NASPA
2025 NASPA Annual Conference

Scholarly Paper Sessions

Scholarly Paper sessions give presenters the opportunity to share innovative research findings and conceptual arguments. Papers are peer-reviewed and selected by faculty members within the Faculty Programming and Scholarly Papers subcommittee and assigned a discussant prior to the conference. Each 50-minute session will feature two authors who will present their papers, followed by comments from the discussant and a facilitated question and answer session.

Scholarly Paper sessions often focus on results of quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies, or report the findings of studies that use historical or philosophical methods. Scholarly Papers can also present conceptual or theoretical arguments that push the field of student affairs forward. Sessions offer an opportunity for both new and established scholars (e.g., graduate students, graduate preparation program faculty members, and full-time practitioners) to explore emerging and relevant areas of research. In particular, presenting at the NASPA Annual Conference allows presenters to engage with scholar-practitioner audiences, a notable benefit for those hoping to disseminate their work to student affairs and higher education professionals.

Interested in being a discussant? 

Discussant sign-ups will open later this year. Consider signing up to be a discussant to enhance your own professional development and provide important feedback to paper authors as they prepare to share their research in the Scholarly Paper session format.