Welcome to the Student Affairs Family!

Congratulations on your decision to pursue a career in student affairs and higher education and welcome to your 2015-16 academic year! I’m sure you have already hit the ground running. As the largest student affairs professional association with more than 15,000 members, 25 percent of whom are students, I want to ensure that you see the relevance of NASPA at this stage in career, and help you see how NASPA can become your professional home.

Career Preparation and Job Resources

From a free for members basic-level student affairs professional competency web series to numerous programmatic opportunities and contests during October’s Careers in Student Affairs Month, NASPA’s Careers page shows you how we prepare you for the future no matter your professional level.

And if you are job searching this year, you need to come to The Placement Exchange: Indianapolis in March. The numbers and this infographic do not lie: The most candidates, employers, and jobs. Every Year. Every time. See why NASPA has continued its partnership with ACUHO-I, NACA, ASCA, NODA, AFA, and HigherEdJobs to provide The Placement Exchange online—"the place to be for student affairs job placement."

Scholarship and Research

NASPA’s three journals - Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education, and Journal of College and Character - are all available to members online and can serve as valuable resources in your course work.

Additionally, I want to call your attention to the latest work of our Research and Policy Institute (RPI) with “5 Things Student Affairs Professionals Should Know about Disability Law” published in June. Our 5 Things series offers succinct, research-based, actionable advice for improving professional practice and continuing professional development.

Building a Professional Library

On top of the journals and the RPI, NASPA offers a range of publications available to help you build your professional library. As one of the many benefits of membership, NASPA members receive discounts on NASPA publications. To get you started, you can take 20 percent off titles* at the NASPA bookstore. Simply enter discount code STU-15*. Additionally, there are a wide variety of resources available on the NASPA website, including seminal documents in the history of student affairs, from The Student Personnel Point of View (1937) to the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners.

Networking: One of the greatest advantages of belonging to a professional organization is the opportunity afforded to network with peers, colleagues, and leaders within the profession. The greatest opportunity for in-person networking is the NASPA Annual Conference, to be held March 12–16, 2016, in Indianapolis, IN. Scholarship opportunities will be available and announced in October.

But even before Indy, connect and learn from your colleagues through involvement in NASPA’s Constituent Groups, including  NASPA Knowledge Communities, including the New Professionals & Graduate Students Knowledge Community, and NASPA's social media outlets on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Leadership Opportunities

NASPA has various leadership opportunities available for graduate students, including the following:

• NASPA Graduate Associate Program: This program helps Masters-level graduate students to work collaboratively with other GAs throughout the world to become another communication conduit for NASPA events, publications, and programs offerings within a campus community.
• TPE Ambassador Program: This program creates opportunities for a graduate student from each university to see behind the scenes of The Placement Exchange.
• NASPA summer graduate internship: The student selected for this internship will gain valuable learning experiences and a deeper understanding of the role a national association plays.

In honor of Careers in Student Affairs Month, we are offering complimentary webinars and various contests. Make sure to take advantage of these opportunities.

Again, congratulations on taking the next step in your student affairs journey. We look forward to the contributions you will make in the field and look forward to supporting you as a NASPA member throughout every stage of your career.

Kevin Kruger, Ph.D.
President, NASPA

*Valid through 10/31/2015. Excludes shipping and handling; cannot be combined with other offers.