Region V

The Administrators in Graduate and Professional Student Services (AGAPSS) Knowledge Community provides a supportive forum for university administrators who serve the needs of graduate and professional students. Members work across all educational settings from general student affairs to specific schools and degree type. 

The Adult Learner and Students with Children (ALSC) KC increases awareness, disseminates information, identifies resources and tracks academic and demographic trends concerning these typically under-represented but growing, and frequently intersecting, populations of students. All of our efforts are ultimately focused on increasing the recruitment, admission, retention and graduation of this demographic.

The African American Knowledge Community (AAKC) increases members' awareness of, knowledge about, and appreciation for issues unique to African American professionals working in higher education and student affairs. The AAKC also seeks to educate the NASPA membership on trends and issues related to African-American professionals and students through sharing information on research, campus issues, and mentoring.

The Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Knowledge Community provides an institutionalized and ongoing structure within NASPA to discuss issues around alcohol and other drugs on campus. The AOD KC serves as a resource for both members of NASPA and other AOD groups that are addressing this ever-present issue in our respective college environments.

The Asian Pacific Islander Knowledge Community seeks to educate and inform NASPA members about the current issues, trends, and research facing Asian Pacific Islanders in higher education. We actively nurture and support the professional development of students and professionals through a variety of programs and by providing leadership and involvement opportunities within the KC.

The NASPA Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community encourages and supports student affairs professionals as they assess learning, evaluate programs, and research theory and practice. By providing quality education and networking opportunities the KC strives to serve as a driving force in the movement towards improved student learning.

The Campus Safety and Violence Prevention KC is a forum for all higher education administrators responsible for the safety, security, and emotional needs of the campus community and institution. By encouraging member interaction through the sharing of ideas, trends, best practices, resources, and research, the CSKC fosters collaboration, awareness, and support for campus safety.

The Civic Learning & Democratic Engagement (CLDE) Knowledge Community is a space for professional development, idea generation, scholarship, and discussion related to the field of civic education and public service. The CLDE KC supports student affairs professionals as they promote engaged citizenship and student development, encourage democratic participation in their communities, respect and appreciate diversity, and advocate applied learning and social responsibility.

The Disability Knowledge Community is NASPA’s member driven resource for information about disability issues in higher education and student affairs. The Knowledge Community works to combine knowledge generated by its members with outside resources. As a source of information and advocacy for disability issues, the Disability Knowledge Community is able to provide professionals and institutions with the resources needed to meet these unique needs.

The Enrollment Management Knowledge Community (KC) provides an opportunity for NASPA members to engage in discussions, access resources, and exchange information regarding enrollment management topics. The EMKC provides an opportunity for supporting leaders (VPs, AVPs, directors, faculty) that include enrollment responsibilities within their work to assist them in gaining access to additional resources and training. Members will share their common interests, knowledge, and innovative practices to help support each other, student success, and the NASPA mission. 

The Fraternity and Sorority Knowledge Community (FSKC) provides a forum for organizations and professionals working with fraternities and sororities to discuss the ideas and issues that can advance the field.

The Gender and Sexuality Knowledge Community provides avenues for both social and professional involvement. Our goal is to encourage personal and professional growth, increased awareness and acceptance of professionals and students, and to promote understanding of gender and sexuality needs.

The Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community (IPKC) is comprised of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who seek to: 1) increase understanding of, and institutional commitment toward, Indigenous peoples in higher education; 2) advance equity-grounded approaches and socially just practices and policies that support and increase the participation of Indigenous peoples in higher education; 3) produce professional development opportunities, scholarship, and research that complicates and re-imagines the profession; and 4) engage across difference and intersecting identities to further explore trends and interpret issues relative to the experiences of Indigenous peoples on campuses.

The International Education Knowledge Community is a place for higher education professionals and students to share their unique international perspectives. Our work bridges cultural and geographical divides to continue growing student affairs across the globe. 

The Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community (LKC) was formally established in 2002 and is one of four ethnic-based NASPA Knowledge Communities.   The LKC actively promotes the empowerment of NASPA members through education, research, shared knowledge, and mentoring initiatives, including:

• Advocacy
• Opportunities to connect with student affairs professionals locally, regionally, nationally and internationally
• Learning and sharing of best practices
• Influencing policy and political change
• Volunteer and professional development opportunities

The purpose of the Men & Masculinities Knowledge Community (MMKC) is to provide a venue for discussion, research, and the distribution of information about men’s gender identity development, in the context of college campuses.

The MRKC seeks to stimulate education, develop knowledge, and promote resources and networking opportunities related to multiracial and transracial adoptee identity. 

The New Professionals and Graduate Students (NPGS) Knowledge Community (KC) is your gateway into this 15,000+ member association! Our knowledge community strives to provide support from graduate students (master's and doctoral) and new professionals (< 5 years of full-time experience). Explore ways to engage with us year-round.

The mission of the Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services KC is to support the retention and graduation of off-campus and commuter students within higher education institutions. To this end, the Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services Knowledge Community is dedicated to the support of commuting students and those who reside in off-campus housing. An individual's identity as an off-campus or commuter student is one of many intersecting influences as they navigate their college experience. As the functional area of off-campus and commuter programs continues to grow within higher education, our KC aims to establish and maintain a sense of community and resource-sharing among professionals within this area of expertise.

The Orientation, Transition and Retention Knowledge Community (OTRKC) is  a conduit for student affairs professionals with a vested interest in orientation, transition and retention programming, research, and services. The OTRKC will provide opportunities to share resources, knowledge, and research to enhance the field and attain best practices in orientation, transition and retention programming. 

The purpose of the Parent and Family Relations KC is to identify, promote, and share current research and best practices in the area of supporting and engaging families of undergraduate students. Additionally, the KC seeks to provide valuable information on interacting with parents of college students via programming, compilations of current literature, and web resources.

The Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention and Response Knowledge Community provides a space for the wide range of Student Affairs professionals whose work involves working on dating/domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault on campus. The knowledge community provides members with opportunities to provide one another support and to learn from others who are working with survivors and respondents on campus. NASPA has contributed significant resources to addressing issues of interpersonal violence on campus and within the field of Student Affairs. This knowledge community is an extension of that support and an acknowledgement of the need for specialized knowledge development and sharing of best practices on these topics.

The Socioeconomic and Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community (SCIHE KC) strives to be dynamic and supportive around issues of class and socioeconomic status as they affect Higher Education.  The SCIHE KC envisions an environment where student affairs educators have access to information, training, and resources that help them to understand how these issues alter the college and university landscape.

The mission of the Spirituality and Religion in Higher Education Knowledge Community is to enhance and contribute to the conversations about spirituality in higher education across all types of post secondary institutions.

The vision of the Student Affairs Fundraising and External Relations Knowledge Community is to enable NASPA members to develop fundraising knowledge and skills to enhance programs and services for Student Affairs at their individual institutions.

The Student Affairs Partnering With Academic Affairs (SAPAA) Knowledge Community provides a forum for interaction among student affairs professionals serving in an academic unit within their institutions and/or those who are interested in the collaboration between student and academic affairs and how this collaboration can continue and thrive in the future.

The Student-Athlete KC, which was built in partnership with the NCAA, is a great example of the positive effect collaboration can have and a true sign of the importance of collaboration between student affairs and athletics. We are delighted to have you join with us as we work to gain a greater understanding of the needs of student-athletes on our campus and how the programs and services we provide as student affairs professionals can enhance their college experience.

The Student Career Development Knowledge Community is a community wherein Student Affairs professionals can develop best practices for supporting the career development of students at Colleges and Universities.

The Student Government Knowledge Community provides quality training, engagement, advocacy, and advising for student government leaders and advisers alike through the compilation and development of resources, trainings, and research.

The mission of the SLPKC is to serve as a resource for higher education professionals who have a professional interest in leadership training, education, and development. The Community will share best practices, provide critical evaluation of the field, examine standards for leadership programs, support national and regional efforts to develop student leadership programs, make contributions to the literature, recognize exemplary programs, and cultivate a forum for the presentation of new ideas. 

As a knowledge community, our vision is to see sustainability instituted within student affairs. Our goals are to educate, activate, and provide an organizational foundation for the pursuit of sustainability within student affairs and among student development professionals. We hope that you join us in this cause through support, sharing your experiences and efforts, or providing leadership. 

The Technology Knowledge Community exists to provide structure for members to explore and collaborate within the topic of technology. Given the history of technology, its great breadth, and potential for rapid change, we provide a venue for discussion, research, and the distribution of information about technology.

The Undocumented Immigrants & Allies Knowledge Community aims to share knowledge, resources, and research on/for undocumented students and students from mixed status families. The demographic landscape within higher education along with policy changes affecting undocumented students is ever changing.

The Veterans Knowledge Community is the national leader in supporting the generation and dissemination of knowledge in support of the college success of student veterans.  Practitioners and scholars alike will find an engaging home among this caring group of professionals and scholars.  Please consider joining in our leadership team within your region or at the national level through Volunteer Central.

The Wellness and Health Promotion Knowledge Community provides opportunities for student affairs professionals, campus administrators, faculty members, and students to explore and address the complex relationships between health, learning, and student well-being. We actively nurture and support the professional development of students and professionals through a variety of programs and by providing leadership and involvement opportunities within the KC.

The purpose of the WISA Knowledge Community is to give voice to the needs of women in student affairs and to provide professional development opportunities through both regional and national activities designed to address gender equity and prompt personal growth.

Women in Student Affairs Knowledge Community Goals:
The goals of the Women in Student Affairs (WISA) Knowledge Community (KC) support the mission, vision, and guiding principles of NASPA. The purpose of WISA is to give voice to the needs of all those who identify as women in student affairs and provide professional development opportunities through both regional and national activities designed to address gender equity and prompt personal growth.  The WISA KC strives to ensure that all individuals who identify as women, and those who are invested in issues affecting those who identify as women, are seen and represented with in KC.