The Vermont Connection

Welcome to The Vermont Connection (TVC)! TVC is the official organization of all current students in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration graduate program at the University of Vermont. TVC consists of the two current HESA cohorts, known as the Full Board, and the Executive board, a seven-member board elected each year by the Full Board of the previous volume. The goals and objectives of TVC are in line with HESA historical traditions and regularly adjust to fulfill the needs of its membership.

List of Papers (Total 455)

Navigating Anti-CRT Legislation: Black Chief Diversity Officers

By O'Juan Edwards, Published on 04/16/25

Redefining Success: Unveiling the Diverse Realities of Asian American Students in U.S. Education

Redefining Success: Unveiling the Diverse Realities of Asian American Students in U.S. Education Jolina Halloran This paper critically examines the multifaceted and often marginalized experiences of Asian American students within the U.S. educational system. It interrogates the pervasive “model minority” myth and its detrimental impact on academic opportunities, mental health...

Invisible Woman: Institutional Belonging for Undergraduate Mothers of Color

Abstract This opinion piece draws upon Goffman’s (1956) Nonperson Treatment conceptualization to investigate if and how American four-year institutions of higher education foster spaces of belonging for undergraduate mothers of color at their institution. By integrating participant narrative and published works, the author drew upon Walton & Cohen’s (2007) Belonging Uncertainty...

University Policies for Student Protests and Implications for Student Voices in Social Justice Movements

Student activism has been an essential form of student engagement on college campuses since the United States colonial period. While the subject matter of these demonstrations has evolved over time, the tension between student demonstrators and university administrators persists. Institutional officials must decide how to best interact with student activists to support their...

A Global Approach to Navigating DEI in American Higher Education: Integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

The sociopolitical agenda against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) sweeping the United States continues to censure initiatives, resources, services, curricula, and specific topics of discussion among higher education community members. Simultaneously, change agents and organizations insist that we consider the human condition from a local to a global level, particularly the...

Testimonios and the Yearning to be Understood in Anti-DEI Climates

This reflection discusses my dissertation work, which sought to understand how White-presenting Latina students made sense of their racial identity. Despite living and learning in a state that is implementing anti-DEI policies, I was able to conduct research that honored the lived experiences and stories of my participants, who expressed never feeling as if they belonged in any...

From Personal Loss to Advocacy: Navigating Mental Health Self-stigma and Emotional Intelligence in Higher Education

From Personal Loss to Advocacy: Navigating Mental Health Self-stigma and Emotional Intelligence in Higher Education This article intertwines personal experience with professional insights to explore the relationship between self-stigma, emotional intelligence (EI), and mental health among college students. Rooted in the author’s transformative journey as an Asian American parent...

The Last Director, not the Last Hope: Personal Reflections on DEI persistence in an anti-DEI climate

This article will highlight the personal narrative of the author’s final months as the Director of Multicultural Affairs as their institution began to comply and implement Anti-DEI policies and shutter cultural centers. The narrative explores the author’s initial feelings of hopelessness while highlighting the community presence and support that will remain in the face of these...

Cover Page

Shaping a Spark

By Gabi Cuna, Published on 04/17/24

Shift Happens! Clashing AIs in Higher Education and the Unexpected Implications of Restriction and Implementation

The AI-AI conflict in higher education, artificial intelligence and academic integrity, led to a frenzy of policy and curricula changes throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. Yet, the impacts of restrictions and implementations on marginalized populations were not immediate concerns. Students with disabilities and others considered marginalized and underprepared may have the...

Do No More Harm: Changing the Classroom in Response to COVID-19 Trauma

The COVID-19 pandemic was a worldwide trauma that has long lasting effects that we are still yet to discover. For current college-aged students, many of them experienced the COVID-19 pandemic during key developmental stages of their lives. Many student affair professionals have noted the difference between the students who were in college when the pandemic hit and those who were...

Bringing Personal Identity into our Learning Spaces

Abstract This paper will integrate a personal narrative with published work to examine the journey and thoughts of a South Asian female theatre educator working in theatre education. The paper will discuss stories of identity, the impact it has had, and the intentionality of what should be done with this information. It will illuminate the need for further research to engage more...