NASPA President Dr. Kevin Kruger spoke at the monthly Division of Student Affairs staff development program on Feb. 7. Dr. Kruger, an innovative leader and expert in student affairs, has published and presented on various trends in higher education and student success.

In his presentation, Dr. Kruger drew on his 46 years of student affairs experience to speak about the importance of student engagement on campus. “Students want to be connected,” Dr. Kruger said to division staff. “Student affairs is here to create environments that help students thrive while they are in college.”

Dr. Kruger said that 90% of prospective college students believe they are going to be involved in some way when they arrive on campus. He also emphasized that Texas A&M is a campus like no other which allows for unique opportunities to get students engaged outside of traditional student activities.

Campus employment, New Student Conferences and family programs are all ways students can experience the feeling of belonging that comes with being involved. Dr. Kruger also pointed out that students who are engaged are significantly more likely to continue after their first semester and 46% of students who feel connected report having a greater university experience. According to the Wellbeing Improvement Survey for Higher Education Settings, 71% of students who are engaged in extracurricular activities say they feel like they belong at Texas A&M.

Melanie McKoin Owens, assistant director in Student Life, said that Dr. Kruger’s talk was highly relevant to her role in student affairs. “Dr. Kruger’s presentation was energizing for me,” McKoin Owens said. “He reminded me why the work we do in student affairs in higher education matters and how we should be innovative in the way we approach student development and advocacy.”

After Dr. Kruger’s presentation, a panel of four students joined him on stage to field questions from the audience. One of the students on the panel was higher education and student affairs intern, Meagan Coffee ’24. “Being included on the panel was a huge honor as someone that is going into graduate school for student affairs and is a member of NASPA,” Coffee said. “Being offered a seat at the table gave me the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions of student affairs issues and concepts in a new setting which gave me such a great insight into what administration looks like today.”

This professional development opportunity is a result of the division’s strategic plan priority of “investing in our staff.”  The upcoming March staff development program will feature a visit from Texas A&M President General (Ret.) Mark Welsh III.