Our Purpose . . .
•To organize a cohesive professional body in order to promote more effective work in the field of student personnel administrators
•To interpret student personnel work to all college administrators and college faculties so that the student personnel point of view will permeate the entire campus
•To promote programs and plans that will benefit all student personnel workers

A brief history of WVASPA . . .
WVASPA began as an informal group of student personnel professionals. Deans of Students, Residence Life Staff, etc., started meeting together during the late '50's to discuss problems of mutual concern in the student affairs field.  In March 1960, this group created a formal organization at West Virginia University a constitution was adopted. The organization was called Student/Personnel Administrators of West Virginia Colleges and Universities (SPAWVCU).

Membership was open to all persons responsible for student personnel services in colleges and universities of West Virginia.  At that first formal meeting, officers elected were Betty Boyd, President (WVU), Stella Cooksey, Vice-President (Morris Harvey), Wayne Martin, Sec./Treas. (Fairmont State).  Over the years the name of the organization has been changed several times, but it has retained the flavor of the original purpose.


Past Presidents . . .
Autumn Perry, West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, 2017
Kelli Jo McNemar, West Virginia Campus Compact, 2016
Dr. Mordecai Brownlee, University of Charleston, 2016
Dr. Sarah Beasley, Concord University, 2015
Vanessa Keadle, Marshall University, 2014
Candice Stadler, New River Community & Technical College, 2013
Andrew Lewis, Glenville State College, 2012
Christi Richardson, Mountain State University, 2011
Jodi Ocheltree, Glenville State College, 2010
Dr. Sharon Kipetz, Shepherd University, 2009
Stephanie Southhall, WV Prevention Resource Center, 2008
Marcella Snyder, West Liberty State College, 2007
Cheryl McKinney, Glenville State College, 2006
Rick Dillon, Concord University, 2005
Jerry Burkhammer, Glenville State College, 2004
Dr. Susan Spangler (Gardner), University of Charleston, 2003
Amena Oliver, West Virginia Wesleyan College, 2002

Past Conference Keynotes and Workshop Presenters . . .
1960 - Dr. Harold Willey; Topic—Personnel Point of View
1967 - Dr. Helen Nowlis; Topic—Drugs and Higher Education
1979 - Dr. D. Parker Young; Topic—Higher Education and Legal Issues
1981 - Dr. Robert Rodgers; Topic—Crucial Issues of the '80's
1985 - Dr. William C. Parker, Dr. Charles C. Schroeder, Dro William E. Selacek; Topic—Changing  the environment to Retain Today's College Student
1986 - Ruth McSwain, Dr. William Parker, Rick Miller, Terry Byre, Willard Fuller; Topic—Excellence  Begins With Self
1988 - Dr. Robert Albright, Dr. John Gardner, Dr. Berniece Sandler; Topic—Planning  for the Future: Enrollment, Education and Employment for the '90's
1990 - Dr. William C. Parker; Topic—The  1990's: Diversity and Excellence in Higher Education
1994 - Dr. Barbara Jacoby; Topic—Empowering the Student Development Professional and Student Leader as Change Agents
1997 - Dr. Arthur Chickering—Building Bridges; Connecting the College Community
1998 - Dr. Gwen Dungy—Serving Our Campus Communities...and Beyond
1999 - Dr. Gary Kleeman –Student  Affairs and the Third Revolution...Technology and Student Affairs
2000-2010 -- Please contact Dr. Susan Gardner (susangardner@ucwv.edu if you have history during this time)
2011 – Dr. Maggie Culp – Student/Academic Affairs Collaboration in Serving Adult Learners in WV
2012 - Dr. Susan Gardner -- WVASPA Then & Now (Fall Conference in 2011; no Spring conference was held)
2013- Dr. Susan Gardner -- Icebergs and Whitewater - A Student Affairs Journey
Spring 2014- Eric Stoller  -- What’s Your Digital Identity: A Comprehensive Look at Today’s Social Media Landscape
Fall 2014 - Dr. Julie Margetta Morgan -- Federal and legal updates
Fall 2014 - President Brian Noland -- Discussion of the state of higher education in America
Fall 2014 - Joel Bolling -- Creating a Culture of Inclusion in West Virginia
Fall 2015 - Dr. David C. Hardesty, Jr. -- Building highly effective organizations and teams
Fall 2015 - Dr. Jennifer Bloom -- Appreciative Advising ​
Fall 2016 - Dr. Anthony Jenkins -- Featured Speaker -- President, West Virginia State University
Fall 2016 - Kelli Jo McNemar -- Keynote Speaker -- West Virginia Campus Compact
Fall 2017 - Dr. Joe Cuseo -- Keynote Speaker -- Promoting Student Success Across Campus: Seven Universal Principles & Powerful Practices 
Fall 2018 - Tom Krieglstein -- Keynote Speaker -- The "Why" of Student Services