Below is a listing of ACPA 15 handouts that were offered by presenters during the convention.

Measuring Student Learning in the Co-curricular: Developing an Assessment Plan for Student Affairs

Often times, when assessment is mentioned in Student Affairs it evokes feelings of fear, frustration and of being overwhelmed. The Office of Student Life at Maryville University of St. Louis has developed and implemented an assessment plan that meets department directors at their various levels of comfort with assessment while contributing to the university's efforts to create a culture of assessment.

Creativity and Inclusivity: Using Existing Resources to Transform Campuses

The Multicultural Scholars Program at Maryville University of St. Louis has succeeded in not only helping to create an inclusive campus environment, but also in improving the recruitment, retention and four-year graduation rate of students of color. The workshop presenters will share how to utilize existing campus resources and programs to meet departmental and institutional mission and goals.

Assessing Cultures of Assessment

With increasing calls for accountability, assessment has become a staple function for all divisions of student affairs. Ad hoc assessment occurring in pockets must be transformed into a culture where assessment is embedded into daily practice. Based on a chapter in the forthcoming ACPA/NASPA publication entitled Coordinating Divisional Assessment, participants attending this interactive, constructive session will describe characteristics of cultures of assessment, develop a tool to assess a division’s culture of assessment, and develop steps to cultivate such a culture.  Assessing Cultures of Assessment Handout.docx

Creating Connections: Turning Talk into Tangible Data

To quantify the numerous conversations residence life student staff members have on a daily basis, a radically re-designed programmatic model was introduced. CONNECTIONS has been used as a visual tool for professional staff members to gain better insight into the numerous conversation we have with residents on a daily basis. Interactions are recorded and used throughout the year to identify trends, provide insight to individual students, improve student staff training and enhance the overall residential student experience. 

How Multi-Dimensional Are We on Wellness?  

A Closer Look  Wellness encompasses Psychological, Interpersonal, Substance Abuse, Physical and Occupational issues, and student resiliency with each of these affects their success in college.  As skilled professionals, our professional preparation is vital to our interactions with students.  Are we as prepared as we need to be?  A national study of ACPA members highlights student issues around wellness, staff members’ preparedness on 20 specific wellness issues, and professionals’ assessment of their preparation activities.  Recommendations for enhancing in-service and professional preparation programs are provided.  

Leading as an Out SSAO: The Influence of LGBTQ Identity 

What impact does LGBTQ identity have on the careers of current senior student affairs officers (SSAOs)?  What other demographic characteristics (race, ethnicity, first-generation status, and/or socioeconomic background) have intersected with sexual orientation and/or gender identity as people advance to the SSAO role?  A panel of SSAOs shares stories about the issues they faced over their careers as LGBTQ professionals, how they addressed them, and how being out (or not) has influenced their leadership styles and choices, careers, and career choices.  

Leadership and Development:  Many Paths, Many Stories

Leaders in Student Affairs arrive at their positions via a multitude of diverse personal and professional experiences.  Honoring the importance of one’s own narrative and self-authorship, presenters will begin by sharing their own stories of leadership and professional development.  Participants will reflect on these models, and then be guided in assessing their own narratives and next steps.  Through a combination of relevant resources and experiential exercises, participants will begin the process of planning and writing their own next chapters.  

  • ACPA 2015 Worksheet Many Paths.pdf

Ally Training: What Works for the University of Houston

The session will consist of the structure and content of the Ally (Safe Zone) Training at the University of Houston. The presenter will discuss the rationale for and process of developing the program. The presenter will provide rationale for each component of the training. The session will include evaluation results, feedback from participants on what they found effective, the improvements made based on that feedback, and results of one year follow-up surveys. The audience will participate in a discuss about what has worked on their campuses.

The Jaded Millennials: A Collaborative Approach to Engaging Chinese Students

Current Chinese student populations in the U.S. experience a different cultural and philosophical identity than earlier generations of Chinese internationals. Grounded in mixed method study and Confucian philosophy, this presentation presents the cultural context of Chinese millennials and the effect of this context on student learning in and out of the classroom. Through academic and student affairs collaboration, presenters will explore promising practices to seamlessly support student learning across diverse curricula.  

Hired! Navigating the Interview Process as a Graduate Student

Looking for career advice, tips and tactics to help you succeed in your job search? Hear from two young professionals that have been working in higher education as career advisors for the last three years. This session will be dedicated to the presentation of hiring and interviewing data, articles and resources for graduate students and recent graduates to reference beyond the conference.  Structured small group work will also be used to reflect on attendees’ progress and pressing questions.  

Student Affairs-Faculty Collaborations In Support of STEM Student Success

Students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors face unique academic and personal challenges that often present barriers to persistence and program completion. Collaboration between student affairs practitioners and faculty members can be an effective strategy to promote seamless student learning. In this workshop, participants will learn about the challenges students in STEM majors face and discuss how they can foster thoughtful partnerships with faculty members in service of student success.

Demonstrating Multicultural Competence: Examining Supervisors’ Skills in the Supervisory Relationship

The supervisory relationship can be the most critical interaction in the life of a professional. Yet, little is really known about the dynamics of this relationship and, in particular, the impact of multicultural competence in the supervisory relationship. This presentation will examine initial findings from a study on the complex nature of multicultural competence within the supervisory relationship and its impact on the supervisee’s experience as a professional. Practical applications for developing a multicultural supervisory lens will be discussed.

Becoming an Integrative Practitioner-Scholar: Theory, Practice, Politics, and Scholarship

Graduate students and new practitioners navigate tensions between ideals of meaningful work with students and pragmatic challenges of administration and politics.  Such complexities constrain appreciation for theoretical and scholarly knowledge, making it difficult to become the integrative professionals we imagined.  The two SCGSNP Faculty in Residence will share their own professional journeys, including work as entry-level practitioners to SSAO administrators, research and publications, and faculty roles. Integration of your practitioner, administrator, educator and scholar roles is possible.  Let’s discuss!

  • ACPA 2015.pptx

Using Theory to Understand and Reduce Campus Sexual Violence

Recent legislation and policy clarifications have significantly increased institutional responsibilities around campus sexual violence response, prevention, and education.  This program uses trauma, legal, critical race, and feminist theory to frame three themes connected to reducing campus sexual violence: cultural elements that perpetuate sexual violence, the impact of sexual violence on survivors, and campus responses to sexual violence. This session will provide participants with theoretical tools to unpack the complexities of campus policy and practice related to campus sexual violence.

Creating a Healthier Campus Environment: Strategies for Reducing Substance Abuse 

Drug/alcohol abuse causes or contributes to approximately one-half of our campus problems, yet campus efforts to address these issues are at a 60% level of comprehensiveness. Undoubtedly, we can do better. This session tackles this seemingly unmovable problem with a review of 35 years of documenting campus policies, programs, services, assessments, philosophies, and resources. Through examining six components of comprehensive efforts, challenges and new directions are identified based on insights from regional and state leaders.  

Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act: A Friendly Reminder 

The drug-free regulations are sometimes forgotten, but the Department of Education is increasing its monitoring for compliance. The federal law requires every institution to have an AOD program, to send an annual notice, and to review its program biannually. Moraine Valley Community College improved its compliance with this law, and many lessons were learned. This presentation provides a detailed review of the federal law, description of mandated requirements, strategies for compliance and overcoming institutional barriers, and additional supportive resources. 

Student Success: Considering a Student Organization for First Generation Students

Almost half of college students today meet the definition of a first generation student (U.S. Department of Education, 2000), yet these students are often underserved by institutions of higher education regardless of there being a considerable amount of research on this population (Hirudayaraj, 2011; Parker, 2014; Ward, Siegel, & Davenport, 2012).  This program is designed to explore the process of creating an intentional student organization for first generation students at Western Illinois University, a public, four-year, comprehensive institution. 

Exploring Options and Expanding Understanding through a Collaborative Case Study  

As both an exploratory tool and a valuable lesson in interprofessional education, the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Wayne State University developed a case study course that follows a patient through the health care cycle, showcasing the professional fields in the order in which a patient would experience them in real life. Students in the course gain a greater understanding of each professional’s role.  

Sophomore Initiative at Assumption (SOPHIA): How Then Shall I Live?

The SOPHIA program was developed in the fall of 2013 through the generous support of the Lilly Endowment. The presentation will focus on the partnership between academic and student affairs in designing and implementing this program for sophomores. The Provost and the Vice President for Student Affairs oversee this program where students explore intellectual and theological aspects of vocation through taking a common class, meeting with their faculty mentor, and participating in retreats with faculty and student affairs staff. 

Doctoral Degree Right For Me?  Practical Tips and Strategies 

Is a doctoral degree right for you? This interactive program provides an opportunity to consider doctoral education, including when and how it fits into your goals. Already decided? Now, how do you select the “right” program for you? When is the “right” time? During this session, two faculty and one doctoral student will share practical information and strategies for considering doctoral education, timing, and program selection. The application process and other factors will be discussed, leaving time for questions.  

Within Scope but out of Sight: A Study of Wellness Culture at a High Achieving, STEM Institution

The purpose of this grant funded study was to understand the culture of wellness at a high achieving, technological Institute with a majority of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors. This ethnographic study described the culture along a cultural model and the six dimensions of wellness as described by the National Wellness Institute. Findings illustrated a culture valuing intellectual and occupational wellness dimensions, rampant with stress and competition.

What I Learned in K-12: Backwards Design Lesson Planning

Do the words learning outcomes, assessment, evaluation and student learning overwhelm you? As Student Affairs deepens its commitment to accountability we can learn some valuable lessons from K-12. Utilizing backwards design lesson planning for K-12 teachers enables our profession to deliberately and easily develop learning outcomes and assessments while guiding our practice. Join us as we review this theoretical framework, uncover the simple methods to developing better outcome-based practice and get you back to your campus with new tools to assist your work.

Hollywood’s Depictions of Educators and Higher Education

Over the past 75 years, popular cultural films—from “Goodbye Mr. Chips” to “Freedom Writers”—depicting educators and schools arguably have had as much influence on public discourse about education as has academic research.  Thus it is necessary to critically think about these films as a means of reflecting on issues in education, how we think about higher education, and how it can inform our practices in student affairs.

Queer Filipino Men & Masculinity: Contextual Influences and Emotional Well-Being

Although research on college men and masculinities has been an area of growing interest within higher education, the experience of Asian American students has been of limited focus. Through semi-structured interviews with queer Filipino male undergraduates, this study examines how this student population defines, understands, and experiences masculinity, with emphasis on the role of environmental factors of campus context and the resulting impact on students’ emotional well-being. Overarching themes and implications for student affairs practice are presented and discussed.

At the Intersections: Social Identities and Faculty Job Searches  

Power, privilege, and oppression associated with social identities influence job searches of all kinds.  In this session, a panel of faculty members will briefly reflect on their experiences job searching and the salience of their social identities throughout the process.  Panelists will then facilitate small group discussions, providing an opportunity for participants to ask more individualized questions about engaging in a faculty job search.  Strategies for people searching for jobs and those hiring them will be provided.    

Considering Transfer Student Involvement

This session will focus on transfer student involvement and satisfaction at a highly selective, southern institution, Vanderbilt University. Using qualitative and quantitative data from the last six years, the presenters will share their findings on what the transfer experience is like at Vanderbilt and how it differs from the experience of native students. This program will conclude with a discussion on implications for practice and other current issues regarding the engagement and involvement of transfer students.

Their Lives in Film:  First-Year Students Tell All

"Filming the Personal Narrative,” a first-year seminar, has been taught for the past 5 years and culminates with students producing individual documentaries of themselves.  From the 65 films produced over the past 5 years, the conference presenters have culled out themes that shed light on what developmental, personal, social, and academic issues take center stage for today’s first-year students.  Appropriate film clips will be shown, presenters will offer themes and suggestions for advising practices, and a conversation will be generated on what to do with this information.  

Telling the “Story” of Common Reading Programs Using National Data

Common reading programs have a long history, are in 40% of orientation and FYE programs, and represent the intersection of two AAC&U high-impact practices: first-year seminars/experiences and common intellectual experiences. Despite their longevity and prevalence, these programs have a limited literature base and have recently come under serious scrutiny. Three data sources gathered by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition help create an empirically-based picture of these programs informing institutional practice and future research.  

How Far is Too Far? Distance on the College Campus

As higher education continues to expand, the context in which faculty and professionals operate has been changed. This research project presents findings into an investigation of the effect of distance on college campuses. Outcomes of 120 leader-follower dyads were analyzed for dimensions of distance, LMX, and task performance. Findings suggest that increases in physical and psychological distance are significantly and negatively related to leader-member exchange quality, a relational-organizational construct with strong correlation to task performance and prosocial behaviors. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Extended Session: Diversity as a Good or Value? Considerations for Multicultural Initiatives 

This presentation introduces ‘diversity as a value versus diversity as a good’ as a conceptual lens for which to view multicultural initiatives. A multicultural initiative is a strategy that promotes skill development to manage difference on a personal, institutional, community, or societal level.  The session invites a conversation whereby participants and presenters will critically analyze existing or developing multicultural initiatives. Participants will consider these concepts in the design, implementation, and assessment of a multicultural initiative on their campuses. 

Secular Safe Zone Facilitator Training  

The Secular Safe Zone program trains and educates allies who create safe spaces in which atheist students can question, criticize, and discuss their worldview without fear of harassment or bullying.  Secular Safe Zone Facilitators are empowered to provide Secular Safe Zone training to individuals within their institution and serve as mentors and guides to those allies.  Participants in the Secular Safe Zone Facilitator Training must be registered as Secular Safe Zone allies at www.secularsafezone.org. 

A Four-Tiered Approach to Student Success and Retention

Efforts to create an environment that is highly engaging and fosters a sense of commitment to an institution must be intentional in order to meet expectations of our students and foster success. Lynn University applies a four-step approach to engaging and retaining students in our educational community which has a focus on the individual student and overcoming obstacles. Efforts have increased retention, aided in building the campus community, and promoted student development within our student population.

Designing Retreats Using an Inclusion Lens

Retreats have great potential for student learning and development, and at the same time, they pose unique challenges to inclusion for all participants.  For example, that convenient weekend date?  It is also a high holy day for a particular religion.  That beautiful woodsy location?  It lacks wheelchair ramps to the bonfire site.  That nearby conference center? It has only single-gender restrooms.  Grounded in real-world examples, participants in this program will explore the retreat design process with an inclusion lens and will leave equipped with an action plan for designing inclusive retreats in the future.

The Religious Elephant on Campus: Identifying and Addressing Christian Privilege

We like to think that our campuses are inclusive, diverse places, but Christian privilege in America is often denied, seldom addressed, and can undermine diversity on campus when it comes to worldview.  Participants in this session will explore manifestations and effects of Christian privilege on campus, and identify ways to address that privilege to create a more welcoming environment for all students.

Creating New Strategies on Substance Abuse: Considerations from Long-Term Professionals

Trying to create state-of-the-art strategies to address substance abuse can benefit from perspectives of those who have worked in this arena for decades.  This session incorporates their experiences and voices around a three-part framework:  What should campus leaders know, what should they say, and what should they do?   Results of 40 interviews are compiled into this practical framework, useful for practitioners seeking to make a different kind of difference.  Specific strategies and tools for themselves and their campuses are highlighted.  

The Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) Model Revisited 

The Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) model is a theoretical framework used to better understand defenses individuals display when exploring their privileged identities.  The model is a resource for student affairs professionals to help recognize and manage defenses in difficult dialogues.  It also serves as a tool in designing and implementing multicultural initiatives.  Researchers will present a re-articulation of the PIE model and participants will apply the theory to scenarios in order to consider applications of the model in their work.    

Collaborative Advising Partnerships Create Transfer Student Success

State initiatives to develop seamless transfer pathways from community colleges to four-year institutions call for collaborative partnerships to attend to student preparation and transition.  This session discusses transfer challenges, the importance of student affairs’ commitment to transfer student success, and the benefits of university academic advisors on two-year campuses. Information on advisor responsibilities and practices will be discussed and a template will be provided to guide participants through developing a proposal for similar programs on their campuses. 

Isn’t My Money Good Enough? Creating Inclusive Fundraising Practices

Colleges and universities rely on alumni giving due to the decline of federal and state support. Administrators are beginning to see the importance of engaging students in philanthropy prior to graduation. However, development officers have traditionally alienated underrepresented populations because they are often not seen as philanthropic. This presentation will discuss the literature on student philanthropy and alumni giving among underrepresented populations, highlighting the ethical professional practice that student affairs and advancement officers can adopt when engaging future alumni.

This is Not a Presentation about Sex: Peer-Led Action Theater

How can we engage students in sexual assault prevention programming that will keep them talking? How do we situate this conversation in the unique social culture of our individual campuses? “This is Not a Play about Sex,” a peer-developed production is one answer. Empowering students while incorporating positive sexuality, administrators and faculty partner with students to effect change on campus. This program will provide an overview of the initiative and provide concrete strategies for developing this program on your campus. 

Toward Defining a Curriculum for Student Affairs

Student affairs practitioners consider themselves to be educators who make significant contributions to student learning. Yet as a profession, we continue to lack clarity and specificity about what we are trying to teach students in a way that goes beyond mere broad intended learning outcomes. This session will overview one small college's efforts to define the "curriculum" that identifies  the specific competencies students will gain through our various programs and services.

Educating Student Leaders in University Governance: Developing a Co-Curricular Framework

Student participation in university governance is essential to sustaining a fair and constructive system of control for any institution. As advisors and supporters of these student leaders, providing them educational opportunities to learn and grow in their governance roles is vital to their success. This program explores a co-curricular framework that can be applied and adopted at institutions of higher education to provide student leaders the necessary instruction and skills to be effective and esteemed stakeholders in institutional governance.

Developing High Impact Leadership Curricula: Creating Learning-Centered Environments

Translating interdisciplinary leadership concepts into engaging and integrative curriculum is a highly creative process. The optimal balance among thoughtful pedagogical design, scaffolded learning, and risk-taking is up to each leadership educator. This session draws on the latest research about high impact practices for leadership development and suggests implications for designing curricula for curricular or co-curricular leadership programs. Topics include: developmental sequencing of leadership learning, community building in the classroom, creating meaningful assignments, and utilizing effective assessment techniques. 

Consider Awareness, Identity Development, and Identity Salience for Asexual Students

Asexuality is often portrayed from a deficit perspective with an emphasis on what is perceived to be wrong or missing from asexuals’ lives. As an emerging area for research, minimal information exists exploring the depths and contexts of asexuals’ lives, particularly the impact of asexual identity salience during the college years. This program will share experiences from collegiate asexuals to increase knowledge while providing tangible next steps to positively impact campus culture for asexual students.

An Evidence-based Discussion of Integrating First-year and Second-year Transition Programs

As campus professionals work to provide support and create meaningful experiences for students from the first-year into the second-year, they need to create a seamless approach to transition initiatives in the first two years of college This session will use evidence gathered from two national surveys conducted by the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition to discuss whether and how colleges are creating integrated practices to support students during this critical period.  

Extended Session: Talking About Race: Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, & Intergroup Dialogue as Tools to Have Difficult Conversations

The purpose of this session is to provide a space for colleagues to engage in dialogue regarding relevant topics. Ferguson, Missouri & “#ACPA15 is the new black” have prompted us to take a more critical look at race & its impact in our work. These are important issues but sometimes there isn’t adequate space to engage with colleagues about them. Utilizing Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, & Intergroup Dialogue, this session will provide an opportunity to engage in dialogue and is an example of pedagogy to be used on campus with students. Sponsored by the Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee.

Sorority Membership and Educational Success: Results from a National Study

This session shares the results of a national, large-scale analysis of persistence and retention outcomes related to membership in a National Panhellenic Conference sorority. Results from the study focused on four main areas: (1) joining versus not joining, (2) timing of joining, (3) effects of joining on retention and (4) time to graduation. A major focus of this session is a "next steps" discussion with sorority leaders, campus-based professionals, and student affairs practitioners focusing on policy, practice and strategic implications.

Developmental Personal Branding: Rethinking What a Personal Brand Can Do

A goal of higher education is to ensure students’ employment upon graduation. Students must identify and communicate their personal brands to potential employers in competitive fields, and student affairs professionals are often tasked with the difficulty of facilitating developmental conversations around this topic. By synthesizing personal branding with common student development theories, we introduce the idea of a developmental personal branding model that provides an enriched understanding of the relationship between theory and practice and its implications for students’ success.    

Beyond Legal Compliance: Data-Based Rape Prevention

With all the discussion about complying with the Campus SAVE act, Title IX, and the Dear Colleague Letter, we are beginning to lose our focus.  How do we use data to prevent rape on our campuses?  There is much we can learn from current research on how to significantly decrease rape while going beyond the minimums established in the law.  Come and hear how you can expeditiously implement The men’s and women’s programs on your campus today.  

Pornography: A Catalyst For Sexual Assault

Today’s mainstream pornography is depicting more violent activity than ever.  As nearly all college men and increasing numbers of women are watching pornography, what they view as healthy sexuality is being reinvented.  Come hear what you need to know about how porn is affecting your students and your campus today.  

Using Theory and Case Studies to Liven Up RA Training

Want a fresh way to reinvent your RA class, training week, or staff meeting?  This session is full of great take-aways to liven up your residence life program!  Get some great ideas on how you can go beyond the surface level in applying theory to training in an engaging way.  Explore the case study method of applying lessons learned from common mistakes made by RAs based on the new second edition of the book, Lessons Learned!  

Sustainability, Social Justice, and Student Affairs 

The presenter will share the results of an exploratory study that examined students’ pro-environmental attitudes at a large public research institution.  Following a discussion of the results of the study, the session will move to a discussion format in which audience members can share their experiences in promoting environmental sustainability and justice on their respective campuses.  Attendees will explore definitions of sustainability, environmental justice, and the importance of these concepts for student affairs practitioners. 

Same Skills, Same Goals, Different Actions: Retention Across Functional Areas

Retention of college students is a paramount issue in the field of Higher Education. Sharing a common knowledge base, professionals take different actions to secure their ultimate goal: the successful integration and persistence of students on college campuses. Three functional areas (Residence Life, Academic Advising, Student Activities) will serve as primary lenses of how universal conceptualizations can lead to different practical retention-aimed approaches. Consideration will be paid to collaborative efforts across traditional institutional silos aimed at student integration outcomes.

Residential Curriculum: What is it and What have I learned?

Residential Curriculum is all the buzz, now that the movement is ten years in the making. Do you know what it really is though? Do you know how to implement it? This presentation will give newcomers a comprehensive overview, information on how to start the philosophical shift within your residence life program and a case study of one person’s experience.  Participants will also learn about the ACPA sponsored Residential Curriculum Institute.

Knowledge is Not Enough: Promoting Moral Development in College Students

Moral development should be an intentional goal of higher education (Kohlberg, 1976), yet evidence suggests students are not developing efficaciously in this area.  We believe this results in an incomplete education at best and social consequences at worst (Orr, 2004).  We address this by exploring how higher education institutions can better promote students’ moral development, first by discussing reasons why this development may not be occurring, then by considering practical solutions and opening dialogue about how to combat this issue.

Attempted Suicide and ADA Changes: Helping Students Stay Alive 

We will discuss the change in the direct threat standard of ADA/Title II and the impact on public and private institutions, as students file claims alleging disability discrimination.  It is likely if a student attempts suicide, the student will be treated like someone with a mental health disability.  We will use a case study to involve participants concerning students who attempt suicide and the complaints and lawsuits they subsequently file.  Legal and policy issues and implications for practice will be discussed.

Access and Agency:  Supporting Deferred Action Community College Students

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) provides temporary relief to undocumented students, the majority of whom are attending community colleges.  This program utilizes findings from a qualitative research study on the experiences of DACA students attending community college to discuss how sources of strength and the sociopolitical context foster agency.  The program will explore how the experiences of DACA students can inform the programs and services that colleges provide to support these students.

Fostering Community in Residence Halls: Increasing Student Persistence 

Prior research (Braxton, Doyle, Hartley, Hirschy, & McLendon, 2014) revealed that heightened communal potential is positively correlated with student persistence.  In an effort to delineate the role of residential education professionals in fostering student persistence, this session explores Berger’s (1997) three dimensions of community – identity, interaction, and solidarity – by identifying currently implemented policies and practices within first-year residence hall communities.  By elucidating these practices, this session provides professionals with concrete ideas for promoting student persistence. 

Extended Session: Building Capacity for Inclusive Practices in Student Affairs Graduate Programs

This session invites faculty, practitioners, and students to learn about strategies for advancing access, equity, diversity, inclusion, and multicultural competence in student affairs graduate programs.  Using a case study approach, participants will learn about effective strategies used in other programs and identify promising strategies for their own programs.  Together we will identify practices, policies, and programs with potential for disrupting hegemonic (that is, normative, dominant, and taken for granted) whiteness in student affairs graduate programs.  

Staying Relevant for New Students: Implementing a Strategic Communication Plan

Resources are plentiful to assist students in their transition to college, but they don’t always know how or when to utilize them. Attend this session to learn how universities can combine the power of peer leadership with the latest technology and social media in order to connect incoming students to resources. Through utilizing peers and technology, units can become relevant and strategic communicators to new students. 

Teaching to Transgress: Diverse Pedagogy in Social Justice LLCs

Bell Hooks (1994) poignantly states that the classroom remains the most radical space of possibility in the academy. The participants within those spaces deserve to be pushed and challenged in ways that support their intellectual and spiritual growth. The Social Justice themed Living Learning Communities at Miami University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro collaborated to construct a theoretical framed, critical, and creative experience for students to engage in dialogue as it relates to equity and social justice.

Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Colleagues: Mentorship and Exploration in Student Affairs

Student Affairs is a rewarding profession that many students do not learn about until their undergraduate degrees are well underway. This session will introduce the Mentoring and Exploration in Student Affairs (MESA) program which prepares ambitious undergraduates who are interested in the field. Additionally, attendees will also gain strategies for assessing the need and generating departmental support for similar programs. After this session, attendees will be equipped with the tools to train who could potentially be our future colleagues!

Student Financial Stress Is Rising: Is Your Institution Ready?

Financial stress is one of the leading causes as to why students disengage from participating in campus life at their institutions. With the increasing costs of college and the subsequent rise in student loan debt, it is important for universities to provide financial education as a means of supporting wellness of students affected by all forms of stress.  This session features information on how professionals can build effective financial wellness programming specific to their campuses and gain buy-in from administration.

The Influence of Campus Climate on Sexual Assault Among Queer and Trans-spectrum Students

In April 2014 the White House issued Not Alone: The First Report of the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.  Campus climate surveys were offered as one means of understanding the scope of the issue. Rankin & Associates Consulting has conducted over 130 campus climate assessments inclusive of questions on sexual assault. This program focuses on the influence of campus climate on sexual assault with specific attention to the intersections of trans-spectrum and queer spectrum identities.

Multicultural Competence: A Qualitative Investigation of Supervisory Practices and Competence

This session will discuss the findings of a qualitative investigation examining the specific practices and skills of supervisors who were identified as multiculturally competent by their supervisee.  Preliminary findings suggest a supervisor’s perceived multicultural competence, as evidenced in their actions and interactions, may have a significant impact on the supervisory relationship.  Specifically, supervisees noted multiculturally competent supervisors as living a philosophy of inclusion, building capacity for multicultural competence in others, and a willingness to express vulnerability.   

Making Progress with Graduate Students: Intentional Engagement Beyond the Basics

On many campuses, the graduate population is equal in size to or surpasses the undergraduate population yet graduate engagement on campus does not correlate positively to undergraduate. This program discusses the successful ways in which the Kogod School of Business at American University has successfully integrated graduate students into the curriculum, school, and campus culture through involvement in new and existing endeavors. In Stewart's model of graduate development, we see that how and when we engage graduate students is key.

Utilizing Technology as a Tool for Early Awareness and College Access

This presentation will introduce the interactive online student portal and searchable online pre-college program directory developed by the Rutgers University Office of Enrollment Management. Participants will explore technology-based strategies for inter-departmental collaboration as well as sharing information, resources, and “real-time” academic feedback with pre-college students. Facilitators will discuss how technology can be used for program tracking and student evaluation for pre-college programs, and how it can be used as a marketing and recruitment tool for admission offices.

Thriving Through Transitions: Facilitating Self-Authorship With Wellness Coaching 

Wellness coaching programs are capturing the attention of and experiencing rapid growth in higher education. Coaching relationships can provide a valuable holding space during the inevitable transitions that occur throughout students’ college experiences. Coaches can facilitate the process of self-authorship by evoking each student’s distinctive internal voice and encouraging them to navigate toward their preferred identities and lifestyles. This session will share the framework, practices, and outcomes from a wellness coaching program that is helping students thrive through transitions.

Building the Student Employment Experience

This exceptional practice highlights Student Life’s Student Employment Experience (SEE) at The Ohio State University. SEE strives to help students champion their own learning and provides opportunities to develop the transferable skills needed to succeed in their campus employment role, make connections to academic coursework, and prepare for future careers. Expanding to a division-wide pilot this year, SEE includes consistent learning outcomes, structured reflection, training resources, and assessment tools to engage student employees and their supervisors in this learning process.

From Soldier To Security Analyst: Supporting Professional Students Changing Careers  

From middle school teacher to registered nurse.  From train conductor to urban planner. From soldier to security analyst.  Students in professional academic programs often find themselves in the midst of vocational change.  Their needs are different than those of traditional undergraduate students.  They face different life experiences and encounter different academic roadblocks.  In this session, participants will explore how student affairs professionals across different functional areas can support this growing and increasingly diverse population.

A Collaborative Approach to Addressing Inclusive Language on Campus

Students frequently express feeling unwelcome on campus because of non-inclusive language. This session reviews components of a comprehensive campaign about why language matters. Participants engage in simulated experiences demonstrating approaches to conversations around language and inclusion. The Department of Resident Life, Multicultural Involvement and Student Advocacy Office, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, School of Engineering, and Oral Communications Department at the University of Maryland collaborated to bring this comprehensive campaign to faculty, staff, and students across the campus. 

It Takes a Village: Storytelling as a Marketing Tool

Storytelling is one of the oldest, and remains one of the most effective, methods of sharing information. Stories have the ability to capture our imagination, promote metacognitive retention, and inspire retelling. Through a case study review, we will explore the application of storytelling to the effective marketing of student affairs programs/services, as well as strategies for communicating the co-curricular impact on student success outcomes. 

Overhauling of a First-Year Seminar to a First-Year Dialogue

This presentation will provide an overview on the development, training, outcomes, and future impact  of CMM 193: the First-Year Dialogue Course. The First-Year Dialogue is a three-credit, discussion-based, pilot course that uses the intergroup dialogue framework to explore elements of first-year experience and college student transitions. This course was developed through a collaborative partnership between the Cross Cultural Center and the Student Success Center. 

Four Guiding Principles of College Completion and Career Success

In an era of outcomes-based funding models from state legislators and increasing public interest in graduation rates and employment success, it’s vital to demonstrate the efficacy of first-year programs in relation to these outcomes. This session will provide an overview of the guiding principles of college completion and career success—two important indicators of student success—and how to (re)design a first-year program to have a direct, measurable effect on college completion and career success.      

Four Guiding Principles of College Completion and Career Success

In an era of outcomes-based funding models from state legislators and increasing public interest in graduation rates and employment success, it’s vital to demonstrate the efficacy of first-year programs in relation to these outcomes. This session will provide an overview of the guiding principles of college completion and career success—two important indicators of student success—and how to (re)design a first-year program to have a direct, measurable effect on college completion and career success.      

Engaging Students in the Learning Process: How College Students Used Cogenerative Dialogues to Improve Teaching and Learning 

In this session, we will share results from a research study where students and instructors utilized cogenerative dialogues (cogen) in a student affairs course.  Through the cogen process, students and instructors not only learned more about what was needed to optimize teaching and learning, but they also became more engaged in the class.  Cogen is a tool for directing students and instructors to pay attention to their own and others’ needs and can assist in building a thriving learning community.

Graduation Rates Can Be Improved For All Freshmen with Intrusive ( Proactive) Academic Advising

This presentation explores the premise of advising all freshmen students as an “at risk population” and providing them with intentional, intrusive advising regardless of ACT/SAT, grades and class standing. The basis for this approach is that all students are typically at a pivotal and potentially fragile time in their life upon entering college. We will cover relevant work of developmental theorists, review steps for intrusive advising and discuss “best practices” across institutions of higher education.  

Joining the "Dark Side": Fostering Strategic Partnerships with University Advancement

You thought graduation was the end of a nurturing and supportive relationship with students? No way! Student affairs and university advancement partnerships make a significant and meaningful impact on student experiences and how alumni ultimately view and support their alma mater. This session will identify areas for collaboration that are mutually beneficial, strategies that are inclusive of students and alumni from diverse backgrounds, and provide tangible methods for applying best practices on your campus. 

Assessing Counseling Services:  Accreditation, Self-Assessment, or Both?

Assessment is emphasized across our institutions today.  Counseling services have two primary choices when identifying an avenue for assessment:  accreditation and self-assessment.  The program offers an overview of IACS, the International Association of Counseling Services, which offers accreditation of campus counseling centers, and CAS, the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, which offers standards of practice for self-assessment.  It addresses the utility of each and offers a model of using both in an integrated, comprehensive approach. 

Mindset Matters: Commit to Growth to Reach Your Potential

Do you want you and your team members to embrace and learn from challenges? Be buoyed by the success of others? Learn from criticism? Value effort? Facilitate growth rather than stagnation? We certainly do! Join us for this engaging session to learn about Growth Mindset–critical work from psychologist Carol Dweck that has important implications for our work, including supervision, social justice education, student learning, and professional development. Presenters will also make connections between mindset and current trends in the field.

Addressing Shame and Guilt: Creating Meaningful Social Justice Education

Why do some people withdraw or get angry during social justice education when hard topics come up; whereas, others experience difficult emotions and still make positive change? The answer to these questions rests in understanding the differences between shame and guilt and how they manifest during social justice education. In this session, the presenters provide foundational knowledge about shame and guilt from a broad range of research and offer ideas for application from both student affairs faculty and practitioner perspectives.

Holistic Academic Advising and Its Impact on Student Retention

Retention of undergraduate students in colleges and universities has been a major concern in higher education for a number of years.  Developing retention programs at a major urban, public, primarily commuter, research institution presents additional challenges. This presentation will provide a general overview of student retention issues with a focus on the Holistic Advising Approach and how it is utilized to attract and retain students to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. 

Administrating a Title IX Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey: Lessons

Learned In this session, we detail the development, validation, and launch of a Title IX sexual misconduct campus climate survey.  The survey, conducted in the fall of 2014, was designed in response to the national calls for a broader adoption of sexual misconduct surveys to help combat issues of Title IX sexual misconduct on college campuses.  We will also share results of the survey and provide suggestions for those administrators considering undertaking a similar initiative.

Creating an ALIVE Community: Infusing Service Learning into Residential Life

We all know the famous Mahatma Ghandi quote “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” While it sounds lovely in theory, how can we make it practical for our students? Through the ALIVE Program (Achieving Leadership in Volunteer Experiences), the staff of Hinman College at Binghamton University have found a way to bring that inspirational quote to life that impacts the residential area, the campus community, the city of Binghamton, and the lives of our students.

Extended Session: A Necessary Commitment: Creating Collaborations that Consider Cultural Differences

Have you ever wondered why academic and student affairs partnerships can be so challenging to build or maintain? Have you wondered how you can be more effective working across your institution’s intercultural differences? This extended session program provides in-depth exploration of collegiate professional subcultures and assists practitioners in developing the workplace intercultural sensitivity necessary to improve and sustain student affairs/academic affairs collaborations.

Inclusion Matters:  Considering Identity, Intersectionality, and Borderlands for Student Success

Student Affairs professionals often say, “we are inclusive," but are we?  Exploring our own multiple identities, intersections, and borderlands can help us to be more authentic when working within these theoretical constructs.  This affects the way we each view the world and is critical in assisting our students with their exploration of the same.  Join us to collaborate about inclusion so we can be inspired to create a culture of affirmation which can help to influence and insure student success.

MTV, Millennials, and a Different Look at Social Justice Conversations

This session will explore how MTV’s “Look Different” campaign, which aims to challenge racial, gender, and anti-LGBT biases, can inform the design and creation of social justice training curriculum, and ultimately lead to a more accessible and engaging training for student leaders. Presenters will share “Look Different” resources and examine some of the lessons learned in the implementation of this curriculum. Attendees will be asked to collaborate and brainstorm ideas for curriculum using MTV’s “Look Different” campaign.

Creating Space for Collaborative Learning Partnerships in the Classroom

Student affairs practitioners are called upon to wear many “hats,” and often classroom instructor is one of these roles. Yet, higher education graduate programs rarely focus on teaching, and when presented with challenges, professionals do not know what pedagogical tools to use. This program will provide participants with knowledge about Kegan’s Orders of Consciousness, Baxter Magolda’s Learning Partnerships Model, and Berger’s Concept of Psychological Spaciousness to aid educators in their quest for creating transformative learning environments. 

Why Facilitate a Peer Education Program?

Peer education is growing in popularity across higher education. While research focuses on the benefits that student participants in peer education programs experience, this presentation will emphasize the professional competencies that are addressed by facilitating such a program. With an emphasis on Advising and Helping and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the presentation will allow attendees to hear first-hand accounts of the professional benefits of being a part of a peer education program.

Job 1, Job 2, Job 3, Oh My...Exploring the Not-So-Perfect-Anymore Career Trajectory

Graduate school-Check. Job One-Check. Craft professional development plan for the next five years - Question mark? Join the discussion on utilizing an individualized gap analysis tool to reflect on your passions in student affairs and explore skill sets and core competencies needed to pursue your next steps. During this session, you will not only assess your current goals, but you will acquire a tool kit which will empower you to seek skills needed for job two, job three, and beyond.

Career and Internship Preparation Courses, Reconsidered

Today’s career centers must balance demands for well-prepared students with limited human and financial resources. Internship and career preparation courses effectively deliver standardized, employer-endorsed content, engage students in their own professional development, provide opportunities for faculty-staff collaboration, and create teaching opportunities for staff while maximizing institutional resources. This presentation will share career course development, delivery, and assessment models from three unique institutions and invite participants to reconsider career development content delivery at their own institutions.

The ABCDE Framework for Sexual Assault Prevention 

This presentation introduces a straightforward framework for campus sexual assault prevention. The ABCDE framework consists of 5 elements: Alcohol, Bystander Intervention, Consent, Deconstructing Gender, and Ending Oppression. Drawing from best practices and research, the ABCDE framework is designed to fuse multiple approaches to address sexual assault. The framework also encourages campus to move beyond reactive and compliance-driven decision making to enact cultural changes and attack root issues of sexual assault. 

Stories From the Middle: Lessons on Leadership and Growth

This panel will weave together three themes present in the lives of many mid-level student affairs practitioners: reflections on advancement in student affairs, supervising and leading from the mid-level position, and balancing multiple roles, responsibilities and opportunities with our personal lives. Through this panel, we hope to demonstrate that mid-level student affairs practitioners have needs unique to their professional development track. This honest dialogue will incorporate stories and lessons learned from four professionals with varying institutional and national experience.  

Serving Undocumented Latino/a Students – Understanding Campus Climate 

Undocumented Latino/a college students are an often hidden student population, and hearing these students’ voices can help educators better serve this student population. The primary goal of this dissertation was to explore the experiences of undocumented Latino/a college students who demonstrate resilience while navigating higher education. This presentation focuses on the thread of the research findings regarding serving undocumented Latino/a students better by understanding their perceptions of campus climate. 

Create Your Own Post-Conference Experience

Authentic connections with other professionals are essential to our growth and development. During #ACPA14, Brene Brown inspired us to take an honest look at ourselves and embrace vulnerability. Five professionals across the country accepted this challenge through a weekly virtual book-club. The results were phenomenal. Participants will consider an ongoing dialogue after #ACPA15, connect with new colleagues, create a rare but needed post-conference space, and commit to making it happen. A weekly book club guide will be shared.

Engaging Graduate Students to Expand Sexual Violence Prevention Programs

Sexual violence is a pervasive public health issue on college campuses. Best-practices in SV prevention call for multiple-exposure education, delivered by well-trained facilitators. Given staffing limitations, the Respect Program systematically recruited advanced-degree seeking students into a cross-discipline coalition called Grads Against Violence (GAV). We transitioned several programs to GAV leadership throughout the semester to decrease staff workload. We found that graduate students were able to not only continue programs, but created new programs as a result of training they received as part of GAV. Lastly, implications for replicating this model at other universities are discussed.

Executive Coaching: Development. Performance. Transition. 

Executive Coaching principles were developed from interdisciplinary scholarship and practice both in nonprofit and for-profit work. While many successful companies hire internal and external executive coaches to increase performance, manage talent, or ease transition, higher education has largely been absent in this important area of talent management. The presenters make the case that because of the transient nature of student affairs professionals, executive coaching can be a useful tool for talent management in an ever-changing professional arena. 

College Success for First-generation, Low-Income Students in Higher Education

First-generation, low-income (FGLI) students remain an overlooked and underserved group in higher education, resulting in lower academic performance and retention and graduation rates than their non-FGLI counterparts. Mount Mary University’s Promise Program has improved the academic performance and retention of FGLI students through goal-setting, advising, and other academic and personal development workshops. This presentation will familiarize audience members with FGLI student characteristics, outline the key components of the Promise Program, and provide resources that attendees can use in their own college student personnel practice.   

Exceptional Practices #4:  Student Employees Building the Student Employment Experience

This exceptional practice highlights Student Life’s Student Employment Experience (SEE) at The Ohio State University. SEE strives to help students champion their own learning and provides opportunities to develop the transferable skills needed to succeed in their campus employment role, make connections to academic coursework, and prepare for future careers. Expanding to a division-wide pilot this year, SEE includes consistent learning outcomes, structured reflection, training resources, and assessment tools to engage student employees and their supervisors in this learning process.    

Engaging Student Employees in Skill Building in Off-Campus and Commuter Student Programming

The presentation examines two programs, aimed at off-campus and commuter student populations, that rely heavily on student employees. The programs are engaging in an iterative assessment and reflection process with the student employees to improve their employment experience and skill development, which will also benefit the overall success of the programs. The presentation will help attendees explore possible assessment and reflection activities on their campuses.   

Research Paper #13: Student Affairs Do I know you? Faculty and Student Affairs Awareness and Engagement with the 'Other'   

A Leadership Framework for Social Media Use in Student Affairs

LGBTQ SSAO Gathering

Join the discussion with LGBTQ SSAOs and aspiring SSAOs on creating an affinity group of ACPA's SSAO Advisory Board.  This group would be similar to the LGBTQ president's group and would support professional development of LGBTQ leaders in student affairs as they aspire to senior-level positions and offer visibility of its members as openly LGBTQ role models.  Purposes include building the pipeline of LGBTQ candidates for executive positions, offering workshops with practical advice for those who are in the job-search process, similar to what is available for other groups who are underrepresented in higher education, and having a group of colleagues to work with who have an understanding of LGBTQ issues.    

Commission for Recreation and Athletics Open Meeting

This business meeting is for our colleagues who work, study, or are interested in intercollegiate athletics or campus recreation. Agenda items include forming a new campus recreation committee and academic issues in intercollegiate athletics. 

Contemporary Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics and College Student Development

This session will feature a discussion with authors of an upcoming book that highlights current issues surrounding intercollegiate athletics and implications for college student development. 

Utilizing Personal Mission Statement to Uncover Your Core Values and Priorities

Many of us attend conferences like this one to gain some renewed energy for our careers and even our personal lives.  The aim of this session is to do just that – feed your fire through the creation of your own mission statement.  You will spend time thinking about and prioritizing your values and goals, and in the end you will leave with at least a draft of your own personal or professional statement.

Continuing the Conversation with Eboo Patel - Interfaith Leadership as a Civic Imperative

Accessibility: Making Your Presentations, Marketing & Websites Inclusive

Determine and improve accessibilty in your presentations, websites & social media through helpful tips, online links & software.