The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) is a U.S.-based professional association dedicated to the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession in higher education. The organization promotes student success by integrating research, policy, and practice and supporting student learning both inside and outside the classroom. It serves as a leading voice and resource for student affairs administrators, scholars, and graduate students who work to support student learning, development, and well-being in colleges and universities.

NASPA was founded in 1918 at the University of Wisconsin as the “Conference of Deans and Advisers of Men.” It adopted the name NASPA in 1951 and has since grown to represent a diverse membership of over 15,000 individuals at more than 1,200 institutions in the U.S. and internationally.

Key activities and areas of focus include:

• Professional Development and Leadership Programs
  • Offers a wide range of opportunities for student affairs professionals at all career stages, including:
    • The NASPA Institute for New Professionals
    • The Alice Manicur Symposium for mid-level women leaders
    • The NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP) for underrepresented students entering the profession
• Conferences and Events
  • Hosts one of the largest annual conferences for student affairs professionals, along with numerous regional conferences, topic-based summits (e.g., Equity and Inclusion, Civic Learning), and virtual learning events.
• Research and Publications
  • Supports and publishes rigorous scholarship and practice-based research through:
    • Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice
    • NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education
    • Issue briefs, benchmarking studies, and toolkits on topics such as mental health, equity, and student engagement
• Policy and Advocacy
  • Through its Public Policy Division, NASPA monitors and engages with federal and state policy affecting students and higher education institutions.
  • Topics of advocacy include Title IX, college affordability, campus safety, and student mental health.
• Leadership in Learning & Employment Records (LERs) and Digital Credentialing
  • Plays an active role in advancing the field of Learning & Employment Records (LERs)—digital tools that document both academic and co-curricular learning to help students articulate their full range of skills to employers.
  • Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR): NASPA partnered with AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers) on the CLR project, a foundational LER initiative funded by the Lumina Foundation. The goal: to capture and digitally document learning that occurs both inside and outside the classroom.
  • Recognition of Co-Curricular Learning: NASPA has long supported the development of co-curricular transcripts and digital badges that highlight leadership roles, service learning, internships, and other skill-building experiences typically not captured on academic transcripts.
  • Commitment to Equity: NASPA views LERs and digital credentialing as equity tools that can help all learners—particularly first-generation students and those from underserved backgrounds—better demonstrate their competencies in the job market.
  • National Collaboration: NASPA participates in national LER discussions and collaboratives, including work with 1EdTech, Credential Engine, and the T3 Innovation Network, and has hosted sessions on campus-based LER implementation during its conferences.
• Communities of Practice
  • Fosters more than 30 knowledge communities focused on key topics such as first-generation student success, assessment and evaluation, technology in student affairs, and global learning.

Resources

https://www.naspa.org