The ongoing youth mental health crisis and shortage of campus mental health clinicians have prompted investment in developing a peer support workforce in universities. The current study seeks to better understand the needs of this vulnerable, front-line workforce when they must both support their peers and care for themselves in times of crisis. The current study is an exploratory longitudinal investigation into the functioning of peer support workers at The University of Virginia before and after a shooting killed three students on campus in November of 2022. Peer support workers (N=42) and a comparison group of students (N=104) completed survey measures of mental health, connection, and other functioning, as well as open-ended reflections, in September and December 2022 (the shooting occurred November 2022). No significant changes in mental health were identified, and peer support workers' open-ended reflections did not contain any direct mention of the shooting or experiences supporting peers after the shooting. One relevant theme arose, reflecting on disruptions to the typical meeting schedule interrupting group progress. Results are interpreted as reflective of student resilience and the importance of prioritizing collective healing following violence on campus.
Abstract: This basic interpretive qualitative study explores the multiple levels of context in which Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) Master’s programs exist and how those levels of context influence curriculum development and teaching. Utilizing interviews with 44 HESA faculty members across the United States and Canada, findings illustrate how concrete curricular choices are embedded in and shaped by relationships between institutional, profession, and policy contexts. These levels of context exist within even broader sociocultural and temporal contexts. These findings have implications for how HESA faculty members navigate, the often bureaucratic nature of, curriculum development processes as they train student affairs practitioners for the professional problems of the future.
Abstract: College students experience healthcare insecurities, with underinsurance and limited care options highly prevalent. The current study measured the prevalence of delaying care, the relationship between delaying care and mental health outcomes, and the role of using university health services (UHSs) in a sample of n = 498 college students. Participants reported whether they delayed healthcare due to cost or insurance and their use of UHSs. Mental health outcomes included screening positive for depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation. Overall, 36.9% of participants delayed healthcare in the past 12 months, and 38.8% reported using UHSs. Delaying care was associated with higher odds of screening positive for depression (ORadjusted[95%CI] = 2.79 [1.81,4.31]), anxiety (ORadjusted [95%CI] = 2.58 [1.68,3.98]), and suicide ideation (ORadjusted [95%CI] = 4.14 [2.12,8.11]), although there was no significant relationship with using UHSs. Universities should consider improving logistics, access, and service quality of UHSs or improved access to off-campus services.
Abstract: Student mental health has declined in recent years, particularly among minoritized and first-generation students, yet research on their help-seeking behaviors is limited. This study aims to address these gaps by examining help-seeking attitudes, styles, and sources in college students, with a focus on minoritized groups. A total of 206 self-identified Black, Latine, and White students (72.5% female), aged 18 to 24 (M = 20.07, SD = 1.49), from a large university in Texas, U.S. participated in the study. Data were collected through online surveys assessing help-seeking behaviors. The results revealed that first-generation students exhibited significantly higher avoidant help-seeking styles, with no significant differences between ethnically minoritized and general student populations in their help-seeking styles. This study highlights the need for continued exploration in the role that college settings, ethnicity, and first-generation status may or may not play in mental health help-seeking behaviors.
Abstract: Previous research on preparation for the VPSA role has emphasized career progression rather than participation in professional development activities. This study aimed to explore the perceived effectiveness of 11 different professional development activities across 8 of the NASPA/ACPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators in preparing them for the VPSA role. VPSAs gave high effectiveness ratings for discussions with colleagues and mentoring as professional development activities. Relationships were also crucial in professional development choices, with recommendations from colleagues and mentors being common ways to find out about and choose professional development activities. The findings offer insights for emerging student affairs leaders, institutions, and professional associations seeking to enhance preparation for future VPSAs.
Abstract: The lived experiences of active-duty military students are currently silenced in higher education by assumptions and a lack of knowledge surrounding their individuality. Researchers undertook a phenomenological qualitative study on the experience of active-duty military undergraduates at a mid-sized four-year regional public university in the Southern region of the United States. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and supplementary surveys with four active-duty military students. The data revealed that individual identities influenced participants’ meaning-making of activation, mobilization, and orders during an academic period. The obligations created by their dual identities of service members and college students forced participants to make sacrifices and decisions that made one identity more salient than the other. Four themes emerged from the data: (a) military over academics, (b) communication, (c) negative experiences and emotions, and (d) financial motivation and implications. Implications for research and practice related to isolated support structures, discrepancies in communication, academic hardships, and problematic grouping are discussed.
Abstract: This basic qualitative study was part of a larger research project and specifically explored the experiences of 10 seasoned student affairs professionals from four-year universities who overcame obstacles associated with COVID-19. Participants in this study contemplated leaving student affairs due to poor job factors, feeling devalued, stressful decisions regarding personnel, and the added pressure of building their pandemic response plan as it unfolded. Despite these considerations, this study found that nearly all participants exhibited gritty behaviors (e.g., passion and perseverance) that motivated their persistence in the field. This study also identified trends that future student affairs leaders should consider addressing when planning for the longevity of the student affairs workforce. These considerations include aligning workplace and workforce expectations and setting realistic expectations between employees and organizations when it comes to organizational decision-making.
Abstract: Drawing from focus group interviews with rural students at a highly selective university, this article underscores the importance of the notion that the college transition serves as a key moment of rural consciousness. Bringing together the perspectives of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Schlossberg’s transition theory, the findings from this study suggest students’ academic and social experiences may differ across institutional types. As colleges strive to diversify their student bodies and promote inclusivity, insights from the study of rural students can inform the development of effective retention and support strategies.
Abstract: College students are experiencing a decrease in life satisfaction in recent years. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between informal recreation participation and college students’ life satisfaction. This study involved eighteen (n=18) undergraduate college students who participated in unstructured, individual (i.e., informal) recreational activities at least once per week. Using semi-structured interviews, this qualitative study explored the relationship between informal recreation and life satisfaction from the lens of the Inter-association Definition of Well-being (IDW) Framework designed by NIRSA, NASPA, and ACHA. College students attributed their informal recreation participation to an improvement in life satisfaction and academic success. Findings support the importance of collaborations between campus recreation, student health centers, counseling centers, health promotion, athletics, building and grounds, information technology, and faculty and administrators in academic affairs to address college students’ lack of life satisfaction.
Abstract: Using data from a longitudinal study on a first-year program for college Students of Color, this study examines students’ purposeful engagement in extracurricular activities. We engage Bourdieu’s Social Reproduction Theory to understand how students’ existing capital and new forms of capital were acquired and nurtured through their student involvement. We explored what attracts students to organizational opportunities and what keeps them engaged in these organizations. Findings showed the importance of connections with other minoritized students in dominant spaces, organizational values and racial capital, and access to spaces that provided resources and professional development. Implications for research, practice, and theory are discussed.
Abstract: Higher education and student affairs (HESA) graduate students share similar experiences to medical students to find their professional specialty during their training. This study uses a professional socialization framework to understand how 13 HESA master’s-level students at a large research institution in the Midwest determine their preferred functional area for the first full-time role. Utilizing thematic analysis on document and interview data, four themes emerged related to pre-HESA program mentorship; exposure to and experiences in functional areas; feeling connected to others through identities and lived experiences; and the student-facing versus non-student-facing nature of HESA work. These findings raise implications for faculty and supervisors to tailor coursework and fieldwork that optimize exposure to and reflections on a variety of functional areas. Recommendations for future research address additional internal and external motivations of HESA graduate students in determining their specialty choice in the profession.
Abstract: Research has found that cocurricular and extracurricular activity and social support minimize depression and anxiety symptoms in college student populations. However, no studies have examined the interaction between social support and co-/extracurriculars in predicting mental illness. We collected self-report data from college seniors (N = 607) at a private Christian institution on involvement in various co-/extracurricular activities, social support from adults and peers, and depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Main effects indicated that sports/exercise and peer support were associated with lower levels of all three mental illness symptoms. Moderated regression analyses found three significant interactions. Staff support moderated the association between church attendance and depression, faculty support moderated the association between socializing with friends and anxiety, and non-university-affiliated adult support moderated the association between sports/exercise and anxiety symptoms. These results suggest that the mental health benefits of participating in certain activities may be enhanced by different sources of social support.
Abstract: Our study explored the lived experiences of international graduate students (IGS) at a predominantly white institution (PWI) in the U.S. Using semi-structured focus group interviews rooted in desire-based narrative inquiry, we engaged about 20% of our university’s IGS from diverse backgrounds, spanning master’s and doctoral levels, representing 12 countries and 5 continents, and encompassing various nationalities, ethnicities, and religious affiliations. Through four interviews, we uncovered recurring, overlapping themes related to participants’ triumphs and challenges. A shared narrative emerged across participants and groups, highlighting how duration of stay, cultural perceptions, English proficiency, and academic environment intertwine to shape their journey. We translated these insights into culturally humble recommendations for university administrators and policymakers, aimed at refining the IGS experience through shared governance and fostering a holistic environment of growth and inclusion. A unique characteristic of this research is that this study has been conducted by IGS for fellow IGS.
Abstract: Students from marginalized religious backgrounds face myriad challenges on college and university campuses, and negative effects are especially pronounced for Muslim students. Wearing hijab can put college students at a greater risk of marginalization amidst a climate of Islamophobia. Although there is a growing body of research on Muslim college student experiences, there is a more limited exploration of hijabi students’ experiences. In this exploratory online survey study (n=41), we sought to understand experiences of belonging and Islamophobia among hijabi Muslim students across the United States. We adopted a critical quantitative approach, specifically interested in the connection of hijabi students’ sense of belonging, social adjustment, and experiences of microaggressions to their adherence to the Islamic dress code, membership in a Muslim student organization (MSA), and identifying with a minoritized racial group. We found that more modest dress was associated with lower perceived support from peers and faculty, while reported microaggressions were negatively related to faculty empathy. The strongest effects were involvement in MSA on social adjustment, and having a white identity on perceived faculty support. This study contributes to our understanding of the role of student affairs professionals, faculty, and higher education administrators in supporting hijabi students to succeed as their whole authentic selves.
Abstract: The first two seasons of television series The Sex Lives of College Girls (Kaling & Noble, 2021a, 2022a) explore the relationship between four roommates over the course of their first year at Essex college. The main characters navigate transition issues including interpersonal relationships, social life, academics, student development and growth, and financial issues. The show also explores larger social issues such as sex and sexuality, identity, privilege, college access, community, and belonging. The series raises issues particularly salient for student and academic affairs professionals with student-facing positions and responsibilities.
Abstract: Student Affairs Professionals of Color (SAPC) serve a critical role in the field of higher education. Using a phenomenological approach, this study gathered data from semi-structured interviews with eight SAPC from various backgrounds and institutions. Findings from this study illuminated how the participating SAPC experienced code-switching, student affairs fatigue, and professional crossroads. This study revealed a trend in which SAPC felt a lack of fulfillment and encountered unmet expectations in the profession. This research offers key recommendations for future exploration and practice to improve the field of student affairs and higher education for SAPC.
Abstract: This exploratory embedded case study examined the personal and professional social media use of entry-level student affairs professionals at four campuses from a state university system. Bounded by the profession of student affairs, this study focused on how entry-level student affairs professionals used social media platforms. Findings suggest that most entry-level professionals do not enter student affairs ready or willing to engage university communities on social media platforms and their respective campuses and graduate programs are not preparing them to do so. Study participants largely lacked a professional digital identity and were somewhat reticent about developing a robust professional digital identity. Contributing to their hesitancy, participants described their digital baggage – a collection of social media or social media-connected experiences that consciously or unconsciously influence personal or professional social media use.
