Program of Study

HSA 5023: Introduction to Higher Education and Student Affairs

Dr. Claudia García-Louis, Associate Professor, Education Leadership & Policy Studies
Course Description: Provides initial insight into the student affairs profession, including expectations and ethical standards of the profession. This survey course introduces students to the numerous differentiated student affairs functional areas in postsecondary education by using theory-based and application-oriented approaches. 

HSA 5103: College Student Development
Dr. Victoria Kim, Assistant Professor, Education Leadership & Policy Studies
Course Description: This course offers those who work or plan to work in post-secondary educational institutions the opportunity to build an understanding of classic and contemporary college student development theories and their application in practice 

HSA 6503: The Community College
Dr. Kimberly Lowry, Lecturer, Education Leadership & Policy Studies
Course Description: This course offers an introductory overview of the American community college system with particular emphasis on the history, philosophy, and uniqueness of these institutions. State, local governance, and finance for community colleges are also explored. This course is designed for individuals who or aspire to, key leadership hold, and supervisory positions in a community college, and for others who seek to learn more about the comprehensive nature of these institutions and their role in the post-secondary knowledge industry. Given the unique context of this course in relation to the student affairs professional’s role students hold as part of this graduate program, this course will also provide content for understanding specific structures and functions of the community college system within South Texas.

HSA 5203: Multicultural Issues in Higher Education
Dr. J. Michael Denton, Assistant Professor, Education Leadership & Policy Studies
Course Description: This course explores diversity and multiculturalism within various institutional types, student populations, and research contexts. Special attention is given to the impact of HBCUs, HSIs, PWIs, race, ethnicity, and gender among students, and income and first-generation status on student achievement. Students are introduced to scholarship on multiculturalism and institutional transformation, and apply their knowledge in a culminating project. 

HSA 6123: Program Planning and Evaluation in Higher Education
Dr. Vanessa Sansone, Associate Professor, Education Leadership & Policy Studies
Course Description: An overview of program evaluation theories, models and perspectives currently being applied in higher education. Emphasis will be on how to plan programs and perform evaluations of functional areas and/or organizational units in higher education that are focused on student support, activities and success. 

HSA 5403: Partnerships for College Readiness and Success
Dr. Victoria Kim, Assistant Professor, Education Leadership & Policy Studies
Course Description: This course introduces school-postsecondary-community collaboration to improve students’ readiness to transition from high school to college or workforce. The course covers theoretical models and real-world examples of effective practice, as well as how the policy context shapes opportunities to collaborate. Students are asked to consider which partnership approaches are transformative in that they systematically improve practice and/or outcomes. The role of community colleges in school-postsecondary-community partnerships for college readiness is discussed.