About the Journal

Focus and Scope

The Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement, and Impact (JSAIII) is committed to advancing the knowledge and practice of student affairs assessment. JSAIII supports inquiry, improvement efforts, and impact evidence within all student affairs functional areas.

In December 2023, the journal expanded its name to include Improvement and Impact. The first article in Volume 7 (coming in December 2024) will define, describe, and differentiate inquiry, improvement, and impact as it relates to student affairs assessment. Until that publication, the JSAIII Editorial Board is defining the three terms to provide clarity to prospective authors and readers. Inquiry is the process of seeking evidence to inform quality improvement efforts and demonstration of impact. Improvement is the process of refining and enriching conditions and experiences that influence student engagement, perceptions, learning, development, and success. Impact is the demonstration of the extent to which these conditions and experiences create change in students—both individually and collectively.

Publisher and Acknowledgements

Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement, and Impact is published by the Center for Leading Improvements in Higher Education at  Indiana University Indianapolis.The journal is hosted and supported by the IU Indianapolis University Library. JSAIII also wants to acknowledge the support and partnership of Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL).

Peer Review Process

The Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement, and Impact is a completely open and online journal that is peer-reviewed and publishes work that has not been previously published and is not under consideration elsewhere. To encourage and support practitioners in contributing to the field’s scholarship, JSAIII utilizes an article proposal approach that, if accepted by the Editors, provides feedback about the author's article at several points along the process. Learn more about this process by reviewing the Submissions page.

Publication Frequency

The Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry, Improvement, and Impact is published 1-2 times a year.

Open Access Policy

This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal, or use them for any other lawful purpose.