Career advancement in Student Affairs has long been framed as a ladder—but for many professionals today, the next rung feels increasingly difficult to see, understand, or pursue. As senior leadership roles grow in complexity and pressure, colleagues at the Director and AVP levels are asking important questions about preparation, sustainability, and whether advancement aligns with their values and lived realities.

This dialogue-centered conversation will briefly ground participants in key themes from Centering the Student Affairs Workforce, NASPA’s white paper focused on workforce wellbeing, sustainability, and the future of the profession. Members of the committee who contributed to the white paper will join the session as conversation partners, helping to connect the report’s insights to lived leadership experiences and career pathways.

Together, participants will explore how pathways to AVP and VPSA roles are communicated, modeled, and supported; the narratives we tell about senior leadership; and the structures that shape—or obscure—career visibility. Rather than offering prescriptive answers, this session creates space for honest reflection, shared learning, and collective responsibility for making the next rung—or two—more visible, transparent, and attainable.