2018 Transforming Lives - Developing Translational Research and Transformational Leaders

A PROGRAM OF
POSSIBILITIES
The Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education program is fostering
student passions through learning experiences on and off campus.
BY HEATHER GILLIN
Like most people, Dr. Krista Bailey did not know what student
affairs was until she came to college.
“Some people will describe our profession as a hidden one,
because few people grow up saying, ‘I want to be a student
affairs practitioner,’” Dr. Bailey said.
Dr. Bailey graduated from Texas A&M University in 1999.
She earned degrees in biomedical science and agricultural
development. While she did not plan for a career in student
affairs, she went on to get her masters and then doctorate
in educational human resource development.
Dr. Bailey worked in student affairs at the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas and in the Offices of the Dean of Student
Life at Texas A&M. After 14 years, she returned to teach in
the same program from which she graduated.
Today, Dr. Bailey serves as a clinical associate professor
and the director of the program, known by its former and
current students as SAAHE. SAAHE is a two-year graduate
program in the Department of Educational Administration
and Human Resource Development. The program attracts
students from across the nation seeking a comprehensive
education combining assistantships and internships with
theory-based classes.
Dr. Bailey emphasizes that this model is a distinguishing
factor of the SAAHE program. “Throughout the different
courses our students take, they are applying theory to
practice and practice to theory. When they leave our
program, they are very prepared,” Dr. Bailey said.
PARTNERS ACROSS CAMPUS
A lot of this practice is thanks to an on-campus partnership
with the Division of Student Affairs. The division embraces
SAAHE students, creating experiences in the form of
assistantships and internships.
“Our partnership with the division solidifies a holistic
learning experience for students. They learn so much in
the classroom from the faculty they work with and from
each other. They also learn through all the professional
development experiences with the Division of Student
Affairs,” Dr. Bailey said.
Students are also able to seek opportunities outside of the
division to find an experience where they can focus on their
passions.
“When I first got into student affairs, my goal was to help
students of color, help them feel welcome on campus, help
them feel like they need to be involved and help them find
a home,” Charles Frazier, a current student and graduate
assistant at the Marilyn K. Byrne Student Success Center
said. “To do that, you need to help create a campus climate
that is inclusive of everyone.”
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