Visiting Assistant Professor
Campion 309B
Email: deveaula@bc.edu
Field Experience in Higher Education (ELHE7901)
Advanced Field Experience in Higher Education (ELHE 7902)
Student Affairs Administration (ELHE7401)聽
Student Development Theory (ELHE/APSY7404)
Higher Education Closures & Mergers
Laura De Veau is a higher education leader, faculty member, and scholar-practitioner whose work focuses on institutional strategy, organizational sustainability, and the changing landscape of postsecondary education. Her research centers on college mergers and closures, with particular attention to student success during periods of institutional transition and disruption.
With more than 30 years of experience in student affairs, culminating in service as a vice president for student affairs, Laura brings a deeply practitioner-informed lens to her work. Her leadership experience shapes her interest in how institutional decisions are experienced on the ground, especially for students navigating uncertainty during times of structural change. She is particularly interested in how governance, policy, and cross-sector collaboration influence both institutional outcomes and student trajectories. In 2025 She published, "The Maplewood College Compendium: A Resource for Student Affairs Leaders", a case-study volume on strategic leadership and administration in higher education.
In addition to her institutional and academic work, Laura is an active creator in the higher education space. Through her Substack writing and past podcasting, she engages broad audiences in critical conversations about innovation, risk, and the future of higher education. Her public scholarship aims to translate complex sector challenges into actionable insights for leaders and practitioners, grounded in a commitment to student-centered design and the public purposes of higher education.
"The Maplewood College Compendium: A Resource for Student Affairs Leaders" (2024)
"What happens to us when we close? An interpretive phenomenological study of Mount Ida College students' lived experiences after institutional closure" (2021)
NASPA Region I Outstanding Contribution to Higher Education Award (2024)
NASPA Region I Service to the Association Award (2011)
NASPA Region I Program of the Year Award for 鈥淣ew Professional Mentor Institute鈥 (2009)
NASPA Region I Massachusetts Mid-Level Professional Award (2006)