Category: Volume 21, Isse 3

Abstract

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are vital concepts that impact higher education positively, but too often belonging and accessibility are omitted from the conversation. Sense of belonging is an important factor surrounding higher education and DEI because of the associated benefits. For higher education students, sense of belonging is related to their overall satisfaction and intention to persist, leading to graduation.

Although sense of belonging is an important factor for all individuals, it is often overlooked in some populations with marginalized identities, such as individuals with disabilities. People with disabilities have historically been ignored in conversations surrounding belonging. When individuals do not have a sense of belonging it can lead to feelings of exclusion and isolation. Sense of belonging is a sense of mattering, and individuals must be in environments that support them holistically including all their identities.

This manuscript explores how student affairs professionals in higher education can intentionally implement universal design throughout their work, potentially increasing a sense of belonging for more students. I share practical strategies to intentionally design inclusive communities that prioritize accessibility, leading to the future of higher education having increased retention, problem-solving skills for students, and overall better well-being and belonging.

Key Words: Disability; Belonging; Accessibility; Universal Design

Introduction

Diversity within higher education in the United States is ever-changing, and in the next decade it is projected to be “majority-minority” (Vespa et al., 2018). Diversity was different yesterday than it is today, and it will be different tomorrow. As diversity is changing and individuals on college campuses are becoming more uniquely diverse in their identities, professionals must embrace opportunities for inclusion within this challenge of change. Preparing for this challenge appropriately allows all campus students, staff, faculty, and community members to become more authentic in their work toward self-actualization.

Unfortunately, higher education settings have not historically been inclusive spaces (e.g., segregation, gender bias, financial barriers). The earliest institutions in higher education were places to educate the elite and privileged (Urquiola, 2023). Even within the last 100 years, higher education has enacted a gatekeeper mentality providing opportunities for some students and limiting opportunities for others. Often, among those excluded from these limited opportunities were people who had different abilities than the majority. This disproportionately impacted students with disabilities.

In our current politically contentious times, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education is under scrutiny. Even among the many professionals who understand the value of DEI in higher education, accessibility and disability are typically left out of the conversation. This is disheartening because over 20% of college students report having disabilities (U.S. Department of Education, 2023). This means that a large population of students in higher education are not receiving the full, holistic support they need to be themselves. Because of disability stigma, information about students with disabilities is drastically underreported. For student affairs professionals to evolve and face the challenges of higher education today and for the next 100 years, we must shift to a universal design mindset to craft communities of belonging for everyone.

Importance of Belonging

Foundational theorists have focused on the relationship between belonging and success (e.g., Astin, 1984; Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Maslow, 1968; Tinto, 1975). Belonging is a deep connection with groups, places, and experiences. A nurturing environment that provides the proper levels of challenge and support can lead to belonging (Astin, 1984). An environment that does not focus on creating opportunities for connection can intentionally or inadvertently lead to a lack of belonging, which motivates students to withdraw from college (Tinto, 1975).

Every human has an innate need to form a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging can be found as people seek connection to others. According to Maslow (1954) connection or belonging is required on the path to self-actualization. Belonging is a need because it shapes the formation of our identity. Forming a connection with others develops a greater sense of self within each of us to understand that we have a community. Being part of something bigger than ourselves and forming this sense of purpose provides us each with a sense of safety and encourages us to express our authenticity.

Authentically expressing ourselves is important for everyone – especially college students. Higher education institutions are places for learning, community building, and innovative discoveries. Simultaneously, these environments are places that pose both academic and social pressures. College dynamics are demanding for many students when balancing new responsibilities, challenging assignments, adjusting to new environments, personal issues, and navigating social expectations (Sprung & Rogers, 2021). It is difficult to handle all of these challenges and opportunities, while also exploring identity development. Inclusive environments promote belonging and provide students the support they need while motivating them to be their authentic selves leading to resilience, creativity, self-confidence, and other skills (Strayhorn, 2022).

Forming a sense of belonging is important for all students but can be more challenging for historically marginalized populations because of discrimination, isolation, stigma, and lack of acceptance (Strayhorn, 2022). Students with disabilities are part of this marginalized population and, just like their peers, crave connection to support their overall well-being. However, barriers they encounter include classmates not accepting them holistically and environmental challenges posed by higher education employees. Employees often place unintentional barriers to belonging for this population by using inaccessible material, ignoring accommodations, and assuming disability is a monolithic experience. While not all student affairs professionals are disability scholars, it is our responsibility to foster a culture of inclusivity. This work increases belonging and meets the needs of all students, including the ever-growing population of students with disabilities.

Universal Design

A strategy student affairs professionals can use to support students with disabilities is a universal design mentality. Universal design was developed in 1997 by a team of architects who intended for products and environments to be usable by all people (regardless of age, ability, or other factors), without the need for a specialized design (National Disability Authority, 2024). Universal design creates opportunities for people without the need to request specific accommodations. This results in access and equity.

Other educational models have adopted universal design and applied it to classrooms. One such example is the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework (Meyer et al., 2014). The UDL pedagogy is intended to provide flexibility to support students across learning abilities. Model guidelines focus on providing multiple means for engagement, representation, action, and expression. UDL is a way of customizing learning in the classroom, but a similar foundation of universal design can be practically applied throughout student affairs.

By understanding and applying the seven principles of universal design in higher education, we are actively building inclusive cultures of belonging. The seven principles of universal design are:

1. Equitable in Use
2. Flexibility in Use
3. Simple and Intuitive
4. Perceptible Information
5. Tolerance for Error
6. Low Physical Effort
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use

In the next section, I will describe each principle, discuss examples, and share practical strategies.

Principle 1: Equitable in Use

Equitable in use describes a design that is useful and marketable to people of all abilities (National Disability Authority, 2024) and ensures fairness and access. An example of this is when you enter your local grocery store. Most stores have automatic doors that open whether you are physically walking, using a wheelchair for mobility, or traveling in any other manner. Student affairs professionals can practice an “automatic door” concept, as well by communicating with students in a variety of ways. Some students may receive communication better via email, while others may prefer videos or text messages. Finding the most useful form of communication for each student meets their needs and helps establish belonging. By utilizing our skills, student affairs professionals can build rapport with students and learn the best way to meet their needs.

Principle 2: Flexibility in Use

Flexibility in use describes a design that accommodates a wide range of individuals from various backgrounds and abilities (National Disability Authority, 2024). An example of flexibility in use is in streaming services that allow for closed captioning. Flexibility allows users to turn on or off the closed captioning feature. Closed captioning appeals to people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and it also appeals to people who require the captions for processing. The information being conveyed is communicated in a variety of ways.

Flexibility in use is applicable in student affairs to meet the needs of a wide range of students from various backgrounds. Student affairs professionals are adaptable and must avoid treating students who have disabilities as a monolithic group. We need to work to learn their needs, preferences, potential, and limitations. While many student affairs professionals are trained and provided protocols about student meetings, those protocols can sometimes be rigid in scheduling an appointment. Professionals being flexible in use would allow for a scheduling format permitting students to schedule in person, via phone, or email. This could also change by meeting students over lunch, outside the office, or online.

Being flexible in use in this way adapts to students who may have challenges with different modes of communication/scheduling, difficulty with mobility, or anxiety with coming into the physical building. Student affairs professional being flexible in use allows them to connect with students from an array of abilities and identities. Being flexible in this way helps establish belonging.

Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive in Use

Simple and intuitive in use means information is easy to understand, regardless of the familiarity or ability of the user (National Disability Authority, 2024). An example of this is accessibility buttons that automatically open doors. The accessibility button uses plain language stating, “push to open” and has a symbol for those who may not speak English. This button can be pressed by hand or any other way of applying pressure.

Student affairs professionals must also utilize being simple and intuitive in use throughout our practice. Professionals assist international students, first-generation students, and students with disabilities. Understanding that not all of the populations we serve may have English as a first language encourages us to find various ways to communicate. Not making assumptions and explaining how we can assist is beneficial for first-generation students who may not be familiar with student affairs or knowledgeable about resources on campus. Using plain language is another way we can be simple and intuitive in use. This approach applies not only to students with disabilities but to everyone. Communicating simply and intuitively allows us to connect with all students, build rapport, and foster belonging by ensuring students’ needs are met.

Principle 4: Perceptible Information

Perceptible information communicates necessary information to all users in an effective manner, regardless of their abilities (National Disability Authority, 2024). An example of this is when people use self-check-out in the grocery store. Most self-checkout machines display the item scanned on the screen and say the item’s name audibly. This allows people to receive the information in multiple ways.

Student affairs professionals operationalize this mindset by sharing information with students during meetings and also sending a summary of the meeting via email. This summary can include important dates and the key points of the conversation. Sharing perceptible information in this way relays to the student that you care about them as an individual and their success. Students understanding that professionals invest in their development contributes to their belonging.

Principle 5: Tolerance for Error

The tolerance for error principle minimizes consequences for unintended actions (National Disability Authority, 2024). This principle ensures that accidents are not detrimental to the person using the product. An example of this in products is the guard rails on stairs. The guard rails protect individuals from walking off the stairs by bumping into them. They also provide support for those who need the rail for assistance.

Student affairs professionals can apply this universal design principle and shift to this mindset by creating room for mistakes and protection from harm. People are not perfect, and students occasionally make mistakes, such as forgetting deadlines or assignments. Students must learn from their mistakes, but they should not be trapped in despair because of their mistakes. Experiences differ, but some students dwell on negative experiences or distress which can leave them hopeless. Negative feelings can overwhelm students and immobilize them on their educational journey. Student affairs professionals applying the principle of tolerance for error account for mistakes, give grace, provide safety, and offer learning opportunities. Offering patience and understanding while providing guidance when students are not perfect allows them to continue developing and fosters a feeling of support, which can help to increase sense of belonging. Supporting students in this way creates opportunities for future success.

Principle 6: Low Physical Effort

The principle of low physical effort describes a design that can be efficiently used with minimum fatigue (National Disability Authority, 2024). Automatic garage doors are an example of this. Physically lifting heavy garage doors may be difficult for some and impossible for others. Using an automatic opener is a way of lifting the door easily.

Working with student affairs professionals is different from lifting a garage door, but this work can still result in fatigue. Examples include traditional policies requiring students to attend in person to schedule a meeting or when we require documents to be signed in person. For some students, navigating campus is exhausting mentally and/or physically. By utilizing technology, we can support students without putting an undue burden on them. Low physical effort could also be applied by making phone calls to connect with professors or utilizing technology for meetings. Reducing fatigue for students and shifting to this model increases belonging by removing unneeded barriers.

Principle 7: Size and Space for Approach and Use

The last universal design principle is size and space for approach and use. This principle means that there is an appropriate size that accounts for manipulation, regardless of body size and mobility (National Disability Authority, 2024). An example of this is in most newer vehicles. Newer vehicles give users the opportunity to adjust the seat position, height, angle, and tilt to meet the needs of the user. Altering the seat in this way ensures the user can find a position that makes them comfortable.

Student affairs professionals must have adaptable furniture to meet the needs of all students, but they also must be adaptable in their approach and use as well. Students navigate the college campus with a variety of experiences, identities, and abilities. Student affairs professionals cannot approach every student in the same way. Creating a tailored approach allows for better communication and a stronger relationship. This could mean adjusting the speed of the communication or the amount of detail in the information students are provided. Communicating with a different approach that allows for dignity and respect fosters positive relationships, leading to belonging.

Conclusion

The college population is becoming more and more diverse. Student affairs professionals must adapt to create equitable opportunities and inclusive environments. As a student affairs administrator, I understand that we have unique paths and various mission statements related to our impactful work. Each of us has the shared goal of enhancing the overall college experience for college students and assisting with students’ identity development. The everchanging student population in higher education may seem like a challenge, but it is actually an opportunity to shift to a more universally designed mindset. Making this shift creates opportunities to nurture relationships and facilitate belonging. Belonging leads to persistence and academic success. By applying the universal design mindset throughout student affairs, professionals can learn from the past 100 years and prepare for the future by being more inclusive by design.

Reflection Questions

1. What are some strategies you are using to practice universal design in your current position of employment?
2. Considering the growing diverse needs of students in higher education, what are some common barriers relating to accessibility faced by the marginalized populations you work with?
3. In what ways do you believe universal design can improve the overall college experience not just for students with disabilities, but for everyone?

Author Bio

Nicholas Lamar Wright, Ph.D. (He/Him/His), is a champion of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility who is motivated to build inclusive cultures for all people to express authenticity. He is a nationally recognized, award-winning higher education leader, scholar, and practitioner who identifies as a multiracial (Black/White) man with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Wright serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky.

 References

Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-308.

Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497–529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497

Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and personality. Harpers.

Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. New York: Van Nostrand.

Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. T. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. CAST Professional Publishing.

National Disability Authority. (2024). Universal Design – The 7 Principles. Retrieved from https://universaldesign.ie/about-universal-design/the-7-principles

Sprung, J. M., & Rogers, A. (2021). Work-life balance as a predictor of college student anxiety and depression. Journal of American College Health, 69(7), 775-782.

Strayhorn, T. L. (2022). Unraveling the relationship among engagement, involvement, and sense of belonging. In The Impact of a Sense of Belonging in College (pp. 21-34). Routledge.

Tinto, V. (1975). Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of educational research, 45(1), 89-125.

Urquiola, M. (2023). Higher education in the United States: Laissez‐faire, differentiation, and research. Asian Economic Policy Review, 18(2), 196-213.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Digest of Education Statistics, 2022. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=60

Vespa, J., Armstrong, D. M., & Medina, L. (2018). Demographic turning points for the United States: Population projections for 2020 to 2060. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau.

Many, if not the majority, of my earliest childhood memories revolve around her office, where we spent weekends and afternoons after school. I vividly recall sitting at her small round table made for meetings as she diligently worked at her desk. She would be typing on the computer working on complicated Excel spreadsheets as I worked on my elementary school assignments.

I often took her attention away from the spreadsheets for a short time to show her the “novel” I had written and illustrated myself with crayons. Sometimes, she’d indulge my impatience for adulthood by placing me in a cushioned, spinning office chair in the conference room where I could pretend to be part of her “big girl meetings” while she practiced presentations. My mom has even recounted stories from before I can consciously remember, of me nestled in my removable car seat beneath her desk, never far from her side as she typed away. My mother has always been the most fiercely and beautifully independent woman I have ever known. If you ever wish to know the source of my prowess with a toolbox as well as my adeptness at navigating college life, you need to look no further than her. My learning started in my home, but the college campus where my mom worked also helped set the stage for my future and the person I am today.

From Mom’s Office to the Real World

The time I spent on college campuses led to interactions with college students, staff, faculty, and facilities long before many other children and teenagers even begin to think about secondary education. draf. Except this was just a normal weekend with my mom. I was raised on college campuses, so applying to and going for a higher education degree was never in question for me. Not because of any motherly pressure, but rather because I always knew I would have her support and I adored the campus environment. It wasn’t until being on a campus as a student, however, that I began reflecting on how this isn’t everyone’s experience. Then in my student affairs program, which allowed me space to have these conversations with no judgment, I began to more deeply consider the advantage I had because I had a mother working in higher education.

Not only did I receive scholarships from the university I attended because my mom worked there, but I also received more help and insight than many students expect or hope for. When applying to colleges, my mom was by my side, answering any questions I had and reviewing my essays before I hit submit. When I filled out the FAFSA for the first time, I had the assistance of someone who worked in higher education to keep me level-headed through the stressful process. Then, when I finally began college, I had the comfort of knowing that between classes every day, I could visit my mom in her office and always have a listening ear with informed advice and a taste of home.

While I did many things on my own and gained a great deal of independence in my undergraduate years, I didn’t always have to worry about things other students may have because my mom was there. If I couldn’t find a building one of my classes was in, I could call her to figure out where to go. If I was worried about getting a job on campus, my mom offered to reach out to a contact she had. As a very young adult, I had to learn to carefully tread the line between parental support and nepotism. I never wanted anyone to view me as just her daughter, or to think that I didn’t deserve an opportunity because I needed my mother to find it for me. So, I found the opportunities on my own. I made contacts and connections on my own. Though I still have her look over any application or essay materials to this day.

Finding My Own Path

It’s fascinating to reflect on how, before realizing how deeply student affairs had ingrained itself into my heart, I adamantly declared that I never wanted to work in the same field as my mom. This was my rhetoric for two reasons that impact me to this day: I wanted to do something unique, rather than feeling like I was following in someone else’s footsteps, and I never felt that I could be as effective or successful in a role like hers.

My whole life, I have loved nothing more than the written word and how it can transport someone outside of themselves. From this love, I decided that I wanted to go into the publishing industry to instill this same love of literature into young readers, leading to my decision to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of South Carolina. I also decided to intern at a publishing press in Columbia, SC to learn more about the industry I so desired to be in. I quickly learned that publishing wasn’t what I thought it would be and if I continued this pursuit, I would lose that passion for reading. I had to take a quick glance at my life to see what it was that I did find fulfillment in, which just so happened to be my on-campus job at the Career Center. Here is where I discovered student affairs.

Change of Mind (and Heart)

My path into higher education, both undergraduate English degree and post-secondary student affairs degree, has felt different compared to many of my peers and colleagues. This is because it was always accompanied by the presence of my mother, who has worked in leadership positions in higher education since I can remember. Before I was born and during the first four years of my life, my mom worked as the Director of Institutional Research at the University of Central Florida and currently works as the Associate Vice President of Institutional Analytics. These two positions were, of course, separated by two others; 12 years at the University of Akron and six at the University of South Carolina. I like to tell people when asked “Where are you from?” that I was born in Florida, raised in Ohio, and found myself in South Carolina, where I received both of my college degrees.

During that time in my life when I had to decide what to do for my career instead of publishing, I had the benefit of discussing this decision with someone familiar with higher education. My mom and I had many discussions about the highs and lows of working in this field, especially the differences between student affairs and other areas. We would discuss the troubling news when the government would make calls that we didn’t agree with or didn’t feel supported our student populations. We would also discuss how I would manage my starting salary, because as anyone in student affairs will tell you, “We aren’t in it for the money.” Before deciding my path, I wasn’t sure if I should simply apply for a full-time job or go for my master’s degree first. I also wasn’t sure about navigating my wants and needs from graduate school, but she was always available to work through those choices with me. Even still, my mom was never the person to make decisions for me, she always acted as a guiding force, allowing me the time and space I needed to make life decisions on my own.

Being more intentional in my thoughts on our roles, it came to my attention that while we are both in higher education, we are in very different areas. I work as a student affairs professional, with more interactions with students in a single day than my mom has in a month. She also works with more data and assessments in a month than I likely have to in any given year. These differences make us who we are in our roles and we both have as much passion for our separate areas of higher education as the other.

Any lack of confidence in my ability to be a great leader has nothing to do with my mother and everything to do with myself. When I discovered the term “imposter syndrome,” I had never felt more understood. I also discovered that a lot more people than I thought felt the same way I did. Beyond this, when I brought up my imposter syndrome to my mom, she surprised me by saying “I see so much of myself in you.” She expressed that for her entire career, she has battled feeling that she wasn’t good enough in her role or wasn’t smart enough to be amongst the other people in the room with her. I look back on that conference room I sat in as a child, always looking up to my mother and thinking about the confidence she exuded in presentations, meetings, and conversations. I admired her even more when I found out that she often had internalized self-doubt but stood tall despite it.

Looking Ahead

As I enter my first year of being a full-time student affairs professional, I’ve done a lot of reflection on how my mother has impacted my journey. I have been beyond privileged to have a parent who could support me in the ways my mother has. Whether it was having a knowledgeable person always a phone call away for college applications or a professional to offer advice on the career path we both are in, I have never felt a lack of support. For other professionals who work with students in higher education, I highly encourage these people to also contemplate who they had or maybe didn’t have in their lives as they prepared for college and their careers in this field. Moreover, what advantages did they gain over their peers as a result, and how can we extend similar support to students who lacked such advantages? We often hear the phrase “meet students where they are at,” but it is equally important to consider where they come from. How can we offer the support that a student may need to also navigate college when they don’t have a parent who knows the ins and outs of campus life? While I will always agree that the separation from in loco parentis was the best path to take to empower students to independence, I also have learned the benefits that having a knowledgeable parent in higher education can have. With this, I recommend that we continue to consider how we can balance the line between offering a similar support system to our students without delving into acting as a parent.

My mother is my inspiration and ultimate support system. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to guide me through my time in college. With the knowledge I gained from having a parent in higher education, I can only hope to better understand my role in supporting students who may lack this same advantage.

Author Bio

Taya Andrews (she/her/hers) is an Academic Advisor and Marketing Coordinator in the College of Business and Technology at Winthrop University.

Origin stories of any long-standing organization or group contain the roots of its culture, its reason for being, and its values (Kass, 2018).   Origin stories, Kass asserts, also connect members of the group across the generations.  As we celebrate ACPA’s 100^th anniversary in 2024, we also celebrate the 40^th and 25th anniversaries, respectively, of two of its significant and inter-related entities—the ACPA Senior Scholars and the ACPA Emerging Scholars.  In this article, I trace the origins of both groups.

ACPA Senior Scholars                                                   

Although 1984 is documented as the first time the Senior Scholars were formally a part of ACPA, the story begins eight years earlier in 1976–a pivotal year in setting the stage for the creation of the Senior Scholars.  First, ACPA presented the Contribution to Knowledge Award to its first recipient, E. G. Williamson in 1976.  Second, 1976 was the founding year of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), which started as a standing committee of higher education scholars in the American Association for Higher Education (which disbanded in 2005).  ASHE, as a new association, attracted many student affairs scholars seeking to network and converse with their peers.  And third, it was the first year (of more than 40) that an informal group of ACPA members (including Phil Tripp, Harry Canon, Cynthia Johnson, James Hurst, and Ursula Delworth) gathered in Valhalla, CO to have in-depth conversations about how student development theory could influence professional practice in student affairs.  These three events would be the early roots of–and play a significant role in–the formation of the ACPA Senior Scholars.

Early in ACPA’s second semicentennial (around 1982), leadership within the association observed and grew concerned that some of its senior members, who were doing scholarship, were drifting away from the association to join ASHE and take with them their coveted wisdom, experience, and generativity.  Harry Canon recalls that while driving with his colleague, Peggy Barr, from Northern Illinois University to Detroit for the 1982 ACPA convention, they discussed this very issue and the need to have an entity within the association to keep these scholars engaged.

These conversations continued that next fall at the Valhalla gathering and at the ACPA Governing Board meeting where a formal motion to begin the formation the ACPA Senior Scholars was made by Member-at-Large Canon and voted on affirmatively by the board.  Key to these conversations were past ACPA Presidents, Cynthia Johnson and Paul Bloland.  Johnson was especially influential given her skill at deftly moving ideas to action.  As leaders such as Ursula Delworth, Lou Stamatakos, and Peter Sherrard fleshed out the idea of the Senior Scholars, it would need to be put into writing for a formal vote at the ACPA governing board business meeting at the 1983 convention in Houston.  Peggy Barr is credited with drafting the Senior Scholar Program proposal draft that would detail the initial procedures, policies, and activities of the group and become its working document.

This foundational document started with the rationale for program:

The American College Personnel Association has a richly talented resource in those individuals who have received the Contribution to Knowledge Award and other senior scholars in the field.  The professionals, endorsed and honored by their colleagues, possess conceptual and creative skills that have shaped the profession and contain the promise of still further advancement of our knowledge base.  In order to insure [sic] continuing benefits and contributions to the Association, ACPA now established the Senior Scholar Program.

The proposal detailed the criteria for being nominated, and initial procedures, policies, and activities of the newly formed group to be initiated at the 1984 Convention in Baltimore.  Among these details were: (1) the first seven appointed Senior Scholars would elect their own chair and, annually, additional members to arrive at and maintain a membership of 12; (2) appointments to the Senior Scholar Program would be six years with those who complete the term being awarded with “Diplomate” status (those unable to complete the term were recognized as “Emeritus”) ; (3) Senior Scholars would be allotted a program slot at each convention and submit occasional papers to the Executive Council for possible publication in the (then) Journal of College Student Personnel; and (4) Senior Scholars would be called upon for assistance/counsel by the ACPA President.  On March 12, 1983, the proposal was approved at the association’s business meeting presided over by Susan Komives.

On April 20, 1983, Chairperson of the ACPA Awards and Commendations Committee, Lou Stamatakos, sent a memo, per the approved proposal, to the previous recipients of the Contribution to Knowledge Award to formally announce their appointment to this program and to request their acceptance.  This memo went to Gilbert Wrenn, Alexander Astin, Robert D. Brown, Arthur Chickering, Ursula Delworth, James Hurst, and Clyde Parker (the first recipient of the Contribution to Knowledge Award, E. G. Williamson, had passed away in 1979).   This invited group comprised the first cohort of the Senior Scholars, with Robert Brown serving as the temporary chair of the group to help get it organized in advance of the 1984 ACPA Convention in Baltimore.

These first Senior Scholars were officially recognized and awarded at the opening session of the Baltimore convention presided over by Peggy Barr.  In the years that followed, the Senior Scholars program grew to 12, adding David DeCoster, Laurine Fitzgerald, Margaret Barr, Albert Hood, Phyllis Mable, and Melvene Hardee.  Through the date of this publication, 103 ACPA members have been selected to serve as Senior Scholars—49 of whom have been honored with the ACPA Contribution to Knowledge Award—and to carry on the fine tradition of engaging with one another to identify critical issues worthy of inquiry and attention, integrate scholarship into the practice of student affairs, and promote scholarship through presentation of programs of interest to the profession at annual conventions.

ACPA Emerging Scholars

Like the origin story of the Senior Scholars, the Emerging Scholars program began several years before the first cohort was formally initiated in 1999.  The earliest documented mention of an emerging scholars program dates to March 1996 when the Senior Scholars met at that year’s convention in Baltimore.  Several threads came together prior to, and at, the meeting that became the inception of the program.  First, although many of the Senior Scholars had been (and were) engaged with other entities of the association at this time, some recognized that they still lacked contact with the issues that were important to the association.  Likewise, although the Senior Scholars had designed programs and similar opportunities to interact with other parts of the association, much of their time at conventions was spent with one another in formal meetings to discuss the work of the Senior Scholars and their activities within ACPA.  There was an expressed need to widen that circle of scholars within the association by including newer professionals doing scholarship on college students.

Second, this expanding community of scholars could then provide an opportunity for mentoring relationships and for sustained interactions between seasoned scholars and future scholars.  And finally, and importantly, there were discussions about how the ACPA Senior Scholars could contribute more meaningfully to addressing diversity issues, particularly with respect to the diversity of the professoriate and the scholarly activities of minoritized scholars.

Interest in initiating such a program, driven largely by Pat King and Karen Kitchener, generated a great deal of enthusiasm and energy.  The plan was to create an emerging scholars institute at the 1997 convention that would then become the Emerging Scholars Program.  According to the minutes of the 1996 Senior Scholars meeting minutes:

The purpose of the institute would be to encourage the scholarship of ACPA members who were beginning their post-doctoral work and to begin a dialogue about setting an agenda for future research on college students in light of changes in higher education and its student population. Part of the goal would be to support and encourage the scholarship of new professionals from underrepresented groups that were often not recognized for their contribution to scholarship regarding college students.

The plan from there was to solicit nominations (including self-nominations) from doctoral programs and from ACPA entities such as the Committee on Multicultural Affairs and the Standing Committee for Women.  From among these nominated early career faculty and/or practitioner scholars, the Senior Scholars would select up to 12 they considered “emerging scholars”.  The plan was, then, to meet for the preconference institute the following year.  Karen Kitchener agreed to coordinate the planning of the institute as well as maintain connections with the selected emerging scholars and assess what they hoped to get from the institute.

There are limited records and recollections on what happened in 1997 and 1998 with respect to these initial plans for the Emerging Scholars Program. What is known is that the Senior Scholars encountered some logistical problems with getting the necessary grant funding for the institute.  Also, a great deal of energy was needed among the Senior Scholars, at this time, to launch The Senior Scholars Trends Analysis Project (1997-1998)–a thematic analysis of national higher education associations by a University of Maryland research team (with Susan Komives as the Principal Investigator) designed to identify the issues and developments the field would face in the new millennium and to establish a research agenda for the 21^st century.  The project was coordinated by Cynthia Johnson and led to multiple essays authored by the Senior Scholars with titles such as “Improving Access and Educational Success for Diverse Students” (Pat King), “Affordability” (Lee Upcraft), “Changing Government Roles” (Annette Gibbs), “Technology” (Patrick Terenzini and Lee Upcraft), and “Accountability” (Greg Blimling).

By the fall of 1998, the Senior Scholars secured funding and were ready to announce a formal call for nominations for the inaugural cohort of ACPA Emerging Scholars.  Coordinated by Pat King and Nancy Evans, the call highlighted the purpose of the newly established program which was to “encourage scholarship and research among ACPA members, especially scholars who are beginning their post-doctoral work.”  The call also detailed the application criteria and the activities of the group which would be initiated at the convention in 1999. In addition to receiving mentorship from the Senior Scholars and a $300 grant to support their research, this inaugural group would also attend a Fetzer Foundation Institute with the Senior Scholars in April of 1999 in Kalamazoo, MI.  With the support of ACPA president, Jean Paratore, Cynthia Johnson became the driving force behind getting the necessary funding–from former ACPA member and program director with the Fetzer Foundation, Tony Chambers– to support this launch of the Emerging Scholars Program.  The inaugural cohort of Emerging Scholars were named in 1999: Jan Arminio, Ellen Broido, Deborah Carter, Tracy Davis, Sharon Fries-Britt, Anna Ortiz, Michael Sutton, Donna Talbot, Siu-Man “Raymond” Ting, and Vasti Torres.  Since this inaugural cohort, 126 Emerging Scholars have been honored; 22 of these have, later in their careers, been honored as Senior Scholars.

Reflections on ACPA Scholars Programs

In preparing this brief history on the origin stories of both the ACPA Senior and Emerging Scholars, I had the pleasure of speaking and corresponding with some of our earlier Senior Scholars including Pat King, Susan Komives, George Kuh, John Schuh, Nancy Evans, Vasti Torres, and Marcia Baxter-Magolda as well as some of the more recent Emerging Scholars: Royel Johnson and Amanda Mollet.  Many of these colleagues willingly shared their knowledge on the genesis of these programs and all shared their thoughts and insights on the significance of these programs to a professional association.  Allow me to summarize some of their reflections.

Many of the Senior Scholars I interviewed discussed how the program, from the very start, benefited those who were members.  Susan Komives discussed how some of the earliest Senior Scholars often promoted the group as “a positive culture of scholars really having good conversations that we all didn’t have a chance to have in other places” and she recalled how Patrick Terenzini would tell others about being a Senior Scholar in the mid-1990s: “That’s one of the best things I do; my brain stretches, I learn what’s happening, I see how it can influence my own research.” George Kuh likewise shared that the conversations among Senior Scholars “were intellectually engaging; it was a colloquium of sorts.”  Also mentioned was how the program could be influential in ACPA; as Vasti Torres noted, it was “the first program that sought to have the voices of scholars be included in the decision-making of the association.”

On the significance of the Emerging Scholars program’s 25 years, Royel Johnson shared, “It acted as a bridge, helping to foster meaningful connections with then senior scholars like Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, Raechele Pope, Penny Pasque, and Lori Patton Davis, among others. Their wisdom and professional role modeling have significantly shaped the direction and expanded the realm of possibility of my career.“  In a similar vein, Amanda Mollet observed, “Being an Emerging Scholar is more than an award, it is access to a brilliant community and the responsibility to use or knowledge and skills to serve ACPA and the field of higher education. The Emerging Scholars award provided scholarly validation of my research and supported securing a Spencer Foundation research grant building on my Emerging Scholars research project.”

Conclusion

Since their origins, both the Senior Scholars and the Emerging Scholars have demonstrated their importance and their value to ACPA in advancing knowledge within the field of student affairs.  More specifically, they have played a role in promoting a culture and community of scholarship within the association, have helped shape the scholarly agenda and stimulated conversation within the association, have generated thought-provoking publications for the association, and have promoted future generations of scholars.  As we celebrate this 100^th anniversary of the association, it is fitting to honor and thank the visionary ACPA practitioners, leaders, and scholars named in this piece who worked so hard to establish these programs 40 and 25 years ago.

Visit the websites of both the ACPA Senior Scholars and Emerging Scholars to learn more about each program, the current and previous scholars, and how to nominate colleagues to be selected to the programs.

***********************
Heartfelt thanks Harry Canon, Pat King, and Susan Komives for their time and for providing substance and details on these origin stories. Thanks also to Marcia Baxter-Magolda, Nancy Evans, Royel Johnson,  George Kuh, Amanda Mollett, John Schuh, and Vasti Torres for their additional insights.  And special thanks to the staff at the National Student Affairs Archives at Bowling Green State University Libraries for access to original documentation on the Senior and Emerging Scholars programs.

 Author Bio

John A. Mueller (he/him/his)…is an emeritus professor of Student Affairs in Higher Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  A member of ACPA since 1985, John has been awarded Emerging Scholar (2004), Senior Scholar (2019-2024), and Senior Scholar Diplomate (2024).

References

Kass, M. (2018).  Why you must know your organization’s origin story.  Retrieved from https://medium.com/the-center-for-story-and-spirit/why-you-must-know-your-organizations-origin-story-b72ad88fd92d

Introductions

Hey Friends, my name is Chris King (he/him) and I am a storyteller. More accurately, I am what the youngsters these days refer to as a “professional yapper”. Why is this important for you to know? It is important because unless this is a class assignment or research paper, I tend to type the way that I talk. Traditionally, an article should read like it was written by one person, but we believe that this story will read better if we each share our experiences. I recommend curling up with a fresh coffee and some good music in the background (personally).

Alright, enough of that. Only a couple years back, I graduated from Marquette University with my Bachelor of Science in Educational Studies, Social Welfare & Justice, and a minor in Human Resource Management. A few months ago, I graduated from Clemson University with my Masters of Education in Counselor Education with a specialization in Student Affairs. I now have the pleasure of serving as a Residence Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

While at Clemson University, I worked as a Graduate Community Director for Clemson Home. Within a short time of starting this job, I met one of the most wonderful humans in the world. Diamond is her name, and she lives up to that name. She is unique, has a wealth of knowledge, and shines bright. Aside from her diamond-like traits, she is also kind, funny, supportive, present, and everything else you would look for in a great friend. As a coworker, she was an easy role model to look up to because of her strong work ethic, knowledge of the institution and role, and her strong mentorship ability. We quickly learned that we would make a strong team that could learn from, challenge, and grow with each other. The question became: how could we balance a strong personal friendship with a strong professional relationship?

Hello! My name is Diamond Crawford (she/her) and I am very grateful for being able to not only share some of my learned experiences with others, but also being able to do it alongside someone with whom I have both a personal and professional relationship. I graduated from Clemson with a B.S in Food Science and Human Nutrition and a M.Ed. in Counseling Education in Student Affairs. Toward the end of my graduate school experience, I began working as the Assistant Director of Residence Life and First Year Experience at Coker University, and now I work as the Athletic Compliance Coordinator at Western New Mexico University. Prior to my full time professional experiences, I worked as a Graduate Community Director (GCD) for about two years during my master’s program.

The start of my second year as a GCD is when I was blessed with meeting the Chris King. It was not more than a couple of days (honestly it might’ve just been one single day) that Chris and I became friends. I quickly not only gained a true friend (who would always go grab food with me at any given moment), but also a person whom I respected as a professional I could bounce ideas off of and/or ask questions. As a human, I will talk and be friendly to just about anyone, but befriending people that I want to stay in my life takes a bit more intentionality. With Chris, we had (still have) mutual respect and immediate communication of each other’s boundaries (which we will discuss throughout this piece). Those two things created a positive and deeply authentic foundation for our personal and professional relationship.

Why We Are Friends 

Chris

It only took one dinner for Diamond and me to know that we were going to become great friends. We have similar beliefs, values, personalities, attitudes (emphasis on the attitude) and we knew right away that it was a great fit. While we knew that we could be each other’s bad influences when it came to eating out and spending money, we also knew that we could be each other’s positive influences. We helped each other grow by challenging each other, helping form ideas, and sharing our knowledge and experience. I can say with certainty that I am a better person because of her, and that made the balance worth the effort.

Diamond        

I can honestly say that I have never had a friend quite like Chris- and I mean that in the best possible way. I could automatically tell– after the first half hour of being around Chris during our housing training– that Chris was very knowledgeable about our work field, and I knew I wanted to surround myself with people that I could learn from professionally. Not long after that, I began to notice that Chris and I shared similar values of life (respect, timeliness, education, etc.), which confirmed that we were going to be not only friends. Because of our shared values and ability to respect each other when giving constructive criticism or talking about how something the other did frustrated the other, I knew that solidified the friendship past just grad school. Personally, Chris and I have stayed in contact over the past couple of years, which is huge considering how easy it can be to lose contact when in different graduating classes, living hours apart, and now, states (and time zones) apart. When we were in the same city, Chris and I would always go to brunches and dinners to build and maintain our friendship (and love for food), but we also called each other out, in a respectful way, both in life and work when necessary, which only helped our personal and professional relationship. While we may not talk every single day like we used to when we were both in grad school, we still are always a phone call away, or more accurately, a snapchat away. 

Friendships in the Workplace

Chris

 You might be wondering: what inspired you both to write (and speak) on this topic? While being a Graduate student, you are constantly battling the “gray area” of being both a student and a paraprofessional. This offers a lot of opportunity for growth as you learn what it means to be a professional. Diamond and I knew that it could be easy to let our personal friendship overlap with our professional relationship, however, we realized that too much overlap could lead to some challenges that would negatively impact both the friendship and relationship. So, we had to start asking ourselves what we could do to have both while keeping them separate. The first thing was to start defining what a professional relationship actually looks like and how it differs from a personal friendship. Our initial thoughts were that a good coworker is someone who supports you while also challenges you, listens to you while also educating you, and helps you shape strong and creative ideas. Additionally, they are someone who is present, meaning you can always count on them to be there for you when you need them (and vice versa).

 Business Hours vs. Social Hour

There are times for working with co-workers who are friends and there are times for working on a friendship. There are times to be serious and work, and there are times for being light hearted and fun. There are times when you are a co-worker in the moment, and there are times when you are solely a friend. With all that being said, it is not always as cut and dry or black and white as we wish or hope it is. If there is a person or people that you work with and begin to form a personal relationship or friendship with, you may quickly start to see how easily those lines of friend and co-worker can blur or get tangled together. Setting boundaries and parameters from the start is extremely important.

Business hours are those hours that you are working and have employment obligations– not always a straightforward nine to five. Social hours are those hours where you might not have work/business obligations so you have time to relax (hopefully) and can work on building relationships with others and/yourself– because self-care is just as important, but that is a different topic for a different time. Now, as the common trend is, these can overlap at certain times of the year and there can and will be slip ups. As an example, working together in housing meant lots of work hours outside of 9 to 5 and a heavier workload at certain times of year such as opening and closing. However it is important to make sure the boundaries between work and personal life are not permanently muddied. You hold yourself and others accountable to make sure that eventually that boundary becomes part of your everyday expectations.

Diamond

During business hours it is important to remember that you are both professionals and just because you disagree professionally with a coworker does not mean you dislike your friend. As a result, it is important to set boundaries during those social hour(s) times. When Chris and I would go out to dinner for example, we would make sure that all of our “work talk” was discussed within the first 10 minutes of dinner, then after that, we gave no more time to talk about work related things. We didn’t do that because we didn’t think work is an important topic, we did that because it forced us to strengthen our personal friendship. As a result, we could build a true life outside of work– which is something that can be very difficult to do at times when working is student affairs.

This practice of a 10-minute-talk related to work also makes sure that we respect the capacity of the other person. By agreeing to 10 minutes of work talk, we can mentally prepare to dedicate to discussing work. It frees both of us up after 10 minutes, since we may not have the mental capacity or personal desire to continue to talk about work. This “rule/guideline” helps ensure that. While as friends we feel comfortable saying “Hey, I don’t have the space right now to talk about work”, it is nice that we do not have to do that because we have already set that 10 minute boundary. I am not saying 10 minutes will work for everyone, but it is something worth discussing with your friends, especially if they are also your coworkers. Social hour should also be a time where you are able to laugh and/or have deep discussions, and if you are talking about work for a decent portion of that, it could continue to be difficult in the future for you to separate work and personal life. If there is a dire need to talk about work during non-business hours, use those 10 minutes (or whatever agreed time) to make a list of what you want to talk about with that co-worker during the next business day.

You might be wondering why this “time method” is the system that Chris and I found that worked best for us. Trust me, we tried other things but this was the one that not only stuck but allowed us to truly feel free to talk about work for a short bit, then fully focus on non-work topics and conversations. For example, the biggest method that we truly recommend staying far far away from is the “whoever talks about work first has to pay the dinner bill”. While this might seem like it could be very effective, we quickly realized it was quite the opposite. There are three main reasons that made us realize it was not working. First, we were so focused on not talking about work, that we were never really fully present in the moment because we did not have a space to air out work talk. We were subconsciously focusing on what we couldn’t talk about as opposed to what we should have and could have been talking about. It was like not wanting to say the wrong thing so you just don’t speak at all, which is not helpful.

Second, if there was something important regarding work that someone wanted to get off their chest or make the other aware of, there was no space to do that. The limitation could be frustrating because we were not able to share information or a topic we cared about. On the flip side, the third reason is if there was something that we needed to talk about and it was work related, my mindset was “I’ll risk it and pay for it (dinner) today,” That was not helpful because then the can of worm was opened and there was no boundary to stop us from talking about work for the entire dinner time.

Again, there is no one perfect solution to create boundaries with friends who are also co-workers between business and social hours, but the most important thing is to talk about it, figure out what does (and doesn’t) work for each of you, and continue to work on it while holding each other accountable. I also want to mention that what might work for you and one friend/coworker might not work for you and another friend/coworker, but it is important to keep your personal boundaries and values steady with all friends/coworkers. Good practice strengthens both the working relationship and the friendship.

Setting Boundaries

How do you draw the lines between a personal friendship and a professional relationship? The answer is both simple and complex, it mostly depends on your comfort with direct conversations. Some good questions to ask yourself and your friend/coworker are:

1. When will we talk about personal business? About work?
2. What do power dynamics look like? Does one have supervisory responsibility over the other? Does one’s job impact the other? How will we navigate those issues?
3. How will we ensure that we can strengthen our professional relationship regardless of what happens in our personal friendship? And vice versa?
4. In whom will we confide if issues arise in either personal or professional life? Will we talk about our personal friendship with coworkers? Will we talk about our work relationship with our other friends?
5. Where is the line between sharing and oversharing?
6. What happens if these boundaries start getting crossed?

Boundaries are crucial for any relationship, but especially here when drawing lines between two types of relationship with the same person. Additionally, it is important to note that these boundaries can change over time as needs change and any other factors are adjusted whether in or out of your control. Asking to take the opportunity to shift boundaries is your right, similar to revisiting expectations in a work setting. If someone is not open to adjusting boundaries to meet your needs, then that is an indicator of their likelihood not to respect those boundaries.

Friendship at a Distance

Diamond 

Understanding that just because you do not talk to or hear from someone every second of everyday doesn’t mean that person doesn’t care about you was one of the hardest things that I have had to learn. For Chris and me, initially we saw each other just about every day (if we went a day without seeing each other in grad school it felt almost illegal). Then we began to realize we needed to have time to ourselves individually to unwind, focus on self-care, and do homework by ourselves at times. That didn’t mean that we weren’t friends or we cared more about watching a show by ourselves than hanging out with the other person, it just meant that we needed time with ourselves, and we needed to support the other person in that.

Now that we are 1,990 miles (or 2,044 miles depending what route you take) apart, not talking every day or every week has become the new normal. But that is not a bad thing. Our new situation means that we are both busy people trying to figure out how to balance life and work and self-care, but we know that we mean a lot to each other and if one of us needs the other, we’ll hop on a call right then and there.

I will regularly see one of Chris’s snapchat stories (normally of delicious food from a new place or recipe he has discovered) and I will comment on it. That exchange will spark a brief conversation about catching up. There are times where Chris will randomly Snapchat me or text me and we catch up that way or we share things on Instagram or TikTok that remind us of us or the other person. Those actions might seem small, but they add up over time and we know the other will always care. We make time for our friendship since it means so much to us.

We used to take an annual trip to a beach for Chris’s birthday. We know that might not happen every year due to the distance, but we continue to talk about future trips. This is important because we prioritize our friendship which is deeply rooted in personal connections and the professional respect that we have for one another.

From Us to You

We hope that you enjoyed reading our story, but you might be wondering how you can pull lessons from this article to apply to your friendships and relationships. Before getting into the details, the biggest lesson that we would like you to take away is that drawing boundaries between your work life and personal life will help you build strong relationships while protecting your peace. Also, remember that boundaries are not going to be perfect overnight; they are a two way street– people need to be reminded at times and given grace in the beginning to ensure proper understanding.

Some important practices to keep in mind are:

• It is okay to become friends with your coworkers, but this should not be your priority in taking a position or navigating your job nor should it interfere with your work life
• Your personal and work lives should remain as separate as possible to help you draw healthy boundaries and reduce the overlap to the best of your ability. Too much overlap can unintentionally lead to burnout because you will feel like you are always thinking about work.
• If you become friends, it is important to have conversations similar to those that we had to help set yourselves up for success and reduce chances of potential friction
• Remember that this balance is your responsibility, not the responsibility of those around you

If you are interested, we have also shared our thoughts on this topic via a podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6MOevFy8KISVkg2C0N29ZA?si=pjqDTKApROuFWBwZzrvlpQ

 

Author Bios

Chris King (he/him) is a Residence Coordinator at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He has an M.Ed. in Counselor Education – Student Affairs from Clemson University and a B.S. in Educational Studies, Social Welfare & Justice, and a Minor in Human Resource Management from Marquette University.

Diamond Crawford (she/her) is an Athletic Compliance Coordinator at Western New Mexico University. She has a B.S in Food Science and Human Nutrition and a Public Health Certificate from Clemson University. She also received an M.Ed. in Counselor Education – Student Affairs from Clemson as well.

The supervision landscape for new and established housing professionals is complex and demanding. The current context has been shaped by critical changes in student success in postsecondary settings that include enhancing or de-enhancing gender-expansive campus environments, demands to boost college retention and requirements regarding improving academic performance (Bowman et al., 2019; Burke, 2019; Nicolazzo et al., 2018). Despite their significant impact, housing professionals navigate considerable challenges, including adapting to the evolving needs of residential students and sustaining a skilled workforce (Belch et al., 2009; Blattner et al., 2013; Hodge, 2016; Wilson, 2008). The gap becomes even more pronounced in the era of dismantling diversity equity and inclusion initiatives in colleges across the United States (Fox & Shanahan, 2023; March 2022).

Although the literature provides insight into the work environment and job culture’s effects on housing professionals’ experiences (Duran et al., 2020; Ellett et al., 2020; Lee, 2018), researchers have concentrated mainly on the housing professional’s service to the student, often overlooking the well-being needs of the professionals themselves. This oversight is particularly critical due to state underfunding trends in higher education, bringing unprecedented challenges to student affairs practitioners tasked with supporting students (Broćić & Miles, 2021). Thus, there is a need to explore supervisory practices that affect housing professionals’ well-being.

This practice-focused piece was an exploration of how supervisory methods influence housing professionals’ well-being. Through a review of the literature on supervision and well-being, we sought to highlight the need for enhanced wellness support within the framework of housing supervision. By identifying and advocating for evidence-based interventions, we aim to bolster housing professionals’ well-being, thereby fostering healthier work environments that benefit the employees and the broader college community they support.

Positionality of the Authors

The authors, all Black women working in higher education—two faculty members and one administrator—share a commitment to fostering student success. Although scholars and institutions define student success in various ways, we were inspired by bell hooks’ (2003) perspective. We believe that fostering student success necessitates critically examining and challenging the existing beliefs about who is considered capable of achieving success and how educators, or, in this case, student affairs practitioners, can provide support. This perspective is underpinned by an understanding of the critical role that researchers’ positionality plays in shaping the interpretation and analysis of qualitative research, as highlighted by Guba and Lincoln (2005).

Building on this foundation, we hope to educate, develop, and nurture the next generation of practitioners in student services and, more broadly, higher education. We are particularly focused on professionals who are new or recently entered the workforce as student services personnel. Our analysis spans a broad spectrum, encompassing mentoring graduate students, teaching counselor education students, and providing professional training within the higher education sector.

We developed a commitment to teach, research, and serve when we first connected as doctoral students at a Research 1 postsecondary institution in Florida. In many cases, we had to be secondary structures within our learning system to support ourselves. Some examples include sharing professional development/conference opportunities, scheduling time to work on our respective dissertations, and providing invaluable support while on the job market. As the architects of our agency and as educators, we wondered how graduate students and new professionals’ experiences could benefit from integrated innovative perspectives centered on practical application. Our goal, therefore, is to aid practitioners in the broader systemic transformations within higher education. In alignment with hook’s (2003) framework, we recognize the need to view support through the lens of systemic change. By adopting this perspective, we hope to empower students to become active architects of a higher education system that prioritizes collective student success.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Well-Being

In the pre-pandemic landscape, supervising housing professionals within collegiate environments was complex. These professionals’ responsibilities were diverse, including overseeing student curricula, addressing the economic considerations of housing, managing community health concerns, and safeguarding residents’ rights. The discrepancy between the broad scope of these duties and the diverse expertise expected of housing professionals frequently culminated in job ambiguity (Foste & Johnson, 2021). Further questions arise from the supervisory dynamics in the field, where roles extend beyond oversight to include shared accountability for their subordinates’ professional efficacy (Scheuermann, 2011).

Critical factors such as work-life balance, remuneration, institutional ethos, and the availability of support mechanisms are pivotal to the perception of success and well-being among housing staff. A deficit in these areas could precipitate outcomes such as burnout and suboptimal job performance, indicating a pressing need for continued exploration into the well-being of housing professionals (Toutain, 2022). Efforts to enhance the recruitment and retention of housing staff have shown the significance of well-being, with opportunities for augmentation through professional development initiatives (Wilson, 2008). Brewster et al. (2022) identified links between staff well-being and formal institutional policies, training interventions, workplace culture, and compassion and community. The researchers advocated for a holistic, institution-wide strategy to foster staff well-being, recognizing its crucial role in sustaining a conducive work environment. The COVID-19 pandemic increased existing challenges, necessitating a profound transformation of the work environment, and altering prevailing wellness expectations.

The pandemic showed the indispensable role of housing professionals in ensuring continuity and support amid unprecedented uncertainty, intensifying the imperative for a focused examination of the supervisors’ well-being. In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented burdens on university housing staff, who faced unique challenges due to their essential on-site roles. While research has begun to shed light on the disruptions and stressors experienced by these professionals, particularly in terms of altered responsibilities, strained student relationships, and overall job performance, a critical gap remains in understanding the pandemic’s impact on their well-being. The “perfect storm” described by Martin and Dabic (2022) and the workplace trauma identified by Lynch and Gilbert (2023) underscore the urgent need for further investigation into the long-term effects on housing staff wellness. As Amaya and Melnyk (2020), emphasize, prioritizing wellness is paramount to creating sustainable and supportive working conditions within university housing services. Future research must address this gap by exploring comprehensive strategies and interventions that promote the well-being of these essential personnel, both during and beyond the pandemic.

 Needs and Wants of New Professionals

Empirical research shows the pivotal role of housing professionals in student affairs. There are links between these professionals’ efforts and critical aspects of campus life, such as promoting gender-expansive environments (Nicolazzo et al., 2018), boosting college retention (Burke, 2019), and enhancing academic performance (Bowman et al., 2019). Notably, extensive data over several decades indicate the challenges housing professionals face in meeting the evolving demands of residents while attracting, supporting, and retaining highly skilled staff (Belch et al., 2009; Blattner et al., 2013; Hodge, 2016; Wilson, 2008).

The application of development theories such as the sense of belonging, attraction, and selection–attrition theories, which focus on the role of job culture and work environment provide valuable insights into the work experiences of housing professionals (Duran et al., 2016; Ellett et al., 2020; Lee, 2018). These theories have been instrumental in addressing the frustrations faced by housing professionals, especially during challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, researchers often limit the theoretical application to student experiences, overlooking supervisors’ significant influence on housing professionals’ well-being.

Given the essential role of effective supervision in fostering the well-being of housing professionals, further exploration of how supervision practices impact new staff members is critical. College and university leaders’ ability to develop supervision strategies that promote positive employee outcomes and are mutually beneficial to supervisors and supervisees remains a pressing issue. Through a comprehensive literature review, we aimed to clarify the relationship between supervision and well-being, providing a basis for transformative interventions to support new housing professionals. This investigation was a means to inform evidence-based practices that enhance the well-being of staff and align supervision strategies with the needs of new professionals in student affairs.

Recommendations for Supervisors

Supervisors have an opportunity to actively support employee well-being by frequently engaging in needs assessment to evaluate appropriate support, including investing in their supervisees’ training, creating supportive structures, and nurturing trusting relationships. Supervisors can positively impact the lives of the individuals they lead. Wilson (2008) provided strategies to assist supervisors in recruiting and retaining housing employees by emphasizing their well-being via professional development techniques. Similarly, Brewster et al. (2022) reported on the intrinsic interdependence among staff well-being, the significance of formal institutional policies in supporting or impeding staff well-being, the availability of training interventions to support staff well-being, the impact of workplace culture, and the centrality of compassion and community. However, postsecondary educational institution leaders must understand the significance of staff well-being and implement a comprehensive whole-university approach. Scholars have examined mental health to define staff well-being, finding that supervisors need to attend to housing professionals’ well-being. Vereen (2020) raised questions as to whether the openness with which young professionals discuss their well-being aligns with institutional and general professional standards for coping with emotional trauma.

Administrators should implement adaptive strategies that resonate with the altered dynamics of supervisory roles and the institutional standards for addressing emotional trauma and stress. Accordingly, the exigency for targeted support tailored to the unique needs of new housing professionals, particularly in the context of the pandemic, becomes apparent. Support entails fostering an open discourse on mental health issues and ensuring that professional development initiatives and institutional policies are responsive to the challenges engendered by the pandemic. By addressing these considerations, higher education institution leaders could more effectively support the well-being of early career housing supervisors, facilitating an environment conducive to their professional and personal flourishing amid ongoing adversities.

Additionally, the development of these professional competence areas in student affairs education resulted from the combined efforts of a diverse group of experienced professionals. The competence categories discussed in this study are several domains from the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators (ACPA/NASPA, 2015). Researchers have used the competence categories as a structured framework to facilitate the professional growth of student affairs employees. Reb et al. (2015) found that organization leaders who reduce stressful circumstances for staff ultimately help individuals maintain optimism increase self-efficacy and positively influence individual and corporate well-being.

When organization leaders’ intentions are seen as favorable, the staff perceive them as an indicator that the organization cares (Rhoades et al., 2001). Thus, deploying supervisors as an intervention to maintain the organization’s support intentions is critical. Supervisors continue to be a positive indicator of retention; therefore, organizational support could be crucial to fulfill socio-emotional needs, role status in staff social identity, and greater staff commitment to the organization. With a better understanding of staff needs and a well-being framework, practitioners, supervisors, and national organization leaders may be better equipped to cultivate strong supervisor and supervisory interventions for housing professionals. With these evidence-based recommendations in mind, we offer supervisors reflection questions to consider.

Reflection Questions for Supervisors

Considering the transformative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on practices and policies within higher education, there is evidence housing supervisors in collegiate environments should reassess and adapt their practices (Crocker, 2020; Russell Krebs et al., 2023). This pivotal time demands a sharp pivot toward introspection and strategic innovation focusing on elevating wellness within their teams. Therefore, we introduce a series of incisive questions designed to spark critical self-assessment and reflective thinking among housing supervisors.

Figure 1 presents various essential topics housing supervisors should contemplate as they consider incorporating wellness strategies into their practices. Additionally, we further explore these topics by providing corresponding explanatory statements. The questions serve as tools for reflection, fostering a deeper understanding of how to integrate wellness into supervisory practices. Our goal is to encourage thoughtful reflection, practical application, and transformative change.

Figure 1
Housing Supervisors’ Wellness

1. Understanding Complex Responsibilities: How do you navigate the complexity of your responsibilities, particularly in student curricula, housing maintenance, and residents’ rights, to minimize job ambiguity and ensure clarity in your role and the roles of your subordinates?
2. Bridging Knowledge Gaps: In what ways do you bridge the gap between the diverse expertise expected of your team and the actual skills and knowledge they possess, especially in the context of evolving resident needs?
3. Promoting Work–Life Equilibrium: Reflect on the strategies you currently employ to support your team’s work–life balance. How effective are these strategies, and what additional measures could be implemented to enhance employee well-being?
4. Assessing Institutional Support Mechanisms: Evaluate the adequacy of support mechanisms provided by your institution for housing staff. How do these mechanisms address the challenges of burnout, job ambiguity, and suboptimal job performance?
5. Professional Development for Wellness: Considering the significance of professional development in enhancing staff well-being, what initiatives or programs have you found most beneficial? How can these be expanded or improved to meet the unique needs of new housing professionals?
6. Cultivating a Culture of Compassion and Community: Reflect on the current workplace culture in your housing department. How do you foster a sense of compassion and community among your team, and in what ways can this culture be strengthened to support staff well-being more effectively?
7. Engaging in Open Dialogue About Mental Health: How do you encourage open dialogue in your team about mental health issues? What barriers to such discussions exist, and how can they be overcome?
8. Evaluating Supervisory Support: How do you assess the level of supervisory support provided to your staff, and how do they perceive this support? What strategies have you found effective in enhancing supervisory support and, consequently, staff well-being and job satisfaction?
9. Integrating Well-Being Into Organizational Strategies: Lastly, how can your insights from reflecting on these questions inform broader organizational strategies to support the well-being of housing professionals? What role can you play in advocating for these changes at the institutional level?

By contemplating these questions, housing supervisors can gain a deeper understanding of their current practices’ strengths and areas for improvement. This reflective process is crucial for developing and implementing strategies that address the immediate needs of housing professionals and contribute to the long-term well-being and success of the entire housing department.

Conclusion

Effective supervision can affect housing professionals’ well-being. In this paper, we explored how supervisory practices influenced new housing professionals’ well-being. Through a review of the literature, we highlighted the need for enhanced wellness support. We aimed to bolster housing professionals’ wellness by advocating for evidence-based interventions to foster healthier work environments, closing the gap between the work, and advocating for a healthier environment in the broader college community they support.

Author Biographies

Lynell Hodge (she, her), HR Learning and Organizational Effectiveness, University of Central Florida

Dr. Lynell Hodge is a practitioner-scholar with two decades of student services experience. Her research focus includes stress, vicarious/secondary trauma, and culturally responsive pedagogical practices. Dr. Hodge has published several peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters, and presents at conferences regularly. Dr. Hodge is a Training Specialist at the University of Central Florida (UCF).

Amanda Wilkerson (she, her), College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida

Dr. Amanda Wilkerson is an Assistant Professor in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida and is a proud graduate of Florida A&M University. Dr. Wilkerson has written educational materials and coordinated forums on significant social, educational, and community matters. As a part of her passion for higher education, Dr. Wilkerson is enhancing how students seize the promise of post-secondary learning through the development of instructional leaders who practice equity-based pedagogy.

Hannah Acquaye (she, her), Counseling Program, Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Hannah E. Acquaye is a graduate of the University of Central Florida’s doctorate in counselor education and supervision. She has expertise in training students in the art and style of doing therapy with both adults and children. Dr. Acquaye is a Managing Partner for Nexus Integrate Ltd, a company focused on using empirically supported treatments to support corporate and faith-based organizations, families, and individuals towards intra and interpersonal wholeness.

References

Amaya, M., & Melnyk, B. M. (2020). Leveraging system-wide well-being and resiliency in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal, 4(1), 7-16

American College Personnel Association & National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. (2015). ACPA/ NASPA professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Authors.

Belch, H. A., Wilson, M. E., & Dunkel, N. (2009). Cultures of success: Recruiting and retaining new live-in residence life professionals. College Student Affairs Journal, 27, 176–193.  https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ882662.pdf

Blattner, A., Cawthon, T., & Baumann, J. A. (2013). Milestones in campus housing. In N. W. Dunkel & J. A. Baumann (Eds.), Campus housing management: Past, present, and future (pp. 2–27). ACUHO-I.

Bowman, N. A., Miller, A., Woosley, S., Maxwell, N. P., & Kolze, M. J. (2019). Understanding the link between noncognitive attributes and college retention. Research in Higher Education, 60(2), 135–152. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-018-9508-0

Brewster, L., Jones, E., Priestley, M., Wilbraham, S.J., Spanner, L. & Hughes, G. (2022) “Look after the staff and they would look after the students”: Cultures of wellbeing and mental health in the university setting. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 46(4), 548–560. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1986473

Broćić, M., & Miles, A. (2021). College and the “culture war”: Assessing higher education’s influence on moral attitudes. American Sociological Review, 86(5), 856–895. https://doi.org/10.1177/00031224211041094

Burke, A. (2019). Student retention models in higher education: A literature review. College and University, 94(2), 12–21.

Crocker, H. L. (2020). Exploring the training and lived experiences of resident directors (Publication No. 27744497) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Duran, P., Kammerlander, N., Van Essen, M. and Zellweger, T. (2016). Doing more with less: innovation input and output in family firms. Academy of Management Journal, 59(4), 1224-1264.

Ellett, T., Stipeck, C. J., & Pérez, D. (2020). Residence life and housing services: Why mid‐level managers are integral to a department’s success. New Directions for Higher Education, 2020(189), 71–86. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20355

Foste, Z., & Johnson, S., J. (2021). Diversity cupcakes and White institutional space: The emotional labor of resident assistants of color at historically White universities. Journal of College Student Development, 62(4), 389–404. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2021.0043

Fox, D. J., & Shanahan, J. O. (2023). Working to create an equitable university through antiracist and decolonial theory and practice. In N. P. Shultz (Ed.), Revising the curriculum and co-curriculum to engage diversity, equity, and inclusion (pp. 72–91). Routledge.

Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences. SAGE Publication.

Hodge, L. (2016). Vicarious trauma, emotional intelligence, and the impact on job satisfaction in residence life staff [Doctoral dissertation, University of Central Florida]. STARS. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/5176/

hooks, b. (2003). Teaching community: A pedagogy of hope (Vol. 36). Psychology Press.

Lee, J. (2018). The effects of knowledge sharing on individual creativity in higher education institutions: Socio-technical view. Administrative Sciences, 8(2), Article 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci8020021

Lynch, R.J., & Gilbert, C. (2023). Supervisor Emotional Maturity, Psychological Safety, and Traumatic Stress in College Student Affairs. College Student Affairs Journal, 41(2), 32-51. https://doi.org/10.1353/csj.2023.a916690.

Martin, L., Dabic, M., & Lord, G. (2023). Talent management in English universities during the coronavirus pandemic. Thunderbird international business review, 65(1), 65-75.

March, M. A. O. (2022). Seven lessons in inclusive campus design: Learn how the University of Kentucky developed its first DEI facilities and spaces plan. Planning for Higher Education, 50(3), 30–43.

Nicolazzo, Z., Marine, S. B., & Wagner, R. (2018). From best to intentional practices: Reimagining implementation of gender-inclusive housing. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 55(2), 225–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2018.1399896

Reb, J., Narayanan, J., & Ho, Z. W. (2015). Mindfulness at work: Antecedents and consequences of employee awareness and absentmindedness. Mindfulness, 6(1), 111–122. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s12671-013-0236-4

Rhoades, L., Eisenberger, R., & Armeli, S. (2001). Affective commitment to the organization: The contribution of perceived organizational support. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(5), 825–836. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.5.825

Russell Krebs, S., Hodge, L., DeSawal, D., McCullar, S., Cavins-Tull, K., & Rosch, D. (2023). Cost of caring in student affairs: When a professional loss becomes personal. Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship, 5(1), 18–23. https://doi.org/10.52499/2023004

Scheuermann, T. (2011). Dynamics of supervision. New Directions for Student Services, 2011(136), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.409

Toutain, C. (2022). Higher education housing professionals and disability: A grounded theory exploration of resident directors’ understandings of disability (Publication No. 28967059) [Doctoral dissertation, Chapman University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Vereen, C. J. (2020). “Raining” in your emotions as a student affairs professional. The Vermont Connection, 41(1). https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/tvc/vol41/iss1/14

Wilson, M. E. (2008). Recruitment and retention of entry-level staff in housing and residence life: A report on activities supported by the ACUHO-I Commissioned Research Program. ScholarWorks@BGSU. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/hied_pub/29/

Dedication

For our residents, for our staff, for our school.

Foreword

In Reflective Verses: A Carolina Housing Poetry Project Resident Advisor Celia Gibbs and Community Director Victoria Goetzinger have compiled a collection of poetry from students, student staff, and professional staff from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). Finding that poetry has been a cathartic and healing mode of expression for themselves in the past, they wanted to bring that thought to Carolina Housing. This collection shares the lived experiences of students and staff throughout the 2023-2024 school year reflecting on values development, community, and resilience.

Note: In the fall of 2023 UNC-CH had two campus lockdowns due to armed and dangerous persons. The first on August 28 ended with the fatal shooting of professor Dr. Zijie Yan. On September 13, a person brandished a gun in the student union. Please note some of the works included in this collection refer to gun violence.

Poems

Student Poems

 Roses are red

Violets are blue

My co-RAs are amazing

And my love for them is true

– Anonymous

 

Opinionated on a stance

Is one to be stood

The values you learn

Can be understood

Take a moment to slow down

And breathe in deep the fresh air

And look around you, and recognize your audience, something to remember

– By Greyson F.

 

so many people, 9 floors

friends and collaborators, 124 suite doors

opening hearts, 27 more

unity in a community, together we roar

friendships forever, yes, we swore

– Anonymous

 

“Care”lina housing

Where we care for each other

And build a sweet home

– Anonymous

 

Heart pounding

mind racing

I’m nearly at the finish line

The degree is about to be mine

But yet, do I want to have it?

Life is just changing so fast

I don’t want to finish up last

– Anonymous

 

In the heart of the city’s sprawl,

Where voices mingle and stories enthrall,

Lies the pulse of community, strong and fair,

A tapestry woven from threads of care.

Resilience shines through each shared smile,

Through trials that stretch each weary mile;

Roots that deepen with the test of time,

Holding firm when mountains climb.

Values whispered on winds of change,

Guiding principles, broad and strange,

Marking paths with gentle signs,

In the deeds that define our lines.

Inclusion blooms in this vibrant plot,

Where no soul is forgotten, none forgot;

A garden thriving in diversity’s light,

Each unique bloom a splendid sight.

Together, stronger, we face the dawn,

In the chorus of life, we each belong;

A community’s power, in union we see,

In every heart, the promise to be free.

– By Gilbert Frost

 

Lockdown

i was on a high

rust brown bricks began to lighten my steps

and Carolina blue commodities lined my closet and walls

acres of centuries-old buildings and wispy branches budded with sunkissed leaves

spread across a wonderland

and i am untouchable

but then the sidewalks shiver under police car tires and desperate footsteps

the old walls of these buildings are leaned against and blockaded

prayers pleading they’re bulletproof

those branches rustle from the wind of students sprinting towards life

and no baby blue letterman jacket, twenty-three jersey, or perfectly uncreased j’s

seems to matter

as i frantically dial my mom’s cell phone number

sobbing on the shoulder of a girl i met last week

we text and call and post and cry

i am not untouchable

water bottles store piss and tears in classrooms, cafeterias, and closets

news updates, emails, and snapchat stories teem with conflicting information

rumors and facts ping around in my mind as if it’s a pinball machine

worst fears gurgle in my throat

i’m nauseous though the lunch i just bought is in a box in my hand

but even though i’m not untouchable

it’s not just tragedy that gets its hands on me

i’m touched by

the bandidos worker and janitor guarding the doors to lenoir

the girl who told us there was an active shooter

the friend whose backpack rests on her chest as she holds my weeping figure

i’m touched by

the ap statistics and tenth grade chemistry partners i haven’t talked to in years, asking if i’m okay

the study center on battle lane offering counseling services in the days to come

the students holding hands and candles in the vigil for our professor

i’m touched by

classmates who only know my name, major, and hometown now ensuring i’m safe

professors who haven’t even had time to memorize our names

extending empathy and heartfelt messages

my roommates embracing me like they haven’t seen me for decades

because we just lived through a shooting

at school

so i am not untouchable

my heart has been broken by a life lost and thousands of others halted and shattered

but sewed and stitched by strangers and suitemates

feeling the same pain

but empowered to heal by a shared love for the people who walk into our lives

and touch them

– By Muriel Folk

 

As eclipse cloaks the day in a twilight haze,

casting a glow that’s both old and new.

 

Tree shadows upon the bricks,

forming in crescent shapes amaze.

 

A river of moons on the ground finds its place.

With each breath of wind, the river flows, and sway.

 

Nature’s elements in a moment unite,

In this harmony when day and dusk entwine.

 

暮色朦胧，日蚀笼罩白天，

(The twilight is dim. The eclipse covers the day.)

– By Jing

 

 

A Spring Day in Carolina

A field of jade could not in any way

Compare to the quad on a Spring’s day.

Rich sunlight, satin and soft

One sits above life, elevated, aloft

Though the sweat may collect and gather

One would not have it any other way. Rather

In this simple, lovely haze

Sit or lay in golden days.

Propped against a great poplar

See what all life has to offer.

The whoosh of cars passing by

Not a care in the world and no wonder why.

Should one thirst then they shouldn’t dally

Slip past housing and bushes, a natural alley,

Turn ‘round the corner and only time can tell

The age of the water from the Old Well

All that one needs is to take a simple sip

And doing this, and wiping their lip

Looking around at our Precious Gem

Know that life can never be the same again

– By William “Stormy” Epley

 

That Human

I am that genre of human

that clicks snooze to the Radar alarm

on her iPhone until the next hour

introduces itself,

revealing that the class

fifteen minutes away

starts in ten.

Who then rushes in pajamas

because the professor counts

for attendance

ever since class presence

became an issue.

Heads to the dining hall

to chow down mystery chow

until the next class

starts in forty-five.

Goes to the library to review notes

they don’t remember taking.

And go over

poetic drafts and see

which is ready for the next stage.

Puts on uniform to the

maternity section

to volunteer time

with babies and mothers,

making sure they are comfortable

in the halls of the hospital

When night rolls round,

goes back to the dorm to do some laundry

they should have done yesterday

while figuring out which episode of

Bob’s Burgers to watch.

– By Klodia Badal

 

Student Staff Poems

Easy, soft, kind smiles

I see them every day

Compliments and praise

I hear it every day

A flood of peace when I step out the door

I feel it every day

Joy permeates my time Carolina

I experience it every day

A prayer of thanks for this time

I whisper it everyday

– By Diya Patel

 

Drained

Breakups, makeups, exams, and parties.

Friends, family, sickness, and bodies.

Problems that aren’t mine.

But are on my mind.

– By Tulsi Patel

 

I feel their smiles as we pass each day

Every meeting is a new chance to say

I’ve found a home within five buildings who knew

I hope they feel at home with me too

 

These people remind me to try my best

I no longer have to keep things close to my chest

Family is not only blood it is built

I now have a foundation for the times my world tends to tilt

 

It’s the simple things in the way they care

A nice word, a warm embrace, everything I can now bare

I love my “ram”ily through and through

I don’t know what I would do without you.

-Jaelyn

 

String lights I see every day

Despite me saying, “put it away”

Another incident report

That’s where I have to resort

-Luca Buchoux

 

Hinton James

I’m not sure who he is but I know it’s the brightest place on campus

10 floors

Over 1000 students

And an infinite amount of memories to be made

-Courtney Castillo

 

The space between people is

littered with regrets

paved with almosts

and should haves

and never dids

and a pile of unsaid things.

We are rafted on possibilities.

Often longing to reach into the waves

and grasp a few more fleeting things

 

We do something important

Something that shouldn’t be forgotten

Between people we shine lights,

introducing friends,

making memories

picking up a few of those almosts

speaking a few of those words

in a safety and in heart we bloom.

– Jonas Snyder

 

Community

Through vibrating buildings, indoor classrooms (with no walls), and 4th floor corner offices,  I found where I belong.

Laughter, advice, and insights fills the walls with its occupiers roaming away.

Although these places, its memories, or occupiers may not remain here forever,

I know that wherever I go, they’ll stay with me as I move forward.

-Shanly Vong

 

New people new places new norms

Unfamiliar, yet a new home

Independence, like cooking,

a skill I had to learn asap

Systems of support, like seasons,

they came and went

Goals, like confidence,

still working on them

Balance and self care

a work in progress

Started with self doubt

And the tendency of quitting

When I saw trouble lurking

Now, on The fifth attempt

and still persevering

Friendships and vulnerability,

not quite there yet

but certainly still trying

And on self worth,

now and forever I’ll still be striving

-Ann Safo

 

1 to 28,000

Move in day

He sits alone on that squeaky bed

And he misses “pizza game night”

At home

 

First day of school

Young man steps out

backpack a chute

And every step drags

he sits alone on the bus

 

28,000 to one

He sits alone at lunch

And walks back to his room

His roommate might say hi

before the headphones go in.

 

And then one day

A flyer on his squeaky door

Announces “floor wide pizza game night”

And he’s home

-Alek Pozder

 

I now know how Jack and Jill must feel

Tumbling down the hill

41 laps up and down Skipper Bowles hill

10 miles ran by sheer power of will

 

Who knew ankles could get cramps

As I clutch my leg on nature’s ramp

Yet I trudged along

Until my debt is gone

 

Last month, I taught my residents resilience

To continue on while things are crappy

Albert Camus has a brief stroke of brilliance

When he said, “one must imagine Sisyphus happy.”

-Tyler Xia

 

I never claimed to be a poet

but just in case y’all didn’t know it

Carolina Housing is so cute

Get on over here, toot toot!

-Anonymous

 

Bang Bang Bang

Shots rang out in all our heads

The shrapnel piercing our hearts,

Weighing down our minds

But before I can drown

From the lead weights

Dragging my soul

A warm hand in mine

Lifts me up

Together we stand

Proud, Strong

Tar Heels Tall

– By Aaliyah Wines

 

 

Faces all around

Faces top to ground

Faces that ground me

And faces that astound me

 

The people around

They stand their ground

To keep our home

Safe and sound

 

We keep each other from drowning

Yes we stay afloat

If anyone ever needs, they can join our boat.

-Sydney Schulterbrandt

 

Winding and bare, desire paths where the grass lies flattened.

Easy to walk on, easy to bear.

Where the mind wanders time and again

Through hopes and nightmares.

For reality never follows.

Unwanted paths where the grass lies green

No time for the swallows

To pluck at the reeds.

-Mia Fang

 

I Find Him Here

I want to hug the maintenance men

that blow the leaves and cut the branches

in front of my building.

They’re made in the shape of my father.

When I walk by I wait for them to ask for my help,

oldest child of an oldest child.

My father finds love in service, in sacrifice.

I can see it in the shoes I receive once a year

and his own with holes in the soles.

He says I’m the only one who can make him cry,

says that he sees more of himself in me than he likes.

Stubborn, annoyed easily, with a standard to wear until worn.

He is the father that he didn’t have,

and I find him in them, these workers.

I smell him in their sweat.

-Celia Gibbs 

 

Professional Staff Poems

 

Our little team

Diverse & pristine

They come to life

And want to be seen

By Victoria Goetzinger

 

I feel my time here coming to an end;

I will always cherish my lifelong friends.

Through this work, I’ve gained many skills,

So best believe, I’ll always be able to pay my bills.

I know when I leave, you’ll probably shatter,

But always remember, “You matter.”

By Styles!

 

To be kind is to be creative

with your words even during the most

challenging situations.

-Hannah Flory

 

Ring ring ring

the constant calls

Ring ring ring

Will I drop the ball?

Ring ring ring

Oh god no, not another brawl

-Anonymous

 

We are shelter, made of bricks and stones

We are shelter, of ancestral bones

We are shelter, come find your home

-Victoria Goetzinger

 

To be “and” instead of “except”

To be “understood” instead of “perceived”

To be “immersed” instead of “added”

To be “neighborhood” instead of “other”

To be seen, To be embraced, To unify

To be, To be, To be…

-Tabitha Zarazinski

 

One lock down, two lock downs, shelter in place

In your classroom, in your dorm room, just run away

It won’t happen here

but wait, to late

One lock down, two lock downs, shelter in place

-Victoria Goetzinger

 

You’ve left an imprint on my heart

Straight from the start <3

-Anonymous

 

Discover More

Before year four

Go on

There’s much to explore

-Anonymous

 

Conduct can be scary

Often times I am wary

Will someone be mad?

Will someone be glad?

A resolution I must make

Documentation isn’t fake

Education is key

Education is up to me

-Hannah Flory

 

From the Old Well’s whispers to Franklin’s roar,

Every moment, a memory, forevermore.

Immersed in a community, diverse and bold,

Where aspirations soar, like banners unfold.

In the halls, where friendships ignite,

We journey together, towards futures bright.

From laughter to learning, from dusk to dawn,

This is the story of where we belong.

Sipping from the Well, a tradition so dear,

A taste of hope, dispelling all fear.

And when victory calls, we flood the street,

In a sea of blue, our joy complete.

As a storyteller of Carolina’s tale,

I witness the magic, never stale.

Welcome to Carolina.

-Matt Bertram

Acknowledgements

First, we want to thank everyone who participated in the Reflective Verses project whether that was through a poem submission, a share on social media, or telling your residents or coworkers about it. We (Celia and Victoria) are deeply humbled by you embracing this new project and being a part of its success. We would also like to thank Dr. Michelle Boetcher for supporting our ideas and collaborating to make this a reality. To the residents and friends of Carolina Housing – thank you for supporting each other and this department. We have been touched in many ways by our time at Carolina and are grateful for this time together. Additionally, we want to thank Matt and Rilee for pouring into this project and expanding it beyond our initial ideas. We would not have been able to do it without your support and all the laughs (shameless plug to check out the Carolina Housing podcast wherever you get your podcasts). Finally, our deepest appreciation goes to Allan Blattner for allowing us to expand the scope of this project to represent Carolina Housing in a publication of this type. Thank you to ACPA Developments for giving us a platform to share these stories.

Your voice and experience matter. We’re so proud of you.

In loving memory of Dr. Zijie Yan.

Editor Bios:

Celia Gibbs (she/hers) is a third-year student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill pursuing a degree in English and Comparative Literature focusing on creative writing, with a minor in the Writing for the Screen and Stage (WSS) program. She is from Tuxedo, North Carolina, and served as a Resident Advisor with Carolina Housing from 2023-2024.

Victoria Goetzinger (she/hers) serves as a Community Director for Carolina Housing at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Victoria received a Masters degree in Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Clemson University and Bachelors degree in Science in Sociology from Emporia State University.

The 2024 ACPA Convention in Chicago celebrated the 100th anniversary of the organization. In coming together to reflect on the past, we were also encouraged to consider, plan for, and look to the future. As four graduate students attending the conference for the first or second time, we took time to consider our experiences and w they set the stage for our future careers and learning in higher education. Our hope is that this article will be useful to other students and practitioners who are exploring professional organizations, but that our reflections here might also serve as an artifact to capture a part of the story of ACPA as it moves into its next 100 years.

Student Perspectives

Benjamin

As I sit down to reflect on my recent experience at the ACPA24 conference, I am filled with a sense of gratitude for the wealth of knowledge, inspiration, and connections I gained over the event. My decision to attend was motivated by a desire to immerse myself in a community dedicated to advancing student affairs and higher education. The promise of engaging sessions, thought-provoking discussions, and networking opportunities with like-minded professionals was an opportunity I could not afford to miss. The theme of “Reflect. Evolve. Act.” resonated with me personally and professionally, reflecting my belief in the power of self-reflection, continuous growth, and purposeful action to drive positive change in higher education.

Beginning with the opening session, we were offered thought-provoking insights and inspiration from leaders in the field. The opening keynote speaker was Matika Wilbur – a Native American photographer, educator and enrolled citizen of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington and a descendant of the Swinomish people. With enthusiasm and determination, she shared about her work with Project 562 and the project’s core objective: to capture the essence of Indigenous communities across the United States by photographing members of all recognized US tribes on their tribal lands. Wilbur highlighted her collaborative approach with tribal leaders and community members to ensure authentic representation and reclaim Indigenous narratives. Through her keynote, she illuminated the transformative power of art and storytelling in challenging historical narratives and uplifting Indigenous voices.

Beyond the structured sessions were various social events and receptions, creating spaces for attendees to decompress and foster meaningful connections. These informal gatherings were invaluable opportunities to unwind amidst the bustling convention while nurturing new relationships and strengthening existing ones. I attended a gathering of alumni from my program and found myself in the company of esteemed alumni shaping the landscape of higher education. Engaging in conversations with them provided me with insights into the diverse paths alums have taken within the field, reinforcing the sense of community and shared purpose.

The sessions were the cornerstone of my experience offering insights, perspectives, and practical strategies that left an indelible mark on me. Five which stood out to me were:

• My Right or My Liberty? The Constitutionality of DEI – This session explored the legal framework surrounding DEI efforts in higher education. Sherard Robbins (Vanderbilt University) challenged us to critically examine how legal principles shape our work in student affairs. We delved into the legislative landscape, discussed specific states, and explored implications and strategies for higher education professionals related to DEI on campus.
• Why Names Matter More Than You Think – Yibin Wei (James Madison University) and Saryu Sanghani ( University of Pennsylvania) explored the significance of names and their impact on individuals in academic and professional settings. We explored how mispronunciations, misspellings, and name assumptions can contribute to feelings of exclusion, marginalization, and identity erasure. The session provided practical strategies to foster a culture of respect and inclusivity.
• Centering International Students’ Standpoints in Decolonizing Student Affairs – brought together a panel of international students and scholars to encourage attendees to prioritize inclusivity and cultural sensitivity. The session fostered a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in decolonizing student affairs and underscored the imperative of centering diverse perspectives in higher education.
• US Career Pathways for International Graduate Students: Challenges and Opportunities – Panelists Madina Akhmetova (St. Cloud State University), Maria Minero (entrepreneur), Delyash Tsartsaeva (Elon University), and Jameco McKenzie (North Carolina State University) discussed topics including work visa regulations, cultural adjustments, and networking strategies. The session offered practical guidance to empower international graduate students in overcoming challenges and maximizing opportunities in the US job market.

These and other sessions catalyzed my reflection, dialogue, and action, and inspired me to reimagine my approach to student affairs and higher education. As I reflect on my experience,

I plan to put my learning into action by presenting during a staff meeting with my Residential Community Mentors about the significance of names. Additionally, I intend to leverage social media platforms to amplify the message of diversity, equity, and inclusion. By sharing resources, articles, and personal reflections on social media, I hope to spark meaningful dialogue and inspire action within our community. Aligned with ACPA’s commitment to advancing inclusivity and social justice in higher education, I’m eager to see the positive impact of this work.

The integration of land acknowledgements into ACPA24 sessions was a thoughtful practice demonstrating a respect for Indigenous Peoples. Additionally, throughout the conference, sessions provided opportunities to reflect on the historical and ongoing impacts of colonization. These efforts encouraged attendees to consider their roles in advancing reconciliation, justice, and solidarity. I also encourage each of us to continuously engage with Indigenous communities in the spirit of partnership, reciprocity, and mutual respect.

The theme of “Reflect. Evolve. Act.” is a powerful reminder of the ongoing journey of growth and development. As I return to my campus, I am committed to integrating what I learned into my daily practice, to create welcoming and affirming environments where all students can thrive.

The spirit of community and collaboration that permeated the conference left a lasting impression on me. The opportunity to connect with friends, peers, mentors, and thought leaders from across the country was invaluable, reminding me of our collective power to effect meaningful change in higher education. As I embark on the next chapter of my journey, I carry the lessons learned, the connections made, and the passion ignited at ACPA. With each step forward, I am guided by a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable future for all students.

Hali

Knowing this was the 100th year of ACPA drew me to the conference because I felt as if it could encapsulate for me as a new student affairs professional all that ACPA has to offer to the world of higher education along with what it will continue to do in the future. I had never attended a conference as a graduate student and I had never gotten the opportunity to explore Chicago! The city has such a rich history and culture and it was so meaningful that ACPA was founded there.

As I prepared to participate in the conference, networking was my biggest need and goal for going. I hoped I could meet other students like me and professionals to seek advice from in the future. I knew if I could achieve those two goals that I would feel as if my expectations were met. Another one of my expectations was to go to sessions that applied my in class theory to real life research and help me to better use my academic studies in practice.

I found a number of experiences impacted me. Some had to do with specific connections – individual and communal – that helped foster a sense of belonging for me at ACPA and within the larger context of higher education and student affairs. I was lucky to find multiple points during the schedule for me to have these relational and belonging experiences. I attended the Clemson Alumni/Current Student & Employee mixer, both the opening and closing events, and the ACPA Drag Show! All of these events were engaging in different ways. Connecting with alumni from the program made me hopeful for the future and it is nice to know that there are professionals in my corner as I discover what parts of student affairs work I fit in the best.

I am also grateful for the opportunity to learn from specific program sessions. I chose the sessions I did based on things that sounded interesting or were relevant to my work today as well as the work I will possibly be doing in the future. I attended a session about the constitutionality of DEI legislation and programming as it is extremely important to understand the laws being passed concerning DEI and how we can preserve these offices and continue doing important work to support all students, faculty, and staff on campus. Another session that has stayed with me since the convention explored race and gender relations through comics and sci fi. Finally, I found the session about conspiracy theories and working with students that believe in them engaging and useful.

As I reflect on my experience, there are a number of things I will carry with me from ACPA in Chicago. My first big takeaway from this experience is that higher education and ACPA are places that should lead the way in creating a safe space for students and individuals who hold marginalized identities or who are underrepresented in higher education. Education outside of the classroom is essential as we learn about one another and ourselves. We must center student development and encourage exploration of social identities different from one’s own. This work is essential to creating good people, engaged citizens, and leaders who can contribute positively to our society.

I am grateful for the sessions and conversations I had the chance to be a part of. I must acknowledge the work of ACPA leadership to build such a transformative experience for me. The conference planners were so intentional regarding the speakers they chose, and that Matters. Additionally, the organization’s intentionality about who represents them, the preparation that these representatives put into their comments, and the welcoming environment they sought to build and foster over the course of the event was really important to my experience. The speakers and leadership from ACPA were so thoughtful and knowledgeable when sharing their stories and what ACPA means to them. As a new student affairs professional, I can jump off from their reflections and what is meaningful to them in order to create meaningful action in my work in the future.

The future was a theme even though this conference was celebrating the 100 years of its past. Because it was the 100th anniversary of ACPA, the “evolve” idea of the conference spoke to me. The conference and organization has evolved into such a huge event from its beginnings, and I loved how involved they wanted the city of Chicago to be in this process. I believe that the conference theme was a great way to encapsulate the work ACPA has done and will continue to do in the future.

I hope that other grad students get a chance to go to ACPA. It was really beneficial for me. A few tips of you attend:

• Don’t forget your business cards! I was so mad at myself for doing this when we got to the airport and it was too late.
• I also would recommend going to sessions about things you don’t really know very much about already. Getting to these sessions early is also a great way to network with whoever you’re sitting with.
• Another thing I tried to do was to go to sessions different from the people that I came with, so that I could meet new people and step out of my comfort zone a little bit.

Thanks for a great experience, ACPA. Keep up the wonderful work.

Madesh

In our intro class we talked about ACPA and NASPA conferences and I wanted to experience ACPA. I was attracted to go to ACPA because its focus on social justice issues. I also went to ACPA because I wanted to connect with the Commission for Global Dimensions of Student Development. This is a community of members that I interact virtually every month. It was great to connect with some of them in person.

Along those same lines, one of my goals for the conference was about building connections. Going into the conference my hopes and expectations were to connect with the international student community, share my experiences, hear others and collect information that could be useful for my research lab. I attended events with the Commission for Graduate and Professional Student Affairs community as well as the Commission for Global Dimensions of Student Development. I enjoyed going to both as they provided opportunity for networking and to seek support from peers.

Many of the sessions I attended related to my personal and professional goals in the spring and summer following the conference. I attended sessions on international student support during the job search process. I chose these sessions because I am in the job search as an international student and I wanted to hear and learn from others about their experiences and seek guidance from the community. I also attended sessions related to DEI education and facilitation which helped me to collect information and take it back to my research lab. Finally, I also attended ACPA 101, centennial celebrations, keynote speakers, and The Cabaret.

My biggest takeaways from the ACPA convention were finding mentors, knowing about the opportunities to be involved with ACPA, learning about the current state of DEI across the nation and how we can still do the work to support students. These experiences helped me learn and develop holistically through personal and professional connections. Developing an understanding of the context for higher education right now will help me be better prepared for the future.

When I think about the thematic elements of this year’s ACPA – reflect, evolve, and act –  I think of the journey we have taken as a profession. The things we have been able to accomplish and working together in finding ways to make things inclusive and accessible for all despite the situations is essential to where we are today. Additionally, the strategies we have used so far will help us continue to find success in the future.

ACPA has been home for many of us for 100 years. This year the conference stood strong, celebrated their core values and goals, and reflected on how we need to move forward. It is everyone’s responsibility to provide equitable opportunities for students to excel. In doing that work, for students or other new members in the future, I encourage you to find a commission that you are passionate about, learn about them, and meet them during ACPA. Seek ways to get involved.

Ramon

When reflecting on my experience in 2023 at ACPA, I remember being in a space for the first time with a professional who held the same identities I do as a queer Latino male in higher education. I found a sense of belonging and home attending a session of queer Latinos in higher education. I was able to fully see myself as a professional making an impact on students’ lives like the other professionals in that space.

Returning to ACPA this year, I knew I wanted to get involved with the organization and start building connections with professionals in the field. I applied and was chosen as one of 10 ACPA interns. As an intern, I had no idea that this year’s convention would be such a transformative experience, but it allowed me to see the work put into setting up our 100th ACPA conference in Chicago.

In my role, I came to Chicago early and attended the ACPA Foundation and Leadership Executive Conference Social. There I met professionals across the field involved in the over-planning process of this year’s conference. The social event allowed my fellow intern peers, Cole and Jaclyn, and me to share our experiences as graduate students in our student affairs programs and create space to reflect on lessons learned.

One of the best parts of my experience was connecting with so many student affairs professionals at the registration desk and helping them through the conference. I got to hear about their ACPA experiences as members, meet former presidents, and learn about the work of different practitioners in the field.

That said, I also attended sessions! I chose to attend “Exploring the Future of Student Affairs via Integration Conversation” because in any environment, you work with humans from different generations and mindsets. As good professionals, we need to be aware of stylistic differences and find ways to mesh our work styles with others’. This session led to a series of discussions: “Things I wish I knew or would have done differently,” “How to support the future of leaders,” and “The future of racial justice and decolonization in higher education.” In entry-level and seasoned professional pairs, we shared our responses, experiences, and thoughts. Among the takeaways from this session were Danny Roberts’ sharing his experience, the Leadership and Followership pendulum, and Ron Heifetz’s practice of adaptive leadership. I left the session with ideas about how to use these practices in higher education for students and between student affairs professionals, faculty, staff, and administration.

This year’s theme of reflecting, evolving, and acting spoke to me as a second-year master’s student who was about to graduate and enter the field. Having the opportunity to see what I accomplished in two years in my program and seeing myself evolve into a professional I didn’t expect to become has given me pride in my work. I found my calling by working with students and supporting their development process as a graduate student. When thinking about the last word “act,” I am now acting on all I gained, and I will continue to apply the lessons learned and the experiences collected in the work that I do as a professional who will never stop learning and who will continue to find ways to develop in the field.

In sharing my experience, I have a few recommendations. The biggest one is to find ways to get involved. You can do this in a number of ways:

• Attend an online virtual session.
• Sign up for early pre-conference sessions.
• Connect with other graduate students throughout the conference and start building those relationships.
• Apply to be an ACPA conference intern to see the team effort it takes to create such a great experience for all the attendees.

All that said, you do not have to be an intern to get involved. Volunteer. Work registration, step up when there are calls for assistance. It will help you forge important connections and give you a chance to further explore who you are as a professional.

Lastly, I want to shout out my amazing Clemson Family from our student affairs program, our current graduate students in the program, and our outstanding faculty and staff, who were nothing but friendly throughout the conference, constantly checking in on me and creating opportunities through the week to connect and be with one another. To all of the grads who attended ACPA – including my co-authors here – thank you for being inclusive and accepting and for letting my fellow interns, peers, and other professionals hang out and feel a part of our family dynamic. I heard so many positive things about you throughout the conference from others, which makes me so proud to be a part of this program.

Conclusion

While we each had our own unique experiences at ACPA, there are themes that emerged as we reflected on our time in Chicago. Community and connection was at the core of our experiences – whether conversation, similar identities, engaging in activities, or casual conversation between sessions. We each came away from convention having found some of our people and a place to call a professional home.

Learning was also a key element. Learning about what is happening in higher education, how different institutions are navigating difference challenges, and how the past informs today and sets the stage for the future, each of these was an element of our learning. Additionally, we learned about the complexity of a conference on this scale and the level of dedication ACPA’s members and leaders have to the organization.

Finally, we each left the experience with a sense of hope for the future. We may be holding out hope for our forthcoming job searches or for the ongoing commitment to doing DEI and social justice work on our campuses. But we also hold onto hope for the future beyond higher education. We have a community to help us as we support students, colleagues, and leaders into the future.

We encourage each of you to engage with ACPA – whether it is at the upcoming convention February 16-19 in Long Beach, California, through an entity group, committee, or task force, or by attending one of the many events ACPA sponsors throughout the year. We hope to see you all soon. Have a great year.

 

Author Biographies

Benjamin Dadzie (He/Him/His)- Benjamin Michael Dadzie is a graduate student at Clemson University, where he is pursuing a Master of Education in Student Affairs. He serves as the Graduate Community Director for the Shoeboxes, where he plays a vital role in enhancing student life.

Hali Sanders (she/her/hers) is a graduate student at Clemson University studying for her Masters Degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs. Her undergraduate degree is from Old Dominion University in Communications.

Madesh Samanu (he, him, his) is a recent graduate of the student affairs program at Clemson University. Madesh’s area of interest include international student support, academic advising and success, athletics, admissions, DEI education, and alumni programs.

Ramon Izquierdo (He/Him/His) is a Community Coordinator at the University of Cincinnati.

If you are reading this right now, you might be considering a higher education or student affairs graduate program, currently in one, supervising or mentoring current grad students, or simply looking for another good article to read. While my intention is focused on the first two scenarios, I hope it also helps those who fall into the latter categories.

Let me start by saying congratulations on your new journey into higher education. This profession needs your insights, suggestions, experiences, leadership, empathy, and dedication. Despite the challenges within our profession, the reward of helping students reach their goals and dreams, break generational barriers, and gain the skills necessary to be productive members of society is worth it all. Creating change in the world is hard work, but there are amazing partners in the work and phenomenal students on our campuses we are able to collaborate with to make sustainable progress. By the end of this article, I hope you find my perspective and suggestions helpful as you prepare to start or complete your higher education/student affairs journey.

At the time of writing this, I am preparing for my second year of graduate school at the University of Georgia (UGA) in the College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program. During my summer internship at the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in 2024, one of the rising seniors on our orientation leader team approached me about pursuing a master’s degree in student affairs/higher education. Our conversation covered questions you and I may have asked: How did you choose your program? How did you secure an assistantship? What should I include on my resume and cover letter? This conversation forced me to reflect on my journey of pursuing this career path and the many conversations I had with mentors leading up to my first day as an M.Ed. student at UGA.

To provide some context, it was a whirlwind two-month journey for me, as I had not previously known about this field or wanted to pursue a graduate degree at the time. You may feel the same, which is fine as this is a common narrative at the beginning of a student affairs journey. When I decided to pursue a master’s degree in student affairs, I was a senior at James Madison University (JMU). It was the first week of October, and the December 1 deadline for many programs was quickly approaching. I reached out to some amazing mentors, Dr. Alysia Davis, Dr. Mike Davis, and Dr. Myles Surrett, who guided me through the process.

It was a quick turnaround, but I submitted my applications, attended in-person interviews while serving as an interim director of bands and orchestra, and moved eight hours away to Athens, Georgia, to start a journey I did not fully know what the next steps would look like. Since then, I’ve woken up every day excited to be in this profession and serve the students I work with in my assistantship in University Housing. That conversation with the orientation leader made me reflect on some valuable lessons for graduate students entering the graduate school path or currently walking through the journey. While the following points are not exhaustive, I hope they serve as a helpful reference as you prepare for this life-changing journey.

Take Time to Identify Your Why

As mentioned, I attended James Madison University, earning my bachelor’s degree in music education with an Honors Interdisciplinary Studies minor. One of my favorite classes was a music education professional practice class with Dr. Amy Birdsong and Scott Rikkers. This class taught me that I struggled with reflection (more to come later on this topic). Throughout my time in the class, there was never a day where Scott did not directly ask or follow up a comment with the question, “Why?” I think this is such a short question with profound implications. After struggling to answer the question sometimes, I learned that the class taught me the beauty of reflecting on this question: “Why?” It is a question that helps bring clarity and focus to any situation for me.

Regardless of when you read this, let this be your sign to reflect on your why in life or why you are joining this profession. This is important for two reasons. First, this work is challenging. With critiques from political leaders and the media, enrollment challenges, and questions surrounding the return on investment in higher education, the attrition rate in our profession is climbing more than ever. Knowing your why helps you press on when knocked down by personal and professional challenges. Knowing your why helps you recenter discussions where you have a voice at the table. Knowing your why enables you to push through the late-night programming events or crisis response calls that may shorten your beauty rest. Knowing your why can inspire and motivate you to go the extra mile because you know you have a goal in mind and a purpose to fulfill.

Secondly, I have learned that answering the questions of who, what, when, where, and how becomes easier when you know the why. While you don’t need to know all these answers at the start of your journey, identifying your why is crucial to helping you answer them along the way. My why is to positively inspire and influence the lives of students I work with by helping them turn their goals and aspirations into reality. With my why identified, I can confidently answer the who, what, where, when, and how. If any of those answers do not align with my why, then most likely, it is not a decision I need to make or a direction I should go in.

So, what is your why?

Your Peers Can Also Be Your Professors

The CSAA M.Ed. program at UGA is a cohort model. I knew I needed this structure when selecting a graduate program because I thrive in a community with like-minded people passionate about seeing students succeed in supportive and inclusive environments. Regardless of your program’s modality, your peers can also be your professors, teaching you some of your greatest lessons that will be integral in your work as a student affairs professional. The peers you learn alongside will have experiences that offer different perspectives or new insights.

Think of your time in a graduate program like building a house. Your professors help you set your foundation, but your peers help you build the rest of what your dream home will look like. My cohort has taught me countless new things, from Duval’s focus on first-generation students to Maitlyn’s passion for working with college athletes, Zeke’s desire to be a catalyst for change in K-12 and higher education, and Lillie’s love for global engagement and study abroad. It was when I took a moment to listen and learn from those with whom I shared the classroom space that helped me understand perspectives I may never have read about or witnessed personally or professionally. Your peers will provide insights that may be missing from articles or presentations. This is not a critique of the schools and professors; instead, it’s an opportunity to have intentional conversations with those walking alongside you on this journey.

If we are honest, you and your peers will be the ones who have a clearer understanding of the practical application of what you are learning in the classroom. You also have a greater pulse on what students on the college campus in today’s world are thinking, feeling, saying, and seeing. Invest in your professional network by learning about the passions of those you are in class with and share your experiences or journey to higher education. These will be the colleagues you will work alongside to help solve our most challenging issues in higher education and find innovative ways to serve today’s students best.

Relationships Are the Currency of Higher Education

I cannot stress this point enough. I remember conversing with one of my close friends in our program, Duval McCoy, about this point during the spring semester of my first year. We were reflecting on how small the student affairs profession is regarding who knows who. If you did not know that we are a big profession with a tight-knit community feel, here is your warning. Everyone knows everyone! I shared with him that in the short six months of working together in the classroom and our housing assistantship, “relationships are the currency of higher education.” This work of student affairs is based on relationships: the connections you develop with students, the partnerships you form with families and supporters, and the collaborations you build with colleagues in your office/across the institution.

When prioritizing meaningful connections with students, we can foster a supportive work and engaging learning environment. Through my internship at UMW, I learned how building partnerships with families and student support helps ensure a holistic approach to education, recognizing the vital role that parents and guardians play in this transformative moment in a student’s life. Collaborating with colleagues (peers, professors, or practitioners) creates a community of support where sharing ideas and resources enhances professional growth practice. Together, these relationships, and many more, create a foundation for a thriving educational community as a graduate student and practitioner in the profession. Our success in this profession lies within the intentional and meaningful relationships we develop and maintain. Start building those relationships by asking questions, scheduling coffee or lunch meetings, and connecting with individuals on social media platforms. You never know when one relationship/connection can be the key to a conference presentation collaboration, job opportunity, or support system in your student affairs career.

Every Experience Brings Revelation, Confirmation, and Information

I learned this recent lesson through my practicum and internship experience. You will have many opportunities to explore or engage with hands-on experience through internships and practicums. Each of these opportunities has a moment of revelation, a point of confirmation, and provides a depth of information. The revelation is when you discover new knowledge or truth through experience. This can be the revelation of your capabilities, passion, and insights into strengths and challenges in our profession. The confirmation lies in the validation you receive through the practical application of your work. For some of us, that is the realization that we can see ourselves continuing this work in a certain functional area or institution type. For others, confirmation looks like continuing to search for what other opportunities are still out there to find our best fit. The information focuses on the fact that we are a profession that prides itself on being lifelong learners. Despite how good or bad the experience may be, there is a lesson of information in everything, which will be used at some point in our professional career.

For example, you accepted an internship at a large institution in the student conduct office. This internship may have revealed that you have a passion for helping students understand and learn from mistakes related to their poor decisions, confirmed that you prefer to work at a smaller institution, and helped you realize your gift and skills related to administrative tasks.

Reflecting on what revelations, confirmations, and information you have gained in every experience will help you narrow your job search after completing your degree program, so do not delay discussing, documenting, and dreaming about these along your journey.

Get Ready to Reflect

Lastly, as I have mentioned several times, get ready to reflect. Earlier, I shared that I did not like reflecting on everything that had happened in my life. I would do something, complete it, and move on to the next task. In our graduate program here at UGA, like many others across the nation, you will reflect at the beginning, the middle, and the end of every assignment, project, and step of your journey. I have learned, though, that this is not a bad professional and personal practice to implement in your life.

Reflection is helpful when communicating feelings or thoughts you cannot fully express. For example, in one of the courses I took during the first semester of my program, our professor, Dr. Dallin Young, assigned a one to two-page reflection on the class period for the week and the corresponding readings. I remember writing in one of my reflections, “This was a trying week, considering I was sick from the previous week and had trouble fully understanding the readings.” I wrote how I felt, and Dr. Young was so supportive and understanding that what I felt in my personal life directly impacted how I completed my work in my professional/scholarly endeavors.

Reflection will require you to be transparent and vulnerable with yourself and others. I learned this best when I was going through the interview process and would call my friend Mandy Vitale on car rides home to process everything that happened in the short 48 hours of being on a new campus to see if it was the program was the right fit for me. One of the most productive ways to make reflection time beneficial is to schedule a designated time and a special place to reflect on your feelings, thoughts, and actions. As someone still learning how to implement this in his own life, I can tell you that in the future, you will thank yourself for taking those moments and incorporating the practice into your work routines now.

In the spirit of reflection, I want you to think about these questions:

• What is my why (either personally or professionally)?
• How can I create opportunities to maximize learning from my peers?
• What relationships or connections am I hoping to grow in grad school?
• What experiences do I want to pursue, and what do I hope for regarding revelation, confirmation, and information?
• What time and place will I schedule to reflect on my journey?

So, those are the lessons I leave you with as you start, continue, or read about the journey of higher education. Remember, this is a journey or a marathon, as some mentors have reminded me. Similar to a road trip with friends, it will be filled with highs, lows, U-turns, unexpected inclement weather, and sunny drives cruising on the highway, listening to your favorite artist. Regardless of what season you are in right now, I hope these lessons encourage you when you want to give up, motivate you to step out of your sphere of comfort, and inspire you to pursue your passions with grit, determination, and confidence.

If no one has told you,

• I believe in you.
• This profession needs you.
• Take care of yourself and those around you.
• You are not alone.
• Lean on those around you doing this work and support them in return.

Always remember that today is a great day to make a difference in the lives of those around you.

Go forth and be the change

Author Bio:

Xaiver Williams (he/him) is a first-generation master’s student in the College Student Affairs Administration program at the University of Georgia. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in 2023 from James Madison University. He currently holds a graduate assistantship in University Housing. His research interests focus on first-generation sense of belonging and success, Black male recruitment and retention, and student success and well-being.

As another school year gets underway, we hope you will consider reaching out to discuss your ideas for a book proposal. We value working with authors and editors at any and all stages of the writing process. Dr. Stephanie Bondi, Associate Professor of Practice in the Educational Administration department at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, explained the benefits of the process: “Working with ACPA Books, people from my home association, helped me understand the process and feel supported enough to build my confidence about moving forward with a book proposal.” Similarly, Dr. Kaity Prieto, Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs in the School of Education at The University of Southern Mississippi, noted: “For scholars who are relatively new to the book publishing process, working with the ACPA Books editors ensures you have folks in your corner who can smooth the road for you. Jenny and Kari helped us strengthen our proposal by highlighting areas that would be unclear to readers unfamiliar with our project’s focus.” Dr. Prieto added, “Plus, as someone who considers ACPA my professional home, giving back to the association while gaining support was an added bonus.”

For more information about ACPA Books, visit https://myacpa.org/publications/

To discuss your ideas, contact us at [email protected] and  [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.

Drs. Jenny Small and Kari Taylor, ACPA Books Co-editors

Hello, ACPA.

We are excited to share this issue with you as we all begin a new academic year. You will find a variety of work here – personal essays, graduate student guidance, articles about supervision, leadership, universal design, and some ACPA history. There are articles you can read as you navigate your programs (grad students) as you begin your careers (newer professionals), as you prepare staff development and supervision activities (all level of professionals), and as you look for resources for your courses (faculty). Just as with past issues, this issue of Developments brings you information from a variety of perspectives that you can put to use right away.

As you read this issue, we strongly encourage you to begin thinking about what you might like to publish this year. Maybe you want to submit a case study for the December/January issue, maybe you want to share insights mid-year after we connect in Long Beach, or maybe you want to do something reflective in May/June. Highlight a new initiative, ask challenging questions, share a success or an obstacle you are navigating.

We want to hear from you about your ideas and about what is taking your time and focus. Developments is a wonderful place to publish. Even if you have not written for publication before, we are here to help. We offer support as you work with an existing draft or as you take something from the idea stage through to publication.

Your insights matter. Please reach out if we can help or answer questions.

Have a great year, everyone. Thank you for all you are and will be doing.

Sincerely,

The Developments Editorial Team

Michelle Boettcher
Samantha Babb
Ricardo Montelongo
Mary Dueñas