Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

Explores equity, access, and identity in U.S. higher education through critical analysis of systems, practices, and lived experiences. Emphasizes theory-to practice connections and prepares students to advance inclusion and justice through informed dialogue, reflection, and action.

Prepares students for applied work in student affairs through exploration of campus programs, organizational models, and professional practice. Focuses on real-world issues, student development strategies, and the evolving role of student affairs in fostering inclusion, engagement, and student success. Connects theory to practice through case studies and critical reflection.

This course is designed for graduate students interested in enhancing their understanding of intercollegiate athletics administration. We will explore principles, techniques, regulation, and process related to the management of college athletics. It is important in today's dynamic environment of collegiate athletics that student's value effective leadership and management principles.

This course applies political and social theories to the study of education policy, with a focus on higher education. Students will examine concepts such as public and private goods, the role of the State, pluralism, interest groups, and social movements, and learn to apply political theory and policy frameworks to analyze and research key issues in education.

An introductory course in which principles of assessing educational policies are applied to the evidence currently available across a range of policies. Areas of education policy may include early childhood education, charter schools, accountability, teacher recruitment, retention and assessment, and bridging from K-12 to high education. Discussions focus on linking policies to outcomes for students.

Prepares students for the transition from graduate study to professional practice. Emphasizes career planning, job search strategies, and development of a personal e-portfolio. Students reflect on their learning, articulate core competencies, and build tools for lifelong growth as practitioner-scholars in higher education.

This course prepares student affairs professionals to advise and support today's college students through practical skills and strategies. Emphasizing helping skills, advising approaches, and career development theory, it highlights how professionals can build inclusive relationships, respond to diverse student needs, and foster growth across academic, career, and personal domains.

This course examines the broad legal framework of higher education, including constitutional and contractual rights to due process, equal protection, and free speech; legal and policy issues regarding tenure, promotion, intellectual property, and the constitutive role of the state in higher education; and tort liability and the impact of federal statutes such as the ADA, Title IX, and FERPA on the administration of colleges and universities.

The commitment to effective professional learning increases educator effectiveness, providing a vehicle through which leaders can navigate change and seek improvement in their schools. Leaders who foster an environment of adult learning and build capacity to lead learning enhances the quality of instruction and student outcomes. Providing the tools and resources, leaders can create accessible means to develop new knowledge, skills, and practices.