Title: How to Keep Doing Good in a Changing Environment: Strategies for Student Affairs Professionals to Sustain Impact and Innovation
Presenter(s):
Tyrese Fenty (he/him)
Room: Margaret Brent 2112
Session Block(s): Session II
Time: 11:35 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
Duration: 45 minutes
Program Abstract:
This session equips student affairs professionals with practical strategies to continue “doing good” in their departments amidst constant institutional and societal change. Using a community-based co-curricular model as an applied example, participants will explore innovative approaches to sustaining impact, strengthening partnerships, and supporting student engagement. Attendees will gain adaptable tools and frameworks they can bring back to their teams to enhance service delivery, resilience, and professional effectiveness.
Program Description:
Student affairs professionals are consistently expected to “do good” support students, strengthen community engagement, and enhance departmental services even as higher education faces rapid change. This session provides a practical roadmap for professionals seeking to maintain impact and innovation within their departments. Using lessons learned from the Changemaker Pathways model, the session focuses on how staff can build resilient programs, adapt to shifting demands, and create sustainable partnerships that benefit both students and their institutional units.
Participants will explore how to design initiatives that align with departmental priorities, foster collaboration, and improve service delivery. Research from Chou & Chou (2021) demonstrates how community-based learning enhances engagement and institutional mission alignment, while Rodríguez & Edwards (2018) highlight strategies for leading transformative co-curricular initiatives. Building on these insights, the session centers the professional not the program as the driver of innovation and community impact.
Interactive components will help attendees pinpoint areas of growth within their own departments, identify potential community or campus partners, and strategize around implementing small but meaningful changes. The session also incorporates evaluation practices drawn from Kim & Wang (2019) to help professionals assess impact, refine programs, and communicate successes effectively to leadership.
By the end of this session, participants will leave with a personalized action plan that outlines steps they can take within the next semester to enhance “the good” their department is already doing. They will also gain accessible tools and replicable strategies for cultivating resilient, high-impact programs no matter how the environment shifts around them.