Four Focus Areas

• Social Class Identity in Higher Education
• College Access and Success, particularly for first generation college students and students from rural areas
• Professional Preparation and Career Pathways in Higher Education and Student Affairs
• Student and Women's Leadership in Higher Education

Recent & Forthcoming Publications

Check out Sonja's two single-authored books, The Strategic Guide to Shaping Your Student Affairs Career and College Aspirations and Access in Working-Class Rural Communities​, her co-authored book, ​Straddling Class in the Academy, her co-edited issue of New Directions for Student Leadership, and her forthcoming (Summer 2021!) co-edited volume, Social Class Supports​, along with her contributions through book chapters and other publications below!

Refereed Books & Monographs

​Edited​

• ​Martin, G. L. & Ardoin, S. (Eds.) (2021). Social class supports: Programs and practices to serve and sustain poor & working class students in higher education. Stylus.​
• Ardoin, S. & Guthrie, K. L. (Eds.). (2021). Leadership learning through the lens of social class. New Directions for Student Leadership, 169.

Authored

• Ardoin, S. & martinez, b. (2019). Straddling class in the academy: 26 stories of students, administrators, and faculty from poor and working class backgrounds and their compelling lessons for higher education policy and practice. Stylus.
• Ardoin, S. (2018). College aspirations and access in working-class, rural communities: The mixed signals, challenges, and new language first-generation students encounter. Lexington Books.
• Ardoin, S. & contributing writers. (2014). The strategic guide to shaping your student affairs career. Stylus.

Refereed Book & Monograph Chapters

​Full Chapters
In Press​​

• Ardoin, S. & Erb, M. (in press). First generation graduate students: Reducing barriers with support mechanisms. In D. J. Nguyen & C. Yao (under contract), A handbook for supporting today's graduate students. Stylus Publishing.
• ​Ardoin, S., Garcia-Louis, C., & Means, D. (2022). It doesn’t go away with the degree(s): How being a first generation graduate influences faculty experiences. In M. B. Wallace (Ed.), First generation professionals in higher education: Strategies for the world of work. NASPA.
• Koricich, A. & Ardoin, S. (2022). Spotty connections: Rural students and online learning amidst COVID-19. In J. O. Michel (Ed.), Higher education amid the COVID-19 pandemic: Supporting teaching and learning through turbulent times. Rutgers University Press.

Published

• Martin, G. L. & Ardoin, S. (2021). Afterword. In G. L. Martin & S. Ardoin (Eds.), Social class supports: Examples of programs and practices to serve poor & working class students in higher education. Stylus Publishing.
• Martin, G. L. & Ardoin, S. (2021). Implications and conclusion. In G. L. Martin & S. Ardoin (Eds.), Social class supports: Examples of programs and practices to serve poor & working class students in higher education. Stylus Publishing.
• Ardoin, S. & Martin, G. L. (2021). Introduction. In G. L. Martin & S. Ardoin (Eds.), Social class supports: Examples of programs and practices to serve poor & working class students in higher education. Stylus Publishing.
• Ardoin, S. (2021). The nuances of first generation college students’ social class identity. In R. Longwell-Grice & H. Longwell-Grice (Eds.), At the intersection: Understanding and supporting first-generation students. Stylus.
• Ardoin, S. (2021). It’s all a bunch of B.S.: How institutional jargon creates in-groups & out-groups in higher education, particularly for first generation college students. In R. Longwell-Grice & H. Longwell-Grice (Eds.), At the intersection: Understanding and supporting first-generation students. Stylus.
• Ardoin, S. & McNamee, T. (2021). Spatiality and social class: Suggestions for supporting rural students from poor and working class backgrounds. New Directions for Student Services, 171-172, 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20363.
• Guthrie, K. L., Ardoin, S., & Purita, R. (2021). Expanding influence of social class in leadership development. New Directions for Student Leadership, 169, 121-131. https://doi.org/10.1113/yd20428.
• Ardoin, S., & Guthrie, K. L. (2021). Who we are impacts how we lead: Social class influence on leader identity, capacity, and efficacy. New Directions for Student Leadership, 169, 13-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/yd.20416.
• Ardoin, S., & Guthrie, K. L. (2021). Editors notes. New Directions for Student Leadership, 169, 7-11. https://doi.org/10.1113/yd20415.

• Dunstan, S. & Ardoin, S. (2021). Faculty and student affairs partnerships: Creating inclusive campus environments for students of diverse linguistic backgrounds. In A. Burkette & T. Warhol (Eds.), Crossing borders, making connections. De Gruyter.
• ​Ardoin, S. (2020). The classed construct of student affairs work. In M. Sallee (Ed.), Creating sustainable careers in student affairs: What ideal worker norms get wrong and how to make it right (pp. 218-238). Stylus Publishing.
• Shelton, L. J. & Ardoin, S. (2020). Contingent faculty/adjuncts. In M. E. David & M. J. Amey (Eds.), The SAGE encyclopedia of higher education (5th ed.) (pp. 299-301). Sage.​​
• ​Ardoin, S. (2019). Acknowledging how poor and working class backgrounds can influence student engagement. In S. Harper, S. J. Quaye, & S. Pendakur (Eds.), Student engagement in higher education: Theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations (3rd ed.) (pp. 307-323). Routledge.
• Ardoin, S. (2019). The journey from #SAGrad to #SAPro. In D. Kniess, K. Walker, & T. Cawthon (Eds.), New directions for student services: Managing career transitions across the life span for the student affairs practitioner (pp. 19-28). Jossey-Bass. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20304. 
• ​Ardoin, S. (2019). Social class influences on student learning. In P. Magolda, M. B. Baxter Magolda, & R. Carducci (Eds.), Contested issues in troubled times: Student affairs dialogues about equity, civility, and safety (pp. 203-214). Stylus Publishing. 
• Ardoin, S. & martinez, b. (2018). No, I can’t meet you for an $8 coffee: How class shows up in workspaces. In B. Reece, V. Tran, E. DeVore, & G. Porcaro (Eds.), Debunking the myth of job fit in student affairs (pp. 97-117). Stylus Publishing.
• ​Ardoin, S. (2018). Social class identity influences on leadership opportunities and practices. In K. L. Guthrie & V.S. Chunoo (Eds.), Changing the narrative: Socially just leadership education (pp. 59-76). Information Age Publishing.
• Ardoin, S. (2018). Helping poor and working class students create their own sense of belonging. In G. Martin & B. Elkins (Eds.), New directions for student services: Social class identity in student affairs (pp. 75-86). Jossey-Bass. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20263.

Case Study or Instructional Scenario Chapters
Accepted

• Ardoin, S. (accepted). Country [and Cajun] come to town. In A. J. Rodríguez (Ed.), Experiences from first generation college students. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Ardoin, S. & Nguyen, D. (accepted). Social class and first generation college student status. In S. P. Gold (under contract), Instructional scenarios of multiple identities in higher education. NASPA.

​Published

• ​Ardoin, S. (2020). What if there is no “right” answer?: Preparing for the “grey areas” of ethical decision-making. In K. L. Guthrie, D. M. Jenkins, & Associates (Eds.), Transforming learning: Instructional and assessment strategies for leadership education ​(pp. 98-99). Information Age Publishing. ​
• Ardoin, S., Clayton, A., Nguyen, D., & martinez, b. (2019). How first-generation college students live with social class differences on campus. In J. C. Garvey, J. C. Harris, D. R. Means, R. J. Perez, & C. J. Porter (Eds.), Case studies for student development theory: Advancing social justice & inclusion in higher education (pp. 105-107). Routledge.
• ​Ardoin, S. (2017). Charting one’s own theory of leadership. In J. Dugan, M.A. Torrez, N. Turman, A. Barnes, & Associates (Eds.), Leadership theory: A facilitator’s guide for cultivating critical perspectives (p. 439-452). Jossey-Bass.

Refereed Journal Articles

​Revise and Resubmit

• Ardoin, S., Crandall, R., & Shinn, J. (revise and resubmit). Senior student affairs officers’ perspectives on the value-add of early-career professionals.
• ​McNamee, T., Ardoin, S., Cooper, N., Sansone, V. A. (revise and resubmit). Engaging critical college student development theoretical constructs to illuminate rural students’ experiences and development in higher education.
• ​Locke, L., Ardoin, S., & Stier, M. (revise and resubmit). “It was like gliding through”: Early college and college transition experiences of women from underrepresented and marginalized groups.
• ​Crandall, R., Ardoin, S., & Shinn, J. (revise and resubmit). Senior student affairs officers’ perspectives on the social justice focus in higher education and student affairs graduate programs.

Accepted

• Hallmark, T. & Ardoin, S. (accepted). Public narratives and postsecondary pursuits: An examination of gender, rurality, and college choice. Journal of Women and Gender Higher Education.

Published

• ​​​Locke, L., Broadhurst, C., Ardoin, S. (2021). “Leading from the middle”: Exploring stories of women working for change in PK-12 Schools. The Professional Educator. https://doi.org/10.47038/tpe.44.01.04

• Ardoin, S., Crandall, R., & Shinn, J. (2019). Senior student affairs officers’ perspectives on professional preparation in higher education and student affairs graduate programs. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 56(4), 379-393.
• Ardoin, S., Broadhurst, C., Locke, L., & Johnson, J. (2019). Peacemakers and rabble rousers: Women leaders as activists in higher education. Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education​, 12(1), 35-53.
• Ardoin, S. (2017). Priced out: Considerations for increasing low-income students’ ability to engage on campus and increase cultural and social capital. NASPA Knowledge Community Online National Conference Publication, 51-52. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/events/2017-naspa-final.pdf.

Public Scholarship & Media Articles

NPR, The Hechinger Report, Inside Higher Ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, & Professional Associations

• Wood, S. (2021, April 2). First-generation institute highlights social class and institutional responsibilities [Sonja Ardoin keynote highlighted].Diverse Issues. Retrieved from https://diverseeducation.com/article/209614/.
• Ardoin, S. (2021, March). Responding to students’ changing needs. NASPA Leadership Exchange, 19(1), 37. Retrieved from https://www.leadershipexchange-digital.com/lexmail/202spring/MobilePagedReplica.action?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TXLEAD210308002&utm_content=gtxcel&pm=2&folio=Cover#pg1
• Ardoin, S. (2021, January 4). Rethinking recruitment for equity, not ease. AFLV Connections. Retrieved from aflvconnections.org/blog/rethinking-recruitment-for-equity-not-ease.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education. (2020, December 10). Race, class, & campus climate webinar [Sonja Ardoin as panelist]. Retrieved from zoom.us/webinar/register/9716069300915/WN_T94DBDE2TJ-dXb8S6lc7Gg.
• ​Berg, A. (2020, July 17). For first-generation students, a disappearing ‘college experience’ could have grave consequences [Sonja Ardoin quoted]. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/For-First-Generation-Students/249199?cid=wcontentlist_hp_latest&fbclid=IwAR0_01DT6VUaU7UGIvhB3XT2gwfsa71ToByGdMhNSGiwB8evaUDtSFuc2i0.
• McNamee, T., Willis, J., Ganss, K. M., Ardoin, S., & Sansone, V. (2020, May 4). Don’t forget about rural higher education students: Addressing digital inequities during COVID-19. Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Retrieved from https://diverseeducation.com/article/176117/.
• Jarvis, W. (2019, July 31). ‘Why do we have so many freaking acronyms?!’ Some colleges target jargon in the name of student success [Sonja Ardoin quoted]. ​The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/Why-Do-We-Have-So-Many/246839.
• Nadworny, E. & Marcus, J. (2018, December 12). 'Going to office hours is terrifying' and other tales of rural students in college [Sonja Ardoin quoted]. NPR. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/668530699/-going-to-office-hours-is-terrifying-and-other-hurdles-for-rural-students-in-col.

• Marcus, J. (2018, December 12). Some colleges extend scholarships and other help to rural high school grads [Sonja Ardoin quoted]. The Hechinger Report. Retrieved from https://hechingerreport.org/some-colleges-extend-scholarships-and-other-help-to-rural-high-school-grads/.
• Monaghan, P. (2018, April 22). The lonely country road to college. [The Chronicle Bookshelf, with Sonja Ardoin]. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Lonely-Country-Road-to/243183. 
• Zamudio-Suaréz, F. (2016, December 11). I fit in neither place [The Chronicle Interview, with Sonja Ardoin]. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/article/I-Fit-in-Neither-Place-/238629.
• Ardoin, S. (2014). 7 ways to stay prepared in the job search process. ACPA Career Central. Retrieved from http://www.myacpa.org/article/7-ways-stay-prepared-job-search-process.
• Ardoin, S. (2014). Interviews in student affairs. Inside Higher Ed.  Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2014/05/23/essay-interviewing-student-affairs-jobs#sthash%2ERHG9aDRp%2Edpbs.
• Ardoin, S. (2014). Finding jobs in student affairs. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from  https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2014/05/21/essay-finding-best-jobs-apply-student-affairs#sthash%2E5fW8OAJZ%2Edpbs.
• Ardoin, S. & Dippold, L. (2013). Women as Students: Two Personal PhD Reflections and Suggested Practical Strategies. ACPA Developments, 11(1). Retrieved from http://developments.myacpa.org/women-as-students-two-personal-phd-reflections-and-suggested-practical-strategies/.
• Ardoin, S. & Dobiyanksi, V. (2011). We do what?! Challenging and supporting traditions through advising. In 2011 National Hazing Prevention Week Guide, Connect the Dots: Unite to Prevent Hazing (p. 23-26). Retrieved from http://hazingprevention.org/images/stories/upload/NHPW_ResourceGuide_lowres.pdf.
• Ardoin, S., Lane, K., & O’Connell, R. (2008). Millennials and the job search: Can different generations coexist? In ACPA Career Watch (p. 7). Retrieved from http://www.myacpa.org/sites/default/files/Post_Conference_Edition_2008.pdf.

Academic Blog Posts

• Ardoin, S. (2019, 5, 3). The significance of sharing social class stories. [NASPA Socioeconomic & Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/the-significance-of-sharing-social-class-stories​. 
• Ardoin, S. (2018, 11, 6). Scrutinizing language is a form of classism. [NASPA Socioeconomic & Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/scrutinizing-language-is-a-form-of-classism.
• Ardoin, S. (2018, 1, 30). Part II: What price(s) are you willing to pay: Cost considerations in the #SAPro search process. [NASPA New Professionals & Graduate Students Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/part-ii-what-prices-are-you-willing-to-pay-cost-considerations-in-the-sapro.
• Ardoin, S. (2018, 1, 23). Part I: What price(s) are you willing to pay: Cost considerations in the #SAPro search process. [NASPA New Professionals & Graduate Students Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/part-i-what-prices-are-you-willing-to-pay-cost-considerations-in-the-sapro.
• Ardoin, S. (2017, 11, 17). The photo project: Framing reflection from hands and feet. [NASPA Socioeconomic & Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/the-photo-project-framing-reflection-from-hands-and-feet.
• Ardoin, S. (2017, 8, 11). What you need to know about the reality of social class on campus. [Presence Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.presence.io/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-reality-of-social-class-on-campus/.
• Ardoin, S. (2017, 4, 4). The job search and reflection: Knowing what you need and want. [NASPA New Professionals & Graduate Students Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/the-job-search-reflection-know-what-you-need-and-want.
• Ardoin, S. (2017, 1, 23). What’s your #classidentity story? [NASPA Region I Tumbler]. Retrieved from http://nasparegion1.tumblr.com/post/156288374452/whats-your-classidentity-story.
• Ardoin, S. (2017, 1, 5). The social class privilege of travel. [NASPA Socioeconomic & Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/the-social-class-privilege-of-travel.
• Ardoin, S. (2016, 10, 02). How cleaning out closets checked my class privilege. [NASPA Socioeconomic & Class Issues in Higher Education Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/how-cleaning-out-closets-checked-my-class-privilege.
• Ardoin, S. (2016, 5, 02). Transition tips from a tiny town to a “two & out”-er. [NASPA New Professionals & Graduate Students Knowledge Community Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/posts/transition-tips-from-a-tiny-town-to-a-two-out-er.
• Ardoin, S. (2016, 1, 06). Ca c’est bon! Good food and conversation: Creating a successful interview meal. [Student Affairs Collective Blog Post]. Retrieved from studentaffairscollective.org/ca-cest-bon-good-food-conversation-creating-successful-interview-meal-sarecruits/.