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The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how mid-level student conduct professionals (SCPs) made meaning of their professional and mid-level leadership experiences during their institutions’ immediate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study draws on sensemaking as a theoretical lens and literature related to mid-level professionals and student conduct practice to ground its inquiry. Interview data was collected and analyzed from four senior-level student conduct professionals within a single State within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation region. Findings center on three key themes voiced by the participants: the importance of maintaining operational processes, feelings of middleness, and reflections on student and personal wellbeing. Discussion and implications for professionals and postsecondary organizations confronting the short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are offered. Here, we highlight the valuable roles student conduct professionals play within postsecondary organizational life and the need for greater attention to these practitioners in both research and practice.

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of collegiate environments and experiences on students’ development of innovation capacities over four years of college. Drawing on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework and reliable innovation measures, students from nine postsecondary institutions in North America were surveyed at three time points: first-year fall, first-year spring, and fourth-year spring. Data were comprehensively analyzed using a growth mixture modeling approach. Results suggest that being a transfer student and having sustained engagement with experiences that connect in-class and out-of-class learning were associated with a robust innovation growth trajectory over-and-above known covariates, including personality traits. Implications for research, theory, and practice are considered.

In an era of profound antisemitism, it is essential that higher education leaders and campus communities provide additional, direct support to Jewish students. In this space, we introduce recent literature on Jewish identity expressions and campus climates for bolstering Jewish appreciation in hopes of catalyzing necessary conversations with respect to Jewish students. We specifically consider Jewishness--its expressions(s) of religion, race, and ethnicity--as central aspects of students' college experiences and provide considerations for engaging the complexity of Jewish identity. Drawing on findings from a large-scale national study, we further suggest that climatic features which support Jewish appreciation (e.g., space for expression; productive interfaith exchange) not only benefit Jews, but all students. We then introduce practical recommendations along three areas: affirming Jewish identity expression, providing structural and organizational supports, and uncompromisingly combating antisemitism. We close on a hopeful tone that this piece can guide and motivate efforts toward repairing college communities for Jews and their allies.

Evidence firmly indicates that applied learning -- through problem-based approaches, community-based engagement, and/or cross-disciplinary collaborative actions -- provides distinctive and developmental benefits to students. Though applied learning has traditionally been facilitated in face-to-face contexts, the rise of online education, coupled with the pivot to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, make it necessary to consider how applied learning can effectively be delivered online. To better explore this contemporary educational reality, this paper seeks to accomplish three goals. First, we aim to establish a close linkage between applied learning and online education, delineating their connection as a high-quality and forward-looking practice. Second, we present a literature review that supports our initial claims and meaningfully synthesizes aspects of the applied learning and online education literature bases. Third, we provide initial coverage of practices -- some of which are borne directly from the COVID-19 pandemic -- that have proved beneficial in fostering applied learning and student development in online settings. We close with brief implications for future research and practice.

The purpose of this study is to understand the distinctive aspects of curricular spaces that bring together diverse disciplines by centering the voices of educators, with full recognition that these environments can inspire learning among both students and faculty. We interviewed eight faculty and one administrator from a mid-sized public university about their experiences with solo-taught interdisciplinary classes or transdisciplinary team-taught classes. We used a two-cycle, collaborative approach to analyze data. A philosophical/paradigmatic view toward teaching and learning emerged from our interviews that centered upon the importance of self-awareness, autonomy/ownership, learning with students, and integrative inquiry. We also discuss the thematic importance of 'space,' both organizationally and at a curricular level for the success of cross-disciplinary courses. Collectively, these findings offer a unique perspective on interdisciplinary learning by bringing together disparate conversations into a cohesive whole centered on alignment across paradigm, people, and places. We close by providing directions for practical implementation, theoretical development, and future research.

The purpose of this study was to understand what personal, environmental, and experiential aspects of undergraduate sorority engagement promote relational leadership development. A robust literature review and theories of relational leadership developed for application within the collegiate context provided the foundation for this inquiry. Through use of multilevel modeling, we analyzed a sample of 8,435 undergraduate National Panhellenic Conference sorority women from 172 institutions located within the United States. Results demonstrated the substantial importance of supportive sisterhood at both the individual and group level and showcased how variations in perceptions of sisterhood (e.g., accountability), student involvement (e.g., additional activities), and background characteristics (e.g., SES) affected undergraduate sorority members' relational leadership development. We close by discussing our findings and offering implications for future practice and research.