As a concept, strategic planning promises opportunities for an organization to become more successful by assessing the future, setting goals, and devising ways to bring about those goals (Dooris, Kelley, & Trainer, 2004). This intentionality is critical in all types of functional areas and at all levels of organizations. However, in practice, strategic planning is often confusing given the number of models, methods, ideas, tools, and procedures. Confusion can also set in when professionals try to adapt a strategic planning process from a business centered field to student affairs. These challenges and countless external pressures make it difficult to successfully develop and implement a strategic plan in a unit, and/or for a division. 

Given these challenges, this presentation's intent is to initiate a conversation about a strategic planning model that works for student affairs. Specifically, the primary goal of this session is to develop, through discussion and application, the skills needed to successfully begin a strategic plan in an individual unit and/or for a student affairs division. The program has three additional goals; (1) develop an understanding of how to use assessment findings in a strategic plan; (2) evaluate frameworks and determine which framework is most applicable to their organization; and (3) the consideration of psychology and behavior that supports the successful development of a strategic plan. Covering each of these goals is critical given the growing need for strategic thinking and planning for all professionals.

Dooris, M. J., Kelley, J. M. and Trainer, J. F. (2004). Strategic planning in higher education. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2004, 5-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.115

Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will understand strategic planning in the student affairs assessment context.

2. Participants will learn about different strategic planning frameworks.

3. Participants will practice applying strategic planning frameworks in their own workplace.

The current higher education landscape demands an integrated and collaborative approach to support student success and engagement. Unfortunately, student affairs professionals often face challenges due to working in isolated departments. By breaking down these barriers, professionals can create a unified and student-centric campus environment. The presenters will address organizational silos and offer strategies for student affairs professionals to foster cross-functional collaborations.

The presenters will explore practical strategies to build relationships across campus and foster collaboration among different departments. Using these strategies, student affairs professionals can enhance student support services and programs, improving student success and engagement. Throughout the session, we will highlight the importance of effective communication in fostering cross-functional collaborations. Active listening and empathetic dialogue are essential for building relationships and promoting cooperation among diverse campus stakeholders. "Lack of effective communication can perpetuate organizational silos, hindering collaboration and impeding student success" (Johnson & Smith, 2018, p. 42).

We will also emphasize the significance of leveraging existing networks and platforms within the campus community. Engaging in committees, task forces, and online communities can facilitate connections and create opportunities for collaboration across departments. "Utilizing existing networks and platforms fosters connections and cooperation among diverse campus departments, breaking down silos" (Brown & Wilson, 2019, p. 75). The presenters will discuss the importance of effective leadership as a crucial role in driving collaboration and breaking down silos. We will discuss leadership strategies for promoting a shared vision, advocating for cross-functional teamwork, and cultivating a culture of collaboration. "Leadership that promotes a shared vision, and a culture of collaboration can break down silos and foster cross-functional teamwork" (Miller & Davis, 2020, p. 102).

Real-life examples of successful cross-functional collaborations in student affairs will be shared, showcasing innovative programs and partnerships that have positively impacted student success and engagement. These examples will inspire and give attendees practical insights to implement in their institutions. The presenters will provide opportunities for participant involvement, including discussion and effective practice sharing. Participants will have the chance to share their own experiences and ideas, facilitating a collaborative learning environment. This presentation will equip student affairs professionals with practical strategies to break down organizational silos and build cross-functional collaborations. By fostering relationships across campus, professionals can create an integrated, student-centered environment that enhances student success and engagement.

Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will understand the concept of organizational silos and their impact on student affairs professionals and student success.

2. Participants will recognize the benefits of cross-functional collaborations in student affairs for fostering student success and engagement.

3. Participants will recognize the importance of leadership in promoting a shared vision and cultivating a culture of collaboration.

4. Participants will identify and leverage existing networks and platforms within the campus community to foster collaboration and break down silos.

The goal of this webinar is to enhance participants' capacity to address religious, secular, and spiritual (RSS) inclusion on campus. Participants will learn about relevant dimensions of the campus and engage with a tool to assess how welcoming a campus climate is for diverse worldviews. Participants will learn how to help their colleges and universities identify areas for continued improvement.

The notion of “welcoming” is both perceptual and affective. In the context of RSS diversity, it is a measure of how receptive students feel the campus is to people of different faith and non-faith-based traditions (e.g., atheists, Buddhists, evangelical Christians, Hindus, Jews, Latter-day Saints, and Muslims). The INSPIRES Index was created using data gathered through the Interfaith Diversity Experiences and Attitudes Longitudinal Survey (IDEALS) and provides research-based benchmarking and recommendations to institutions. In this session, we'll explore the background research, introduce the assessment tool, and provide tips from partner campuses on how to use "assessment as intervention" to align your institution with best practices.

Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will be exposed to leading research related to campus religious diversity and the student experience.

2. Participants will evaluate some of their own campus' practices by taking a portion of the Index.

3. Participants will identify the next steps for using assessment to drive institutional change.

We will examine the unique challenges faced by asexual individuals, particularly regarding sexual and interpersonal violence. We will highlight how asexuality is often erased, or even ostracized within queer communities, leading to misconceptions and a lack of visibility that can leave survivors without adequate support. By addressing these intersections, we aim to foster a more inclusive conversation around consent, trauma, and identity, ultimately advocating for a more supportive environment for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Learning Outcomes

• Define asexuality, recognize prevalent misconceptions, and assess current representation in media and culture to deepen understanding of its visibility within the LGBTQ+ community. 
• Understand the impact of erasure on conversations around sexual violence and interpersonal dynamics in the Ace community, exploring the unique vulnerabilities asexual individuals face.
• Identify actionable strategies to support asexual individuals in queer spaces, including inclusive language and practices, while amplifying asexual voices in advocacy to foster inclusive, supportive communities.

Continuing Education Credits

Participants who complete the course will be eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits in the Core Student Affairs Educator Certification (CSAEd™) and Social Justice and inclusion (CSAEd SJI) continuing education. 

NASPA has been approved by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification to provide CE credit for Certified Student Affairs Educators (CSAEd). NASPA is solely responsible for all aspects of this program.

Guidelines for earning CE credit

1 CE is awarded for attending this live session OR watching it on-demand for ONE category of Continuing Education. You cannot receive more than 1 credit hour total. 

No partial credit will be rewarded. 

To receive CSAEd credit, attendees must complete the Feedback Survey in the online event offering the credit. Once the survey is completed, your Certificate will be available in the event modules. The Credit Certificate, which will show the event, date and credit earnings, is available for download and/or print from the event or your Dashboard on the Online Learning Community.

When it comes to working in the sexual violence field, we are inundated with conflicting messages about how we should act in order to make political change, build community, and support survivors. These conflicting pressures contribute feelings of burnout and generally make doing this work so damn hard. During this workshop, we will explore how the myth of the perfect victim makes us feel like there is a “right way” to show up in this work, how we navigate pressures to perform our trauma in order to build survivor community, and how we can support one another finding our own paths forward. Alisa will draw upon her own experiences being a public survivor and writing Healing Honestly to illustrate how to celebrate each of us finding our own way to show up in this field. Together, we will reframe what authenticity can mean to each of us as we find ways to do our work as sustainably and effectively as possible.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify and contextualize the pressures we experience around professionalism and trauma 
• Analyze how the myth of the perfect victim impacts people working in the sexual trauma field
• Gain a creative and expansive understanding of what authenticity in our work can mean to each of us
• Cultivate community and shared wisdom amongst fellow professionals who are navigating how to show up in an effective and sustainable way. 

Continuing Education Credits

Participants who complete the course will be eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits in the Core Student Affairs Educator Certification (CSAEd™) continuing education. 

NASPA has been approved by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification to provide CE credit for Certified Student Affairs Educators (CSAEd). NASPA is solely responsible for all aspects of this program.

Guidelines for earning CE credit

1 CE is awarded for attending this live session only for ONE category of Continuing Education. You cannot receive more than 1 credit hour total. 

No partial credit will be rewarded. 

To receive CSAEd credit, attendees must complete the Feedback Survey in the online event offering the credit. Once the survey is completed, your Certificate will be available in the event modules. The Credit Certificate, which will show the event, date and credit earnings, is available for download and/or print from the event or your Dashboard on the Online Learning Community.

This webinar will offer a primer on how the First Amendment comes into play in the public square on a public university’s campus. Following the establishment of a legal and policy foundation, presenters will offer a framework to explore the creation, implementation, and outcomes of an effective First Amendment and Student Activism Task Force. The overarching goal of the presentation is to position attendees to lead and participate in meaningful institutional evolutions that can address the many competing demands related to free speech on public campuses. Learned skills will include consideration of the equitable implementation of the protocol, development of user-friendly educational resources, communications strategies, legal implications, safety, finances, planning, logistics, and community relations.

Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will understand how federal law narrows to policy and practice within public postsecondary education. Session attendees will receive resources for consideration in educating their campus population on freedom of expression rights law.

2. Participants will examine a model for institutional and community engagement that can lead to enhanced collaboration, understanding, and alignment amongst parties impacted by public square speech in postsecondary education.

3. Participants will complete a worksheet to help them think about which stakeholders to engage on their campus and what areas they should examine to determine if their practices and policies align with law and their campus values.

4. Participants will engage in dialogue to identify culturally responsive practices that can help guide institutional strategy when addressing the complexities of freedom of expression on campus in postsecondary education.

Predictive analytics continue to have an increased focus on the tools we purchase and the initiatives we support. More and more frequently, stakeholders at many levels of the organization want to know the return on investment in initiatives, which students are at risk of stopping out or otherwise failing to finish, and whether outcomes are equivalent across different demographics of students. The focus of many of these models is on academic data about student performance or student demographic characteristics. While these elements are important, research suggests that co-curricular activities outside the classroom may have a more lasting effect on students. Along with improving retention and academic success, co-curricular activities have been shown to enhance career readiness and development. Adding these data to predictive models thus provides a more well-balanced view of the student experience and can provide insight into which activities are most impactful.

This lecture will walk attendees through the process of developing a useful predictive model and provide a summary of the results of a machine learning model that includes academic, demographic, and co-curricular elements about students. Presenters will provide the pros and cons of using such data, a case study review of how results were used to impact campus initiatives, the impacts of these initiatives on student success metrics, and suggestions for future adjustments to the model.

Learning Outcomes 

1. Participants will identify a variety of co-curricular practices that have a positive impact on student success metrics.

2. Participants will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of using co-curricular data in predictive models.

NASPA has been approved by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification to provide CE credit for Certified Student Affairs Educators (CSAEd). NASPA is solely responsible for all aspects of this program. Participants who complete the course will be eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits in the Core Student Affairs Educator Certification (CSAEd).

Guidelines for earning CE credit:
1 CE is awarded for attending this live session OR on-demand for ONE category of Continuing Education. You can not receive more than 1 credit hour total.

No partial credit will be rewarded.

To receive CSAEd credit, attendees must complete the Feedback Survey in the online event offering the credit. Once the survey is completed, your Certificate will be available in the event modules for you to download at your convenience.

Introduction 

Prepare to become a Certified Student Affairs Educator with the NASPA Certification Exam Prep Course! This five-week exam prep program for the Certified Student Affairs Educator Core Exam includes four live, moderated study sessions plus a library of on-demand and self-paced exam prep resources. Through this enhanced exam prep program, you will have the opportunity to connect with other prospective certificants, learn from colleagues who have taken and passed the exam, and brush up on your student affairs knowledge and skills through a series of self-paced study modules.

The Certification Exam Prep Course is available at a member rate of $75 for members of ACUHO-I, ACUI, AFA, ASCA, NACA, NASPA, and NIRSA, and a general non-member rate of $175. Participants will need to create a free NASPA account and complete a short registration in order to access the course, which is hosted in the NASPA Online Learning Community.

About

The course combines a variety of synchronous and asynchronous learning and study opportunities designed to prepare prospective Certified Student Affairs Educators for all aspects of the exam. Live sessions in weeks 2-5 include a kickoff session, two open study halls, and a wrap-up session. In between these live sessions, there are eight self-paced study modules based on the Student Affairs Educator Certification Domains, which also form the basis of the exam. Each module includes an on-demand recording and accompanying slide deck, a list of additional resources, and an ungraded quiz of example questions to test your knowledge. All self-paced elements of the course are optional and can be done at any time and in any order, allowing you to choose whatever is most helpful for your own individual exam preparation. We recommend completing the self-study elements each week in order to keep your exam prep on schedule.

Course Syllabus

Week 1: January 27-31

Self-paced Pre-work Module: Get Ready to Get Certified!

This optional pre-work module includes on-demand recordings of general information sessions about Student Affairs Educator Certification and the test-taking experience, and a self assessment help you plan your exam prep efforts.

Week 2: February 3-7

Live Session: Certification Exam Prep Course Kickoff | Tuesday, February 4, 1:00-2:00pm Eastern

Self-paced Study Module: Foundations of the Profession Domain

Self-paced Study Module: Student Learning, Development, and Success Domain

Week 3: February 10-14 

Live Session: Open Study Hall | Tuesday, February 11, 1:00-2:00pm Eastern

Self-paced Study Module: Assessment and Evaluation Domain

Self-paced Study Module: Social Justice and Inclusion Domain

Week 4: February 17-21

Live Session: Open Study Hall | Tuesday, February 18, 1:00-2:00pm Eastern

Self-paced Study Module: Leadership Domain

Self-paced Study Module: Talent Management Domain

Week 5: February 24-28

Live Session: Certification Exam Prep Course Wrap-up | Tuesday, February 25, 1:00-2:00pm Eastern

Self-paced Study Module: Crisis and Risk Management Domain

Self-paced Study Module: Financial and Facility Management Domain

Winter Exam Cycle

Getting your exam date on the calendar is a great way to stay motivated. Apply to take the exam as part of your exam prep efforts! 

Applications open: January 1 - February 14
Exam period: February 17 - March 31

Course Details

Access to self-paced elements will open on January 27, 2025. The first live session will be held on February 4 at 1:00pm Eastern Time. All live session times are listed in Eastern Time. Live sessions will be discussion-based and will not be recorded.

Following the conclusion of the live sessions, the self-paced elements of the course will remain available to you for one year. For the duration of the year, you may also choose to roll your registration forward into the next course (winter, spring, summer, fall) to participate in additional live sessions. 

Questions? For technical assistance, please reach out to us at virtuallearning@naspa.org. For content-based questions, please email tgillmor@naspa.org. 

Although research has focused on first-generation undergraduate college students, the graduate journey of first-generation students now in graduate school (FGGS) is still nascent. This webinar will bridge this gap by drawing on new research on the experience of FGGS with specific implications for practice. Drawing on data from “Decoding the Academy: A Roadmap for First-generation College Students Through Graduate Education”, (https://firstgen.naspa.org/files/dmfile/2024-FGF-Decoding-the-Academy.pdf) an e-book publication with FirstGen Forward as a companion pedagogical tool, we begin by contextualizing the unique challenges and triumphs faced by FGGS navigating graduate school. 

Pairing research with practice, we will also share examples of institutional efforts at the Boston University Newbury Center (https://www.bu.edu/newbury-center/) and the University of Minnesota’s First Gen Institute (https://firstgen.umn.edu/about/first-gen-institute) to demonstrate how to scaffold specific supports for first-gen students in practical ways. We offer key questions around definitions, data collection so that participants can frame the experience of FGGS at their respective institutions. Using qualitative data and examples from the field, we contextualize the lived experiences of these students and provide templates and recommendations for practice. 

Participants will leave with tools to identify and examine their own practices to support FGGS at institutional, programmatic and pedagogical levels.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will:

• understand the experience of first-gen plus graduate students;
• identify hidden curriculum and systemic barriers for first-gen graduate students; and
• be given templates for institutional efforts to support first-gen graduate students.

National data consistently shows that graduate and professional students face higher rates of sexual harassment and have lower awareness of on-campus resources. This webinar will present key findings from a 2021 sexual assault climate survey conducted at a large public research institution in the Midwest, focusing specifically on graduate and professional students, who comprised 19.6% of the total sample. Findings reveal that 39% of graduate and professional students reported experiencing at least one incident of sexual harassment by a university employee since enrolling, with 45% identifying a faculty member as the perpetrator. Examining data on graduate and professional student survivors’ experiences and challenges within the campus environment offers critical insights for student affairs professionals to enhance prevention, advocacy, and response efforts.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment among graduate and professional students, including specific risks posed by university employees.
2. Identify key barriers faced by graduate and professional student survivors in accessing on-campus resources and support.
3. Develop evidence-based strategies to improve prevention, advocacy, and response efforts for graduate and professional student survivors within campus environments.

Continuing Education Credits

Participants who complete the course will be eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits in the Core Student Affairs Educator Certification (CSAEd™) continuing education. 

NASPA has been approved by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification to provide CE credit for Certified Student Affairs Educators (CSAEd). NASPA is solely responsible for all aspects of this program.

Guidelines for earning CE credit

1 CE is awarded for attending this live session OR watching it on-demand for ONE category of Continuing Education. You cannot receive more than 1 credit hour total. 

No partial credit will be rewarded. 

To receive CSAEd credit, attendees must complete the Feedback Survey in the online event offering the credit. Once the survey is completed, your Certificate will be available in the event modules. The Credit Certificate, which will show the event, date and credit earnings, is available for download and/or print from the event or your Dashboard on the Online Learning Community.