Exploring the Higher-Level Leadership Inside the Student Affairs Department at International Universities in Europe

Student Affairs divisions at universities experience the highest number of turnover in Human Resources: people come to work and do not stay more than a year in their job positions due to burnout, overload of responsibilities, and insufficient resources. Considering that Student Affairs` leadership is hierarchical, Student Deans and Department Directors are often overlooked as people who might experience similar feelings as other workers in the division. There is no research about the experiences of higher-level leaders in Student Affairs. Therefore the main question of this qualitative study was, “What does it mean to be a department head?” In this study, five higher-level leaders in Student Affairs at International Universities in Europe answered a few questions about their meaning, experiences, and desirable changes that they need in their position during the semi-structured interviews. The thematic analysis was used to code the interviews and converge the codes in themes and subthemes. As a result, five themes emerged and included: meaning, responsibility, relationship, mental health, and changes. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of the experience and needs of workers in higher-level leadership positions in Student Affairs to increase the retention rates at Student Affairs. Considering the constantly changing nature of things in Student Affairs, research that includes more universities across Europe is needed to identify and address the needs of professionals specifically in Student Affairs at International Universities.