This page provides resources and information for currently enrolled WMU HESA students. Please contact the HESA faculty coordinator, Dr. Ramona Lewis, if you see information that needs to be updated.
HESA handbook & Academic requirements

- HESA Courses and Descriptions (printable PDF). This document includes full course descriptions as well as instructions for having diversity cognates and focused elective courses approved by advisor
- HESA Diversity Cognates
- WMU Course Offerings / Class Lookup (use this to search for upcoming or previous courses)
- HESA F21 cohort suggested rotation of courses (Fall 2021 entering class)
- HESA F22 cohort suggested rotation of courses (Fall 2022 entering class)
- HESA 5-year course rotation plan
- Graduation information - students need to apply by deadlines each year to be eligible for graduation.
- HESA MA Instructions for Program of Study (This sample HESA Program of Study document includes instructions along with a sample for students)
- HESA MA Blank Program of Study (This document is left blank so that students can use it to complete and submit their official program of study)
- How to register for WMU course - includes instructions and videos
- Directory of WMU student support services
- WMU academic calendar
- WMU course offerings - look up courses being offered
Field experience and capstone experience
- Student manual for field experience and capstone
- Field experience and capstone application and approval form
- Student learning goals and objectives for field experience and capstone
- Here is a sample list of past field experience and capstone sites
SITE SUPERVISORS OF FIELD AND CAPSTONE EXPERIENCES MATERIALS
Would you like to mentor and supervise a graduate student in gaining hands on experience and learning more about the profession? If so then we welcome you to contact any of the HESA faculty or Dr. Ramona Lewis, the faculty coordinator. The first document below provides a brief overview and the site supervisor manual provides a more detailed description.
- What is a HESA field or capstone experience? (This document is designed for potential or new site supervisors and briefly summarizes the field and capstone experience as well as how to become a site).
- Site supervisors manual for HESA field and capstone experience This document is designed for site supervisors and also includes helpful information about how to develop a position description.
WMU General information & additional support services
- WMU A-Z Directory
- WMU Academic Calendar
- WMU Graduate College
- Plan 4-Ward Resources for graduate students
- Experience WMU to discover campus programs and events
- WMU Library workshops
- WMU Signature
- Graduate Student Association (GSA)
GRADUATE COLLEGE Resources
- Graduate College Forms may be found at http://www.wmich.edu/grad/forms
- Graduate student Plan4-Ward for Success resources
- Graduate student orientation is available in your Elearning portal
- Graduate student Responsible Conduct of Research course is available in your Elearning portal
GRADUATE APPOINTMENTS (GA)
Visit the Graduate Appointee section of the Graduate College website information: https://wmich.edu/grad/current-students/appointments.
Questions about Graduate Appointments (GA’s) pay and processing are directed to the Graduate College at grad_awards@wmich.edu.
Students who hold GA’s and have not seen their tuition pay out, please consider the following. If the answer to any of the following questions is yes, then tuition will pay out during the two weeks after census. Census for each semester is after the drop/add deadline.
Are you enrolled for less than six credits? Did you submit a permission to under enroll form? Under-enrollment form – students who hold a GA and are registered for less than 6 credits on a graduate appointment need to complete the under enrollment form and submit for faculty advisor approval.
- ELRT funding sources: https://wmich.edu/leadership/funding
- Other WMU funding sources: https://wmich.edu/grad/fellowships-grants
- Office of the Vice President for Research: https://wmich.edu/research
Additional Student affairs & higher education resources
- ACPA/NASPA professional competency areas for student affairs professionals (2015)
- Rubric format ACPA/NASPA professional competency areas for student affairs professionals
- Student affairs related resources
- Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS Standards)
- CAS Statement of Shared Ethical Principles
- ACPA Statement of Ethical Principles and Standards
- CAS Characteristics of Individual Excellence
Alumni information and HESA giving
The HESA alumni are around the world. We love to hear from you. Alumni information, contact forms, opportunities to get involved and the HESA alumni newsletters are below.
HESA students do amazing things! If you would like to support HESA student scholarships, programs and community development, we would love to hear from you. There are three funds that directly support HESA Students. Visit: https://secure.wmualumni.org/s/give
- Select amount and frequency
- Click “search all available funds”
- In the “search for an area to support” box, enter name of fund or the specific code, for example: HESA or Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership Development Funds
Funds related to HESA
- SGRI (Paul and Phyllis Griffeth Student Affairs Scholarship) – Supports scholarships for current student recipient demonstrating outstanding promise as a student affairs professional. View past recipients
- HESA (Higher Education and Student Affairs Leadership Development Fund) - Supports HESA student programming including student events and leadership activities.
- EGEH (Global Engagement in Higher Education Endowment) – Supports scholarships for activities that will enhance global awareness and participation