SAA 501 History of Higher Education and Student Affairs

Content: The purpose of this course is to trace the history of higher education and the evolution of the field of Student Affairs in the United States. We will cover the origins, trends/developmental periods, and distinctive features of US higher education, critically examining higher education institutions' perpetuation of colonialism, slavery, and neoliberalism. The course contextualizes the creation of the field of student affairs within the history of institutions. Content from this course will center on the experiences and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and people of color within and across these historical areas of development.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Admission to the Higher Ed & Student Affairs Administration program.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 509 Equity and Social Justice in Higher Education

Content: This course introduces the attitudes, beliefs, values, skills, knowledge, and self-awareness necessary for student affairs professionals to serve diverse student populations. In contemporary higher education, diversity plays an increasingly important role in the experience of students, affecting both their full access to various aspects of the college experience and the quality of that experience. For the purposes of this course, diversity shall be defined to include: gender, class, race and ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion or spirituality, and disability.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 523 Higher Education Governance and Administration

Content: This course introduces students to governance and administrative structures in American higher education. Students will explore how changes in the demographic, legal, financial, and social landscape have impacted the ways that colleges and universities operate. Students will also become familiarized with the use of data and research as it relates to governance and administration.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 525 Higher Education Finance

Content: This three-semester hour course introduces students to financial, economic, and budgetary issues within Higher Education with particular emphasis on student affairs. Students will review the primary political, economic, and social issues influencing higher education finance; examine revenue streams and expenditure patterns; survey tuition and financial aid policies; develop the ability to examine and analyze financial information; and assess the budget as an instrument of strategic planning, resource allocation, and control. This course is grounded in literature, theories, and examples specific to higher education. The goal for this class is to provide students with the knowledge and abilities that empower them to make appropriate decisions as higher education leaders. Through assigned readings, lectures, and webcast materials, and by active course participation, including completion of assigned activities, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their familiarity with the following topics: financing higher education; political influences; higher education revenue sources and uses; and institutional budgeting and planning.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 527 Intergroup Dialogue

Content: This course prepares students to facilitate intergroup dialogues in college and university settings. Intergroup Dialogue is an educational model that seeks to facilitate dialogical learning across different social groups and identities, and foster intergroup relations. Intergroup dialogue is grounded in the belief that interpersonal relations are shaped by historical and contemporary contexts (and conflicts) in society. This course will review dialogic principles that inform Intergroup Dialogue and then provide an opportunity to practice designing and facilitating an intergroup dialogue.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509
Credits: 1 semester hour.

SAA 530 Critical Pedagogies and Student Affairs

Content: This class explores the following propositions from the tradition of critical pedagogy: learning is a shared and collective process that is shaped by social structures and norms of social interaction; higher education institutions fundamentally shape the process of learning, as well as what counts as knowledge; higher education institutions can sustain and reproduce inequitable political and economic relationships; higher education institutions can also provide opportunities to resist oppression, build autonomy, and create a more just society. This class will explore the central concepts and arguments that underlay these claims, and consider their implications for student affairs practitioners who seek to create inclusive learning environments that lead to equitable educational outcomes.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 535 Legal Issues in Higher Education

Content: This course is designed to introduce students to legal issues in higher education. Issues related to the various constituents - faculty, staff, students, and administration - will be addressed. Students will also explore current legal issues facing the higher education community.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 538 Crisis Management in Higher Education

Content: This course introduces the theories and practical approaches to managing crises within higher education and student affairs. Students gain knowledge of signs and symptoms of common mental health issues in college settings, and learn strategies for addressing and triaging mental health concerns as a non-clinical person. Students will also learn crisis management and risk assessments in higher education. This course merges literature on crisis management with case studies and experiences from student affairs leaders. We will examine and discuss documented cases of campus crisis and best practices in campus crisis management.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509
Credits: 2 semester hours.

SAA 540 Student Development Theory I

Content: Having a deep understanding of student development is necessary for anyone who wants to be successful as an administrator or instructor in higher education. You must be aware of factors that affect the development of adults and be able to work with individuals, groups, and organizations within a diverse campus community. This is essential to establishing environments conducive to the development of students from a variety of backgrounds. This course introduces students to practitioner-based student development theories within higher education. Ultimately, the understanding and application of these theoretical frameworks to your work will enable you to enhance student outcomes vis-a-vis programs, services, curricula, and pedagogical techniques.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 541 Student Development Theory II

Content: This course is designed to build upon Student Development Theory I and is considered to be second in a two-part series. Coursework will enhance students' understanding of processes of student learning, growth, and development during college. Special focus will focus on recent theories including diversity in development and the extent to which these theories are used to guide empirical research and institutional decision-making.
Prerequisites: SAA 540.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 542 Student Development Theory

Content: As student development theory continues to evolve and has entered the "third wave" of scholarship, having an understanding of the variations of the theory is critical to serving diverse students on college campuses. This course applies a critical lens to introduce practitioner-based student development theories within higher education. Topics discussed will be informed by current issues in higher education. The main objectives for this course are: to examine theories, to explore how theories inform your praxis, and to demonstrate your intellectual understanding of systems of equity and inclusion in higher education settings.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 544 Practicum

Content: Supervised, on-site, pre-designed professional experience along with campus seminars involving discussions and presentations. Students explore the essential content knowledge, leadership, collaboration, and research skills of successful educators under the supervision of experienced field and campus supervisors.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Consent of instructor and submission of application for independent practicum to department office.
Credits: 1-4 semester hours.

SAA 550 Practicum I

Content: Practicum I provides you with an opportunity to apply what you have learned in your coursework in the authentic context of a student affairs office or related students affairs position. Central to this approach is your progress toward becoming a practitioner-scholar, a professional who can apply research and scholarship in the field to the everyday demands of a position in student affairs.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 551 Practicum II

Content: Practicum II provides you with an opportunity to apply what you have learned in your coursework in the authentic context of a student affairs office or related students affairs position. Central to this approach is your progress toward becoming a practitioner-scholar, a professional who can apply research and scholarship in the field to the everyday demands of a position in student affairs. Practicum II builds on Practicum I by focusing in more depth on a specific career role, objective, or competency.
Prerequisites: SAA 550.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 557 Student Affairs Program Planning, Assessment, and Evaluation

Content: This course is designed to introduce students to planning, assessment, and evaluation in higher education, with a particular emphasis in student affairs. The course will focus on methodologies used to assess student learning outcomes and program evaluation. Student will also become familiar with the fundamentals of strategic planning, as well as data collection, analysis, and reporting.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 580 Proseminar in Student Affairs Administration

Content: This course is designed to prepare students in their transition from student to practitioner. The course will provide a reflection, synthesis, integration, and application of prior and concurrent coursework. The focus of the course will be on examining the student's role as a practitioner-scholar and their application of theory to practice. The course will utilize a case-study approach to addressing current as well as future issues in higher education graduates will face once they complete the program.
Prerequisites: SAA 501, SAA 509.
Credits: 3 semester hours.

SAA 598 Special Studies: New Or Experimental Courses

Content: In-depth study of a special topic offered by the graduate school for the first time or on a temporary basis. Prerequisites: None.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1-4 semester hours.

SAA 599 Independent Study

Content: Independent Study enables a student to pursue, in collaboration with a faculty member, an academic course not currently offered. To receive credit for independent study, the student consults with the faculty member before registration to define the course content, title, amount of credit, and academic evaluation. As a general rule, a graduate student may apply no more than three courses of independent study toward a graduate degree or licensure.
Prerequisites: None.
Restrictions: Consent of instructor and submission of application for Independent Study to academic department office.
Credits: 1-4 semester hours.

SAA 698 Special Studies: New Or Experimental Courses

Content: In-depth study of a special topic offered by the graduate school for the first time or on a temporary basis. Prerequisites: None.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1-4 semester hours.