ABOUT
Dr. Andrew Ryder is an Associate Professor of Higher Education. Dr. Ryder earned both his Ph.D. and M.S. in higher education at Iowa State University and his B.A. in History, with a second major in Government, from the College of William & Mary. He has 12 years of professional experience in academic and student affairs, having previously worked at Iowa State University, Northeastern University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is active in several professional associations, including ACPA-College Student Educators International, which has recognized him as an Emerging Scholar in higher education and student affairs; and NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, where he is a member of the Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge community. He also coordinates UNCW’s international internship in higher education at Maynooth University in Ireland.
Dr. Ryder is an expert in using assessment to improve professional practice in student affairs, assessing campus climates, and the changing nature of professional practice in student affairs. His research in these areas and other topics can be found in the College Student Affairs Journal, Journal of College Student Development, Journal of College and University Student Housing, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Research and Practice in Assessment, Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, Journal of Student Financial Aid, and Wiley’s New Directions sourcebooks. His research directly informs the courses he teaches most frequently, including Assessment in Higher Education, Foundations of Higher Education, and Introduction to Professional Practice.
Courses Taught
Master’s Level
EDL 553: Evaluation & Assessment in Higher Education
EDL 560: Introduction to Higher Education Practice
EDL 596: Culminating Project I
Doctoral Level
EDL 634: Pro Seminar – Accountability in Higher Education
Cross-Listed – Master’s and Doctoral Levels Combined
EDL 550/650: Foundations of Higher Education
EDL 555/631: Legal Issues in Higher Education
EDL 557/657: Comprehensive Community College
EDL 595/664: Maynooth International Internship in Higher Education
EDL 595/695: Campus Environments
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Assessment for improving professional practice in student affairs
Campus climate and environment assessment
Evolving nature of the student affairs profession
Student affairs work in international contexts
Rural community colleges
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
ACPA – College Student Educators International
NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
Council for the Study of Community Colleges
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Ryder, A. J., Hastings, J.D., Kimball, E. W. (Under review). Creeping legalism: How external demands reshape student affairs practice. Manuscript submitted to the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.
McClure, K. & Ryder, A. J. (2017, October). The cost of belonging: How spending money influences social relationships in college. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 55(2), 196-209 Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2017.1360190.
McClure, K. R., Ryder, A. J., & Mauk, A. J. (2017, August). It all adds up: Examining and enhancing campus climate for affordability at a four-year university. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 47(2). Retrieved from http://publications.nasfaa.org/jsfa/vol47/iss2/2/.
McClure, K. R., DeVita, J. M., & Ryder, A. J. (2017, April). Public-private partnerships in college student housing: Lessons from three institutions. Journal of College and University Student Housing, 43(2), 72-92. Retrieved from http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acuho/journal_vol43no2/index.php#/74.
Gansemer-Topf, A. M. & Ryder, A. J. (2017, April). Competencies needed for entry-level student affairs work: Views from mid-level professionals. College Student Affairs Journal, 35(1), 40-54. Retrieved from https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1060&context=edu_pubs.
Ryder, A. J., Reason, R. D., Mitchell, J. J., Gillon, K., & Hemer, K. M. (2016, December). Climate for learning and students’ openness to diversity and challenge: A critical role for faculty. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 9(4), 339-352. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0039766.
Reason, R. D., Mitchell, J. J., Gillon, K. E., & Ryder, A. J. (2016, April). Improving student outcomes of community-based programs through peer-to-peer conversation. Journal of College Student Development, 57(3), 316-320. Retrieved from https://muse.jhu.edu/article/615303.
Ryder, A. J. & Kimball, E. W. (2015, December). Assessment as reflexive practice: A model for making evidence-based decisions in student affairs. Journal of Research and Practice in Assessment, 10(Winter), 30-45. Retrieved from http://www.rpajournal.com/dev/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/A3.pdf.