Experiences of post-traditional students in age-diverse student affairs preparation programmes

The value of lifelong learning and alterations in course delivery modes and programme structures of graduate education to include evening and weekend coursework have increased the presence of multiple generations in educational settings ( Sánchez & Kaplan, 2014 ). In a number of fields, such as business and public administration, age diversity in graduate education is common. Historically, for student affairs preparation programmes (SAPPs), however, age diversity was still not consistently seen across programmes. However, as age diversity increases in SAPPs as programmes restructure to appeal to students with a variety of life experiences, opportunities to embrace intergenerational learning become available. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 13 post-traditional master’s degree students in SAPPs across the U.S. to understand their experiences in a multigenerational academic programme and how they navigate generational difference. Three themes emerged: honouring lived experiences in the educational experience, generational differences in understanding diversity and social interactions across generations in a community of learners. Recommendations for SAPP faculty to negotiate generational differences in learning spaces are provided.

Teaching Trans*: Strategies and Tensions of Teaching Gender in Student Affairs Preparation Programs

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this article is to outline a pedagogical framework we as trans* educators utilize to center trans* identities and epistemologies in classrooms alongside graduate students. Background: Little has been written about the experiences of trans* educators in classroom spaces, in particular how gender mediates pedagogical approaches. Methodology : This article is conceptual in nature, and as such, does not draw on any particular methodology. Instead, we draw from our ongoing experiences as trans* educators in the classroom. Contribution: Due to the lack of theorizing or empirical work about trans* educators in classroom spaces, this article serves as an entry point into thinking what we as authors describe as ‘teaching trans*.” Findings: This article is broken into three theoretical components: teaching as trans*, teaching about trans*, and teaching with trans* epistemologies. Recommendations for Practitioners: Through this article, we as authors encourage practitioners to be aware of how gender is always already present in all spaces, including in classrooms. Thus, it becomes incumbent upon practitioners to use expansive notions of gender through pedagogical strategies, materials, and praxis. Recommendation for Researchers: This article promotes a deeper understanding of how one’s gender identity, expression, and/or embodiment mediates and can enhance classroom teaching. While this article starts to address an under-theorized and under-researched area of study, more should be done to address how gender influences pedagogy. Impact on Society: Due to the omnipresence of gender binary thinking, this article has implications not just for classroom spaces, but for student affairs graduate preparation programs, as well as society writ large. Future Research: This article opens the door for further research into student resistance to trans* and gender nonconforming educators’ pedagogy.

Using CAS Standards to Measure Learning Outcomes of Student Affairs Preparation Programs

A majority of recent graduates from master’s level student affairs preparation programs report having a clear understanding of 58 of 60 foundational learning outcomes derived from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) guidelines. While there were only two significant differences between selfreported learning of graduates from CAS compliant and non-compliant programs on 60 items, data suggest that recent graduates from CAS compliant programs report greater confidence in their preparation in 48 of the 60 outcomes presented in the questionnaire.