Student Affairs NOW

Dr. Pat Hayashi has had an expansive constellation of lived experiences along his career and life journey. As we continue to think about our duty of care to equity and inclusion in higher education, it is moving to hear about how his perceptions of ordinary life moments led to extraordinary change in higher education. Pat’s professional experiences model living a life of courage in support of the dignity of others. In 1988, he became the highest ranking administrator in the UC system. In 1999 he joined the UC’s Office of the President where he served as associate president under President Richard Atkinson. After retiring in 2004, Pat took up art, and he continues to lift up people along his path.

Dr. Glenn DeGuzman sits down with 3 leaders in collegiate e-sports to talk about the emerging complexities of competitive online competitions and gaming in higher education. Listen to Dr. George McClellan, Kaitlin Teniente, and Mike “Moog” Aguilar discuss a myriad of topics on the emergence, growth and future shifts of e-sports that college will need to be prepared for in the coming decade.

There is limited scholarship on Indigenous college students which reflects why finding belonging, engagement, and sovereignty is challenging for Indigenous students. Amanda Tachine is brilliant and uncompromising in her critical examination of what causes harm and the systemic barriers that make it difficult to create meaningful change in higher education. This episode will highlight the struggles and strengths of Native students and offer a path forward for colleges and universities to connect with these students in meaningful and Indigenous-centric ways.

We are in a time when we are all bearing witness to the intersecting social issues impacting our societies today. Responding to Grace Lee Boggs' question, 'What time is it on the clock of the world?" activist and scholar Deepa Iyer reminds us that our time is NOW. She reminds us that when we are part of a bigger strategy, we can create change. This episode puts a spotlight on Iyer's social change ecosystem framework, with an invitation to deepen our commitment, strengthen our focus, and elevate our interconnectedness as we collectively co-create a just and equitable world.

Three scholars and leaders share how they are reimagining social justice leadership in theory, in practice, and in their lives. Drs. Rachel Wagner, Rafael Rodriguez, and Kaleigh Mrowka explore proactive approaches to creating communities that foster equity and justice. They discuss anti-oppression and emancipatory approaches, restorative practices, skill building, ways of being, and strategies to integrate them into the residential experience.

Three innovative leaders discuss reimagining different ways of providing crisis response as effectively as possible as a community. Kate Baier, Steve Herndon, and Dr. Victor Arcelus explore models, roles, resources, scheduling, collaborations, and more for staffing crisis response and on-call as well as integrating after-hours crisis response with support during regular business hours in ways that center the students.

We are thrilled to welcome our newest host joining the Student Affairs NOW team, Dr. Mamta Accapadi! On today’s episode, Drs. Heather Shea and Keith Edwards chat with Mamta about her excitement for joining the team and the conversation and guests she is looking forward to hosting. The conversation touches on groundedness, consciousness blooms, healing, and timelessness.

This is Mamta Accapadi's first episode as a new host of the Student Affairs NOW team. Featuring five prominent South Asian/Desi women senior leaders, this episode is meant to be both a prayer and a beacon. It is an episode that honors the wisdoms, celebrates the triumphs, owns the privileges, and acknowledges the traumas of our lives and lineage journeys as pioneering South Asian/Desi women. We hope you enjoy our sacred stories.

David Hibbler, Director of Residential Education at the University of South Florida, Erin Simpson, Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Oklahoma, and Dana Olivo, Assistant Director at Smith College, share fresh perspectives on residence life. They discuss adapting to crises like COVID-19 and emphasize balancing student support with staff well-being. The trio also explores innovative strategies for community engagement, the importance of context-specific solutions, and the need for sustainable practices in educational environments.

Higher education and student affairs has long needed to address attrition, retention, and leadership to create sustainable careers and better workplace cultures. ACPA President Dr. Andrea Domingue called for a Task Force on 21st Century Employment in Higher Education, which Dr. Roshaunda Breeden chaired. In this conversation, these two share the report from the task force, which describes the challenges, explores the roots in supremacist cultures, and offers recommended antidotes for action.