Small Colleges and Universities Division
Small Colleges and Universities Division AVP or "Number Two" Mid-Level New Professional Senior Level VP for Student Affairs
The Small Colleges and Universities Division provides leadership in higher education to promote understanding of small college and university missions, challenges, and opportunities. The Division ensures that NASPA's programmatic and policy directions appropriately respond to small institutions – defined as those enrolling less than 5,000 students – and their unique needs.
Message from the Division Director
Colleagues,
A BIG hello and welcome from the Small Colleges and Universities (SCU) Division!
The SCU Division is intended to be a supportive community for anyone working at a small college and university to engage in professional development, dialogue relevant to SCUs, and resource sharing.
From the Early Career Development Institute, the bi-annual M. Ben Hogan Small Colleges and Universities Institute, the book Small and Mighty: Student Affairs at Small Colleges and Universities, to monthly spotlights recognizing exceptional staff;, the SCU Division is here for YOU!
The Small Colleges and Universities represent the largest constituency of institutions within NASPA. As the Vice President of Student Affairs at Goucher College, I understand the vast opportunities and complexities of being at a small college. Thereby, it is my humbled honor to serve as your division director.
Dr. Aarika C. Camp, Vice President of Student Affairs, Goucher College
Advisory Board
NASPA's Small Colleges and Universities Division is led by an advisory board comprised of student affairs professionals from small colleges and universities located throughout all of NASPA's seven regions. They are eager to hear from you and to get you connected with the Division's membership and initiatives.
Early Career Development Institute
NASPA's Small Colleges and Universities (SCU) Division is proud to offer this low-cost and high-quality programming to professionals in the early stages of their career. SCUs have very unique needs and often have limited resources devoted to professional development for staff.
The Early Career Development Institute (ECDI) is a signature initiative to provide new, full-time professionals in their first three (3) years in the field an opportunity to connect with peers and senior staff members at SCUs and to explore specific competencies essential for practitioners.
The ECDI program will connect a cohort of professionals to attend monthly webinars to discuss issues, trends, and promising practices within the field. Participants will additionally be matched in a group with a senior-level staff member to serve as their coach. Each group will have time allotted in the monthly webinars to debrief and reflect on the topic at hand.
Institute Goals
- To provide opportunities for new professionals to network via a virtual platform with early career professionals at small colleges and universities across the county.
- To provide coaching opportunities for early-career professionals with senior-level student affairs professionals who have demonstrated a significant professional commitment to the field of student affairs.
- To provide purposeful opportunities for personal goal setting and self-reflection.
- To provide participants with online development offerings, which run from October to June. Each session will be focused on a specific content area and presented by a practitioner with expertise in that topic.
Institute Curriculum
Institute participants will attend online professional development sessions that address the following topics:
- Communicating with different campus constituents
- Managing, leading, and navigating institutional politics
- Engaging faculty
- Enrollment, persistence, and completion
- Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
- Careers in higher education
- Professionalism in the workplace
- And Much More!
ECDI Participant Requirements
ECDI participants must:
- Be within their first three years in a full-time professional position in Student Affairs.
- Work at a small college or university (defined as less than 5,000 FTE students)
- Be a NASPA member
- Provide a letter of support from their current supervisor in support of their participation in ECDI
- Provide a current resume
Senior-level Coach Requirements
ECDI senior-level coaches must:
- Hold a position at the director level or higher at a small college or university with fewer than 5,000 students.
- Meet not less frequently than monthly by phone or videoconference with their assigned early career cohort member.
- Complete the Early Career Development Institute Coach Interest Form
Institute Fee
The participation fee for the institute is $50.00. Selected participants will be directed to the online fee collection process after being selected. There is no fee to apply. (Coaches do not pay any fees.)
Apply!
Applications for the 2025-2026 ECDI cohort here.
Questions?
If you have questions about this program or the process, please contact Danielle Nesselbush, Dean of Students at D’Youville University ([email protected]), and Matt Sullivan, Engagement Coordinator at Edgewood University ([email protected]).
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2026 NASPA M. Ben Hogan Small Colleges and Universities Institute
Registration is now open!
📍 Sarah Lawrence College | Bronxville, NY (just outside of New York City)
📅 June 21–24, 2026
Hosted biennially by NASPA’s Small Colleges and Universities Division, the M. Ben Hogan Small Colleges Institute is a highly engaging and tailored experience designed for senior student affairs leaders shaping the future of their campuses. Over the course of the Institute, participants will dig into the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing small colleges today—while exploring innovative strategies, exchanging ideas, and building meaningful connections with peers who truly understand the unique context of their work.
The Institute schedule features a combination of expert-led sessions focused on the most pressing issues of 2026 and flexible community sessions that allow participants to explore real-time challenges and share insights drawn from their own campus contexts.
At its core, this Institute is built for leaders at small colleges and universities—typically defined as institutions with 5,000 students or fewer. That said, if you see yourself in this experience and believe it will support your professional growth, you are welcome to join us.
This experience is intentionally designed for senior-level student affairs professionals, including vice presidents for student affairs (or equivalent roles) and those who report directly to them with broad, division-level leadership responsibilities. If your role includes overseeing multiple functional areas and contributing to the strategic direction of student affairs, you’ll be right at home here.
Attendees can choose to stay on-campus—where housing includes a private bedroom within a shared apartment-style suite—or at the nearby Hyatt Place for added comfort and privacy. The hotel is within walking distance to campus, and a complimentary shuttle is also available.
Your registration also includes several shared meals, creating natural opportunities to continue conversations and deepen connections throughout the experience. Included meals are:
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Sunday: dinner
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Monday: breakfast, a snack, and lunch
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Tuesday: breakfast, a snack, lunch, and dinner
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Wednesday: breakfast
Come ready to think big, challenge assumptions, and connect with a community of leaders who are as passionate about student success as you are.
Events
One of the best resources available to you is the wide range of professional development opportunities. This list contains both our “Hosted Events,” workshops and webinars that we plan and manage, and some “Related Events,” hosted by the NASPA Central Office or other NASPA Constituent Groups. To see a full listing of NASPA events, please see the Events page.
NASPA Small Colleges and Universities Professional Award
We are now accepting nominations for the 2025 NASPA SCU Professional Award.
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This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to NASPA and/or the profession specifically at small colleges and universities (enrollment less than 5,000 students). Student Affairs professionals in all positions are eligible for this award.
Eligibility requirements:
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Demonstrates active involvement with the profession and the small colleges and universities division
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Contributed to creating a campus environment that promotes student learning and personal development
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Outstanding individual contribution in innovative and responsive services and programs that address varied and emerging needs of students at a small college or university
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A minimum of five (5) years of experience in student affairs
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All professional positions are eligible for this award
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Active individual NASPA membership
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Current employment at, or recently retired from, a small college or university in a NASPA Region
How to nominate someone:
- Please submit your nomination here
- Deadline: Wednesday, October 9
- Required documentation:
- 1 nomation letter
- 1 recommendation letter
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Interested in joining the Small Colleges and Universitites Division?
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