Kelly Cherwin 0:03
Welcome to the HigherEdJobs Podcast. I'm Kelly Cherwin, the director of editorial strategy. Andy Hibel, who is typically with me as a co-host, is gone today, so Matt Trainum is filling in. Thank you, Matt, for joining us.

Matt Trainum 0:16
You know, I always enjoy being with this crew.

Kelly Cherwin 0:18
We're looking forward to having the conversation today about careers in student affairs, and we are lucky to have Dr. Jeremy Moore with us. Jeremy is the dean of students at Naropa University, a first-generation college graduate from Dayton, Ohio. He has spent 15 years as an administrator and educator in higher education. His work focuses on student success, leadership development, and fostering inclusive spaces that help students thrive both on and off campus. Thank you, Jeremy, for joining us today.

Jeremy Moore 0:47
I'm glad to be here. Thanks so much for the invitation.

Kelly Cherwin 0:49
I know Matt and Jeremy have crossed paths in the past. It's great to have you both connected here.

Jeremy Moore 0:55
It's great to see Matt after many years. We go back to the placement exchange when I was a graduate student in the field.

Matt Trainum 1:05
We go back to student affairs origins, right?

Jeremy Moore 1:08
Yes.

Matt Trainum 1:08
At NASPA, the placement exchange -- things that have a lot to do with Careers in Student Affairs Month.

Jeremy Moore 1:14
Yep, it's true.

Kelly Cherwin 1:16
Matt, you gave a perfect plug that I wanted to start with. We’re celebrating October as Careers in Student Affairs Month, which is exciting. Let's learn a little bit more about your background, Jeremy, before we get into the questions. You've held various roles over the years in student affairs, so what about the field keeps you energized? Can you think of a couple of pivotal moments in your career that have kept you engaged?

Jeremy Moore 1:42
I don’t think we have hours here to talk about this, but I think everyone who finds their way into student affairs was bit by the student leadership bug. I was an RA and vice president of our programming board. I remember my supervisor, who was a hall director, saying, “Hey, you can do this as a job.” I was like, “What? You can do this as a job? Sign me up.” I went to grad school at Northern Illinois and have had a great career.

What energizes me about higher education is that no two days are the same. Some people might not savor that, but I enjoy the unpredictability. One moment I’m helping student government get approvals for a sauna pod trailer for finals week, the next I’m in a campus emergency meeting, then in a care team meeting, and later meeting with a student about graduation. You can have highs and lows in a day, but I’m buoyed by the optimism and potential of our students. There’s a lot of opportunity and promise in helping them bridge to what’s next.

Kelly Cherwin 3:14
Thank you for that. I love the story of being flexible and taking each day as it comes.

Jeremy Moore 3:21
Definitely. And sometimes there’s not enough coffee.

Matt Trainum 3:31
Speaking of what comes across your desk, I know you oversee many areas of campus life -- housing, counseling, wellness. What trends are shaping student affairs on your campus, and what are you seeing across higher ed?

Jeremy Moore 3:53
There are a lot of trends. Naropa is a unique institution -- one of the only Buddhist-inspired universities in North America. That’s been a unique growth edge for me, coming from flagship state institutions. One big trend is the rapid evolution of our student body. We have a largely post-traditional enrollment with an average age over 30, unlike when I worked at CU Boulder where most were 18 to 21.

We’re seeing more adult learners returning to school to change careers, which is interesting amid conversations about cost, the job market, and student loan changes. We’ve gone from almost no online students to nearly a 50/50 split between online and in-person since the pandemic.

That means we’ve had to build systems and scale fast. As dean of students, I serve all students -- in person, online, and low residency -- who have very different needs. It’s a challenge, but we’ve improved retention, which is great.

What keeps me up at night is the increase in case volume. Our care team and student support staff are seeing a 20 to 30 percent increase each semester since I started in 2021. Last year, one semester equaled the total number of cases from the previous year. It’s not sustainable. We’ve built a culture of care where more people are reporting concerns, but that also means more volume.

I’m hearing from colleagues across the country that their case managers are overwhelmed. I worry about burnout and how to retain staff as needs grow.

Matt Trainum 7:18
Jeremy, I love those insights -- the shift in modality, the focus on mental health. Since it’s Careers in Student Affairs Month, how have you built new skills to meet these changes?

Jeremy Moore 7:44
I’m learning, staying humble, and staying curious. At Naropa, we talk about “beginner’s mind” -- looking at things with fresh eyes. I believe we’re all lifelong learners.

Some of my most rewarding professional experiences have come outside my day-to-day duties. I work elections every year, which helps with public engagement and conflict resolution. I also secret shop as a side hustle -- it sharpens my observation skills and improvisation. That improv ability helps when a student crisis doesn’t go by the book.

Kelly Cherwin 9:35
I love your response -- being humble, being hungry, and being a secret shopper! That’s a first for our podcast. Speaking of your background, I noticed your LinkedIn describes you as “an educator with a different kind of classroom.” I love that phrasing. Can you explain what that means to you and how it shapes your approach to student success?

Jeremy Moore 10:07
Thank you. That line dates back to grad school at Northern Illinois. Our VP of student affairs used to say something similar, and I’ve held onto it.

In higher education, there’s often a duality between academic and student affairs. But we’re all serving the same students. When I say I’m an educator with a different classroom, I mean my “classroom” isn’t brick-and-mortar. It’s residence halls, student events, leadership meetings -- all the places students grow outside academics.

Our work provides learning for life. We help students navigate real-world challenges -- roommate conflicts, leadership roles, crises -- and develop the tools to be resilient after graduation. Those “bumpers” we provide, like support systems and guidance, don’t always exist once they enter the workforce. So we’re preparing them to adapt and thrive.

Kelly Cherwin 12:53
I love that metaphor of bumpers -- providing support while preparing them for real life. Thank you for the work you and your team do.

Matt Trainum 13:10
Jeremy, we met years ago at a national conference -- the placement exchange, co-sponsored by NASPA. Many of us have benefitted from national organizations, but what about regional or state associations? How have you used those communities for professional development and mentorship?

Jeremy Moore 13:57
I love this question. I’m a big advocate for local professional development, especially as budgets tighten. In Colorado, we’re more spread out than when I worked in the Midwest, so we have to find creative ways to connect.

I served as president of the Colorado chapter of ACPA, which allowed me to meet professionals from different types of institutions -- large publics, community colleges, small privates. Learning from those shared experiences has been invaluable.

My advice for emerging and mid-career professionals is to stop only consuming and start contributing. Volunteer for committees, task forces, or mentoring programs. Collaborate on shared projects. We’re all serving students, even across institutions.

Kelly Cherwin 16:10
You mentioned connection, which brings me to technology. How do you see student affairs professionals using technology to connect and support students, and what skills will the next generation need?

Jeremy Moore 16:42
I just got back from Dallas for our EdSights user conference. We partnered with them two years ago to launch a chatbot. When I first proposed it at our Buddhist-inspired institution, people were skeptical -- “AI at a contemplative university?” But it’s helped us scale our support without losing the human touch.

The chatbot checks in with students every few weeks via text and helps us identify who needs support. That lets us spend our limited time on meaningful, one-on-one conversations. The goal isn’t to do more work but to use technology ethically and efficiently.

Future professionals will need strong data literacy and ethical reasoning to manage student data and ensure equity. AI tools are here to stay -- from admissions essays to cover letters -- so we must learn how to integrate them responsibly.

Kelly Cherwin 19:30
I have a follow-up question about the chatbot. Are students using it? Do you have data or success stories?

Jeremy Moore 19:42
Yes. We launched in February 2024, and engagement has stayed strong -- around 70–80 percent. That’s impressive compared with traditional surveys that might only get 15 percent.

We send short check-ins focused on four areas: financial success, well-being, academics, and social connection -- based on Vincent Tinto’s research. It’s like real-time micro-surveying at scale. The feedback helps us act quickly, unlike traditional surveys that take years to analyze.

It also helps us support students across time zones, even at 2 a.m., when staff aren’t available.

Kelly Cherwin 21:03
That’s fantastic. You mentioned retention earlier. What’s helped strengthen it at your university?

Jeremy Moore 21:39
I wish there were a secret sauce, but it’s really about intentional connection. Naropa is small -- around 1,100 students and a small team. We’ve invested in case management systems like Maxient to better track student needs and provide early alerts.

Our advising team also calls students who have stopped out to see if they’d like to return. Many do -- they just needed support after personal or financial challenges. That personal touch matters.

We’re also piloting a new admissions tool through EdSights to personalize outreach before students even start. I admire how ASU Online makes students feel valued and celebrated -- even confetti on the screen when you graduate. Simple, human touches like that matter.

Kelly Cherwin 24:33
Thank you for that -- cue the confetti!

Matt Trainum 24:39
Jeremy, student affairs can be demanding. How do you and your team balance reflection, creativity, and growth while avoiding burnout?

Jeremy Moore 25:12
Working at a Buddhist-inspired institution helps. We start and end each meeting with a bow -- it’s a grounding practice. For others, it might be coffee breaks or lunch with colleagues.

As a leader, I try to model balance. I recently took a vacation during a busy time, and though I felt guilty, I knew my team needed to see that it’s okay to rest. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t show up for students or colleagues.

We’ve also adopted a hybrid schedule -- three days in the office, two remote -- to allow deep work time. It’s been a game changer for focus and reflection.

Kelly Cherwin 28:01
Looking ahead, if you had a crystal ball, what’s one thing in student affairs you hope professionals will embrace -- and one thing that should be retired?

Jeremy Moore 28:36
Let’s start with what needs to be retired: our hiring practices. I don’t think they serve us or our candidates well. Timelines drag, feedback is rare, and communication often ends without closure. If we expect better for our students, we should model that in our hiring processes too.

What should we embrace? Flexibility. Hybrid and remote work are here to stay. At Naropa, about half our staff are remote, including leadership roles. That flexibility helps us meet the needs of our global student body and attract top talent. The next generation of professionals values that adaptability, and we should too.

Kelly Cherwin 32:24
Thank you. I recently attended a conference where hybrid work was a major theme, so your insight is spot on.

Matt Trainum 32:39
Jeremy, this has been the perfect conversation for Careers in Student Affairs Month. Any final thoughts?

Jeremy Moore 32:58
Yes. I’m grateful to the mentors who invested in me -- those who believed in me and stayed connected through good and bad days. Their support helped me get where I am, and now it’s my turn to pay that forward. Sponsorship and mentorship are vital to keeping our field strong.

Kelly Cherwin 34:22
Thank you, Jeremy. It was so nice talking with you today. Matt, thank you for joining me as co-host.

Thank you, everyone, for listening. If you have a question for Jeremy or about today’s conversation, please email us at podcast@HigherEdJobs.com
or send us a direct message on X at @HigherEdCareers.

Thank you again, Jeremy. It was a pleasure, and we hope to hear from everyone soon. Take care.