Volume 19, Issue 4 (Winter 2022)

Message from the Executive Director, December 2022/January 2023

December 2022/January 2023 ACPA Developments Message from the Executive Director I am beyond excited that this issue of ACPA’s Developments ...

Message from the ACPA President, December 2022

Since joining the division of student life at my current institution, I coordinated 7 searches to fill open entry-level positions ...

ACPA Books: Wrapping Things Up (Like a Holiday Gift)

As the year wraps up, we also are wrapping up our term as ACPA Books Co-Editors. We are pleased to ...

Message from the Editors | December 2022

Hello, all. As we conclude one term and get ready for the next it is a great time for both ...

Case Studies: Overview

In an effort to make this issue easier to navigate, the cases are divided into categories. This is meant to ...

Case Studies: Academics

I Just Want to Be a Nurse

Abstract: An academic advisor at a large, public research institution encounters a nursing major who is resistant to a course on ...

(Improper?) Sharing of Syllabi

Abstract: Student conduct processes continually move in a direction of enacting learning outcomes rather than punishment. Yet, faculty and staff ...

Semi-Stellar Student | Rubin

Abstract The case of the semi-stellar student focuses on the challenge faced by first-time instructor and recent student affairs masters ...

Successful Student Success Center Advising | Haines

Abstract Higher education positions related to advising first-year students are becoming more popular at colleges and universities to help increase ...

To Be (Online) or Not to Be (Online)? That is the Question | Adams

Abstract The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic intensified the existing enrollment crisis at our nation’s community colleges. After two and a half years ...

Case Studies: Activism

The Advocate’s Quagmire: Serving Students with (Dis)abilities in Postsecondary Education | French, Kniess

Abstract This scenario invites readers to follow Shannon, a Director of Disability Support Services, as she wrestles with how to ...

Balancing Positionality and Belonging: Advocating for Students with Marginalized Identities | Ford

Abstract This case study highlights the experiences of a new higher education professional who is facing the difficult challenge of ...

When Will Enough Be Enough? | Fielder

Abstract This case study will examine ethical dilemmas that student affairs professionals face. It will address the importance of politics ...

Case Studies: Activities, Organizations, and Programs

Autism and Socioeconomic Status:  The Case of Tyler | Lalor, Lalor, Lombardi

Abstract This is the case of Tyler (he, him, his), an autistic first-year student at Apple State College from a ...

First in the Family | Xi, Cawthon, Barrientos

Abstract This scenario explores the intersections of Asian Identity Development, Social Class Identity, and issues surrounding First Generation Student Identity ...

Tension on the Team | Brown, Smith

Abstract This scenario focuses on the experience of Tia, a Black woman recruited from California to play softball in Texas ...

Case Studies: Campus Culture and Inclusion

At the Intersection of Accessibility, Race, and Gender | Leath, Hardy

Abstract This scenario focuses on the experience of Alice, a woman of color, as she navigates the personal and political ...

Becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution: A Case Study | Gorshenin, Torres, Lee

Abstract The lack of reporting on how funds from Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) grants are being allocated has led institutions ...

Black Man Living on Campus: Multiple Identities and Complex Individuality | McGowan, Walker, Estep

Abstract Black college men encounter several challenges navigating historically White campus environments. Within these spaces, Black college men are often ...

Inclusivity Wish List: Barriers to Updating Student Informational Systems in Higher Education | Silva-Muhammad

Abstract Equitable access in higher education encompasses adopting non-discriminatory policies and practices toward creating an inclusive environment for all students, ...

Case Studies: Conflict with Colleagues

Digital Racism Among Queer Student Staff: Crisis at the RA Meeting | Stroup, Walls

Abstract At Compass University, a mid-sized, public, predominantly white university in the Midwest, an RA staff faces turmoil when two ...

Examining Within-Group Identities and Professionalism with Student Affairs Staff* | Montelongo, Montelongo

Abstract Student affairs professionals often need to resolve student conflicts arising from cultural insensitivity and broad stereotypes. We work with ...

“Why do some think my people don’t belong?”: Being Black and Undocumented in College | Bromfield, Santa-Ramirez

Abstract Alicia is a Black, undocumented student encountering microaggressions with a team member in the peer mentor program she works ...

Case Studies: Graduate Student Experiences

“Can’t You Just Do It All?” Shifting Demographics and Expectations in Student Affairs | Williams, Cuna, Kane

Abstract  Ideal worker norms are perpetuated and passed down in student affairs through graduate assistantships, supervision, and the hidden curriculum ...

Do I Belong Here? | Smith, Trammell

Abstract The purpose of this case study is to explore the experiences of a Black man student transitioning from a ...

Keeping up Appearances: The Role of the Graduate Assistant | Kern

Abstract The University of Elm Harbor is bustling with university life and strives to provide meaningful experiences for all students ...

Graduate Student Staff as Campus Activists | Kniess, Cawthon, McCluskey-Titus

Abstract This case will allow for conversations related to multiple identities and how our identities impact issues such as advocacy, ...

The Intersections of Identity and Sense of Belonging: First-Generation Graduate Student Belonging During a Pandemic | Olson, Sterk

Abstract Research has demonstrated that first-generation graduate students may experience similar challenges as they did while completing their undergraduate careers ...

The Needed “New Normal”: Understanding the Experiences Of Graduate Students Needs During the Coronavirus Pandemic | Camarillo, Dissassa, Martinez-Benyarko, Clarke

Abstract With campus leaders requesting college campuses return “back to normal” after nearly three years of overwhelming trauma during the ...

You Don’t Know Me | Boettcher, Dillard

Abstract This scenario focuses on the experience of Barbara – a white woman who is a first-generation (FGCS) and low ...

Case Studies: Politics

“It’ll be like Biden and Harris”: A Black Woman’s Conundrum in Collegiate Student Government | Brown, Goodman

Abstract In this case study, Sasha grapples with issues of systemic racism she faces while serving as student government (SG) ...

“My Body, My Choice”: The Campus Abortion Debate in Post-Roe America | Williams, Herrera, Anderson

Abstract In this case study, we explore the tensions of campus programming, supervision, and student activism through an issue of ...

One of These is Not Always Like the Other: Social Class & First-Generation College Student Status | Ardoin, Nguyen

Abstract This case addresses intersections of two salient identities—social class and first generation college student (FGCS) status—which are often challenging ...

Racial and Political Tensions at an Open Enrollment Institution | Sokolich

Abstract This scenario presents a complex problem facing student affairs practitioners related to funding, enrollment, politics, and identity. The students ...

Case Studies: Stress, Pressure, and Well-Being

A Heavy Lift: The Impact of the Resident Assistant Position | Díaz III, Amos, Samano, Livingston, Vasquez

Abstract  The Resident Assistant (RA) position is often noted as a premier leadership opportunity on many college campuses.  The RA ...

Identifying and Addressing Secondary Trauma in New Professionals in Student Affairs | Lynch

Abstract It is estimated that over half of college student affairs practitioners support students through traumatic life events on at ...