Student Affairs NOW

Dr. Jessica Riddell discusses mindsets and 10 tools to rethink, reimagine, and rebuild institutions of higher education from her research and book Hope Circuits. She offers a critique of the status quo and a call to "challenge the actual in the name of the possible."

Heather Shea shares how working in a women's center and bringing feminist icon Gloria Steinem to campus shaped her personal, political, and professional journey. She reflects on the enduring need for activism and advocacy in women and gender equity centers.

Dr. Carter-Atkins shares a powerful message of self-care and leadership through the magic of burpees!

Drs. Shannon Leddy and Lorrie Miller, co-authors of Teaching Where You Are: Weaving Indigenous and Slow Principles and Pedagogies, discuss indigenous approaches to teaching and learning. They integrate perspectives, histories, and values from many different Indigenous cultures across North America to offer insights to guide different ways of approaching teaching, learning, education, and being.

In this episode (recorded on May 1), Dr. OiYan Poon and Dr. Crystal Garcia join Dr. Heather Shea to reflect on the first 100 days of the current administration and what they reveal about its priorities and governing approach. They unpack the sweeping changes reshaping higher education—from executive orders and agency overhauls to attacks on DEI, student protections, and institutional autonomy. As...

Assessment experts and student affairs leaders discuss the multi-level assessment process and how to utilize it as a leadership practice. This conversation helps explain this approach, what it offers, examples of how it is being done, and tips. They discuss assessment beyond measurement, leading learning and operations, as strategic planning, and through relationships.

In this episode, host Heather Shea is joined by Dr. Brendan Cantwell and Dr. Demetri Morgan to break down a wave of federal actions reshaping higher education. From the NIH’s ultimatum on DEI to a new executive order on accreditation—and threats to university tax-exempt status—they explore what these moves mean for institutional governance, research integrity, and academic freedom. Plus, they disc...

Dr. Paul Dosal reflects on his 15 years as an innovator, champion, and leader of student success and well-being. He shares lessons from creating institutional transformations for student persistence and retention through deliberative and intentional approaches, breaking down silos, predictive analytics, and creating cultures of care. He highlights blending technological tools and personal connecti...

In this episode, Dr. OiYan Poon and Dr. Demetri Morgan join Heather Shea to unpack three pressing developments shaping the current landscape of higher education. Together, they discuss the quiet but consequential elimination of the federal team that defines the poverty line—and what it means for Pell Grants and student access; Harvard’s public rejection of Trump's demands, signaling a potential tu...

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...

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, media attention toward higher education resistance, and the unjust revocation of student visas. Recorded on April 10th, this episode delves into how these developments reflect a broader shift in...

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

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.

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 fear...

In this episode of Student Affairs Now, we're exploring the career shift from student affairs to alumni affairs with three panelists who have made the transition themselves: Josh Leidy, Rachel Clark, and Jessica Lee. How do student affairs skills translate to engaging alumni? What challenges and opportunities come with the shift? And what should student affairs professionals know if they're consid...

Dr. Felecia Commodore and Dr. Demetri Morgan join host Heather Shea to discuss the latest threats to higher education and what comes next. This episode was recorded at 5:11 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 27th.... The post Current Campus Context: Federal Student Aid, Institutional Autonomy & Associations’ Push Back appeared first on Student Affairs NOW .

Dr. Megan Gerhardt discusses moving from intergenerational differences as tension to opportunities. She shares ways we stereotype, shame, and blame other generations, as well as the four practices to help make intergenerational differences a strength in organizations.

In this episode (recorded at 5:08 p.m. on March 20), Dr. OiYan Poon and Dr. Crystal Garcia join Dr. Heather Shea to discuss the executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, the politicization of federal funding, and rising barriers for international students and scholars. The post Current Campus Context: Exec. Order Dismantling the Dept. of Education, Weaponizing Federal Funding,...

Struggling through his first year as a professor, Dr. Snipes faced feedback that made him question his future in academia. But just as he was ready to walk away, an unexpected encounter encourages him to stay.

It’s a story about love, loss, and a beautiful friendship between two higher ed professionals and what it is like for one to move on after the loss of the other.

In this week’s rapid-response episode, Dr. Heather Shea is joined by Drs. Felecia Commodore and Brendan Cantwell to break down the latest developments in higher education policy and politics. They discuss the U.S. Department of... The post Current Campus Context: Education Cuts, Student Detainment, and the Politics of Funding appeared first on Student Affairs NOW .

While attending the 2025 ACPA Conference in Long Beach, California, host Glenn DeGuzman invited random attendees to come in front of the camera and answer the following question: "What topic or issue is very important to you now and that you want to engage with more in student affairs?” The myriad of responses is a reminder of the diversity of people, places, and positions that make up our profess...

In this week’s rapid-response episode, Dr. Heather Shea is joined by Drs. Brendan Cantwell and OiYan Poon to break down the latest developments—from the Department of Education’s uncertain future to new guidance in the form... The post Current Campus Context: Dear Colleague Letter FAQ, “Illegal” Protests, and more appeared first on Student Affairs NOW .

Join us for a special episode of Student Affairs Now, recorded live at ACPA25 on Monday, February 17, where hosts Raechele Pope and Heather Shea sit down with higher education icons Dr. Lori Patton Davis and Dr. Shaun Harper. These lifelong friends and influential scholars reflect on their groundbreaking research, leadership journeys, and unwavering advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion. A...

We’re living in a moment where the ground is shifting daily—from policy changes and legal battles to funding decisions and challenges to the very foundations of our work to promote equity and access. The news... The post Coming Soon: Current Campus Context appeared first on Student Affairs NOW .