Student Affairs NOW

SA Now Productions
  • 4.9 (30)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Premier Podcast for Student Affairs

Episodes

  1. Students’ Perspectives on the Purpose of Higher Education

    2D AGO

    Students’ Perspectives on the Purpose of Higher Education

    In this episode, we explore students’ perspectives on the purpose of higher education at a moment shaped by rising costs, political tension, debates about belonging and DEI, and growing mental health concerns. Rather than talking about students, we center their voices—alongside the faculty member guiding these conversations in the classroom. Co-hosted by Dr. Michael Stebleton, Professor of Higher Education at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, the episode draws from his honors seminar on student development, career pathways, and the transition from college to work. Together with students enrolled in his fall 2025 course, What Is College For? Examining the Purpose and Value of U.S. Higher Education, we unpack what college is supposed to do—and who it is meant to serve. The post Students’ Perspectives on the Purpose of Higher Education appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    1h 22m
  2. Hanging up the Cape (for now)

    12/26/2025

    Hanging up the Cape (for now)

    Late nights, second phones, and responding to crisis after crisis can add up over time, even for the greatest heroes. Much like Captain America and Rupert Giles, higher education professionals are rethinking their career paths, roles on campus, and pivoting to focus on self-care while still finding ways to impact students. Moderated by Dr. Glenn DeGuzman (UC Berkeley), and featuring Dr. Martha Enciso (University of Redlands), Dr. Sofia B. Pertuz (Mainstream Insight, LLC), Dr. Emily Sandoval (University of Southern California), and Brian MacDonald (UCLA). The post Hanging up the Cape (for now) appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    48 min
  3. Your Kid Belongs Here: Navigating Neurodivergence for Parents, Faculty, and Staff

    12/17/2025

    Your Kid Belongs Here: Navigating Neurodivergence for Parents, Faculty, and Staff

    Katie Rose Guest Pryal’s bookYour Kid Belongs Here pushes back on ableist systems affecting neurodivergent (ND) children, college students, and the rest of us. Drawing on personal stories as a parent and expertise as a scholar, Pryal shows how exclusion is less about a child’s differences or behavior and more about the norms that institutions enforce. The book argues for a cultural shift: from viewing neurodivergence as a deficit to embracing it as a difference that enriches learning communities. The post Your Kid Belongs Here: Navigating Neurodivergence for Parents, Faculty, and Staff appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    57 min
  4. Here's the Story: "Unraveling to Become"

    12/16/2025

    Here's the Story: "Unraveling to Become"

    In this episode of Here’s the Story, “Unraveling to Become,” Neil E. Golemo and JT Snipes sit down with Frank Shushok Jr.—mentor, professor, and living example of what’s possible in student affairs. Frank shares how mentors, dyslexia, and one bold conversation with a Baylor Regent helped him reimagine his future, ultimately leading him from nearly not graduating high school to the presidency of Roanoke College. The post Here’s the Story: “Unraveling to Become” appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    36 min
  5. Twenty Years of the MSL: Leadership, Learning, and the Future of Expanding Leadership & Opportunity

    12/10/2025

    Twenty Years of the MSL: Leadership, Learning, and the Future of Expanding Leadership & Opportunity

    This episode of Student Affairs Now celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL), one of the most influential research projects in student affairs and leadership education. Host Heather Shea talks with longtime colleagues and collaborators John Dugan and Kristan Cilente-Skendall about the study’s origins, impact, and evolution. Together they reflect on how the MSL has shaped our understanding of leadership, learning, and social responsibility across higher education and beyond. The conversation also explores their new venture, the Center for Expanding Leadership and Opportunity (CELO), and its role in advancing equity and human development for the next generation of learners. The post Twenty Years of the MSL: Leadership, Learning, and the Future of Expanding Leadership & Opportunity appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    1h 3m
  6. December Current Campus Context

    12/03/2025

    December Current Campus Context

    In the latest podcast episode of Current Campus Context, Heather Shea discusses four critical issues affecting higher education: declining international student enrollment due to immigration policies, redefinition of professional degrees impacting student loans, ongoing budget cuts affecting staff, and shifts in college athletics regarding athlete compensation. The experts explore implications for institutions and student affairs. The post Current Campus Context: Chaos, Cuts & College Sports appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    1h 7m
  7. Shaking the Table: Survival and Healing Amongst Identity Center Practitioners 

    11/26/2025

    Shaking the Table: Survival and Healing Amongst Identity Center Practitioners 

    In this episode of Student Affairs NOW, host Heather Shea talks with Dr. Jonathan A. McElderry and Dra. Stephanie Hernandez Rivera about their forthcoming book Shaking the Table: Survival and Healing Amongst Identity Center Practitioners. They discuss what it means to “shake the table” in higher education and why centering the voices of identity center practitioners is especially urgent amid increasing resistance to DEI work. The conversation explores themes of survival, healing, and the power of storytelling to sustain those doing this labor of care and resistance. The episode also offers a glimpse into their upcoming second volume, Still Shaking the Table. The post Shaking the Table: Survival and Healing Amongst Identity Center Practitioners  appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    1h 8m
  8. Here's the Story: "Ship-Shape Shirley"

    11/25/2025

    Here's the Story: "Ship-Shape Shirley"

    When a residence hall went off the rails during the pandemic, Craig Allen didn’t send emails or wag his finger—he showed up with pizza, t-shirts, and presence. Hear how those small acts sparked a culture shift and reminded his team of the real power of connection. The post Here’s the Story: “Ship-Shape Shirley” appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    33 min
  9. Strong Integration and Systemness: Practicing Interconnected and Relational Leadership in Higher Education

    11/19/2025

    Strong Integration and Systemness: Practicing Interconnected and Relational Leadership in Higher Education

    Given the challenges higher education is facing right now, we need models of leadership that are mission-driven, student-centered, and nimble and adaptable. Dr. Brian Bruess, is the first president of both the College of St Benedict and St. John’s University. He is leading what they call strong integration and putting systemness into practice to bring a more interconnected and relational way of leading. The post Strong Integration and Systemness: Practicing Interconnected and Relational Leadership in Higher Education appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    49 min
  10. The Connected College: Leadership Strategies for Student Success

    11/12/2025

    The Connected College: Leadership Strategies for Student Success

    In The Connected College, Elliot Felix talks about breaking down silos through a more connected structure and strategy for student success. He is joined by Dr. Daniel Maxwell, who has decades of student affairs experience to bring The Connected College to practical applications for student affairs leaders to improve the quantitative and qualitative student experience through more integrated approaches. The post The Connected College: Leadership Strategies for Student Success appeared first on Student Affairs NOW.

    55 min
  • 10 Episodes

4.9
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

The Premier Podcast for Student Affairs

Information

  • Creator
    SA Now Productions
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Student Affairs NOW © 2021
  • Show Website
    Student Affairs NOW

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