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NACA enthusiastically joins the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification in celebrating the official launch of Student Affairs Educator Certification! The launch of this new professional certification marks the culmination of a multi-year development process led by the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification--a new organization collaboratively established by ACUHO-I, ACUI, AFA, ASCA, NACA, NASPA, and NIRSA. Certification development involved hundreds of practitioners and graduate faculty subject matter experts in student affairs/services across multiple professional associations. NACA is grateful to the many members who volunteered their time and talent to certification’s creation!
Certification includes a core student affairs educator credential (CSAEd) and specialty credentials in the functional areas of campus activities, campus housing and residential life, campus recreation, college unions, fraternity and sorority life, and student conduct administration. All certifications were developed to benefit eligible mid-level professionals by formally recognizing their knowledge gained through several years of student affairs/services work experience and ongoing professional development. Certification was intentionally designed to complement and build upon the critical foundation provided by graduate education programs while also acknowledging pathways into, and throughout, student affairs for the many educators whose highest degree earned is a bachelor’s or an associate’s. Through certification, mid-level educators can formally demonstrate their learning through work experiences and gain a tool to advocate for professional advancement into senior-level positions and transitions across student affairs/services functional areas.
“The CSAEd holds tremendous potential to advancing Campus Activities and the overall student affairs profession,” said Amber Shaverdi Huston, CAE. "We are grateful to our Association members who have volunteered their time and talents to bringing this longtime vision to life."
The pilot program of Student Affairs Educator Certification successfully occurred in fall 2022. NACA and the Consortium plan to recognize the first group of Certified Student Affairs Educators during professional development events in this new year! Applications for the Spring Certification Window will open on Monday, February 13, 2023. The NASPA Foundation is currently offering access scholarships for eligible student affairs educators to apply toward the full amount of the Core certification. The deadline to apply for these Access Scholarships is March 6.
To learn more about applying for certification, attend the Student Affairs Educator Certification Spring Info Session on Mon., Feb. 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Register to attend.
For additional details about Student Affairs Educator Certification, visit the Consortium’s website.
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