The program can accept from 20-24 students each year into this two year program. Ideally, each full-time student is able to secure an assistantship that provides valuable experience as well as financial support. Our students come from across the United States and from other countries. All students bring with them a variety of background experiences, perspectives, strengths, and share an interest in learning and experiencing more related to field of student affairs. The paths that bring students to our program are numerous; some are directly out of their undergraduate programs, others come from entry level positions in the field, while some may have been employed in the field or a similar field for a number of years prior. SAHE classes also include current Colorado State University employees who are taking classes on a part-time basis.
Student Spotlight
"Wow, what an experience it has been! This program provides so many opportunities to expand and grow both personally and professionally. The hands on experience with assistantship and practicum opportunities and the theory to practice intention of all of our classes is so fantastic. We get to personally see the effect of what we learn in real life situations. I have met such incredible people, classmates, faculty, and everyone that i have worked with. These people are part of a support system that has had a great impact on my readiness for my future in Student Affairs. I will always value the relationships I have created and the experiences I have been able to have because of the SAHE program."
Marti Fasteland
Class of 2010
Health Promotions
CSU Health Network
"One of the great aspects of the SAHE program is students have the freedom to tailor their experience to their interests. Class projects typically give students the ability to pick their topic and explore the assignment in creative and unique ways. Supplemental assistantships, practica, internships, and collateral assignments afford students opportunities to explore new functional areas in Student Affairs where they perhaps want to gain exposure or acquire a specific skill set. With a great support network of faculty and professional connections throughout CSU and neighboring institutions, SAHE students have a number of doors opened for them to create beneficial learning experiences and work opportunities. Students can scale up or scale back their involvement and exploration depending on their individual work or course-load. The program is structured so students can intentionally plan their experience, while also maintain some freedom to experiment throughout their two years."
Joe Levy
Class of 2010
Assistant Residence Director
Braiden Hall
Residence Life
"How do I sum up such a complex experience in only a paragraph? My SAHE experience has been tremendously challenging but immensely rewarding. I have grown SO much in the time I have been here in ways that I did not expect. SAHE has challenged me to become a better, more open-minded person who is not only sensitive to difference but appreciates it. SAHE is not the type of program where you learn things in class and can leave what you've learned in class. You take what you've learned in class and bring it to the other parts of your life. The SAHE experience not only teaches you but changes and transforms you. None of us will be leaving this program the same people we were when we entered 2 short years ago. I know I will graduate from the SAHE program having learned more not only about myself but about other people and about life."
Chris Nicolas
Class of 2010
Assistant Residence Director
Parmelee Hall
Residence Life
"My assistantship experience has been very comprehensive. It has been a chance, as a graduate student, to begin defining the professional I want to be. It is an opportunity to ask the important questions, seek out more opportunity than your job description asks of you, and really get a chance to learn and practice while having a great deal of responsibility. As a SAHE student in Orientation and Transition programs, it feels like I am more than just a graduate student and I am able to really learn how CSU works, and also learn more about myself, my leadership style, and what I want out of a career in Student Affairs."
Zach Mercurio
Class of 2009
Graduate Assistant
Orientation and Transition Programs
Center for Advising and Student Achievement
"We are so lucky to have the faculty that we have in the SAHE Program!! Not only are they well-educated with a wealth of practical experience, they are genuinely interested in our individual success. They challenge us to think in new ways on controversial topics and support us when we are struggling. It's a perfect balance."
Kacee Collard
Class of 2009
Graduate Assistant
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
"One of the greatest aspects of the CSU SAHE program is the ability to put classroom knowledge into practice through assistantships. The first week of student development theory provided me the opportunity to utilize theories in my conduct meetings as a university hearing officer. The hands-on experience with class work, which transfers to a professional setting, has allowed me to grow as a student and a person during my time in SAHE. Those practical situations within my assistantship have helped to mold me into a great candidate for a variety of positions in Student Affairs in the future."
Jeff W. Rosenberry
Class of 2009
Graduate Assistant
Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct Services
Greek Life Graduate Advisor
NRHH Advisor
"I have always considered myself a "special case" in SAHE. I come from India with no experience whatsoever in student affairs. What made it more challenging was I did not study in the system either. However I did have a passion for students, and had worked extensively with students in India - so the challenge was to harness that passion and use it toward having successful academic experience. However looking back now, after a year in the program I feel I have traversed long and deep- I am now at a place where I feel I am at par with anyone else in the program. And for that, I owe that faculty a great deal. They have rallied behind me immensely to help me reach that point. They have met with me whenever I have wanted to meet them, taken care to make sure I needed all the help I could get, and have generally been around to make sure that the journey is smooth. If I am asked to remember one experience that stands out in my two years in SAHE, I would say, I met teachers that are unlike any other I have ever known."
Sagarika Sarma
Class of 2009
Graduate Assistant
Health Promotions, Hartshorn Health Services
"My experience with the SAHE faculty has been extremely positive. Every faculty member in the program has a wealth of knowledge and a long history in student affairs, which makes each course worthwhile. It is very beneficial that the faculty work in administrative positions around campus in addition to their teaching positions. We, as graduate students, are able to not only learn from the SAHE faculty in the classroom, but we have the benefit of seeing the faculty members' managerial styles firsthand in various offices at Colorado State University. My expectations of the faculty were high for a graduate program with as distinguished a reputation as SAHE. What I wasn't expecting was how supportive and encouraging the SAHE faculty would be. The faculty are truly doing what they can to help each and every student in the program succeed, gain understanding, and developmentally grow into a student affairs professional. It is refreshing to be in a program with this type of support coming from not only a faculty member, but a professional, role model, and mentor in the field."
Dave Vale
Class of 2009
Assistant Residence Director
Parmelee Hall
Residence Life
"The faculty are some of the most engaging and enthusiastic facets of the SAHE Program. Each faculty member is intentional about giving the individual student a unique classroom experience and helping build a personal relationship outside of the classroom. Some of my most rewarding moments have been the mentoring and sharing of life stories with faculty from each semester. I believe all of the faculty members make it a point to connect students to both local and national resources in and out of the classroom that prove invaluable to the holistic experience of being a graduate student at CSU."
Kevin Gin
Class of 2009
Graduate Assistant
Association for Student Activities Planning