Dec 11, 2025
Student Affairs professionals often serve as the heartbeat of a college campus, shaping transformative experiences for students at every stage of their educational journey. In the latest episode of Student Affairs Voices from the Field, host Dr. Jill Creighton is joined by Colleen Maeder, Director of Student Services at Miracosta College’s San Elijo campus. Together, they deliver an insightful discussion on the unique value of student affairs—especially within community colleges.
This episode masterfully details Colleen Maeder’s multifaceted career spanning both two-year and four-year institutions, public and private, on both coasts. Dr. Jill Creighton highlights how Colleen’s trajectory allows her to offer a “bird’s eye view” of why student affairs work truly matters.
One major theme centers on the personalized and community-focused approach at community colleges. Colleen Maeder emphasizes that student affairs at these institutions must deeply reflect the local community’s needs—whether serving traditional-aged students, adult learners stepping back into education, seniors, or those facing significant basic needs challenges such as food or housing insecurity. “Everything we do should be a reflection of the community that we are in,” she explains, illustrating the importance of adaptability and empathy.
Another critical topic is the evolving role of technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence. Both Colleen Maeder and Dr. Jill Creighton recognize AI's double-edged potential: while it evokes new concerns about academic integrity, it also offers opportunities for innovation in supporting and reaching students. Despite challenges, the human element of care and personal connection remains irreplaceable.
Building trust and fostering belonging remains at the core. Many community college students have faced systems that let them down, making it vital for student affairs professionals to be truly present. Colleen Maeder discusses the imperative for in-person support, consistent follow-through, and programming tailored to diverse populations and needs.
The episode also addresses a persistent challenge: effectively communicating the value of student affairs. Too often, student affairs professionals are “really, really bad at this,” Colleen admits. She calls for improved storytelling—sharing real, transformative moments and personalized successes—to enhance understanding both within and outside higher education.
If you’re searching for inspiration, practical insights, and a celebration of the deeply human work at the heart of student affairs, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in to hear firsthand stories and advice from passionate professionals who are shaping the future of higher education—one student at a time.
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.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:27]:
Today on SA Voices, we're welcoming Colleen Maeder. Colleen earned
her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Lemoyne College and a Master
of Science in Community Counseling from Syracuse University. Her
journey in higher education began as a resident Director at
Binghamton University and the College of New Jersey. She later
discovered her passion for community colleges while serving in the
conduct office at Kingsborough Community College in New York City.
Colleen transitioned to the private sector at New York University,
where she advanced to Associate Director for Student Conduct and
Restorative programs, focusing on Title IX conflict resolution and
restorative practices. Her career then took her to the west coast
where she served as Associate Director for Student Wellbeing at
Santa Clara University, supporting non clinical mental health and
basic needs. Today, Colleen is the Director of Student Services at
Miracosta College's San Elijo campus and Deputy Title IX
Coordinator. Her portfolio includes student life and leadership,
student government conduct, Title IX behavioral intervention, and
basic needs support.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:19]:
Outside of work, Colleen enjoys yoga, running, hiking, and
traveling with her partner. Colleen, welcome to Essay Voices.
Colleen Maeder [00:01:26]:
Thank you so much for having me today, Jill.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:28]:
It is just such a pleasure to have you on the show. For our Essay
Voices listeners. I used to host a different podcast for another
professional association, and Colleen was our audio engineer and co
producer on that show. She and I pretty much had no idea what we
were doing when we started it, and by the time we were finished, we
had produced 45 episodes. That was an oral history of that corner
of the profession. And so it's really lovely to be reunited with
you in podcast land.
Colleen Maeder [00:01:51]:
I am thrilled to be here and I can't believe we did. So you said 45
episodes?
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:54]:
Something like that? Yeah, about 45.
Colleen Maeder [00:01:56]:
That is an insane amount of episodes. But it was an awesome
experience to do and learn something I never tried before.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:01]:
And even though Colleen has spent so many hours behind the scenes
doing editing, this is her first time in front of the mic. So we're
glad to have your voice included in the story of the student
affairs profession. And we always like to get to know our guests
first by asking you, how did you get to your current seat?
Colleen Maeder [00:02:17]:
Absolutely. So I think I started as mosted where I was a resident
assistant in undergrad for my junior and senior year and didn't
quite know what I wanted to do. So I decided to go to grad school,
which was the common thing back then. And I got my master's in
counseling and was unlucky to graduate right in 08 during the crash
that took place and decided to work in res life because that's what
I knew, that's what I liked, that's where I felt at home. So I
became a residence director at Binghamton University. I had the
experience of overseeing a residence hall that was a break housing
building. So it was open all year, it never shut down. And the main
students that it held were international students and student
athletes.
Colleen Maeder [00:02:58]:
So very unique combination of students there to manage in a
residence hall and living together in suites. From there I went to
the College of New Jersey, which is a public school, four year
school in New Jersey, of course, where I was a resident instructor
for several different buildings there. Absolutely loved it and had
a phenomenal experience working with our Office of Student Conduct
and was really able to start with the assistant director at the
time, Elizabeth Gallus Mediation Program, and just kind of fell in
love with that world, fell in love with student and how do we
become educational? How do we resolve conflict without getting to
student conduct? And from there that led me to my first experience
outside of residential life, which was at Kingsborough Community
College where I was a student conduct officer. Really unique,
normal title, Student conduct officer. You don't hear that a lot.
And it was this community college in Brooklyn. The claim to fame
that I used to tell people was we had a beach on campus, loved it
there, did a lot of work, really, really enjoyed the community
college experience, which we'll get back to where I am right now.
But from there I switched and went to nyu, so New York University,
right in the heart of New York, and worked in their student conduct
office where I met you.
Colleen Maeder [00:04:09]:
I mean, we started the podcast and really was there all the way
through Covid 2021. Loved the experience and I was in the student
conduct office, but I focused heavily in the world of Title nine. I
did a lot of work with our Office of Equal Opportunity, oversaw
hearings, started a conflict resolution process, did a lot of
conflict resolution training. So a very unique position in the
world of student conduct that I haven't seen many other place.
Loved NYU but really wanted to get out of New York City after
Covid. So in 2021 I had the opportunity to work at Santa Clara
University, which is up in the Bay Area south of San Francisco as
the Associate Director for Student Wellbeing in the Dean of
Students office. And it was non clinical mental health.
Absolutely.
Colleen Maeder [00:04:51]:
Loved it. It was a bucket list item for me to work at a Jesuit
school. Cause I went to a Jesuit undergrad and I was lucky enough
to meet my partner in the Bay Area who was transferred down to San
Diego, which is how I got to Miracosta. Currently the Director of
Student Services at our San Leo campus and I'm also a deputy Title
IX coordinator here.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:05:10]:
One of the things I love about your experience is that I think
you're one of the few in the profession that have transitioned from
a two year institution to a four year institution, to a two year to
a four year and back to a two year. And you've also worked at both
public and private institutions. So you've got this incredible
diversity of experience in student affairs, which gives you kind of
a bird's eye view in a unique way of why student affairs matters
and why it has mattered over time. So this season we're focusing on
the value of student affairs and I'm wondering if we can hone in a
bit on your community college experience. And can you talk to us
about what you can say about the community college experience as a
professional compared to your experiences at four years?
Colleen Maeder [00:05:51]:
Absolutely. And I have been lucky enough to work at two different
community college experiences. In some way they are very, very
similar in the sense that student affairs at a community college
needs to actually represent the community where you are. So my
college is located in North County, San Diego right now.
Kingsborough Community College was located in Brooklyn. Everything
we do should be a reflection of the community that we in. So who
are the students that we're serving? What are their needs? What are
we worried about? How do we help them be able to come to our
campus, get to our campus, be able to take classes, whether it's
online, hybrid or in person. What does that look like? What does
the student experience look like? When I was at Kingsborough, this
was pre Covid, right after Hurricane Sandy.
Colleen Maeder [00:06:36]:
That's going to look very different than a post Covid world. But we
are really trying to what are the current needs to what our
community is? And what do we think the current needs are going to
be 5, 10, 15 years from now? And what do we need to do as student
affairs to make sure that we are meeting not just the needs of our
current students, but planning for the future because we should
grow with our community.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:06:57]:
Having a beach on campus sounds really interesting until you
realize there's a hurricane coming right at Your campus and the
water level of your campus is right on that beach.
Colleen Maeder [00:07:04]:
I started directly afterwards. We had a nice. There was a lot of
flooding. I was told after that experience.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:10]:
Absolutely. So when you think about your current student
population, can you tell us who they are? Your university or your
college has multiple campuses. So who are the students that attend
Miracosta and what are the needs that you're meeting as a community
college student affairs squad that maybe you're seeing the four
years not doing?
Colleen Maeder [00:07:27]:
Yes. So I will say Miracosta is a proud hsi. I'm very cautious
saying that on a podcast right now, given the current political
context. But we are a very proud hsi. We really want to make sure
that we are serving all of our students. So we have anything from.
We have the traditional student age population. We have adult
students who are making the difficult choice to say, you know what,
I'm going to step back from maybe my employment to go to school to
better myself, to be able to then get a better job, to support my
family.
Colleen Maeder [00:07:56]:
We are working with students who. We have a large population of
seniors who come back and take classes. We have a high level of
basic needs and food insecurity that we are helping with our
students at. We have a black and Latinx population that we are
supporting and wanting to continue to grow and nurture all of these
populations because they are what makes up North County San Diego,
and we are here to support them in having our students reach their
dreams and succeed in whatever avenue they want, whether it is an
associate's degree, an associate's degree to transfer. We do have a
bachelor's program on campus. We have many certificate programs
through our tci, which is our certificate location. So really
finding the. What is it? What do we need to do to be able to
support our students in whatever their goal is? And that's gonna
look different depending on the student population, depending on
the time of year, and depending on what their go.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:08:48]:
With such diverse student needs, with ranges of populations from
students that are earning their first degrees right out of high
school to those adult learners that you've mentioned, how does a
student affairs division organize itself to meet needs on such an
individualized level while still kind of stratifying across
administration like we know we have to.
Colleen Maeder [00:09:06]:
Absolutely. So I think some of it is just open lines of
communication. It's not being afraid to pick up the phone and ask
questions or say to a student, you know what? I'm not the person to
help you, but I'm gonna connect you with this person in this
office, and I'm gonna do that one handoff. Whether they're
currently on my campus, walking them to that class, walking them to
that office, whether it's sending that E introduction. I think it's
also in terms of future planning, which Miracosta does this really,
really well, is what does the future look like? What are kind of
the signals that are going on outside of higher education that we
need to pay attention to? How do we continue to support and what
does that look like? How are we using our benefits? I think there's
a lot of negative viewpoints right now on AI and how that's going
to impact the workforce. But is there a way that we can utilize AI
to better reach our students, to provide supplemental education, to
be able to get them answers or help them through a process where we
know higher education is complex? How do we make it less complex
and easier for someone to understand, especially if they are first
generation or returning to education and they've been gone for two
decades, three decades? So what are we doing right now to make it
easier for our students? And this is something where our division,
we are across multiple campuses. We get together the senior
leadership in our division once a month to be able to talk about
some of these things. And I haven't always seen that on other
places I've worked at.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:10:32]:
You mentioned AI as a potential tool. I'm currently teaching a
master's class on technology competencies and AI integration and
student affairs. How are you all figuring that out on your
campus?
Colleen Maeder [00:10:43]:
So I think the key word is figuring it out, and I think it's trial
and error. I think it's one as professionals should be trying
different AI tools so that we understand what the benefits are, but
also what are some of the concerns? How do we have conversations
with students from a purely basic level? I do student conduct right
now, and we have academic integrity issues that are almost all
coming from the use of AI. How are we teaching our faculty,
teaching our staff, teaching our students to use AI appropriately?
And I think the issue is no one has figured that out yet. So we're
kind of figuring this out as we go. And I've tried the past month
or two to try things with AI to see what students are using to
understand kind of that perspective. And I think we have to also be
early adapters of that. I'm not as early as other people, but I am
learning it. I'm trying to figure out how to use it appropriately
or use it when it can be an added benefit, but when you need to
stop using it.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:11:41]:
We had Dr. Claire Brady on last season and she just wrote the NASPA
AI report. And one of the things she said on the podcast is that
higher ed is in danger of getting stuck in the academic integrity
segment of AI without thinking about all of the other things that
Gen AI could be doing for our campuses. I think that's such an
important message. But I also understand that there are instructors
and professors out there who are doing kind of keystroke analysis
too, and having students like show their progressive videos of them
writing their essays instead of of seeing a copy and paste of a
ChatGPT essay or something like that. But it's an interesting
lesson in cognitive development. I also saw a study recently that
there's cognitive decline in people who use regular aigen for kind
of solving problems rather than trying to think through the problem
themselves first. So we've got a lot to kind of negotiate through
how AI can benefit us, but I think it's not going to be able to
replace that human element of care and that human element of
empathy that we really employ in student affairs more than any
other skill.
Colleen Maeder [00:12:37]:
Absolutely. And I went down a little bit of a rabbit hole the other
week when I was doing some research for a work project about
loneliness and just how much loneliness can be tied to social media
and AI. If you're just gonna rely on AI, you're losing the human
interaction of engaging with someone to find out that answer to
think critically about. Oh, here is all this information. Am I
gonna challenge it? I'm just gonna automatically assume that it's
correct. And we know AI is not always correct. So how are we
balancing using that while understanding the loneliness is on our
eyes and the impact that it has to our marginalized communities as
well as education, social media. And it's just so this
interconnected web of everything, this is a total aside.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:13:17]:
But I also read something recently where someone had married an AI
chatbot or something to that effect, and then the company that ran
the chatbot shut down or was bought and the AI was no longer being
updated. And so that person essentially lost their relationship.
And it's an interesting question to on how you define a
relationship with an algorithm at the end of the day. So, total
aside. But I know if these things are in the media, that our
students are also experiencing them.
Colleen Maeder [00:13:43]:
Absolutely.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:13:43]:
Colleen, you've spent time at both the two year experience and the
four year experience, and you've talked a bit about how the two
year experience is a lot more personalized and tailored. I'm
wondering how you are different as a Professional when you're in
each type of environment.
Colleen Maeder [00:13:57]:
Yeah, I think that's a great question. Where it's my values haven't
changed with whether I'm working at a four year public, a four year
private versus a two year. But I think it's how you go about and
how you interact with students and with others while also trying to
navigate. Most two years are public institutions and there's a lot,
at least in California you have ed code. So you're constantly of
what is current ed code, what is the law as well as in how do you
serve students and how do you work with them on that. And I think
I'm gonna speak in very broad strokes. I think sometimes the needs
at a community colle are much more basic than when you're at a four
year private institution that is primary residential for the first
year or two. I think at a community college it's you have to build
trust.
Colleen Maeder [00:14:43]:
I think there's a mistrust of higher education. There's why is
higher education important? And I think the students who tend to go
to four year schools at first know that there is an inherent
benefit of going to college. Going into higher education where I
feel like at a community college sometimes it's this, okay, I know
I need to get the degree, but how do you explain to them the
services that we have can help you do better, can help you succeed.
So sometimes it's like we're the safety net. When you are at a
community college or four year institution and you don't have
enough food on the table, you're not going to do as well as you
would if you had enough food and nutrition. If you are worried
about where you're going to sleep at night, if you're worried about
the safety of your family, if you're worried about an eviction,
that's all going to impact you in the academic state. So it's how
do you really build that connection to have students trust you,
trust the institution you're at enough to be able to help them
succeed. And I think that can be a struggle sometimes.
Colleen Maeder [00:15:41]:
It's really trying to build those connections because we know what
the issues are in our community. We have to help students overcome
some of those issues and kind of lift them up to be able to support
them in that.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:15:53]:
When you're talking about students who have high food security
needs or housing security needs, you're probably also talking about
people who have had the system work against them a lot in their
lead up into being into your college. And so you're Asking those
students to trust a system when systems have never been there for
them in the past. What strategies are you using to help them engage
with the system and then get them to work with you so you can
support them?
Colleen Maeder [00:16:19]:
You know, I think the first thing is you have to actually be here
in person. And I know remote work is wonderful. I've had. I worked
remote during COVID I've had the opportunity at previous
institutions to have one or two remote dates. But people don't want
to talk to someone on the phone. They don't want to talk to someone
via email. They want to actually see someone. They want to know
that this person cares and that they're not being treated as a
number.
Colleen Maeder [00:16:42]:
And I think that can be really difficult at times is how do we have
this connection? How do we show up in person? How do we keep
showing up? I think one of my biggest frustrations is if you have
this mission and vision and these hallmarks of what your division
should do, what your school should do, what your community college
district should do, where are you actually following, following
through on that? And I feel like these buzzwords that people say,
well, you actually have to put that into action. You actually have
to do that. And I think it's little by little, it's being visible
on campus. It's following through on what you say that you're going
to do. If we're going to say we're going to fund something, we're
going to fund something. If we're going to say we're going to be
there for students, we're going to be there for students, and
really communicating that and rebuilding a lot of that mistrust
that has been caused throughout the system. I think it's showing
them and acknowledging we know not only this is potentially a cost
to you, but it's also a cost in the sense that if you're going to
class, you're not going to be at work. If you're going to class,
who might be watching your children, if you have children, if
you're going to class, if it's an online, we're assuming you have a
safe space to take a class.
Colleen Maeder [00:17:48]:
We're assuming you have access to Internet. And I think it's a lot
of these. How do we make sure we can get all of that to students?
And this is something where Miracosta. I'm very, very privileged to
work at an institution that believes in mission and vision and
actually follows through on that.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:18:03]:
Anything interesting, innovative or exciting happening at
Miracosta, that maybe other student affairs professionals Would
love to hear about.
Colleen Maeder [00:18:10]:
Yeah, I think one of the things I just did was they have a CANVA
course for open up to all faculty and staff and it's all about
futures basically. What does the future look like? How do we pick
up? And I mentioned this previously on these signals that might be
coming up that we want to pay attention to. Not quite sure if it's
going to lead somewhere, but if it does, an example is rewind. 10,
15 years ago with AI, there was an opportunity for all of us to get
more on board with this. And what does that look like? What are our
fellow colleagues across the world doing in higher education? I
think it's paying attention to. We know right now in higher
education that there is going to be a dwindling K through 12
population. We know that. How are we planning for that? I think
that we know right now that mental health, at least for teens, that
18 to 24 year old, they're going through a mental health
crisis.
Colleen Maeder [00:19:00]:
So are we staffing up our counseling centers? And what are we doing
to help students feel like they actually belong on our campus? What
programs are we doing? How are we connecting with students? How are
we connecting students with other students? So it's all about what
are we kind of looking at? What are the signals at play and then
what do we do about it? And it's paying attention to the little
stuff to then have that help develop whatever that strategic plan
is going to be.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:19:25]:
How are you all creating belonging when you know you have a
population that's maybe on campus just for the moment they're
taking class, or a population that's attending kind of all hours of
the day, you might have students that are only there in the morning
or students that are only there in the evening or only certain days
of the week.
Colleen Maeder [00:19:38]:
Our campus, at least at the main campus, we have offices open until
at least 7 o' clock at night. And I think that plays a big factor
is having some of those extended hours. I think we're taking a look
at how do we reach student populations that we might not have done
a great job in the past. So we have an adult population, an adult
population in the 30s, 40s and 50s. How you program and how you
reach them is going to look very different than an 18 to 24 year
old population. We have a high rate Latinx students. What are we
doing to program towards them? We are an hsi. We can say we're an
hsi, but we should be doing a whole host of things because we are a
designated hsi.
Colleen Maeder [00:20:15]:
We are here to serve our students. And I think that is what gets
lost sometimes. Where we are here solely for our students.
Students, yes, it is great to be employed but if our students
aren't successful then we're not doing our jobs. And I think it's
constantly going back to we are here to serve our students and to
help them get that.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:20:33]:
Degree to change gears a minute. As a person who's been at both
kind of that traditional four year and that two year institution,
what advice would you give for a four year professional who wants
to transition to community college work? And what advice would you
give to a two year professional who wants to transition to a four
year.
Colleen Maeder [00:20:47]:
So that's a great question. One you should just do it. I think
people get very, very comfortable in. I've always worked for a
public four year institution. I'm only going to stay at public four
year institutions or I've only worked at a community college.
That's where I'm comfortable. I think if you want that experience,
put yourself out there and do that and do your research. I think
that.
Colleen Maeder [00:21:08]:
Well, I will say right now, I think across the board every
institution of higher education right now is struggling with budget
and funding. So I think that is a commonality right now. But when
you go from a public to a private, a community college to a private
for budgets can look very, very different. How you spend money
looks very, very different. I think that public schools have a
little bit more leeway at times when it comes to some things versus
a community college where community colleges, we are public
institutions. That means that we can have protests on campus, that
people can come onto our campus and we can't ask them to leave
unless they are actively violating and becoming disruptive. They
have a right to be there. And that can be very frustrating.
Colleen Maeder [00:21:47]:
Especially if you've only ever worked at a private institution
where it looks a little bit different. And some of the things you
can do at a private institution you can't always do at a public
institution and vice versa. But I think when it comes to a
community college, if you want to work at a community college and I
would encourage everyone to have that experience because I have
loved it. I wouldn't have returned to a community college
experience if I didn't enjoy my first time at one. But I think it's
understanding that community college students may have greater
needs and you're reaching them on a different level. At the same
time you're going to have a greater impact than sometimes always
working at a four year institution or a private institution. And I
think it's understanding that students will come and go. It's not
this trajectory of you start your first year on campus, you become
a second year, then a junior and then a senior, and then you
graduate.
Colleen Maeder [00:22:38]:
You might know someone who's working through to get their
associate's degree and it takes them five or six years because
they're living their life as they do this. And I think the
celebrations become greater at a community college. I think being
able to see students who really took the initiative, not that you
don't take the initiative at a four year institution, but I think
sometimes the risks are greater for community college students
because they're not always the traditional students that has the
family support. They're actually making that decision to go to
school full time as well as work a full time job, as well as trying
to raise a family. And it just looks a little bit different and you
need to be cognizant of that. But I encourage anyone, if they're
thinking about wanting to work at a community college, to
absolutely take the risk, apply for that job. It is a phenomenal
experience. And just as the flip side, I think people sometimes
like, oh, I've only worked at a community college experience.
Colleen Maeder [00:23:30]:
I don't have that four year experience at a residential campus.
Take the risk. It is a great experience. And I think the more
experiences you get, the stronger it makes you as a professional to
be able to support all students.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:23:42]:
I'm going to transition us into our theme questions for the season.
So we've been asking all of our guests the same three questions on
the value of student affairs. Our first question is, when you think
about the value of student affairs, what comes to mind first and
why?
Colleen Maeder [00:23:55]:
So I really thought about this when you sent me this question
because I don't know if we necessarily always talk about the value
of student affairs. I think we talk around it, but we don't
actually talk about the value of student affairs and the importance
of student affairs. And I think for me it is, we are here to help
students and individuals grow and develop both inside the
classroom. So the academic sense as well as outside of the
classroom. When you think of student affairs, depending on the
institution you're at, it can include anything from advising to
health services, to counseling and psychological service to public
safety, college, police, athletics, career, internship, your basic
needs, your residential life and housing, student conduct. It can
be so wide ranging that we are kind of that. I'm not saying that
lifeboat that can help students along, but also that springboard to
help students try something new. I think it's that leadership
opportunity that some of our students get.
Colleen Maeder [00:24:50]:
You know, our student government, our clubs in orgs, that
experience there helps them figure out how they work in a team.
What is this going to look like when they have a professional job
and they have to work as a team? What does it look like when we're
able to. We have food pantries on campus, we're able to provide
food to a student to help them get through the next day or two so
they can focus on their classes. What does this mean to the student
athlete to also have strong academic counseling as well? It's this
bullet both and, and I think this is where student affairs really
is the supplemental experience to the academic that is just as
important sometimes where we want them to get the degree, but we
also want them to have this experience and have the services they
need. So if they do struggle, we can help them overcome those
struggles and get to that finish line.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:25:38]:
Our second question is, can you share a specific story or moment
when you saw the value of student affairs come to life?
Colleen Maeder [00:25:44]:
I can't identify one moment, but I can identify the feeling I had
during those moments. And it's this feeling of a student saying to
you, I don't know if I would be here. I don't know if I would have
been able to finish this class. It's the thank you for not giving
up on me when everyone else did. It's the parent saying, thank you
for being there for my student when I couldn't be. And it's this
underlying feeling of I made that in something that student affairs
did change the trajectory of this individual's experience to help
them succeed. And I think it's the underlying things that we do
that we don't realize we do on a daily basis, but all of us do so
well. And it's across the division of student affairs that without
that service, that connection, that relationship, that student
might not have been able to do what they needed to do at that
time.
Colleen Maeder [00:26:37]:
So for me, if I had to pick an experience, I worked with a student
for two years at a prior institution and they really struggled
adjusting their college life for a variety of reasons. And the
student ended up writing a story and framed one of the characters
around how they viewed me. And that was really like, this is why I
do what I do. And I have to this day, and it's up on my wall right
now, I have the drawing of the character as well as kind of the
tagline next to the character that kind of reminds me of this is
why student affair is valuable. It's this relationship, it's this
connection. It's helping that student feel like they belong. And
that for me is important. And that is why I think that we continue
to do what we do.
Colleen Maeder [00:27:20]:
It doesn't matter if you work in career services. It doesn't matter
if you're in athletics or campus safety or student conduct. We all
do this for the reason of helping students.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:27:28]:
And our final question, what do you think student affairs needs to
do to be better understood and better seen in today's educational
environment?
Colleen Maeder [00:27:35]:
We need to tell our story better. We are really, really bad at
this. And I can say that even just answering the two questions
before, and I was like, I know, I know what the value of student
affairs is. I wouldn't have spent, I think it's 17 years of my
professional life in student affairs if I didn't believe in it. But
we don't tell our story well. We don't explain to non higher
education folks, quite frankly, we don't explain to faculty half
the time the value and the importance of student affairs. And I
think this is only become more and more important as we see the
attack on higher education continue, as we see budgets get cut as
our future students determine whether or not they want to come to
college. And I think that is huge.
Colleen Maeder [00:28:16]:
We have to do better at telling our story and who we are and not
just saying, oh, come get a degree, because if you get a degree,
you're getting a higher paying job. Well, that's not necessarily
reflective in the data anymore. So we need to do better in the. And
we needed to better about telling those individualized stories so
students can see. I can see myself here, a faculty member can say,
I can see the value of what student affairs brings and I understand
the importance to that. So that to me is kind of we just need to do
better telling our story. And also we need to change a little bit
faster with the times. I think higher education is very
reactive.
Colleen Maeder [00:28:51]:
Instead of being proactive as you're talking.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:28:53]:
About telling our story, I think that's probably the number one
thing I've heard repeatedly from all of our guests this season,
which tells us it must be true. And if you're listening to this
episode, but did if you didn't catch our episode with Dr. Ana
Gonzalez, Dr. Lori Reaser and Dr. Michelle Murray, please go and
listen to that one because they Just Co authored NASPA's latest
report, the Human Dimension of College why Student Affairs Matters.
And that also includes a toolkit that's right on the NASPA website
where you can input your own data and use that as an external
storytelling device for your senior administration that aren't in
student affairs, for your local council people or whoever else you
need to be telling the story to that's not internal. Because the
number one thing I've heard over and over this season is that we're
okay at telling our story to ourselves. We're pretty good at
telling our story to our students, but we are terrible at telling
our story externally, even to our own families.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:29:42]:
So there's just so much that we can do there. So I appreciate you
reaffirming that message for us anytime.
Colleen Maeder [00:29:48]:
I always laugh when people are like, how's school going? And I'm
like, well, I haven't been in school for a very, very long time
now, but work is going really well. Thank you for asking.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:29:56]:
It's time to take a quick break and toss it over to producer Chris
to learn what's going on in the the NASA world.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:02]:
Thanks, Jill. So excited to be back in the NASA world, and there's
a ton of things happening in NASA. We're getting really close to
the early registration deadline for the NASA Annual Conference. The
early registration Deadline ends on December 17, 2025 in Kansas,
Missouri. We'll celebrate the essential heart work of student
affairs and higher education. So we hope that you'll come together
with us to uplift students, communities and each other at the 128th
gathering of the Association. Interesting fact about Kansas City
Kansas City earned its Heart of America nickname because it sits at
the geographic center of the contiguous United States. And just as
student affairs professionals create inclusive campus communities,
Kansas City has built its identity on bringing people together.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:51]:
From smoothie jazz, filling historic clubs to legendary barbecue
that put Kansas City on the culinary map, this city celebrates both
heritage and future, much like NASA honors our profession's roots
while innovating for tomorrow. So at this national conference you
have some opportunities, some opportunities to come out and be able
to explore the city. Whether it's at the Nelson Atkins Museum or
learning more about the Kansas City Current, which is pioneering
the future of the Women's Professional Soccer League, or visiting
the Negro League's Baseball Museum Museum, which honors athletes
who changed the game and American history. These among many, many
opportunities to learn and to grow and reconnect with friends and
colleagues. The NASPA Annual Association Meeting is one you will
not want to miss again. The annual conference is March 7th through
the 11th in Kansas City, Missouri, and we hope to see you there.
There's a new book coming out from NASPA that you can order today.
Basic Counseling Skills for Higher Education Professionals
Identifying and Addressing Men Health Concerns is a book that is
being brought to you by Rebecca Schultz and Maureen Kenny.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:32:05]:
When college students are in a mental health crisis, they often
turn to a peer or a trusted faculty or staff member first. As the
number of students struggling with mental health issues continues
to rise, higher education professionals are called upon to do even
more. Basic Counseling Skills for Higher Education Professionals
equips college and university leaders leaders with the basic
knowledge and skills to address and respond to students with mental
health concerns. The authors provide foundational information on
the signs and symptoms of the most common mental health issues
educators are most likely to encounter in their daily work, as well
as guidance on how and when to intervene. With a focus on empathy
and core listening skills, this essential resource empowers
professional professionals to make effective and positive
interventions. As mentioned, this book is available for order right
now. I highly encourage you to check it out for yourself. You can
go online to the NASPA website under Research and Publications and
go to the NASPA Bookstore to find out more.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:07]:
Also, the early registration Deadline for the 2026 Symposium on
Military Connected Students is coming up on December 19th. The 2026
NASPA Symposium on Military Connected Students is the Association's
premier event event designed for student affairs practitioners
supporting military connected students. The Symposium is your
exclusive opportunity to share evidence based practices from your
campus or organization, learn from leading researchers in the
field, and engage with other professionals committed to supporting
military connected students. This three day symposium features
keynote sessions, research, policy and best practice presentations
and workshop style sessions. Sessions to help campus professionals
develop or enhance their programming and services for military
connected students. We invite you to connect with colleagues,
participate in engaging sessions and learn from dynamic plenary
sessions. As mentioned, the early registration deadline is coming
up on December 19th. The conference is February 17th through the
20th in Norfolk, Virginia.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:13]:
You can find out more on the NASPA web website. 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 back within one of the the centers
or the divisions of the association. 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 allow 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.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:29]:
Because through doing that, all of us are stronger each and the
association is better. Tune in again next week as we find out more
about what is happening in naspa.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:35:40]:
Chris, thank you so much for another phenomenal NASPA world. We
always appreciate you keeping us informed on what's going on in and
around NASA and Colleen. We have reached our last segment, which is
our lightning round, and I have seven questions for you in about 90
seconds. Are you ready to roll?
Colleen Maeder [00:35:56]:
We're gonna go with it. Let's go.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:35:57]:
Question number one, if you were a conference keynote speaker, what
would your entrance music be?
Colleen Maeder [00:36:01]:
Anything by Taylor Swift. I will just own it. I am a Swifty and I
no shame in saying that anymore.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:07]:
Question two, when you were five years old, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
Colleen Maeder [00:36:10]:
I had always wanted to do something in the criminal justice system.
A criminologist, a detective. That did not end up happening.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:17]:
Number three, who's your most influential professional mentor?
Colleen Maeder [00:36:20]:
So one of the people I look back at being really influential and I
do not keep in touch with them as much as I should. And you
actually know this person is Delmi Lindoff.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:27]:
Delmi Lindof, Dr. Lindof is the VPSA at Pratt Institute in New
York. It's the Institute of Art and she's an amazing professional.
So. Hi Delmi. Number four.
Colleen Maeder [00:36:35]:
Hi Delmi. Miss you.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:37]:
Number four, your essential student affairs read.
Colleen Maeder [00:36:39]:
I will say anything. Restorative justice. I think that if you are
going to be in student affairs, you have to be well versed in
restorative justice and restorative practices.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:47]:
Number five, the best TV show you've been binging lately.
Colleen Maeder [00:36:50]:
So I'm the type of person that binge watches TV shows I have
watched over and over and over again. So it would be the West Wing,
which I always return to every couple years.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:36:58]:
Number six, the podcast you spent the most hours listening to in
the last year.
Colleen Maeder [00:37:02]:
NPR up first and NPR Politics Now.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:04]:
And finally, number seven, any shout outs you'd like to give,
personal or professional?
Colleen Maeder [00:37:08]:
Huge shout to my current team here at Miracosta, both the Sanaleo
as well as the team up on the Oceanside campus that I work with, as
well as shout out to two people at my prior institution, Ashley and
Natasha, who are my support system, which I think everyone should
have, is that support system that gets you through when the going
gets tough.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:28]:
Colleen, so glad to have your voice on this side of the podcast.
You've done an amazing job representing the Community College
Experience Experience today. If anyone would like to get a hold of
you after this episode airs, how can they find you?
Colleen Maeder [00:37:39]:
Absolutely, you can reach me at C Maeder M A E D E Riracosta.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:45]:
Colleen, thank you so much for sharing your voice with us
today.
Colleen Maeder [00:37:47]:
Thank you so much for having me, Jill it was an experience to be on
the other side of a podcast.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:37:56]:
This has been an episode of Essay Voices from the Field brought to
you by Nest 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 at savoices@naspa.org
or find me on LinkedIn by searching for Dr. Jill L. Creighton. We
welcome your feedback and 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 Listening now.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:38:26]:
It really does help other student affairs professionals find the
show and helps us to become more visible in the larger podcasting
community. 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,
Flint for your support as we create this
project. Catch you next time.