Preferred Methods of Professional Development in Student Affairs

Continuing professional development is a foundation of the student affairs field. To stay current, practitioners use a variety of methods to learn about areas that they need to master to be successful in their careers. Results of this research indicate that staff use interactive methods such as consulting with colleagues and mentoring more so than taking sabbaticals and online courses. New professionals were most likely to rely on their preparation program course, while midmanagers find value in professional conference sessions, and senior student affairs officers read professional journals and books.