Careers

Do you enjoy working on a college campus with a built in opportunity to make a difference in the lives of college students?  Do you see yourself planning and implementing events?  Are you someone who enjoys mentoring students and assisting in educational and career decisions?  Do you embrace change and challenge yourself by learning new skills?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider a career in Student Affairs.

At Illinois State, the Division of Student Affairs encourages students to explore the diverse career possibilities that working in Student Affairs can provide. Student Affairs professionals work in a variety of areas such as residential life, student activities, admissions, academic advising, judicial affairs, orientation, volunteer services, business offices, multicultural programs, Greek life, student recruitment, and research. Get a head start on learning about the possibilities as an undergraduate student by participating in “Career in Student Affairs Month” held each October. As a graduate student, the Division of Student Affairs offers a wide variety of graduate assistantships, which are paid opportunities for you to engage in professional practice in a student affairs field.  Students interested in pursuing a career in Student Affairs are strongly encouraged to learn more about Illinois State’s College Student Personnel Administration (CSPA) program housed in Educational Administration and Foundations (EAF).  EAF faculty and Student Affairs staff partner to ensure a rich graduate experience inside and outside of the classroom.

Careers in Student Affairs

To assist Illinois State University students in learning about the profession of student affairs, the Career in Student Affairs Committee created a three part program - Explorer, Engager, and Enactor - to move students from being involved students and/or interested in the profession to getting accepted into graduate school.

Explorer

Explorer is comprised of several events and initiatives to inform students that student affairs is available as a career option. Each October during Career in Student Affairs month, information sessions and CSPA class visits are set-up to learn more about what options exist in student affairs. 

Engager

The Engager Series assists students in their career exploration process, specifically focused on student affairs. Informal small group sessions are scheduled to assist students in figuring out what they are looking for in a career, what student affairs has to offer, and what each functional area in student affairs does.

Enactor

Enactor is designed for students who are highly interested in student affairs and are preparing for graduate school in college student personnel/administration. At this level of the program students are matched up with student affairs professionals on campus to learn the "in's and out's" of the work as well as get support in the graduate student application process.

Questions and inquiries about the program can be emailed to the committee.