Mid-Level Professionals Course

What is the Mid-Level Professionals Course?

The NACA Mid-Level Professionals Course (MLP) is designed for higher education professionals who are preparing for their next steps in their careers. Ideally, participants will have at least 3-5 years of professional experience. Each topic in the MLP Course will be led by experts in the field and corresponds with the Certification for Student Affairs Educators domains. The program qualifies for 6 Continuing Education (CE) credits towards your Certified Student Affairs Educator renewal.

This course will cover relevant topics such as:  

  • Strategic Leadership 
  • Foundations of Student Engagement 
  • Social Justice & Inclusion 
  • Human Resource Management 
  • Operational Management 
  • Assessment & Evaluation

Course Format

Participants are engaged in a multi-week series that involves synchronous learning, cohort discussions, and personal reflections of each topic. The course begins on January 13, 2025 and live sessions will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:00 to 2:30 PM ET.

2026 Course Schedule

January 13: Welcome & Course Overview

This first week will provide a program overview, provide space for participants to network and begin making connections, and review expectations for the course.

January 15: Strategic Leadership

Learning outcomes

  • Establish priorities and outcomes that align to the institutional and divisional mission and vision 
  • Implement strategic planning models and skills enabling them to employ a macro focus 
  • Identify strategies for collaboration with internal and external stakeholders 

January 20: Foundations of Student Engagement

Learning outcomes

  • Explain the role of student engagement/involvement and its impact on learning at an institution  
  • Advocate for and utilize student organizations as a means of student engagement  
  • Delineate how one's own intersecting identities influence one's philosophy and practice  

January 22: Social Justice & Inclusion

Learning outcomes

  • Develop, implement, and maintain programs, policies, and procedures that integrate DEIA. 
  • Examine whether the organization's image, environment and practice are diverse, inclusive, equitable, and accessible. 
  • Recognize, support, and advocate for DEIA best practices in advising and supervision 

January 27: Operational Management

Learning outcomes

  • Identify and implement strategies to minimize institutional risk within the scope of their job functions. 
  • Articulate best practices for crisis response planning and implementation. 
  • Evaluate professional roles in fiscal responsibility.  
  • Manage and advocate for facilities that align spaces with institutional mission, goals, and priorities. 

January 29: Human Resource Management

Learning outcomes

  • Implement techniques to successfully manage up and down within an organization. 
  • Identify strategies for staff hiring, onboarding, motivation, accountability, and performance review. 
  • Seek out additional areas for professional growth. 

February 3: Assessment & Evaluation

Learning outcomes

  • Apply knowledge gained from evaluation data to articulate current experiences and set goals to sustain or improve programs and services. 
  • Articulate the impact of programs and services on student success, retention, and persistence 
  • Assess needs of students from multiple perspectives, identities, and populations, and ensure campus involvement opportunities are relevant and inclusive 

February 5: Closing

This last week will close out the course and provide an opportunity for any final discussion and reflection.