A gentle nudge to publish: Research on trans* students' experiences in higher education
By Sarah Shoaf, Staff Writer
Megan Chaffee, Director of Financial Aid & Registration Technology at Governors State University (GovState), never would have imagined she’d have her first published article just a few months after earning her doctorate.
The paper “Trans* Student Experiences in Higher Education,” originated in a class she took at GovState for her doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership, a degree she recently earned this summer.
“It was very cool. I was hoping for it to be published,” said Chaffee with a smile. “We went through several revisions, but I think ultimately what we came to was a paper that really touches on lots of different components and offers up recommendations for each of those areas.”
With encouragement from faculty in GovState’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), Chaffee decided to expand on her original paper for journal publication. She turned to Dr. Deborah King, Assistant Professor in CEHD, to refine the piece and dive deeper into existing literature as her co-author.
“We looked at challenges when it comes to chosen names and pronouns. We looked at access to facilities and housing,” said Chaffee. “We also looked at interpretations of Title IX, which has been a big discussion in the political climate for the past couple years.”
She added that they offered recommendations for higher education institutions and administrators to help create more inclusive environments that foster student success and belonging.
“The responsibility for inclusion cannot rest solely on the shoulders of trans* students,” said Chaffee. “It’s a collective responsibility that requires action at every level of the campus community.”
Having this piece published is meaningful to Chaffee, who had never submitted a paper for publication before.
“It’s validating to know that topics that I’m interested in and see as important, personally, are seen as important by others as well,” said Chaffee. “I have had a few really good conversations about what this could mean, not just here, but anywhere.”
When considering what’s next for herself, Chaffee hopes to continue research and publication on topics she's passionate about—possibly building on her capstone research, which examined competencies for financial aid leaders, and expanding her scholarship into areas connected to financial aid practice and policy.
For now, she’s grateful to the INLD faculty, especially her co-author Dr. King and Dr. Matthew Cooney, who motivated and supported her throughout the drafting and publication process.
“They really helped shape this work and encouraged me to push myself to think about some of these topics more deeply,” said Chaffee. “They gave me that gentle nudge to put this forward, so that more eyes could see it.”
Click here to view or download Chaffee’s and King’s paper from the New York Journal of Student Affairs (NYJSA).