Part 2): First-Generation Professionals’ Experiences

They were first generation students and then first generation higher education professionals. Dr. Glenn DeGuzman sits down with Dr. Juan Guardia, Dr. Ray Gasser, and Dr. Daisy Rodriguez and talk about how their experiences as first generation professionals and how their lived experiences have impacted their career journey and professional identity in higher education. These educators also share some advice on how we can best support first generation Student Affairs professionals and practitioners.

Canceling the Culture of Nice in Higher Education

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.

Understanding the Lived Experiences of Multiracial People in Higher Education

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.

Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgements

The panelists discuss how college and universities can move beyond land acknowledgments. They provide questions for student affairs leaders to consider as more higher education institutions adopt land acknowledgements as a common practice.

Celebrating Our Listeners

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.