Earlier this month, I had the privilege of stepping into a room full of passionate student affairs professionals at the AACUSS Annual Conference 2025—an experience I won’t soon forget. As someone who has worked in student support for years but was attending and presenting at this conference for the very first time as a professional (not as a student!), I wanted to share some reflections on what I learned, what inspired me, and how it reaffirmed my commitment to making higher education more accessible and supportive for all students.
A Session Close to My Heart
It meant so much to me to represent Yorkville University and to present my session, “Disrupting Traditional Student Services: Rethinking Support for Online and Adult Learners.”
I won’t lie—I was extremely nervous to present. I’ve presented many times before and have previous conference experience, but this was my first time attending a professional conference not as a student but as a presenter representing my institution. One thing that helped ease my nerves was a familiar and supportive face: the person who introduced my session was actually one of the first people I met at the very start of my university journey. For privacy, I won’t name her, but she was my Residence Supervisor when I was a first-year undergraduate student living in our lower-campus residence buildings. She was always kind and encouraging back then, and seeing her again in this new chapter was a full-circle moment. Knowing she was part of the conference executive team, and having her not only introduce me but stay for my entire session, meant so much.
The topic I presented on has been at the forefront of my work and my thinking for a long time. As higher education continues to evolve, more than half of students now engage in some form of online learning. This reality challenges us to rethink how we offer student support—ensuring it’s flexible, accessible, and holistic. It’s not enough to focus only on traditional campus-based students; we must design services that meet everyone’s needs, including those balancing work, family, and studies from across the country (or the world).
Highlights from the Discussion
In our session, we explored ideas and practical strategies to:
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Design engagement experiences that feel human and personal, even at a distance
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Create online orientations that do more than deliver information—helping students feel a sense of belonging from day one
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Offer wraparound supports that don’t require students to fight for help when they need it most
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Provide success coaching that adapts to students’ real lives and busy schedules
I was genuinely surprised—and so encouraged—by how engaged and willing to participate everyone was. We heard perspectives from all sides, which made for a rich and honest dialogue. Some participants were excited about online learning and wanted tips for expanding their models; others shared student feedback highlighting a desire for more in-person opportunities. There was also thoughtful discussion around the lingering stereotype that online education is less rigorous than traditional in-person learning. I’m grateful for everyone who brought their questions, insights, and experiences to the room—it turned a presentation into a true exchange of ideas.
A Grateful Heart
One highlight I’ll carry with me is the opening keynote by Augy Jones, who spoke powerfully about our current period of change. He drove the point home with a vivid metaphor: “If you don’t catch the wave, you’ll end up like Blockbuster.” His words resonated deeply, echoing the themes in my own session.
The endnote by Dr. Rick Ezekiel was equally inspiring. He reminded us of our collective responsibility in student services with this memorable line: “Nobody is coming to help us. It’s just us. But isn’t that kind of awesome?” Both keynotes reinforced the sense of urgency and possibility that I feel every day in my work.
A heartfelt thank-you to my incredible team at Yorkville University and our New Brunswick Campus for their encouragement and support in making this possible, and to the AACUSS organizers and fellow presenters for putting together such a thoughtful, future-focused program.
I left the conference inspired, grateful, and more committed than ever to helping build inclusive ecosystems in higher education—places where online, working, and non-traditional students are not an afterthought but a vital, central part of our academic communities.
Here’s to more conversations, more innovation, and a future where every student feels seen, supported, and set up to thrive—wherever they learn from.
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