Building Capacity in a Time of Constraint: Insights from Student Affairs Leaders on Competence, Equity, and Development

This study examines community and technical college student affairs leaders’ perceptions of the professional competencies, preparedness, and development needs of student affairs professionals. Guided by established professional competency frameworks, including the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators and the CAS Standards, the study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey design with embedded open-ended items to capture both quantitative trends and contextual insights. Twenty-six student affairs leaders completed a 30-item survey assessing the perceived importance of core competencies and the preparedness of professionals to enact them in practice. Findings revealed strong consensus regarding the importance of communication, ethical reasoning, collaboration, and leadership. At the same time, leaders reported notable gaps in preparedness, particularly in applied areas such as grant writing, supervision, and role clarity. Qualitative responses highlighted the need for increased experiential learning in graduate preparation programs, targeted professional development, and credentialing opportunities tailored to community college contexts. The findings underscore the importance of aligning graduate preparation and professional development with institutional contexts and reaffirm the role of equity-centered competencies as integral to effective student affairs practice.