Student Affairs NOW

What does it mean to lead with a moral imagination? In this heartful conversation with President Mary Dana Hinton of Hollins University, experience hope, joy, and a renewed faith in the future of higher education. President Hinton reflects on her life journey, and how her imagination of a brighter future in her childhood prepared her to be the higher education leader we all need right now.

In this episode, we delve into the realm of performance reviews in student affairs, exploring how these evaluations are conducted and how we might rethink this process. We discuss the influence of the recent Report on 21st Century Employment in Higher Education and other resources for shaping the approach to performance reviews, highlighting the specific recommendations implemented to foster a fair, supportive, and developmental processes.

Labor acknowledgments are similar and different from land acknowledgments. In this conversation, three scholar-practitioners discuss the purpose, history, practice, and complexities around labor acknowledgments, including moving beyond just acknowledgments to commitments. They discuss anti-Blacknewss, capitalism, ascendants, history and contemporary labor, and the diaspora of Blackness. Guests offer tangible commitments that could be made around labor related to recognition, ethical leadership, and resources.

The podcast discusses the unique opportunities and challenges of student affairs at small colleges. They explore direct student engagement, relationship and community building, resource challenges, and the importance of place. The speakers also highlight the challenges of communication and community building during the pandemic and the tension between student affairs professionals and students. They emphasize the significance of feeling valued and heard in a small college environment and discuss the current state of legislation and challenges faced by student affairs at small colleges.

This episode features a conversation about a newly published book, Unmasking: Toward Authentic Masculinity, by Dr. Keith E. Edwards PHD. Unmasking is a process by which men first become conscious of the masks they wear to conform to external expectations and then practice exploring their identity as men and becoming intentional about aligning their actions with integrity. Written for men and those of us who have men in our lives, the book offers student affairs educators a unique research-based lens on the issues, strategies, and engagement strategies for men on college and university campuses.

Three college presidents discuss their journeys through student affairs, transitioning to the presidency, and lessons learned. Join Drs. Lori White, Frank Shushok, and Rob Kelly as they share their journeys. They discuss their student affairs capacities, the critical role of mentorship and guides, authenticity as leadership, and finding the joys in leadership in service of others.

Critical hope helps educators navigate the both/and of criticality and possibility while avoiding the harms of deficit mindsets, toxic positivity, and cynicism. In this episode, leading scholars of critical hope, Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade and Kari Grain, discuss the what, why, and how of critical hope.

Rejecting outright the Student Affairs “Legend” title we ascribed to her, Susan Jones joins us to discuss her career as an award-winning professor, prolific author, and valued mentor to many in the profession. Listen in as she shares her hopes and fears for our future and the future of student affairs and higher education. BTW, we stand by our description of Dr. Susan R. Jones as a legend.

By definition, an ombudsperson is a role whose focus is neutral and impartial conflict resolution. They typically operate independently from the university and has no official or formal decision-making capabilities. Ombudspersons have been referred to as the “conscience of the university” -- working within campus communities to resolve conflict through identifying systemic issues and trends while focusing on fair treatment of individuals. These campus offices are also important partners with divisions of student affairs and college student educators. In this episode, Dr. Heather Shea speaks with four folks who serve as campus ombuds to learn more.

Three student body presidents discuss their experiences and learnings. Jermaine Turner, Jael Kerandi, and Akheem Mitchell share the issues facing students, the critical role of making campuses inclusive for the success of all students, and understanding broader systems to navigate them as leaders effectively. They offer suggestions for student affairs professionals and current students considering pursuing this leadership role.