NASPA VP & AVP Colleague Conversation Series

Honest conversations about shared struggles are an important part of any educational endeavor. Bethany’s Director of Path to Your Purpose, Chad Moore, recently participated in just such a conversation. 

Moore was a featured panelist during the April session of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ Colleague Conversation series. NASPA’s Colleague Conversation Series is an initiative designed to bring together senior student affairs leaders to share insights, develop best practices, and offer mutual support during difficult times. This session, titled Staff Perspectives Senior Leaders Need to Hear, was attended by sixty Vice Presidents and Assistant Vice Presidents of Student Affairs from colleges and universities across the country. 

As the field of higher education continues to grapple with disruptions to community life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education professionals are increasingly looking to one another for innovative ideas and professional support. This NASPA Colleague Conversation was designed to be a candid and constructive conversation about the experiences of higher education professionals working in the field during the COVID pandemic. As a member of the panel, Moore shared insights from his time working across a variety of student and academic affairs departments at Boston University, College of the Holy Cross, and Bethany College. 

When asked what senior leaders of Student Affairs divisions could do to help create higher job satisfaction for their early career staff, Moore answered: “Senior leaders must ensure that every member of their staff is valued as an essential part of the educational mission of their institution. Folks work in higher education because the believe in the power of education to change lives, form citizens, and build a more just society. If your staff doesn’t see how their work furthers the educational mission of the college, and if they don’t feel valued as educators, they will lose sight of the rich sense of purpose that’s visible so clearly during higher education’s best moments.” As Director of Path to Your Purpose, one of Moore’s favorite parts of his position at Bethany has been the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues from across the college on projects that further the Bethany’s educational mission. Such collaborations build community and demonstrate the role each person has to play in helping students find the path to their purpose. 

Conversations like these with wise and caring colleagues from across the field of higher education are a valuable opportunity for professional development. As Director of Path to Your Purpose, Chad hopes to have more opportunities to represent Bethany in similar forums in the future.