Front Page - Student Affairs NOW

I work(ed) at the Department of Education.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:34 — 46.4MB)

Subscribe to #SAnow RSS | Subscribe to #SAnow Podcast

In this episode of Student Affairs NOW, host Heather Shea is joined by Dr. Jason Cottrell, a longtime career employee at the U.S. Department of Education who was among the 1,300 staff members recently laid off. Jason shares insights into the role of the Department, how federal agencies navigate transitions between administrations, and what these layoffs mean for education policy. He also reflects on his own journey from higher education into federal service—and what’s next as he returns to the field of student affairs. Read More

Governance, Higher Ed Resistance, & Revoking Student Visas

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:56 — 17.9MB)

Subscribe to #SAnow RSS | Subscribe to #SAnow Podcast

Dr. Demetri Morgan and Dr. Felecia Commodore join host Heather Shea to explore the escalating pressures facing higher education, including the lack of board engagement in defending institutional autonomy, rising federal influence, and the unjust revocation of student visas. Read More

Here’s the Story: “The Power of YOU”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:09 — 23.5MB)

Subscribe to #SAnow RSS | Subscribe to #SAnow Podcast

A renewed sense of purpose is gain after the smallest gesture from a student brings beauty to chaos. Read More

Here’s the Story: “Make Your Path by Walking”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:18 — 27.7MB)

Subscribe to #SAnow RSS | Subscribe to #SAnow Podcast

In this origin story, Dr. Brooks shares his inspirational journey to the professoriate. Filled with triumphs as well as tragedies, his story reminds us of the importance of making your own path - one step at a time. Read More

Current Campus Context: Deportations, Faculty Voice, & Coalitions

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:11 — 13.8MB)

Subscribe to #SAnow RSS | Subscribe to #SAnow Podcast

In the fifth episode of Current Campus Context, Heather Shea is joined by experts Dr. Felecia Commodore and Dr. Crystal Garcia to discuss the latest challenges facing higher education. They examine the growing threats to international students, including detention, deportation, and forced self-deportation, and the role of universities in protecting them. The conversation also explores faculty fears around academic freedom, the risks of speaking out in today’s climate, and the real dangers—beyond job loss—that educators face. Finally, they highlight the power of labor unions as a force for collective action against political and financial attacks on higher ed. Read More