Nov 6, 2025
If you’re looking for fresh perspectives on careers in student affairs—and a truly honest conversation about the journey ahead—don't miss the latest episode of Student Affairs Voices from the Field. In this episode, host Dr. Jill Creighton sits down with Dr. Amy Hecht, Vice President for Student Affairs at Florida State University and co-editor of the new NASPA book, The Next Act: Realigning Your Mindset, Purpose, and Career.
The central theme of the conversation is the evolving nature of careers in student affairs, especially as professionals face mid-career questions and disruptions in life. Dr. Amy Hecht shares her own journey, returning to her alma mater after years spent at various institutions, and reflects on the unique challenges and opportunities this brings. She emphasizes how being away for decades allowed her to maintain objectivity and openness to making necessary changes—rather than being “married to” her undergraduate experience.
The podcast dives into the origins and vision for The Next Act book. As Dr. Amy Hecht explains, the project emerged during the COVID era, spurred by widespread burnout and the “Great Resignation.” The book fills a major gap in the literature: it doesn’t simply celebrate student affairs. Instead, it highlights realistic, sometimes raw conversations about burnout, career shifts, and redefining success. In her words, “There isn't one true path... It's an ebb and flow of a career over time and ways in which we find fulfillment.”
You’ll hear about chapters spotlighting professionals who’ve moved into K-12 education, consulting, the faculty route, or transitioned into other sectors within or outside higher education. Stories from people like Karen Warren Coleman, who found new fulfillment in K-12 school leadership, and Jeanna Mastrodicasa’s pivot within her institution, show just how many ways student affairs expertise translates beyond traditional upward mobility.
Another powerful element highlighted is the Deck of Disruptors, adapted from Bruce Filer, which visually maps all the life events—both positive and negative—that can throw established plans off course. The episode makes it clear: disruptions are normal, and reevaluating career goals is healthy and essential.
Finally, the conversation underscores the enduring value of student affairs: building community, supporting students through crises, and adapting to meet institutional goals. Dr. Amy Hecht urges professionals to articulate impact in data-driven and narrative ways, showing how student affairs shapes retention, graduation, and life outcomes.
If you’re contemplating your next steps, seeking inspiration, or just want to hear authentic voices in higher education leadership, tune in to this enlightening episode. It’s a must-listen for anyone in student affairs considering what purpose, fulfillment, and possibilities look like in a changing world.
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 are going to be talking about
the book the Next Realigning your mindset, purpose, and career.
This was a book published by NASPA in March of 2025, co edited by
Jason B. Pina and Amy Hecht and Associates.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:00:42]:
Our guest today is Dr. Amy Hecht, who has served as Vice President
for Student affairs at Florida State University since 2017 and is a
nationally recognized leader in higher ed with extensive experience
shaping student success, campus life, and institutional strategy.
Prior to returning to her alma mater, Dr. Hecht served as Vice
President for Student affairs at the College of New Jersey, or
tcnj, and held positions at Auburn University, Temple University,
Cabrini College, and the University of Pennsylvania at Florida
State. Dr. Hecht has established FSU as a national example for
excellence in fraternity and sorority life, expanded on campus
housing, and created new programs and services designed to advance
student success. She's provided steady leadership through numerous
campus crises and has also overseen initiatives such as the Lift
Recovery Program, Health Campus 2030, and the launch of the DC
Study Away Program. Her leadership has driven 150% increase in
philanthropic giving to student affairs, reflecting her ability to
align fundraising with transformational student impact.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:01:39]:
Dr. Hecht's accomplishments have been recognized nationally with
NASPA's Pillar of the Profession Award and the Scott Goodnight
Award for Outstanding performance as a VPSA. Beyond her
administrative leadership, Dr. Hecht is a respected thought leader
and author. She's co edited two books and is frequently invited to
contribute to national dialogues on student success, leadership
development, and the future of higher ed. Her next book, Telling
Time Management of Women in Senior Student Affairs Roles, which she
co authored, will be available in 2026. Dr. Hecht earned her
Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Florida State
University and her master's and doctorate in Higher Ed
Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:14]:
Hope you enjoy our conversation. Amy, welcome to SA Voices.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:02:19]:
Thank you. It's great to be here.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:02:20]:
We always love featuring our pillars of the profession here on the
NASPA podcast, and you've been around NASPA for quite a long time,
contributing positively to the profession, to the organization, and
most recently as an author, which is what we're going to be
primarily talking to you about today. But before we get into the
book the Next act, which is co edited by Dr. Jason Pina, who's up
at NYU and we also would love to start by asking you how you got to
your current seat at Florida State.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:02:47]:
Wow. So I started out like many people in student affairs because I
was a very involved student at fsu. I, I am an alum and so it is a
rare gift to go back to your alma mater. I was very involved and
that is kind of my exposure to student affairs. Never thought I
would come back to Florida. I actually wanted to be in the
Northeast. Went to the University of Pennsylvania for my master's
one year program. Got out and Pennsylvania has so many schools, was
able to really spend quite a bit of time there.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:03:21]:
As I moved up and got to work with vice presidents and dean of
students, I realized I loved the administration side. I loved the
organizational development and realized I had to go back and get my
doctorate. My GRE scores were going to expire and thought I'll go
back and I'll go real slow because I wasn't sure I wanted to be
back yet. In the classroom and the process, I really enjoyed it. I
kind of fell in love with the concept of organizational learning
and got a call to go to Auburn University from a mentor and was
there for four years and he kind of said, okay, now you've been an
avp, you're ready to be a V. I did not think I was really loved
that AVP role, but became the Vice president at the College of New
Jersey right outside of Philadelphia and became region director of
Region 2 of the College of New Jersey. Loved being there, but did
get a call from the search firm about Florida State. And early on
in my career I tried to kind of get back to the state of
Florida.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:04:21]:
It's where my family's from. Never worked out and was very
flattered that I was nominated for FSU and said, oh, I'll just send
them my resume, see what they think. Sure, there's way more
qualified people. But I did get an airport interview and then fell
in love with the people and the rest is history. So coming back,
I've been, I had been gone, you know, over 20 years, so it is
interesting. I know some of the history and some of the traditions
and how important student life and the student experience is, but
also worked many other places. So I kind of have the best of both
worlds. I'm an insider, but haven't necessarily been brought up
here and have only seen one thing.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:05:01]:
I've seen a lot of other institutions and how they operate.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:05:04]:
I think that's always so interesting to go back to your alma mater.
We have stories where people loved working on both ends of that as
a student and as a full time administrator and other people who
said that it really changed their perspective on their alma mater
and not necessarily in the way that they wanted it to. So can you
tell us a little bit more about creating some sense between the
things you loved as an undergraduate student and the things that
you're working towards improving as an administrator?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:05:28]:
I do think that's really interesting because now you kind of. Now
this is how the sausage is made. And as a student, and I was not
the SGA president, I didn't fill any of those roles. So I really
didn't see some of the upper work happening at Florida State when I
was a student. The state of Florida has a really great program
called Bright Futures. So if you have a certain GPA and SAT score,
you get 75% of your tuition paid. So for my family it was, this is
choose one of the state schools in Florida and you're going there.
Even though I had dreams of, I don't know, going to New York or
Hawaii, but financially I was here, I do think it's challenging
Florida State and maybe this is the same for all of the state
schools in Florida.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:06:08]:
We get a tremendous amount of financial support from the state.
They've been very generous and that comes with a lot of oversight.
Other states that I've worked in have not had the level of
oversight involvement of their state legislature. And I think that
has been very difficult. But I do think me being gone as long as I
have been and coming back, I am not as mirrored towards my
experience has to be the experience of all of our future students.
There are things that have changed and some that haven't since I
had been gone. So I think that has helped me not kind of taint my
own undergraduate experience once you see how it works. And there
had.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:06:49]:
There were decisions made by administration when I was a student
that now I'm thinking I'm paying for some of those decisions now,
or we're trying to fix a decision that was made, you know, 20
something years ago. But for me it has, it hasn't been a problem,
but I could see how, how it could be. But I do think that the
length of time I was gone really helped because so much time has
passed and I don't have a great memory of that long ago to really
remember a lot of my undergrad experience for some reason. So I do
think I'm able to make changes and not be kind of too married to
any of the things that I experienced as a student.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:25]:
Amy, we really want to dig into the book today, the Next act, which
is one of NASPA's newest publications. It just came at an annual
conference about five, six months ago. It's really filling a gap in
the literature that we haven't seen before. So it was an exciting
thing to see a book that really had some honesty in it around.
Careers in Student affairs had more to it than the positive side of
the profession. It had lots of realistic and truthful conversations
in it from the people that wrote the essays. Lots of wonderful and
familiar names in the author list as well. But you and Dr.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:07:58]:
Pina had put this together. Can you talk about the vision for the
book? What inspired you both to take a moment to put this into the
space in the literature?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:08:07]:
Right now, I have to give my good friend Dr. Pina Credit. He came
to me during COVID during the Great Resignation and all the
challenges we experienced, and said, I think there's something here
about what are people doing? What has been the effect of COVID And
then as we were writing it, Covid kind of passed and, you know, we
got back into In Person and it evolved to what it. What it became
as the Next act, which I think for me personally, it was a really
fulfilling project because I have always been someone who is
focused on a goal. What is next? Someday I want to be a vice
president of student affairs. Someday I want to do this. And
getting my current position as the VP of Student affairs at Florida
State is, in my opinion, one of the best jobs in student affairs in
the country. Maybe others feel the same.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:09:01]:
And it was, well, what is next? And what if I don't want to do this
work? What if I get too burnt out? So much has happened and so much
has changed in the almost 30 years I've been in the profession. It
is not at all what I thought it was, nor. Or is it the same as
somebody who was a VP in 2001? A very different field, very
different challenges, and it's all I've known as a career. It's
all, you know, Jason is known as well, and it is what would be
next? What could I do with all this experience, all this education
and. Or am I trapped, personally, am I trapped in my current role
or only in this job? And you're not, and not even if you're a vice
president. But what do we do with these higher education degrees,
these student affairs experiences. What if I want to get out of the
fields? And what would that look like? And we, we kind of joked, I
don't know if NASA is really going to want us to publish this book.
That might be encouraging folks to look elsewhere.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:10:05]:
I have found it gave me a sense of security in read, reading the
book and all of the fabulous authors journeys and it gave me a
sense of peace of actually no, I'm making a choice to continue to
be where I am. But if I wanted to find a new path or do something
different, I have so many options that aren't necessarily just
moving up in student affairs and becoming an AVP or a dean of
students. There is a lot more we can do at these degrees that maybe
aren't always put front and center or it's not how we entered
thinking that was going to be our next goal. But there's still very
fulfilling ways in which you can still contribute, use the skills
you've obtained, the degrees that you've obtained. And I think
there's a certain amount of freedom that that has given me and
others who realize there isn't one true path. It's not always up
and to the right. You know, you're not always just moving straight
up and down. It's an ebb and flow of a, of a career over time and
ways in which we find fulfillment.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:11:07]:
One of the points made early on in the book is that, you know,
millennials are coming into the vice presidencies now. Most
millennials are in their early 40s at this point in time, which
means there's 25 working years left in a career, which is more
career left than has already been in the rear view. And that's a
lot of time in a seat. It's a lot of time to think about, am I the
right person for this seat for that long period of time? Is that
the best thing for this institution? It's an interesting question
to ask. We also have perspectives from presidents who have come
through student affairs in the book. I think you just made that
great point that the career trajectory doesn't always have to be
quote, unquote upward. Not all of us want to be presidents of
institutions. It's a really tricky time to be a president of an
institution.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:11:50]:
And much like a VPSA role, I think we're seeing a lot of transition
and possibly burnout in the presidency position. So this book
really kind of pathways out some different choices where we're
still progressing, we're still learning, but doesn't necessarily
mean that we have to continue to move up an institutional hierarchy
to find fulfillment. So can you talk about the different pathways
that are laid out in the book and maybe some chapters in particular
from authors who have taken those pathways.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:12:19]:
I had that very same experience. I became a vice president in my
30s and most recently was meeting with my new president a few years
ago. And he said, what do you want to do? And I said, well, I don't
know. I'm happy right now, but I have another 20 plus years to work
and I just don't know if I can do this work with the same energy
and love for another 25 years. I'm good for now, but in all
realism, I don't know if I could do it. And I think there are
people who have done it and they do it well and I admire them, but
I don't want to have to do it because I don't have another choice.
And some of the chapters and Jason and I divided so he had half of
the author and I had the other half and went back and forth on
their chapters. But a few that really spoke to me.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:13:07]:
Karen Warren Coleman, she is a good friend of mine. We did start
the AVP Institute at NASPA together. We were both AVPs at the same
time. And she is currently ahead of A K through 12 school now in
Philadelphia. She was in Texas and moved to a different sort of
education. And her chapter, I wrote back after reading her chapter
and I said, wow, you make this sound really exciting, exciting,
really enticing. And the skills that you're using are, are so
similar that I don't know if I thought of it because I did not grow
up attending a boarding school or I went to public school in
independent school. But you think of the skill set of these K
through 12 or some version of that with housing, with dining, with
mental health and curriculum, these heads of school, the skill set
is very similar and very attractive.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:14:05]:
Something she felt would still allow her to come back to higher ed
at a later date if she wanted. But I found that to be really
interesting. I also had the chapter on going the consulting route
and folks that have become either search consultants or working for
any of the firms we've used across our campuses like Huron or kpmg
and their knowledge being really great, adding some flexibility,
perhaps earning a greater salary, but being aware of the
differences of corporate America, the sales part of those jobs. I
think I would love the research part, but they really shed light on
the pieces that you might not think about is finding the business.
You've got to bring in the work on that area. So I think each of
the chapters are really interesting. There's a few others you
mentioned the presidency, some that have gone to the faculty and
are just excelling being in faculty coming from student affairs. A
few that have worked outside of student affairs at their same
institution are different.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:15:12]:
Using their institutional knowledge in a new way I think is
something we don't often think about, but our skills are still
applicable, whether it's in the academic affairs arm, research arm,
or so on. So really looking at that I think is exciting. I do think
it really opens the door and allows us to do what we tell students
to do, which is think about those transferable skills, what they're
learning inside and outside the classroom, and how it applies to
any number of pieces.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:15:41]:
There are a couple other ones to highlight in case practitioners
listening are interested in picking this one up. One is about
shifting roles within the same institution and I see a really
familiar name to the podcast and to NASPA, Gino Mastodacaska and
Katie O'Dare. Both of them have been in the NASPA world for a bit,
but Gina transitioned completely into a different side of the
institution out of student affairs after a long career in student
affairs and is really thriving in a very different niche within the
institution. I'm also seeing one on transitioning from higher ed
into new industries and these are young industries that are
happening outside of higher education. And as Amy mentioned,
there's also some information here on the consulting role and some
other things that are really valuable. There's a chapter also on
shifting institution types and particularly I've heard from people
that are trying to start serving community college spaces from four
years and are struggling with that because the community college
needs are quite different than a four year need and complete
mindset shift around that. So an interesting one to call attention
to.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:16:42]:
Absolutely. And I do think we're aware that serving different kinds
of students makes a really big difference whether it's community
college going to maybe an HBCU or an hsi urban versus rural. So
those are all ways to kind of challenge our skill set, learn
something new and then the going global chapter. Still you being in
the uk, I dream someday of moving to a foreign country and having
that experience. But the learning in that chapter and the
opportunity to bring student affairs in America, which is not how
most other countries deliver higher education, is great, but also
the learning those authors shared because they had to also learn a
new culture, not just of a campus but of a country to be able to
deliver. I think is is a really interesting for those that can Find
that kind of work and move their families or move themselves. I
think it. That's a really exciting way and that Glass Going Global
chapter.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:17:41]:
And I'll give it a shout out to those authors. It's Dr. Ainslie
Carey, Dr. Raphael X Moffat, and Dr. Baishaki Taylor, all of whom
have been on Essay Voices. So if you want to hear their
international voices, go check out our past season on International
Voices in Student affairs and just give some credit for them
because their episodes are wonderful. One of the things you feature
in the book as well at the very, very beginning is something called
the deck of Disruptors, which is kind of a theory that comes out of
an author called Bruce Filer. And this deck of disruptors is
basically a list of all the things in our life that can derail the
pathways that we're on.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:18:14]:
And I'd never seen this image before, and I thought it was quite
interesting because I went, oh, well, these all are, I think, in
some ways pretty obvious, but when you put them in one infographic,
you go, oh, wait, this makes a lot of sense about why my pathway
might need to change. Can you talk about your choice to include
this image and kind of how that sets up the book?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:18:32]:
I think we don't talk about that a lot. I do think Covid has led
many of us to collectively have a disruption. But disruptors can be
positive and in some ways they can be negative. But they could be
the birth of a child, a marriage, a spouse, getting a really new,
exciting opportunity that requires you to move. It could be a
divorce, illness, any number of pieces that make you stop and
reexamine that goal of did I really always want to be a president
or always want to be a vice president? It might not fit into your
current priorities of what's important in your life at that moment.
And I think that that is okay to acknowledge that, you know, we
always. I. I laugh and I do this to my girls as well.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:19:15]:
What do you want to be when you grow up? And it's rare that you
actually know the answer to that or you're going to stick to it,
but I do think there's maybe an unconscious desire to stick to what
we said we were going to do when we started out. I knew a lot of
folks that said, I'm going to go into higher ed and eventually
become a president. I know very few of them who still want to
become a president of an institution. So I think it's also giving
grace of just because you said you always wanted to become X, your
journey might require something different. And that's okay. It's
okay to shift. And there's lots of disruptions. And in fact, we in
our life are having more of those disruptions than we've ever
had.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:19:57]:
And that is why our careers ebb and flow. And that is a natural
part of life is those kinds of things that might disrupt us, our
path. And growing up, you don't think of getting married or having
a child as maybe causing you to reorganize, organize your
priorities. But it absolutely does. And it's always interesting to
see why people go on those paths. And some of our authors do share
their reasons for stepping out of higher ed into consulting or
going into the faculty. Some of it is just professional and career
fulfillment, but some of it is because life things happened in
their life and they needed to adapt and evolve.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:20:34]:
If you'd like to look this up again, it's called Deck of
Disruptors, and it breaks down the disruptors into five major
categories of love, beliefs, work, identity, and body. So it's
things like a car accident or being diagnosed with an illness or
maybe a change in your living situation or, you know, something
related to a change in your relationship or something like that. So
lots of different ones to look up again. The author of this
infographic is Bruce Filer. Fantasy E I L E R Amy, I want to talk a
little bit about the process of creating an edited volume like
this. You've been an author and a scholar for a long time and
published your own work, but it's a little bit different when
you're the holder of the keys for a volume like this. If I've been
authoring and I want to do something like this, how do I even
begin?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:21:19]:
Sure, that's. That is a good question. I've had folks ask that.
Jason and I have now done two edited books. Some people love that
process and some people do not. I love it. It is important to pick
great authors. So we shaped the idea and submitted it to NASPA with
our wish list of authors of who we know, who we may tap to write
some of the chapters we came up with.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:21:44]:
And after being approved by naspa, we started inviting authors and
in some cases needed to get new recommendations, making sure we had
kind of a diversity of experiences that we could find and know
people who went to K12 or who became president. And for us this
time we divided those authors and we go back and forth on their
chapter. We have found asking them to outline it and have a due
date and then write us a little more. And then we are constantly
reading, giving feedback, making sure that they are staying true to
the purpose we submitted to NASPA at the beginning, but also
capturing their voice and their expertise and their journey and
making sure that as we read it, we hope that the readers aren't
going to be left with any questions. So we ask, you know, them to
expand on this or if you're willing, can you share the reason why
you did Y or X, Y and Z? Because I think for authors, being as raw
and as vulnerable is really useful to know that other people are
struggling with maybe taking a step back in their career for their
children or maybe stepping out so that their spouse can do
something different. And we don't often talk about that. So I
thought that was that was kind of part of it. I mean we read it
multiple times, but then we read it holistically and together to
make sure that it flows and kind of tells a cohesive story.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:23:07]:
And you've got another volume coming out next year on empowering
women in leadership and student affairs. Can you say anything about
that at this point?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:23:14]:
Yes, we have submitted that book and we're waiting for edits from
our editor. But that book is will be called Telling Time. It is
authored book me and four other women on senior women in student
affairs and how they use their time. We conducted over a hundred
studies of women's use of time in 15 minute increments, really
trying to capture the story of how women prioritize different
aspects of their life, how in which they care for children, care
for loved ones, spend time on relationships and attempt to balance
everything and prioritize at different points. And you know, you
really can't have it all. We know that. But but how are women kind
of using their most precious resource, which is time, when they
have a lot of competing priorities.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:24:02]:
Would you like to shout out your co authors?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:24:03]:
I will Angela Chong, who is the VP at the University of Oregon
Brittany Deves, who works at Florida State with me and fraternity
and sorority life Kelly Hennessy at the College of New Jersey and
Tina Torme, also at the College of New Jersey. Some awesome women
writers. And so we are, we are really excited for that book to come
out hopefully in 2026.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:24:25]:
Looking forward to reading that study. Any highlights that you can
share about your findings early on?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:24:29]:
Some highlights is most of us, most of the women do not spend time
thinking about how they use their time like we would our financial
budget or budgeting our time doing the study kind of forced some of
these women to do that and reprioritize wastes of time, things that
we do to kind of decompress that feel good in the moment, but in
hindsight, don't. Just like a diet, if you're writing everything
down, you're going, oh, that wasn't probably the best thing for me
to eat. It felt good in the moment. We found that with, with time
as well. And just even if you're not participating in a study, even
just doing that has helped people feel more productive. But we also
found what I say, I prioritize. The majority of us don't spend our
time on the things that we say are a priority. And I think that
doing this periodically, even with a friend, can just help you stay
true to what you say, you value or what's important to you.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:25:23]:
This season, we're focusing on the value of student affairs as our
theme. And we've been asking the same three theme questions to all
of our guests, so I'd love to pose those to you now. Our first
question is, when you think about the value of student affairs,
what comes to mind first and why?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:25:38]:
What comes comes to me first is really community. I think community
both on our campuses, that is what we do. We create places for
people to belong, for people to feel that they matter, people to
find their purpose. We do that with our students. I feel we do it
with our staff and our teams. And I think naspa, they do it
actually for the globe because we're an international organization.
But there's so many different levels of community that I have seen
throughout my career. Help students, help staff, help vice
presidents and others, navigate really tough issues, but feel like
you are not alone.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:26:15]:
And I think that is probably our superpower.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:26:18]:
Our second question, can you share a specific story or moment when
you saw the value of student affairs come to life?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:26:23]:
Quite a bit. During my 8 years now at Florida State, we've had a
significant challenge almost every year. I'm going to knock on
wood, but we had a, most recently a campus shooter in our student
union, which is the living room of our campus. Brand new building,
beautiful, very open space, purposefully all glass so you can see
throughout the multiple levels. And our sense of safety for the
staff and our faculty and our students was disrupted in that
moment. Several students were injured. We lost two administrators,
one that worked in our dining and one who is a visiting vendor. And
in the heels of that, seeing my team come together to support each
other, to support students, to do things outside of their job
description, to help heal both themselves and our students and our
community.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:27:16]:
Everything from creating new community centers because we couldn't
use our student union. So we did that on campus. But then the
outpouring from colleagues across the country, offers to help was
incredible. And the value of student affairs flexibility, our
knowledge of emergency protocol, our ability to counsel students to
be vulnerable with them was really telling. Myself and the
president would often come to our newly created community center
and the president would say, this is as healing for me as it is for
these students. And I say, you know, absolutely, being in community
with people after a crisis is the best way to heal. And I think our
contributions were seen by everyone and we felt at Florida State
the love from those that were thinking of us during that
tragedy.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:28:12]:
Thank you for sharing that really vulnerable piece of the student
affairs stories because I think when we have violence and other
components like that that happen to our campuses or loss of a
student or something like that, I know for me, I've carried those
moments with me personally for a really. And so we're there
supporting everybody else and also trying to figure out how to take
care of ourselves as human beings in those moments. And those are
incredibly hard. So thank you and your team for holding, holding
all that for the Florida State students. Our third question is what
do you think that student affairs needs to do to be better
understood and better seen in today's educational environment?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:28:49]:
I do think that that is a challenge. It's one what we're facing at
Florida State, I think some of it is we've got to translate our
impact into the language that our institutions are using.
Graduation, retention rates, career readiness. How are we
contributing to the metrics that in the state of Florida and
elsewhere, we are being measured on. We know there are other words
that we can use that are important and valued, but we need to be
speaking the language that others at the institution are using. We
need to do better with data and telling our story and having the
data to show some of what may be seen as an extra or an add on or a
nice to have the value of that and the benefit, whether that's to
mental health, a sense of belonging, graduation and retention, a
lot of those pieces. And I feel there are so many contemporary
issues on our campus event safety, free speech, mental health,
workforce development, career readiness. All of those things are
within student affairs realm, things that we do naturally, not just
in the departments whose name, you know, are associated, but all of
what we do.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:29:59]:
And so I think it's really sharing that. And being at the table, I
think is important for the policy and the budget, I would say, are
some of the top things we need to do and Become like Pat Whiteley,
also one of our authors, the best vice president on the cabinet.
How are you part of those conversations and shaping the narrative
and bringing the student voices and the student experience to the
table?
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:30:21]:
As someone who gets to interact with that cabinet and also the
students and the families that are at fsu, what data points are you
bringing to the table right now that are really helping tell that
story?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:30:32]:
Some of them are the fact that students that are living on campus
with us and we have 45,000 students, but only 6,700 on campus beds.
But of those, they have higher GPAs, they're retained at greater
rates, and they graduate at higher levels. So that is a telling,
powerful story of what is happening in our residence halls that
does not happen in an off campus apartment. And how do we grow that
experience so that more students have that opportunity? And so we
are adding to our bed count. We are also investing in six months
post graduation. Where are our students? Where are our graduates?
Are they in graduate school? Are they gainfully employed? And then
where are they five years out, 10 years out telling that story? And
what were those experiences they had at fsu? You that they
contribute to their career success? And oftentimes it is the job at
campus recreation, it is being an ra, it is being in the student
government that was a powerful experience that they still refer to.
And I think telling those stories and putting alumni out there is
really important. But part of kind of that value of what we do.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:31:41]:
Are you using any narrative data points in order to help tell the
story of student affairs, especially for areas of student affairs
that maybe we can't as easily create cause and effect data or
demonstrate that the support that we're offering students in those
spaces might, might have that long term impact on their journey,
but maybe is not evident. Semester one to semester two, we do.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:32:04]:
We can do better. We do collect some narratives, especially when
it's a sensitive topic like our emergency Student aid fund and the
impact it has or victims advocate program or case management. We
could do more, of course, and really bringing those stories to
life. But I do think it's very impactful. I've seen it impact our
board of trustees who hear one story and then we say there are 30
others behind this story that show the impact of, you know, our
food pantry or any of the programs we have.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:32:33]:
Amy, as we conclude our conversation on the book and the work that
you're doing at Florida State, is there anything else you want to
put into our space today?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:32:41]:
One of the great things about my current gig is that you can kind
of dream. I'm really proud of like a number of things we're doing,
some of which are advancing like the greater goals of Florida
State. We just launched a DC Study Away program which is modeled
after our International Study Abroad program. We have property
housing purchased in Washington D.C. and we will have our students
living there and interning fall, spring and summer and that aligns
with our President's goals as well as our VP of Research goals
which is to have a greater presence in D.C. and it was really
fulfilling to be able to kind of plant the first flag for Florida
State in D.C. and hopefully others will come. A lot of schools have
already gotten to the DC market and have different programs, but
the one we're contributing right now is a very student centric
experience that we want to give our students the opportunity to
live and learn in Washington D.C.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:33:41]:
so that's exciting and who knows what new ideas we'll come up with
here and try to implement.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:33:46]:
It's time to take a quick break and toss it over to producer Chris
to learn what's going on in the NASPA world.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:53]:
Thanks Jill. So excited to be back in the NASPA world and there's a
ton of things happening in NASPA. The NASPA Annual Conference has
identified two of their keynote speakers for the 2026 NASPA Annual
Conference. The Tuesday keynote will be Dr. Kevin McClure. Dr.
McClure is a professor, researcher and speaker dedicated to
reimagining the higher education workplace. A distinguished Scholar
of higher education, McClure holds the joint title of professor of
Higher Education and Department Chair at the University of North
Carolina, Wilmington.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:25]:
He is the author of the Caring Reimagining the Higher Education
Workplace after the Great Resignation. His research on college
leadership, workplace culture and organizational care has been
featured in the Chronicle of Higher Edition Education and at
national conferences. Through McClure's writing, keynotes and
workshops, he helps leaders create people first campuses where
faculty and staff can thrive. McClure is passionate about helping
colleges and universities build a culture where faculty and staff
can thrive because when employees feel supported, students and
institutions succeed. Our closing keynote is Dr. Amelia Parnell.
Dr. Parnell is an accomplished higher education executive and an
internationally recognized thought leader regarding current issues
in EM trends in the field.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:11]:
She is a passionate advocate for higher education as a tool for
personal advancement and impact, and she is committed to work that
centers students needs. In her first year as NASPA President, she
has met the members across the world, including NASPA regions,
divisions, knowledge communities and areas, and has visited more
than 25 campuses to speak directly with student affairs
professionals. She frequently delivers keynotes on the value of
student affairs and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the
Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, and the PBS
NewsHour. Dr. Parnell holds a PhD in higher education from Florida
State University and a master's and bachelor's degree in Business
Administration from Florida A and M University. Just a reminder
that the early registration deadline for the 2026 conference ends
on December 17th. You can register today on the NASPA website. Do
you need help funding attendance at an upcoming NASPA event? Event
NASPA Foundation Access Scholarships may be able to help Donor
Gifts have funded scholarships directly supporting conference
registrations and on site housing for select NASPA events and
opportunities.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:36:19]:
The following dates are the deadlines for some of the upcoming
applications. November 12th is the deadline for the first cycle of
Student affairs educator certification. November 14th is the
deadline for the 2026 NASPA strategies conferences as well as the
2026 NASPA institute for new AVPs and the 2026 NASPA AVP symposium.
You can find out more on the NASPA website. Finally, NASPA,
alongside a coalition of 38 science, business, education and
research organizations, submitted public comments to Citizenship
and Immigration Services opposing the proposed rule to implement a
wage level lottery for cap subject H1B petition. The comments
indicated that the proposed rule would privilege seniority in lower
wage occupations over genuinely high wage, high skill roles,
undermine the retention of early career STEM talent educated in the
US and weaken US Scientific and economic competitiveness. The
coalition urged USCIS to withdraw the proposed rule. If you'd like
to see the comments on this proposed rule, you can learn more in
the Policy Hub on the NASPA website.
Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:37:34]:
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 a knowledge community, giving back within one of 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, 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 and the association is
better. Tune in again next week as we find out more about what is
happening in naspa.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:38:59]:
Chris, thank you so much for another informative NASPA world. We
appreciate you keeping us up to date on what's going on in and
around naspa. And Amy, it is time for our lightning round where I
ask you seven questions in about 90 seconds. You ready to roll?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:13]:
I'm ready.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:14]:
All right, question number one, if you were a conference keynote
speaker, what would your entrance music be?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:19]:
The Fugees, Ready or not.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:20]:
Number two, when you were five years old, what did you want to be
when you grew up?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:23]:
A doctor.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:24]:
Number three, who's your most influential professional mentor?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:27]:
Ainslie Carey.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:28]:
Number four, your essential student affairs read right now.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:31]:
The next act.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:32]:
Number five, the best TV show you've been binging lately.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:34]:
Scandal.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:35]:
Number six, the podcast you've spent the most hours listening to in
the last year.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:38]:
The Daily New York Times.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:40]:
And finally, number seven, any shout outs you'd like to give,
personal or professional to?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:44]:
My friend Jason Pina, thank you so much for always calling me to
partner with any crazy idea you have. So so shout out to him.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:39:52]:
Amy, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom today. If anyone
would like to converse with you after the show, how can they find
you?
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:39:58]:
Best Way is LinkedIn. You can find me on LinkedIn @AmyHacked or my
email at FloridaState is ahactsu.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:40:06]:
Amy, thank you so very much for sharing your voice with us
today.
Dr. Amy Hecht [00:40:09]:
Thank you. It's great to be with you.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:40:15]:
This has been an episode of Savage 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@savoicesaspa.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, Podcast, Spotify or wherever you're listening now.
Dr. Jill Creighton [00:40:45]:
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.