From the Editors

Abstract

From the Editors Brian Bourke and Aaron W. Hughey Welcome to the third issue of the College Student Affairs Journal to be published by the Southern Association for College Student Affairs on Project MUSE. This continues to be an exciting time for the journal as well as the organization and we believe the current offering reflects the enthusiasm we have for both. As always, we’d like to thank our Associate Editors for their hard work and dedication as we continue to produce an exceptional resource for the association and the profession: Darris Means from the University of Georgia, Michelle Boettcher from Clemson University, Dena Kniess from Eastern Illinois University, and Mary Alice Varga from the University of West Georgia. As most of you know, producing a high quality academic journal truly takes a village; we are very appreciative of this group of dedicated, hard-working professionals who routinely go above and beyond to keep us moving forward. The journal is a direct result of their expertise, experience and passion for excellence. We are also very appreciative to the Executive Council for their unwavering support and guidance as we have continued to transition CSAJ to our new home with Project MUSE. It has taken countless e-mails, conference calls, and several meetings across multiple conferences to get to this point. The faith that the EC continues to have in what we are doing has been appreciated more than we can ever express. We would not be where we are today without the tireless support and patience of Tony, Ellen, Matt, Beau – and especially Joe, who graciously signs the contracts and pays the invoices that make the journal possible. Our move to Project MUSE, based on feedback from many members of SACSA, has been a resounding success. We are grateful for your input, especially the constructive criticism we have received, as this helps us to continually improve. We are also in the process of entering into an agreement with EBSCO Publishing, Inc., which will significantly enhance our profile and availability as a scholarly journal. Scholastica, our manuscript management system, has already led to significant improvements in our ability to manage submissions more effectively and efficiently. We are also looking at ways to recruit more reviewers so that we can continue to decrease the submission-to-publication timeline while still maintaining the highest standards of quality and rigor. As noted previously, our ultimate goal is to put all past issues of CSAJ on Project MUSE and create a searchable database so that members and subscribers will be able to use the journal as a resource to augment their personal and institutional efficacy. Making the journal more accessible has always been an overarching goal of our leadership and we believe we are making progress on that front. A primary purpose of the journal has always been to enhance professional practice in the field; this is certainly the guiding principle behind all of our editorial decisions. We believe we have an interesting and thought-provoking edition of the College Student Affairs Journal with the Summer 2016 offering. This volume features a selection of articles that should be of interest to both practitioners and academics. First, Donald Mitchell, Jr. and Ashley Maloff of Grand Valley State University offer some insights on how international experiences help shape personal and professional identity in Racial Positionalities, Professional Development, and a Master’s Study Abroad Experience in Jamaica for Preparing Student Affairs Professionals. Next, Darris Means from the University of Georgia explores the racial climate at a predominantly white institution (PWI) in “Everybody Seems to Get Along . . .”: An Institutional Case Study About Campus Race Relations. Jason C. Garvey from The [End Page 1] University of Alabama and Noah D. Drezner from Teachers College, Columbia University, follow-up with a look at how campus climate affects future financial support of the institution in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Alumni Giving to and Participation with Undergraduate Alma Maters. Jonathan T. Pryor, David Ta, and Jeni Hart from the University of Missouri then provide an interesting perspective on the challenges faced by transgender students who live in on-campus housing in Searching for Home: Transgender Students and Experiences with Residential Housing...