A Practitioner’s Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students

Part I: Graduate Students by the Numbers: What We Know; What We Still Don’t Know

1. Introduction: Context, Research, and Applications
Katherine Hall-Hertel, Lisa C. O. Brandes, and Valerie A. Shepard

2. Brief History, Background, and Definitions
Matthew W. Imboden and Marlaina Kloepfer

3. Overview of Post-Baccalaureate Student Needs
Brandon S. McLeod and George S. McClellan

Part II: State of the Field: Successful Strategies for Graduate and Professional Student Affairs

4. Transition to Graduate and Professional School
Tammy Briant Spratling and Sarah Valdovinos

5. Graduate Student Success and Socialization
Stephanie K. Eberle, Jamie Heck, Angie Cook, and Dawn Loyola

6. Graduate Student Engagement and Campus Programming
Mariann Sanchez and Trista Beard

7. A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Approach to Graduate Student Access and Outcomes
Maria Dykema Erb, Kathy Wood, and Matt Newlin

8. A Space and a Place for Graduate Education: Building Community and Belonging
Karen P. DePauw and Monika Gibson

9. Assessment: Using Data to Support Graduate Student Success and Program Effectiveness
Anne E. Lundquist and Christine Kelly

Part III: What’s Next: Training Future Student Affairs Practitioners

10. Curriculum Project
April L. Perry and Katherine Hall-Hertel

11. Conclusion: Toward Thriving
Valerie A. Shepard and April L. Perry

Biography

Valerie A. Shepard has worked as a student affairs practitioner for over a decade and has held leadership positions in the NASPA Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services (AGAPSS) Knowledge Community. She is a Senior Writer at UCLA Recreation, USA.

April L. Perry has more than 15 years of experience across student affairs and academic units in higher education. She is currently Associate Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Western Carolina University, USA. She received the 2024 NASPA Faculty Council Outstanding Publication Award for A Practitioner's Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Student.

"This book is a much needed, practical guide for student affairs professionals, dedicated to supporting the degree completion and success of graduate students. Grounded in a deep understanding of the research literature, through a series of case studies and analyses, the authors provide concrete suggestions for those designing graduate orientations, career preparation programs, community building, and more. In each instance, the authors make clear the importance of recognizing the diverse life experiences graduate students bring to their studies and the integral connection between academic success and holistic graduate student support."
—Suzanne T. Ortega, President of the Council of Graduate Schools

"The Practitioner’s Guide is a valuable source of information for faculty and staff who support students in graduate and professional programs. It provides comprehensive and detailed resources on all the major areas that need to be addressed to ensure student success. New and seasoned practitioners will find the guide useful, informative and an ongoing source of guidance."
— Daniel Volchok, Associate Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, USA

"The authors provide a comprehensive tour de force of practices for graduate and professional education rooted in psychology and sociology, addressing how to preserve and enhance the social capital students bring to our institutions. With an emphasis throughout on belonging and connection, the authors explain "why" and "how" student support services in graduate and professional education need to address climate through contemporary best practices. Shepard and Perry and colleagues provide clear, rich, adaptable paths to act on our values and demonstrate institutional commitments to student success."
— Lisa Tedesco, Vice Provost Emerita, Academic Affairs – Graduate Studies, Dean Emerita, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies, Professor, Rollins School of  Public Health Emory University, USA

"A Practitioner’s Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students provides a much-needed update to the literature and knowledge-base for student affairs professionals and their collaborators as they work to provide more holistic support to quickly-growing cohorts of graduate and professional students. As calls for reform in graduate education continue to focus on student-centered, as opposed to institution-centered, research-centered, and faculty-centered, models for graduate education this volume is an essential resource to be used by student and academic affairs professionals at all types of institutions. The case studies and research presented provide evidence-based solutions for improving success and long-term outcomes for students from all walks of life and with all types of future goals."
— Phillip Trella, Associate Vice Provost and Director, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, University of Virginia

"As universities continue to enroll more graduate and professional students, it is critically important for student　affairs practitioners to recognize and specifically address the unique needs of this complex, highly diverse and growing population of learners.  The information presented in A Practitioner's Guide to Supporting Graduate and Professional Students, including the historical framework for graduate education; enrollment and demographic data trends; and resources and best practices, is relevant and long overdue to better center the postbaccalaureate experience on college campuses.  This book will be foundational in preparing current and future　student　affairs professionals to holistically support graduate and professional students."
— Ron Walcott, Vice Provost for Graduate Education & Dean of the Graduate School, University of Georgia