Is Student Affairs Relevant for the 21st Century? Tony W. Cawthon ...

This article begins with an introduction exploring current and future influences on the
work of student affairs. To add to the richness of the discussion, we asked two practitioners to
reflect and respond to the framing questions. Robert “Beau” Seagraves is a new professional
having worked in student affairs for six years, and Karen Boyd is a seasoned professional with
over 25 years of experience as a SSAO and faculty member. Their insights offer the reader
contrasting perspectives on the future of student affairs. We conclude the manuscript with our
thoughts on the future and relevancy of student affairs.
What is Influencing Future Student Affairs Work?
Ask any student affairs professional to describe their work during the last five years and
the responses will often elicit negative comments and responses. In our interaction with many
chief student affairs officers we have heard such comments as “most challenging time of my
career”, “always being asked to do more with less” “restructuring is a way of life” and “concerns
about our future as a division”. As Hulme (2011) reported, “Senior Student Affairs Officers
(SSAO) will remember the years 2008-2011 as a difficult period in higher education
administration” (p. x).
As professionals we are burying our “heads in the sand” if we believe our traditional
models for student affairs will remain effective and will survive the changes higher education is
experiencing. Organizing student affairs units around the assumption that campuses will be
comprised of traditional, fulltime, residential students will not serve us well. Our traditional
models have served our students, but as higher education changes; they are not likely to survive.
Ten years ago, our concern was would the student affairs organization be reporting to the
Provost; today, we are worrying if student affairs will be eliminated. The preferred
organizational model of a Senior Student Affairs Officer reporting to the President has come
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