The Great Designation: An Editorial Essay on The Necessity of Scholar-Practitioners

Abstract:In this editorial essay, the author explores literature on scholarship in practice for student affairs from 2001 to 2022. Her review reveals previously held assumptions that there are low levels of engagement in scholarships by practitioners may be misguided. She highlights literature that reveals the potential cost that practitioners might encounter in engaging scholarship that may lead them away from being scholar-practitioners or potentially push them out of the field altogether. She concludes with suggestions for improving conditions to foster practitioners' engagement with scholarship including better socialization practices, collaborative interdisciplinary efforts, and improved working conditions.