Student Affairs NOW

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. The post Hacking College: Why the Major Doesn...

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 routi...

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 relat...

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. The post...

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. The po...

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...

This episode tells the story of a higher education professional who, looking back, realizes that faith has quietly guided him through every stage of his life. Growing up in a close family environment, he learned resilience early while navigating challenging dynamics and moments of bias that shaped his perspective and purpose. What once felt like instinct or perseverance, he now understands as fait...

Student development theory is often seen as the foundation of student affairs, but many educators struggle to apply it in everyday practice. In this first episode, authors Drs. Kristen Renn, Chayla Haynes Davison, Alex C. Lange, Cristobal Salinas Jr., and Rosemary Perez explore what we often get wrong about theory—and why this book is needed right now. We discuss the origins of College Student Dev...

Listen in from ACPA 2026 in Baltimore as we deep dive into how Student Affairs leaders foster high-performing teams in an era of shrinking budgets and organizational shifts. This episode features Drs. Brian Arao, Helena Gardener, and Dawn Lee who will share actionable advice while prioritizing safety, effectiveness, and inclusion for SA leaders, supervisors, and managers. This panel will also shar...

Recorded live in front of an audience at ACPA26 in Baltimore, this episode of Student Affairs Now explores how podcasts and digital media are being used as dynamic teaching tools in graduate preparation programs. Presenters share sample assignments and a curated toolkit designed to help faculty connect theory to practice. The conversation highlights how podcast-based learning can amplify diverse v...

In this episode, we explore the evolving landscape of scholarly writing and publishing in student affairs. Our guests discuss how conversations about equity, representation, and access are reshaping whose knowledge is valued, as well as how emerging tools like AI are influencing authorship and intellectual labor. Together, we reflect on the responsibilities of authors and editors and offer practic...

In this powerful episode, Steven Herndon shares a deeply personal story of leading through profound loss, revealing what it means to hold both grief and responsibility at the same time. Together, we explore the tension between showing up and shutting down—when hiding our pain helps us lead, and when it quietly holds us back. At its core, this is a story about the people who step in, lift us up, an...

Who gets to define student success right now? In this episode, we unpack how recent federal actions, state policy proposals, and accountability trends are reshaping higher education. From accreditation and DEI to academic freedom and ROI, we explore how power is shifting—and what student affairs professionals need to understand in this moment. The post Current Campus Context: Who Defines Student S...

In this episode of Here’s the Story, Jonathan Manz shares a defining moment that challenged his sense of direction and purpose.

Interim leadership can be complex for the individual and institution. In this discussion, you'll hear a variety of perspectives on interim roles from different personal, professional, and institutional perspectives. You'll gain a recommendations for leaders and institutions considering interim roles to navigate them as effectively as possible. The post The Interim Leader’s Playbook appeared first...

Although plenty of evidence is out there about the impact of the environment on learning, community, belonging, and well-being, designing spaces is often an afterthought. These leaders think about this regularly from very different perspectives. Join this conversation rich with perspectives, new ideas, and great insights. The post Designing the Environment appeared first on Student Affairs NOW .

Turning assessment into meaningful change requires more than collecting data—it requires a plan for action. In this episode of Student Affairs Now, we talk with the authors of Maximizing the Impact of Assessment in Higher Education: Closing the Loop with Change Management about how to move beyond reports and compliance toward sustainable improvement. Together, we explore practical strategies for l...

From scrutiny of student voting data and new SAVE Act proposals to proposed graduate loan caps, higher education may be breathing a slight sigh of relief as congressional appropriations rejected the administration’s deepest cuts. Yet this moment of funding stability comes alongside tighter regulation and expanding federal scrutiny. What happens when civic engagement feels politically charged and a...

In this episode, a retired housing director reflects on a career spent shaping residential communities—and the people who led them. She speaks candidly about encouraging resident assistants to stay in the field, even as the role has grown more complex, more visible, and more demanding than when she first started. Rather than offering nostalgia, she offers perspective. She acknowledges the challeng...

Contributors to the book, Cultivating Equitable and Inclusive Conversations in Higher Education, discuss why inclusion is central to the success of students, institutions, higher education, and society, and how we can do so well at all levels, from the organizational to the individual. They focus on contribution, conversation, holistic perspectives, thriving, sacredness, and habits of mind as we m...

This episode features a vice president for student affairs who came of age under legal segregation and invites us into a reflective journey shaped by classrooms divided by law, doors opened—or closed—by race, and a quiet resilience that learned how to endure, adapt, and lead. She carries those early lessons forward into the present moment, where the vocabulary has shifted and the statutes look dif...

Dr. Angel Pérez’s The Hottest Seat on Campus is both a leadership manual and a call to action for higher education professionals navigating the volatile worlds of admissions and enrollment. In this conversation, we discuss the challenges and pressure as well as the rewards and joys of this role. He focuses on leadership capacities in politics, crisis, storytelling, and self-management, applicable...

Dr. Stacey Pearson-Wharton discusses not only the harms of racism but also the ways those who experience racism can heal from the interpersonal, organizational, and systemic experiences. Dr. Stacey offers suggestions for finding stability and safety, soothing, mourning the loss, cultivating counternarratives, and finding power and control toward thriving. The post Healing from the Wounds of Racism...

One year into a new federal administration, the January 2026 installment of Current Campus Context examines what has actually changed for colleges and universities—and what has quietly reshaped campus life beneath the headlines. Heather Shea is joined by Dr. Brendan Cantwell and Dr. Crystal Garcia to explore federal power and institutional response, heightened ICE presence and campus climate, and...

Radical Reimagining for Student Success in Higher Education argues that the time for incremental reform in higher education has passed and that colleges must transform their cultures, structures, and leadership models to truly center student success. They center the question, “What would our institution look like if students really mattered?” Join the editors as they discuss reframing cultures, pr...