| Student affairs professionals play an important role in providing support to a grieving campus community following the death of a classmate on campus. Individuals in entry-level student affairs positions are likely to play a key role working directly with impacted students. While institutions of higher education provide faculty and staff, including those within student affairs, with on-the job training, it is unclear how professionals enter into the work environment with an understanding of how to respond to a student death. This study sought to explore the experiences of student affairs professionals following the death of a student on campus during their first year on the This study utilized qualitative research techniques, blending phenomenology and narrative inquiry methodologies. Two rounds of interviews and journal entries were collected and analyzed from 13 student affairs professionals who experienced the death of a student during their first year on the job. The research found four major themes among how student affairs professionals in their first year in the field experienced a student death on campus: (a) Clarifying one's role in the campus death response, (b) Providing support to grieving students, (c) Navigating oneself as a student affairs professional, and (d) Preparing for the possibility of student death. |
