Biography
I am a first-generation college student (and graduate student and faculty member). My career is the result of a series of seemingly random choices rather than a strategic plan. As a result, I have a healthy relationship with imposter phenomenon.
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After working in residence life and student conduct in higher education, I have found my calling to work as a faculty member currently at Clemson University. I teach law, ethics, and the contemporary college student course in our student affairs program as well as a variety of doctoral courses. I am the luckiest person I know.
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In my research, I study student affairs and higher education practice and its overlap with policy, law, and ethics. Within that overlap, I work on projects related to:​​
Career Decision-Making (Grad Students & Practitioners)
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, and Belonging
Higher Education & Student Affairs in Popular Culture
The Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
Work Environments and Navigating Institutional Culture
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None of the books in the library image here is my biography.
Select Publications
Student Affairs and Higher Education in Popular Culture
Boettcher, M. L., Kelly, E., & Reed, S. (2022). The Niceties: Scripted provocation. The National Teaching and Learning Forum 32(1), 1-3.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ntlf.30348
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Boettcher, M, Swanson, H., Brown, C., Wein, S., & Zina, N. (2022). Keeping Hogwarts Open: The complexities of Harry Potter in higher education. Journal of College Character, 23(4), 349-355.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/2194587X.2022.2123829?needAccess=true
Acosta, J., Boettcher, M. L., & ** Jenkins, L., (2022). [Review of the play The
niceties, by Eleanor Burgess]. College Student Affairs Journal, 40(3), 152-155.
http://libproxy.clemson.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=161620309
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Hood, K., Johnson, D., McKenzie, R., & Boettcher, M. L. (2022). [Review of the novel Real Life by Brandon Taylor]. New York Journal of Student Affairs. https://commons.library.stonybrook.edu/nyjsa/vol22/iss1/3/?fbclid=IwAR0ANSHSeBEiM6Tn7yQPwZtuNhXoDFuTY2R3qcczgQTLjyp_x8y9rvM4ntQ
Belonging in Higher Education
Boettcher, M. L., Lange, A., Hanks, S., & Means, D. R. (2022). Rural Black and Latinx
students: Engaging community cultural wealth in higher education. Journal of
Research in Rural Education, 38(1). https://doi.org/10.26209/jrre3801
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Combs, J., Boettcher, M. L., Lange, A., & Hanks, S. (2020). Rural, Black, and distant: Building relationships to foster higher education access. In C. R. Chambers & L. Crumb (Eds.) African American Rural Education, 119-132. Emerald Publishing Limited.
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Boettcher, M. L., Dillard, S., Dobbins, K., Jones, K., Lang, N., Palmer, H., Philip, E., Richmond, K., Wilkes, D., Xi, W. (2020). Homegoing: First generation college students navigating identity. New York Journal of Student Affairs, 20(1). https://journals.canisius.edu/index.php/CSPANY/article/view/501
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Boettcher, M. L., Earnest, K., Eason, A., & Lewis, L. (2019). The cultivation of
support networks by Students of Color in a residence hall setting at a
predominantly White institution. The Journal of College and University Student Housing, 45(2).https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/acuho/journal_vol45no2/index.php#/30
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Books & Book Chapters
Boettcher, M. L. & Salinas, C. (2024). Law and ethics in academic and student affairs: Developing an Institutional Intelligence approach. Routledge.
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Boettcher, M. L., Wagner, R., Howard, J. L., & Cawthon, T. W., Eds. (2019). Social justice practice in residential communities [Monograph]. New Directions for Student Services, 2019 (168). https://www.ccthomas.com/details.cfm?P_ISBN13=9780398092924
Salinas, C., & Boettcher, M. L., Eds. (2018). Critical perspectives on hazing in colleges
and universities: A guide to disrupting hazing culture. Routledge/Taylor and
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Boettcher M.L., Holmes A. C. (2021) Social justice interventions in college and university residence halls. In: Mullen C. (Eds.) Handbook of Social Justice Interventions in Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education.
Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29553-0_121-1.
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Beatty, C. C., & Boettcher, M. L. (2019). My culture is not a costume: Institutional practices and racism. New Directions for Student Services, 2019(165), 39-49.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ss.20292
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Boettcher, M. L., Babb, S., & Perez, C. (2019). Multicultural and diversity competence: Theory and its application. In N. Zhang & M. Howard-Hamilton, (Eds.) Multicultural and Diversity Issues in Student Affairs Practice: A Professional Competency-Based Approach (pp. 64-82). Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
Media, Opinion Pieces, & Editorials
Courses Taught
Teaching is awesome.
EDSA 8080: Legal and Ethical Issues in Student Affairs
EDL 9500: Education Policy, Law, & Ethics
EDSA 8190: Contemporary College Student
EDL 9620: Governance in Higher Education
Projects
Here is some more stuff.
The Contemporary College Student Podcast
Student Affairs grad students exploring today's issues.
SA Today HostÂ
a SACSA Podcsat
Project Subtitle
Current Projects
Representation of Higher Education in Board Games
Improvisation Skills in Navigating Higher Education
The Role of the Personal Essay in Student Affairs
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Realizing Zen
This is my personal blog.
It has very little to do with anything academic.