Navigating Policy Change: The Impact on Student Affairs in Higher Education

How do public policies shape the work of student affairs professionals in higher education? This week on NASPA's Student Affairs Voices from the Field podcast, we explore just that. This week host Dr. Jill Creighton is joined by two seasoned experts: Diana Ali, Director of Policy Research and Advocacy at NASPA, and Dr. James Tyger, Assistant Vice President for Student Life at the University of Florida and Chair of NASPA’s Public Policy Division.

This episode dives deep into the complex regulatory and legislative landscape affecting campuses today. Throughout the conversation, Diana and Dr. James Tyger illuminate why public policy should matter—not just for policy “nerds,” but for every student affairs professional. Policy changes at state and federal levels often create a ripple effect, touching everything from compliance to student success initiatives. No matter your role, these shifts impact your work and the students you serve.

Key themes in the episode include:

• Major Policy Shifts: The guests detail dramatic changes in the Department of Education, including workforce reductions, agency restructuring, and the transfer of $33 billion in programs to other government agencies. These developments raise concerns about capacity and continuity in supporting states and institutions.

• Guidance and Compliance: With new Title VI and Title IX guidance, institutions must navigate both federal directives and state laws, especially regarding DEI and free speech. The episode tackles the resulting confusion and litigation, urging professionals to understand the difference between enforceable legal requirements and advisory guidance.

• The Value of Staying Informed: Listeners learn about the rich resources provided by NASPA’s Public Policy Division, like the Policy Resource Hub, real-time legislative tracking, and regular webinars—tools designed to empower professionals to stay current and make informed choices.

The hosts stress that while change can be daunting, student affairs remains crucial to supporting students and fostering vibrant campus communities. The takeaway? Tune in to this episode for practical advice on adapting to policy changes, sharing your impact, and remaining grounded in your mission—even as the regulatory landscape evolves.

Whether you’re navigating new DEI laws, Title IX updates, or simply want to be more proactive in your advocacy, this episode provides clarity, actionable strategies, and a renewed sense of purpose. Click play and join the conversation—your students’ success depends on it!

TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:02]:
Welcome to Student Affairs Voices from the Field, the podcast where we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to seasoned experts brought to you by naspa. We curate free and accessible professional development for higher ed pros wherever you happen to be. This is season 13 on the value of student affairs. I'm Dr. Jill Creighton. She her hers your essay voices from the Field host Today on Essay Voices, we're bringing you a public policy conversation with two of our leaders from the Public Policy Division here at naspa. Our first guest is Diana Ali, who is currently the Director of Policy Research and Advocacy at naspa. Diana provides timely analysis of emerging policy issues at state and federal levels, creates tools for student affairs professionals to understand and respond to these issues, and organizes and supports NASPA advocacy and civic engagement efforts.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:52]:
Since moving to the area, Diana has been a non profit advocate and is currently a mental health group facility in the Chicagoland community. She served as an AmeriCorps volunteer for two years and graduated with a Master's in Social Work and a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Chicago. Our Second guest is Dr. James Tyger, JD, who is the Assistant Vice President for Student Life at the University of Florida. With over 10 years of experience in Student Affairs, James is passionate about creating inclusive and supportive campus communities that empower students to thrive. Currently serving in the AVP role for Student Life at uf, James oversees the Student Engagement Team made up of the Offices of Campus Engagement, Community and Belonging, Sorority and Fraternity Life, and Student Legal Services. He's a proud double gator, having earned both a Ph.D. in higher education administration and a J.D.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:37]:
from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He also holds a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from Virginia Tech. In addition to his role at uf, James is currently the Director for the Public Policy Division here at naspa, as well as serving on the Virginia Tech Student Affairs Advisory Council. Welcome to the podcast, James.

Dr. James Tyger [00:01:58]:
How are we doing?

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:58]:
And hello Diana. Glad to have you.

Diana Ali [00:02:00]:
Hey everyone. Happy to be here.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:02]:
This is our Public Policy episode as we're talking about the value of student affairs. We thought it was really important to continue to include that policy perspective in the student affairs conversation because there's so many shifts happening right now. We've done a specialty episode earlier this season on the OB3 impacts on federal financial aid for undergraduate and graduate students, but today I'm excited to bring you our current Chair of the NASPA Public Policy Division as well as our Director of Policy Advocacy and Research so that we can have a more broad based discussion about what's going on in the policy world affecting U.S. american higher education, and possibly by extension, other higher education industries across the world. So before we get into all of that though, we love to ask the question, how did you get to your current seat?

Dr. James Tyger [00:02:51]:
Great question. Thanks for asking. I actually had an opportunity to get involved with NASPA Region 3. And so for over four years, I served as the Region 3 representative on the Public Policy Division and Region 3, of course, across the Southeast. So a lot of areas to reflect on in the public policy space. So really enjoyed that opportunity and to get to know folks and then eventually had the ability to move up and be the chair for the Public Policy Division for all of naspa.

Diana Ali [00:03:17]:
Yeah, and I got a role at Naspa going on 10 years ago now when I was coming right out of grad school and I really wanted to get involved in the world of higher education. I hadn't worked in that landscape before. My background was more in community based work. But it was really interesting to me because the world of student affairs, I think combines issues related to social work, which is a background that I have, and also issues related to student success and wellbeing, which are both important to me. So ever since I've kind of like grown within the organization. NASPA is a really great organization for being able to like, pursue your interests and do what you like. And so my portfolio has really grown since I started.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:04:02]:
Both of you have been involved with the Public Policy Division for many, many years now. That's how we all connected in the first place. And I'd love for you all to be able to share with our NASPA listeners, what is the difference between a division and a knowledge community? And what is the PPD all about?

Diana Ali [00:04:18]:
So the difference between our divisions and our knowledge communities. And this has changed over the years, but one of the key differences is that our division chairs, that's James, has a seat on our NASPA board. So James has a say at our spring and winter board meetings. And that's a really important role. The caseies are obviously really important as well, but since we have so many of them, these are knowledge communities. So like subject matter experts in a certain area have much broader lens of what's going on within the association. And so there aren't a ton of differences between these groups. But I would say that representation on the board is a big one.

Diana Ali [00:05:07]:
Though the Casey's do have representation on the board as well, just not every Casey director is represented.

Dr. James Tyger [00:05:14]:
Yeah, and I think what I would Add to that, I think if we I had the opportunity to be the student government knowledge community co chair a few years back, and I think each of the knowledge communities have such a great opportunity to help build community. But when I think about the role of a division, it's more broad across the association, as opposed to many of our knowledge communities provide again, very specific communities, goals and different things that we're advocating for within the association. And so I think for the Public Policy Division more broadly, it's thinking through the entire state of our public policy arena. And so when we talk about what the PPD does, you know, we have representatives from each of the regions. We have, you know, folks that are both at large and also focused on, you know, let's say faculty or our small colleges as well, and thinking through the different impacts of policy across each of those areas. And so at some of the things that we're doing that I will share, you know, we're hoping to see folks at the annual conference. We'll have some different programmatic pieces, whether it be our town hall, our sponsors, sessions, opportunities just to get involved and hear more about what's going on across again, the state of higher education within the US and international.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:06:15]:
So policy precon coming up, too.

Dr. James Tyger [00:06:17]:
Yes.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:06:17]:
All right, so let's dig into it. When we think about the Public Policy Division, what are we focusing on right now on behalf of NASPA members?

Dr. James Tyger [00:06:24]:
I think the biggest thing that we're taking a look at is how do we keep our members educated and up to date on the different policy shifts that are occurring across the country and beyond at this point. So, you know, I think how are we encouraging folks to utilize the resources that NASPA provides? How are we providing webinars? We have one actually coming up this week, kind of a year in review, a state of kind of where we're at. And so I think those pieces, for me, how are we helping to educate folks to have the resources to know what's going on and then to make some choices about things that they maybe want to advocate for within, wherever they're positioned.

Diana Ali [00:06:57]:
Yeah. And I would just add on to that that I think a key role of the Public Policy Division has been for a long time. And I think it's just as necessary in our current moment has been to really break down the mean behind public policy, focusing on foundational building blocks of, like, what public policy is. They've recently added this, like, policy 101 primer to all of the monthly newsletters, and this past one focused on the rulemaking process. Which I think is really important right now because those building blocks really help bring us toward clarity, which is something I'm always striving for. As we navigate the current landscape, we're.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:41]:
Working to meet the moment. There are some brand new resources that are coming out for NASPA members. Some of them are incredibly rich with information. Some of them are going to be those primers. But why should public policy matter to the average student affairs professional who maybe isn't as nerdy about policy as the three of us are, or maybe just doesn't see policy intersect with their day to day work as much?

Diana Ali [00:08:05]:
So I would say, and I've been thinking about this a lot as kind of we're in this cycle near the end of the year. I know it's January now, but as we're recording this, it's December. And I've been thinking a lot about kind of how we move forward. And I feel like this past year, I mean all of the shifts on the federal and state level really do impact student affairs folks at every level on the ground. And so I think even if somebody may not be feeling like their work is directly impacted by these like shifts in compliance or like funding changes or H R1 that you mentioned earlier, I think that we are going to see a trickle down effect where folks roles are going to be impacted no matter what kind of by these really drastic changes that we're seeing. And I also think that we can think about public policy in a lot of different ways. And so a daily interaction, interaction with students on the ground may not seem related to federal or state legislation, but it likely is. And so I think breaking things down, talking about definitions, like I was saying, that primer that's been added to the newsletter, sort of building apart the mythos around policies and processes, can help folks think more about policies as tools to get somewhere and a form of agency, which I think is really helpful.

Dr. James Tyger [00:09:42]:
I mean, my response, Joe, would be that public policy is legitimately involved in every single aspect of what we do, no matter what level you're at. And that goes to how are we helping our students understand different policies, updates, loans, you know, what does it mean for us regarding things we can do, can't do, should do based on what we're hearing on the public policy front at the state, local, federal level. And so I think it really isn't every aspect of the higher education experience right now.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:10:05]:
Let's run through the opportunities that NASA is providing currently for members to access policy resources. What do we got?

Dr. James Tyger [00:10:12]:
Oh, we absolutely have the Public policy, the Resource Hub. Diana, do you want to talk a little bit about some of the opportunities that are in there?

Diana Ali [00:10:18]:
Sure. So there are eight different components within the Policy Resource Hub. And so as part of my job I do a lot of state tracking. And so we have a whole section that is all of the legislation that we track. We have actually tracked 375 enacted bills over this past year relating to higher higher education. Those are broken down by region. So if you want to see what's going on in your region, you can look at all of the state based legislation in your region on the website and those are updated in real time. So that's a really great resource.

Diana Ali [00:10:52]:
We also provide a bi weekly policy update. It's like a newsletter that really just gives a breakdown of what we think is most relevant to the profession of student affairs. And then we have a lot of kind of public policy resource essentials. We have recordings of our past webinar. We have some of those primer information that I was speaking to earlier relating to policy processes and all of the executive orders that we've seen brought forward earlier this year and so forth. And so there's a lot in there. We also have information divided both like as I mentioned, by state and then also by topic area. And so you have a lot of different ways to engage with the information based on your needs.

Diana Ali [00:11:39]:
I really do encourage folks to check that out. Is kind of like a comprehensive resource your go to when you need it.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:11:47]:
And you can access that by logging into the NASPA member section of the NASPA website. It is behind that login wall. So if you're not yet a member and you're thinking about joining and this resource sounds exciting to you, this is a great reason to go ahead and come on into the NASA space. Let's think about public policy in 2025 as you might from like a Spotify wrapped perspective. The rap are all just coming out right now. As Diana mentioned, we're recording in December. We know you're not hearing this till January, but what are we looking at? We've got 375 tracked bills, but what else would go in our federal policy wrapped for this year?

Dr. James Tyger [00:12:21]:
I think on my end the number one thing is certainly Department of Education that's very much in flux. So thinking about the workforce reductions, the different interagency agreements and some of the restructuring, we're seeing within the Department of Education what that means for really higher ed in general, but the overall state of education and kind of where those pieces will be. And so I think we're still waiting to see. I mean, I know we had an update within the last week or so that they're going to be hiring some folks back into OCR on a temporary basis and so seeing kind of what that impact will mean for some of the backlog and the priorities with the department. But I think those are definitely things we'll continue to be tracking into 2026 to try to figure out what impacts that will have on the overall field.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:12:57]:
So I'm going to call that one department in flux and at least four other departments with interagency agreements.

Diana Ali [00:13:03]:
Yeah. And I think that we can dig a little bit more into. I'm happy to talk a little bit more about some of the potential impacts that we' thinking about in relation to those interagency agreements that were the six that were just recently announced. And I think in a kind of wrapped review, I think I would be remiss if I didn't mention all of the guidance that has been brought forward around Title 6 impacting also Title 9. And so the kind of scrambled that institutions have had to make or have been trying to weigh how to make decisions around over the past year in relation to these guidance documents that have been coming out holding the precedent of federal level precedent, if not the law that folks have been trying to adjust to and think about how to implement and then the corresponding litigation that we've seen. Basically we've seen litigation around almost every executive order that came down earlier this year and throughout the year in relation to higher education. So we're seeing a lot of back and forth confusion around what will remain in place. And then we've also seen some redirecting in terms of funding.

Diana Ali [00:14:22]:
Like we saw a redirecting of funds related to our msis this fall and we've seen some redirecting of funds for FIPSI and we've seen some delays in funding for TRIO programs. And so as we move into the new year of I'm thinking about what cuts have had to be made on the ground as folks have had to respond in real time, even if funding has eventually been dispersed, what kind of changes folks have had to actually make in response to those immediate delays and so forth. And so I feel like I'm painting a really negative perspective. But I think that in pairing it back to like how do we find clarity in this moment, I think it is important to like look back and see kind of the path of change that we've seen this past year.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:15:14]:
Let's take those one at a time because there's a lot in there that I think our members can benefit from getting a little bit more detailed on. Let's start with the department and the transition of some of the functions of the Department of Education into other federal agencies. What's going on there?

Diana Ali [00:15:29]:
So back in July, we saw, you know, and this has had impacts to our community college programs, which are connected to career and technical education, we saw a transference of CTE and adult workforce programs to the Department of Labor since then. And Secretary McMahon has kind of referred to that first interagency agreement, transferring CTE as the pilot interagency agreement. Since then, we've seen an introduction of six additional interagency agreements that are transferring $33 billion from the Department of Education to other agencies, the Department of Labor, the Department of the Interior, Health and Human Services, and the Department State. And so for all of like I said before, as with many executive actions over this past year, these IaaS are likely to and are in cases currently wrapped up in litigation. And so we don't know what will ultimately go into effect. In just looking at that first one that went into effect in July, moving CTE to Department of Labor, some of the main concerns that we've been thinking about has been one, a capacity issue. And so even just looking at the size of the portfolio of the Department of Education, the Department of Education makes up close to $190 billion. The Department of Labor, in turn, is only sized at about $8.68 billion.

Diana Ali [00:17:00]:
And so moving these programs. So one of the IAAs that came out is moving close to $3 billion of post secondary into the Department of Labor, which is, as I said, sized at $8.68 billion. So there's a potential capacity issue there of moving this large of a portfolio into the Department of Labor. Does the Department of Labor actually have the capacity to successfully administer these programs and these grants? Another potential concern is related to the ability for these federal agencies to provide the technical assistance that the Department of Education has been provid Two states focus a lot on state legislation and state policy. Does the Department of Labor have the ability, the subject matter expertise, even though they are working with the Department of Education? But we know the Department of Education is now one third of the size that it was at the beginning of this year due to these recent reductions in force. And I could go on about this for a long time, but I've been looking a lot at this first example, this first interagency agreement, sort of as the example of what we might see. And we still have a Lot to learn. One of the potential gaps that we can see in something like this is a fracturing of where information is housed.

Diana Ali [00:18:25]:
Federal agencies have historically provided consults and technical expertise to state lawmakers to help folks adjust and build funding formulas for the upcoming year. And so we're going to see potentially a trickle down effect of how this lack of technical assistance from the federal level could impact the formulation of state policies on the ground. And that in turn, I think will definitely impact our institutions and students.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:18:56]:
Technical assistance piece, I think is really critical because I know when we were really focused on Title IX as the most prominent federal issue and clery compliance, the technical phone calls that institutions were making were extremely helpful to get clarity from regional OCR offices or other regional federal department offices where you could actually pick up the phone and, and maybe talk to a federal professional or also just form a longer standing kind of professional relationship with a professional in those agencies. And I'm aware that a lot of those relationships have shifted for the last year because people have moved on with different jobs. So that's definitely a real impact. James, any commentary on this?

Dr. James Tyger [00:19:36]:
Yeah, I just want to acknowledge, I think, just the different philosophical shifts that this administration is kind of bringing as they approach this. And so, you know, what you're seeing is really this belief that there should be a shrinking of federal oversight in the education space. So, you know, whether that means you put things more back towards the states or whether you ship things into the private sector, but really a belief that there should be less federal regulation. And so, you know, I think as we kind of see some of these shifts, while they may be surprising when we think about decades worth of maybe the way that we've interacted within the education arena at the federal level, I don't know that necessarily. Philosophically, this was a surprising shift for many of us that are tracking what we might expect from this administration, their priorities, and they've been very public in kind of framing their priorities and that belief that they really do want to shrink the size and the footprint within the Department of Education. And so I think this is kind of the realization of that.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:20:28]:
Let's move on to the new guidance letters that came out around Title 6 and Title 9. For those who haven't been tracking them as closely, what are the big highlights of what was changed or newly introduced?

Diana Ali [00:20:40]:
So the guidance letters impacting Title 6. There was a guidance letter that came out in the spring connected to diversity, equity and inclusion and detailing what categories counts as DEI and how that would in turn count as a violation of Title six. And then that came out through the Department of Education. There was another one that came out this past summer through the Department of Justice, which further clarified and created potentially additional restrictions that was detailing that anything used as a kind of race proxy, as it was defined, would also constitute a violation of Title six. And so this could ultimately lead to institutions in losing their federal education funding. But what has been important as these guidance documents have come forward has been that we've clarified these are guidance documents only. And so these are an interpretation of the law. And these don't hold the full effect of the law necessarily, though institutions have obviously had to consult with their legal teams and make decisions.

Diana Ali [00:22:00]:
I think, as I was saying, about how to interpret these guidance documents and what to do. And this is on top of a good handful of states having already enacted legislation that would restrict DEI related programs on campuses since 2022. And so we know that this has had huge impacts for the world of student affairs, had impacts rel to how jobs are being structured, but then also how we're even thinking about the work of student success. And so I think that we're going to continue to think about and analyze those impacts down the line. And I'm really curious to hear about your thoughts on these as well, James.

Dr. James Tyger [00:22:48]:
Yeah, you know, I think the title VI guidance, when it came out in particular, I think at recent count we have 29 states that have passed some form of anti DEI legislation. And so for many of our states, this isn't necessarily new guidance, but I do think for some that certainly expanded the scope of who it may apply to. And so I think a lot of folks had a lot of questions. You know, I think one of the things immediately that came up was some of the guidance around first gen and kind of the perception if folks were fronting or hiding behind, let's say, a first gen banner and what does that mean related to the guidance? And so I think it really created a lot of space where folks need to take a step back and think through what does this guidance mean while it is is guidance not necessarily the law? I do think you you get in some questions around what happens if they do freeze federal funds while you're under investigation for something that may be tied into some of that guidance. And so I think it certainly has created a lot of concern for folks that maybe weren't in a place that they were one of those states already navigating this. And so I think for me, those are the pieces. I also think the tension still does exist between Title 6 and the First Amendment. And so thinking about kind of what that looks like as we work our way through some of the situations that may be concerning and very hard for administrators and many of our members to really navigate on the today, we know.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:24:00]:
That some of our Public Policy Division members are already in those states that have had these laws passed for a couple of years. And then we have many, many professionals who are facing this new type of compliance for the first time. Any advice for people that are looking at this type of legislation and going, okay, we're going to have to change the way that we practice?

Dr. James Tyger [00:24:17]:
I mean, I think the number one thing that we've really had to evaluate is at the end of the day, you need to be in compliance with the law. And so I think for us in Florida, that law has been very clear. And so, so making sure that we understand what we need to do to be in alignment with the expectations from the state are things that we've had to do. And so I do think for wherever you're positioned, it's really challenging and some folks are going to want to maybe do things that aren't in alignment with that legal requirement. And so I think they really need to take some time to reflect on that piece. But I think there is a big difference though, between the legal requirement and again, let's say, the guidance. And so as folks on their campuses may not have the legal guidance, but only are the legal implication, but only the guidance, they can really take a step to think through. Okay, well, what do we want to do if it's in a gray space? So I think that would be the number one thing, though.

Dr. James Tyger [00:25:01]:
But really reflecting, make sure you're in compliance with what's required from your state.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:25:04]:
Let's go to that Title 9 guidance. What do we have there that might be new or maybe changing the way that we've implemented Title ix? And we know that this has been forever changing since at least I think, 2001.

Diana Ali [00:25:16]:
Well, and when I said guidance, I think really what we've seen has been a rollback of Title IX. So we have our prior Title 9 rule from 2020 that's currently in place. The rule that was in 2024 has been rolled back through litigation and also through executive action. And then we've also seen this Special Investigations Task Force on Title nine that been put together on the federal level. And I think when I'm thinking About both Title 6 and Title IX, I'm thinking about how we've had, as James has spoken to these federal level investigations as targeting that has been somewhat confusing around what actually counts as a violation of something. And so I think it's more when I think of Title IX right now I'm thinking about the work of that task force and the freezing of funds of certain institutions that are perceived to be in violation of Title ix. And I'm also thinking about our upcoming Supreme Court term in which we'll see some cases that will be argued and hopefully decided by June relating to the Equal Protection Clause and, and a Title nine as well.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:26:32]:
We've talked about some of these federal things. Let's talk about the states as well, any states, as you track, some of these bills that stand out as kind of being higher in terms of their level of legislative actions related to higher education or ones that maybe are more dormant.

Diana Ali [00:26:47]:
So one thing that I'll touch on, I was thinking about this as James was detailing some of the institutional perspective related to that Title 6 compliance, is that we've seen a number of states in the past several years enact legislation, sometimes as a part of their kind of comprehensive DEI related legislation. We've seen states enact legislation requiring certain levels of intellectual diversity and free speech to become a requirement of the campus experience. And so Iowa, for example, has passed legislation requiring the creation of a center on intellectual diversity. And so I think that is, that is an issue that I want to raise because there's sort of a countervailance or there's, there's some confusion that I've heard from members around this need to change or end programs relating to dei, but then also to build these programs related to speech and dialogue and confusion about why they're being these issues are being kind of paired together. I think that one great resource that we have at NASPA is work that we've done in creating issue guides for deliberative dialogue. We actually have one on navigating free speech. And I know that, you know, that's just one tool that doesn't help with the creation of an entire program or center. But there are tons of organizations out there focused on dialogue and deliberation and civic engagement and civilization.

Diana Ali [00:28:27]:
So I think that if folks are looking for resources and are tasked with creating those programs, that the resources are certainly out there.

Dr. James Tyger [00:28:35]:
And Jill, I'll say, you know, specifically, I think Florida and Texas are two states that are kind of at the forefront of some of the shifts in the higher education arena. And I think a lot of our colleagues in different states are kind of looking and benchmarking off what those states are doing. And, you know, I think it's, it's easy to think like, oh, that's whatever state, and they're working through whatever just for their own state. But the reality is these different governments and states are going to be benchmarking off each other and things that they think are impactful and making a difference, and then they're going to wind up showing up in other states as well. And so I think for me, I continue to kind of track what Florida and Texas are doing and seeing kind of what that means as it ripples out into some other spaces as well.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:29:13]:
James, great point that we're seeing a lot of activity coming out of Florida and Texas. For our colleagues in Texas, we believe that you're entering a non legislative year, so you have a year to focus more on what we see coming out of Florida and other states that might get more active. But Texas state legislature doesn't meet again until 2027. So they've got a lot of time to create and watch, observe and make changes. So we'll see what happens. We've talked a lot about these changes. And one thing that I've been trying to be cognizant of is that just because it's changing doesn't necessarily mean it's negative for higher education. And I think that's an important space for all of our minds to occupy.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:29:50]:
We're going to have to work differently, but that doesn't necessarily mean that our mission changes. We're still supporting students. We're still creating the engagement and vibrancy in our campuses on an everyday sort of basis. So thinking about that, how can our professionals stay engaged with public policy and then also maintain the mission that we're doing on our campus, I think continuing.

Dr. James Tyger [00:30:11]:
To find opportunities to stay up to date on what's going on and I think also to see what are the areas of interest from the policy decision makers. So if we hear things like experiential learning and skills based on based education and the way we are contributing that are really important, well, those are things that student affairs folks do a tremendous job with. So how do we find, you know, ourselves better aligned with the areas of priority and still understand the value and community and the other things we do within our work? I think that's an area my team and I have really been focused on. But I think as a profession, we can do a really great job and being educated on the things that folks are prioritizing and again, how we align with that.

Diana Ali [00:30:49]:
Yeah, and I think that as I mentioned earlier, while we're in, in this space, of ambiguity. I continue to go back in my work of looking and grounding myself in what we do know. And so I think staying abreast of the current time in the policy process that we're in, as you mentioned, Jill, knowing whether or not our state is in session, connecting with a national association like NASPA or many of the others that take part in state based or in local policy advocacy work and also at the federal level, you know, staying open to kind of where we are in the process. So even though we're super delayed in Having finalized our FY20 appropriations, we can, you know, think about the expected timeline. We're coming into January now, and so we're going to see our presidential State of the Union, we're going to see our presidential budget proposal, we're going to see some regulatory movement. And so just staying grounded in the timeline and the cycle and the moment we are in the policy making process I think helps bring me clarity and helps me stay engaged and plugged in.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:32:07]:
Let'S get into our theme questions for the season. We've been asking all of our guests the same three questions on the value of student affairs. And our first question is when you think about the value of student affairs, what comes to mind first and why?

Dr. James Tyger [00:32:20]:
I think for me it's our impact on the student experience. I think that's been a constant throughout all of this. And I alluded to this a bit previously, but thinking about how are we aligned in experiential learning, how are we aligned with the skill development? These are things we've always been in alignment with as a field, often struggle on how do we effectively tell our story and now more than ever we have to be more effective and how do we convey the key things we've always been as not just an extra, but we are an essential part of a student's experience and their education and ultimately helping them to holistically develop into the effective graduates and successful alumni that we know we have an obligation to help with. And so I think for me, that's the part that I keep coming back to as I think about our value in this era. It's more how do we really lean in to those aspects where these expectations are, in particular regarding some of the different skills and holistic development that we've always been really critical in.

Diana Ali [00:33:14]:
I love that response, James. And I'm thinking a lot about a recent NASPA report that came out on the humanization of student affairs. And at the beginning of the report, authors define the distinction between value and worth, indicating that worth is where we see that learning component. And while his value might point directly to those ROIs on credentials. And I think that student affairs professionals really contribute to that worth of higher education, like James said, like contributing to the holistic student experience, which actually is what helps an individual stay plugged in throughout their lifetime within the workforce. And so I think in my experience, my 10 years at NASPA, I've seen time and time and time again as how student affairs professionals are truly the ones operationalizing policies on the ground because they're hearing those stories directly from students. So when I think of the value of student affairs, I think of the thousands, dozens of NASPA members that I've interacted with over the years and heard their stories of how they've supported students throughout their college process, moving toward graduation. And I think that those moments and those interactions, you know, stick with students.

Diana Ali [00:34:37]:
And so that worth element is really important here.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:34:40]:
And you referenced recent NASPA report, and that report was the Human Dimension of why Student Affairs Matters, co authored by Dr. Ana Gonzalez, Dr. Lori Reaser, and Dr. Michelle Murray. If you want to learn more about that report and how to utilize its resources, you can find that on the NASA website. But also from our December 4th podcast episode, it was a really, really rich one. I loved that one. Our second question is, can you share a specific story or moment when you saw the value of student affairs come to life?

Dr. James Tyger [00:35:06]:
I have two things to come to mind as I think about that question. The first is going to be, I always think about the moments with our students who are truly struggling, whether that be with mental health or they got injured or, you know, they're navigating a death in the family, think, those are always the moments that I feel. Our field, we have folks that really step up and help our students to navigate through those really challenging moments, but to really help them to grow the resilience needed and have what they're going to need to be successful in navigating things like that that pop up throughout their lives. But the other side of that is we just had the NASA board meeting in Washington, D.C. and I got a chance once we wrapped that, to meet with a few of our alumni that I have not seen in a minute. And when I think about the power of community and the power of relationships that we are able to over our careers and the impact of this experience, seeing those alumni and what they're able to do and how they remain connected to our institution and to the folks that they work with in student affairs, I think really speaks to the Value we bring in those long term relationships with folks. And so I think those are the two pieces. It's that help with our students that are really struggling.

Dr. James Tyger [00:36:09]:
But then those long term relationship pieces I think are both really critical.

Diana Ali [00:36:13]:
Yeah. And I would say that kind of similar to my answer to your last question, I think that it's the specific stories that I've heard over the years, talking to folks at our various conferences and through focus groups and so forth. I'm just always so surprised at the lengths that professionals will go to truly understand the needs of a student. The very like nuanced particular individual needs and work within the administrative system to connect that student to the services that they need. And so that connection piece, that on the ground connection piece has really been where I've seen it.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:53]:
And our final question in our theme for the season, what do you think student affairs needs to do to be better understood and better seen in today's educational environment?

Dr. James Tyger [00:37:02]:
I talked about this a little bit ago, but I think we really need to be able to show our impact in language that resonates with our decision makers. And so that's kind of, to me, intertwined with our storytelling. How do we proactively tell the story of our impact and how we are aligned with career readiness, we're aligned with retention, we're aligned with overall wellness and creating a sense of belonging, community for our students and helping them develop the skills they need to be able to replicate that once they graduate as well. Because I think so often our field is known as, oh, there's a problem. Okay, we are problem solvers, but they don't always hear the positive stories and the other pieces that we're doing and making an impact on every single day on our campuses and especially on the skill side of things. And so I think kind of reclaiming that narrative a bit and thinking through how we also make sure that it's not just a bonus extra, like we're not just here creating fun little events. But there's really important, important work that our students need to be those holistic, well rounded individuals that are going to be successful alumni and successful employed graduates once they are no longer with us.

Diana Ali [00:38:08]:
Yeah, I completely agree. I want to say ditto to James Tyger's answer to that question. I think that, you know, student affairs needs to contribute to the data story. Those stories, those interactions with students are all data points that to build systems around to share up through to policymakers. And I think that we can always be better at that, at sharing the data, especially when we're in this moment where some of the story may becoming lost or fractured and so forth at the federal level and so those of us on the ground that can do something, this is really a great, great time to do that.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:38:56]:
It's time to take a quick break and toss it over to producer Chris to learn what's going on in the NASA world.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:39:01]:
Thanks Jill. So excited to be back in the NASPA world and there's a ton of things happening in NASPA this spring. In the Learning portal for naspa, there is a new certificate that you can take part in. The Informal Resolutions Certificate, which is happening in spring 2026 will happen between February 2 and March 6 of 20202026 Title IX regulations require training for Title IX coordinators, investigators and decision makers Campuses are already implementing a wide variety of informal processes and it's vital that institutions provide proper training to use informal systems in Title IX matters. This eight hour training includes three asynchronous video modules and one four hour live synchronous session in which participants will engage in informal resolution practices, practice sessions, and realistic scenarios to develop core informal resolution skills. Attendance during the live session is mandatory for completion. Some questions that this training considers includes how should campuses ensure fair processes for both parties when utilizing informal resolution in Title IX cases? Who should be responsible for conducting informal resolution options and what skills do these persons personnel need? What options do institutions have to deliver informal resolutions? What are the potential benefits and challenges of different forms of informal resolution and what are the promising practices and practices to avoid? Join Peter Lake and Christine Goodwin to explore these and other issues related to conducting informal resolution in Title IX cases. Peter Lake is a higher education law and policy expert and a past professor of alternative dispute resolution.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:40:43]:
Christine Goodwin is a former higher education administrator and trained mediator to explore these and other issues. This eight hour training includes three asynchronous video modules and one four hour live required synchronous session. Participants will participate in informal resolution practice sessions with realistic scenarios to develop core informal resolution skills. You can find out more by going to the NASA NASPA [e-mail] In case you missed it Back in November, NASPA released a 2025 Top Issues in Student Affairs Follow Up Brief on Technology and Digital Innovation. Technology is rapidly transforming higher education, bringing both new opportunities and complex challenges for student affairs leaders. This new brief expands on the Technology and Digital Innovation section of the 2025 Topics Issues in Student affairs report, offering insights from VPSAs on navigating AI, cybersecurity, and digital ethics. Explore field examples and actionable strategies to strengthen digital fluency, data protection and cross campus collaboration in this powerful new brief. You can find out more on the NASPA website.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:41:56]:
Have you had a chance to check out the newest issue of the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice? The vision of the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice is to publish the most rigorous, relevant and well respected research and practice, making a difference in student affairs practice. JSARP especially encourages manuscripts that are unconventional in nature and that engage in methodological and epistemological extensions that transcend the boundaries of traditional research inquiries. The latest issue looks at a number of different issues as you look look at issues such as Title 9, Racial Battle Fatigue among Black College Students, Student Affairs Attrition, the Invisible Middle Latino Men in Higher Education, and more. This journal, along with all of the journals within NASPA are free for NASPA members and you can access any of them at any time by going to the NASPA website and clicking on Publications. I highly encourage you to check these out because all of them will provide you with cutting edge research and updates on new things that you need to be aware of in the work that you're doing on a daily basis. Every week we're going to be sharing some amazing things that are happening within the association. So we are going to be able to try and keep you up to date on everything that's happening and allow for you to be able to get involved in different ways. Because the association is as strong as its members and for all of us we have to find our place within the association, whether it be getting involved with the knowledge community, giving back within one of the the centers or the divisions of the Association.

Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:43:33]:
And as you're doing that, it's important to be able to identify for yourself where do you fit? Where do you want to give back? Each week we're hoping that we will share some things that might encourage you, might align for you to be able to get some ideas that will provide you with an opportunity to be able to say, hey, I see myself in that knowledge community. I see myself doing something like that. Or encourage you in other ways that allow for you to be able to think beyond what's available right now to offer other things to the association, to bring your gifts, your talents to the association and to all of the members within the Association. Because through doing that all of us are stronger and the association is better. Tune in again next week as we find out more about what is happening in NASA.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:44:27]:
Chris, thank you so much for bringing us back into 2026 with an incredible NASPA World segment. We really appreciate you continuing to keep us updated on what's going on in and around NASPA and James and Diana. We have reached our lightning round. So I've got seven questions for you in about 90 seconds. Are we ready to do this?

Dr. James Tyger [00:44:46]:
Let's do it.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:44:47]:
All right, question one. If you were a conference keynote speaker, what would your entrance music be?

Dr. James Tyger [00:44:51]:
Oh, my gosh. This would be very hard for me because I am not that kind of high energy, but I'm gonna go with golden from K Pop Demon Hunters.

Diana Ali [00:44:58]:
That is perfect. I'm gonna go with the same answer I've been saying for entrance music for years, which is Kiss from a Rose by Seal.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:45:05]:
Number two, when you were five years old, what did you wanna be when you grew up?

Dr. James Tyger [00:45:08]:
An astronaut.

Diana Ali [00:45:09]:
Why not author?

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:45:10]:
I just learned that you can go to Adult Space Camp James in Florida. So you can still make that dream come true.

Dr. James Tyger [00:45:15]:
You can.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:45:16]:
Number three, who's your most influential professional mentor?

Dr. James Tyger [00:45:19]:
Shout out to Dr. Sarah Cunningham at Tulane.

Diana Ali [00:45:21]:
Definitely Shout out to Terry Hines, who was my first boss at naspa, and.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:45:26]:
I'll say, hi, Terri. I know we haven't spoken in a long time, but she was such a great, warm, welcoming presence when I first joined the ppd. Number four, your essential student of peace affairs read.

Dr. James Tyger [00:45:35]:
I tell this to my law class all the time, but it's going to be the US Constitution.

Diana Ali [00:45:39]:
You Are a Data Person by Dr. Amelia Parnell.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:45:42]:
Number five, the best TV show you've.

Dr. James Tyger [00:45:44]:
Been binging lately, Blurbus Friends.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:45:46]:
Number six, the podcast you spent the most hours listening to in the last.

Diana Ali [00:45:49]:
Year, the Daily what a Day, which is a crooked media podcast.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:45:53]:
And finally, number seven, any shout outs you'd like to give, personal or professional?

Dr. James Tyger [00:45:57]:
I'm giving a shout out to Diana. What a lovely time.

Diana Ali [00:46:00]:
Okay, well, I was thinking to give a shout out to my brother, so. I'm sorry, James.

Dr. James Tyger [00:46:05]:
I'll survive. I'll survive.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:46:07]:
Thank you both for sharing your policy expertise today. I know that you two both balance your knowledge of general higher education student affairs with a focus on policy. And I know our members will have benefited greatly from digging into some of the specifics today. If anyone would like to read you or the PPD after this episode airs, where can they find you?

Dr. James Tyger [00:46:25]:
J Tyger Gmail?

Diana Ali [00:46:26]:
You can find me at D A l I or daliaspa.org thank you both.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:46:32]:
So much for sharing your voice with us today.

Dr. James Tyger [00:46:34]:
Thanks, Jill.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:46:35]:
Thank you.

Diana Ali [00:46:35]:
Thank you.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:46:40]:
This has been an episode of Essay Voices from the Field, brought to you by naspa this show is made possible because of you, the listeners. We continue to be so grateful that you choose to spend your time with us. If you'd like to reach the show, you can email us@sa voicesaspa.org or find me on LinkedIn by searching for Dr. Jill L. Creighton. We welcome your feedback and you your topic and guest suggestions always. We'd love it if you take a moment to tell a colleague about the show and leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening now. It really does help other student affairs professionals find the show and helps us to become more visible in the larger podcasting community.

Dr. Jill Creighton [00:47:17]:
This episode was produced and hosted by Dr. Jill Creighton. That's me, produced and audio engineered by Dr. Chris Lewis. Special thanks to the University of Michigan for Clint for your support as we create this project. Catch you next time.