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Brandon R. G. Smith

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education

Research / Areas of Expertise

Higher and postsecondary education: student development, learning, and success; universities and colleges as organizations, workplaces, and environments
Student affairs and services: the profession, functional areas, and the professionals and educators working within
Foundational student development theory

I graduated from the higher, adult, and lifelong education program at Michigan State University (MSU) in 2024. I began doctoral studies after working in universities and colleges as a professional from 2008–19. I completed my M.Ed. at The University of Toronto–OISE while working full-time. My experiences as a student leader throughout my undergraduate degree, and my later engagement on campuses as a learner, educator, and administrator informed my career path leading to my role as a faculty member at 91porn.

As a Canadian first-generation student, I started my journey in postsecondary education at Trent University where I completed my undergraduate degree. At Trent, I learned about student affairs and services after working in student leader roles within residence life, and also serving as an elected member of student government. After Trent, I began my career working in student affairs; first at Mount Royal University (2008–10), then at McMaster University (2010–13), and later at Toronto Metropolitan University until 2019. I left this phase of my career to begin full-time doctoral studies as an international student living in the United States (U.S.). After graduating from MSU, I worked as Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives at Niagara College before joining 91porn.

My work explores conditions influencing universities and colleges, and student affairs divisions, in both theory and practice. I also investigate the experiences of students and employees within universities and colleges. While student affairs divisions have been my 'home' on a campus, I equitably value and understand the importance and functions of executive leadership and governance, academic affairs, research and innovation, campus administration and operations, and advancement and external affairs.

I serve and have contributed to several professional associations relating to my academic work and my work as an administrator: The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE), College Student Educators International (ACPA), Canadian Association for College and University Student Services (CACUSS), Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA), and the Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers (OACUHO). I also serve as a reviewer for several national and international peer-reviewed academic journals.

Broadly, my research and publications focus on understanding the experiences of different populations engaging with and within universities and colleges. Specifically, I explore the characteristics and experiences of students accessing postsecondary education, and administrators working within student affairs and services divisions on a campus. I typically employ developmental theory, campus ecological perspectives, organizational and change theories, and systems theory.

Ultimately, my research aims to address 'real world' problems affecting postsecondary education, and I view these problems with both practical and theoretical lenses. My current projects center on factors influencing the work of administrators working within student affairs divisions, and student affairs work 'today' that integrates both my Canadian and U.S. perspectives. I most often engage qualitative research methodologies. My latest publications and work under review engages either exploratory or explanatory case study design and methods.

My intention is for my work to offer nuanced, comparative perspectives that informs postsecondary educators, practitioners, and leaders. Overall, multiple perspectives inform my work: my identities and experiences, my familiarity from working on campuses having various institutional characteristics and employee groups, and my experiences working and studying in different locations in both Canada and the U.S.

My recent publications include co-editing a volume focusing on different ecological perspectives to understand higher education (New Directions for Higher Education), an article focused on workplace satisfaction of midlevel student affairs administrators (Journal for Educational Human Resources), a separate article exploring the perspectives of student leaders working with student affairs educators (New Directions for Student Leadership), and a book chapter focusing on reimagining Astin's Inputs, Environments, and Outcomes (I-E-O) model (1988, 1993) from the perspective of Asian international students studying on campuses in Canada. My dissertation research explored the workplace experiences of midlevel student affairs administrators from the lenses of different mindsets: thriving, resilience, and buoyancy.

See "Selected Publications" for examples of my scholarly contributions.

Smith, B. R. G. (2025). Understanding factors that influence workplace satisfaction of mid-level student affairs administrators. Journal of Educational Human Resources, 43(1). 164–182.
Rosales J., Smith, B. R. G., Marin P. (2025). "We struggle to get a voice heard": The experiences of student leaders. New Directions for Student Leadership, 186. 51–58.
Smith, B. R. G. (2025). Project management in Nguyen, D.J., & Renn, K.A. (Eds.) Conducting high-quality longitudinal studies of college students: Considerations for design, analysis, and interpretation (pp. 167–179). Routledge.
Renn, K. A., Smith, B. R. G., Noble, C. E. (Eds.). (2024). New ecological systems approaches to understanding higher education. New Directions in Higher Education. 1–92. Wiley.
Renn, K. A., Smith, B. R. G. (2024). Ecological models in higher education research: Overview and synthesis. In K. A. Renn, B. R. G. Smith, & C. E. Noble (Eds.), Innovating ecological models for higher education research. New Directions in Higher Education. 11–22. Wiley.
Pang, G. & Smith, B. R. G. (2023). Studying in Canada while being an Asian international student: A review of barriers to the learning experience. In A. H. Kim, E. Buckner & J. M. Montsion (Eds.), Asian international students in Canadian universities: Internationalization, racialization and inclusion. 157–171. Routledge.
Renn, K. A., & Smith, B. R. G. (2023). Creating and sustaining organizational change to promote college student persistence in natural and open systems. In R. D. Reason & J. Braxton (Eds.), Improving college student retention: New developments in theory, research, and practice. 211–233. Stylus.
Olson, T. H., Abrams, E., & Smith, B. R. G. (2022). Tearing it apart while holding it together: Using queer situated knowledges to navigate the paradoxes of institutional life. In A. Duran, T. J. Jourian, R. Miller, and J. Cisneros (Eds.), Narrating the insider/outsider paradox as LGBTQ+ educators in higher education and student affairs. Stylus.
Orawczyk, M. & Smith, B. R. G. (2023). Addressing homelessness and housing insecurity in higher education: Strategies for educational leaders. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.
Blalock, A. E., Smith, M. C., Patterson, B. R., Greenberg, A., Smith, B. R. G., Choi, C. (2021). “I might not fit that doctor image”: Ideal worker norms and women medical students. Medical Education, 56(3).

Contact Info:

E: brgsmith@wlu.ca

Office location: Bricker Hall

Office hours: By appointment; in-person or online.