Category: Competency Area Reflections

NASPA-ACPA Competency Area Reflections

Values, Philosophy, and History

This competency involves knowledge, skills, and dispositions that connect the values, philosophy, and history of the student affairs profession to one’s current professional practice…The commitment to demonstrating this competency area ensures that our present and future practices are informedby an understanding of the profession’s history, philosophy, and values.

Like any good student affairs graduate program, Northeastern’s College Student Development and Counseling program has taught me the history and philosophy of the student affairs profession. My coursework demanded that I know this information and demonstrate that I can think critically about it. I especially appreciated that my program director, Dr. Vanessa Johnson, lectured us on the history of the Black Power Movement on campuses, and what it means for our present and future. The lecture filled some of the gaps in my knowledge of educational and student affairs history in the 1970s. It also gave me a sense of continuity of the educational tradition in the U.S. from its beginnings, to the creation of The Student Personnel Point of View, to today. I was disappointed to learn that the things Black students protested in the 1970s are the same things being protested by the Black Lives Matter movement today; the demands are largely the same between the 1970s and now. Although I initially felt disheartened over the lack of progress in the last 40+ years, this knowledge inspired me to rededicate myself to efforts to make campuses a safe place for students of color and to make higher education a more equitable experience for all students.

Likewise, my coursework in Foundations of Academic Advising required that I know and critically reflect on NACADA’s Core Values, which are: Caring, Commitment, Empowerment, Inclusivity, Integrity, Professionalism, and Respect. These values closely mirror my own personal values, as I have mentioned elsewhere. In my practicum at the University of Massachusetts – Boston (UMB), I do the best I can to embody these values in my work with students. As a result, I believe I possess Foundational mastery of this competency, moving into Intermediate mastery. I have not yet mastered the application of these values in real-life academic advising, as I am still learning to translate my internally held commitments into student interactions. In particular, I want to continue to grow in the value of Empowerment, which asks that I “motivate, encourage, and support students”. I continue to improve in this area by ensuring that every student interaction goes beyond simply giving them correct information, but also motivating, encouraging, and supporting them. Balancing challenge and support with the NACADA Core Value of Caring can be difficult to do, especially if one only has 15 minutes with a student. I am still working to become better at striking this balance within short student interactions that also demand significant amounts of information to be transmitted accurately. It can feel frustrating at times when an interaction falls short of these values, especially because they are so important to me. I want to be a better Academic Advisor right away! I am working on self-compassion and fulfilling the NACADA Core Value of Commitment to myself through lifelong learning and professional development.

The one aspect of the ACPA-NASPA competency rubric for Values, Philosophy, and History in which I have reached Advanced mastery is my ability to “to role model personal and professional opportunities of civic engagement”. I am very fortunate to have become involved in an election campaign for a City Counselor in my city of Cambridge, Massachusetts a few years ago. This involvement introduced me to several of my local officials and I connected with them on social media. They have taught me a lot about how the government and politics work in local and state-level; as a result, I now possess a more nuanced understanding of how to get things done to improve my local community. I have explained to others how to read local ballot issues, contact their elected officials as constituents, register to vote, and use Cambridge’s ranked voting system. Once I alerted a City Councilor to a problem with proposed legislation that excluded disabled community members, and he fixed it within 24 hours! Whenever possible, I try to help others engage more deeply as citizens. I hope that as I gain more understanding of the inner working of Higher Education, I can successfully lobby my state legislators to best support Higher Education in my state.

In order to move into Intermediate competency in every area, I will need to be employed in a student affairs position. ACPA-NASPA competency rubric items at the Intermediate level include teaching other staff, integrating my values and emerging professional literature into my practice, and engaging in service to my institution and professional association. All of these things require employment, without which I will not have colleagues or professional practice. As I embark upon my student affairs career, I intend to ensure my professional practice is informed by the lessons of history and a vision of a better future in education.

Technology

The Technology competency area focuses on the use of digital tools, resources, and technologies for the advancement of student learning, development, and success as well as the improved performance of student affairs professionals.

Thanks to my previous work experience in the technology sector, I believe that I will bring significant technological expertise to my student affairs work. I have surpassed most of the Intermediate mastery items listed on the ACPA-NASPA competency rubric for Technology other than Online Learning Environments. A significant part of my work in admissions involves using software to pull raw data and conduct an admissions process from start to finish, which entails training staff to use admissions software. I also find myself teaching colleagues in various departments how to complete basic technology-related tasks. I am one of the people in my office whom others seek out for support with hardware and software problems. I frequently find myself teaching my colleagues and supervisor how to use manipulate and interpret raw data.

The only aspect of the Technology competency area that I have not mastered at an Intermediate level is Online Learning Environments, because this involves teaching online course content. I have, however, met one Intermediate competency in this area: “Promote learning-focused interventions and student engagement via the design and assessment of outcomes that utilize social media and other digital communication and collaboration tools.” I find that work that involves the use of social media is a strength of mine.

As an early adopter of social media, I engaged with in this area of technology throughout my college years, into my graduate work, and beyond. In my spare time, I sing with Coro Allegro, Boston’s LGBTQ+ classical chorus. My volunteer role with Coro is serving as the Social Media Coordinator. I work closely with the director of the Marketing Committee to generate content for our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. In this work, I meet the Advanced mastery skill of “[providing] leadership and ongoing training to colleagues… for the cultivation of an authentic digital identity, presence, and reputation that models appropriate online behavior”. I often find myself teaching my fellow choristers how to use these platforms. Primarily, however, by generating posts to be shared from our official Facebook Page and through my personal social media presence, I model effective and appropriate engagement in the discussion of difficult topics and the use of Internet humor. The Intermediate rubric item, “proactively cultivate a digital identity presence and reputation that models appropriate online behavior and constructive engagement with others in virtual communities”, is an important aspect of digital citizenship and one that I see my fellow choristers and my family members struggle with sometimes. This item is even more important when managing an organization’s Page or account. Cultivating a credible presence is as much about the aesthetics and tone of the account as it is about the content. I have been fortunate to be able to contribute to the Student Success Center’s account in my practicum at University of Massachusetts – Boston. Recently I researched types of Instagram posts appropriate to student affairs departments and made recommendations for the best ways to vary our content. I have also worked with an advisor to make images on Canva, a platform for creation of professional graphics for a number of uses.

            In order to move toward Advanced mastery of the Technology competency, I will need to take on leadership roles, as most Advanced rubric items involve leadership in some way. I do not see myself leading a department as a Director, however, I could still provide leadership in technology adoption and use if given the opportunity. I already possess the understanding of back-end interactions among Student Information Systems (SIS) to be able to recommend best practices and further technology adoption. In addition, my knowledge of cloud computing can help many departments transition to a more sustainable, paperless office model. I would be interested in learning enough coding to help develop online forms that could replace paper forms that various departments at both Northeastern and University of Massachusetts – Boston rely upon. I understand enough about student records, data use, and compliance to help with a paperless office transition. This would save time on the part of students, as well as the money and resources spent on paper forms. As climate scientists have recently warned (Joyce 2018), the time for adopting sustainable workflow practices is now. I stand ready to help with such an effort whenever an institution becomes ready for such a transition.


Student Learning and Development

The Student Learning and Development competency area addresses the concepts and principles of student development and learning theory. Thisincludes the ability to apply theory to improve and inform student affairs and teaching practice.

Learning Student Development Theory was one of the major goals I identified when I applied to enter this program. Student Development Theory was mentioned in job descriptions I had read for academic advisor positions for which I applied. Fortunately, it appears my program is particularly strong in this area. In order to complete my courses in Student Development Theory and Foundations of Academic Advising, I was required to articulate all of the items in both Foundational and Intermediate mastery of the Understanding Theory section of the ACPA-NASPA competency rubric. As the intermediate items were parts of my writing assignments in these classes, I believe I have achieved Intermediate mastery of Understanding Theory. I have already begun to apply this knowledge in my internship. The most important aspect of Student Development Theory is that it helps us to understand college students’ needs. Without understanding their needs, we as student affairs educators would not be able to meet them where they are developmentally. In my internship, I have found that the most important skill is showing students that we hear them and we can help them meet— and surmount— their challenges.

            Similar to my experiences in my theory-based courses, my course in Assessment and Evaluation prepared me to meet many of the Foundational items in the Design and Application and Assessment and Integration sections of the rubric. In this class, I constructed my own learning outcomes for my practicum experience. I also learned how to describe an assessment process, understand the assessment cycle, and assess both programs with their associated learning outcomes. The only Foundational item I have not yet mastered is designing programs, however, I furthered my learning in this area by designing a program in my internship at the University of Massachusetts – Boston (UMB). As part of our course in Planning and Administration of Student Affairs, my partner and I designed a program to match the student development theory we created. Our program is designed to address the conflicts students experience when they feel that the expectations of their career and major choices do not align with their personal interests and gifts. Upon completing our theoretical program, we were able to articulate the benefits of a cohort model for programs, of mentoring, and of dedicated resources for use by students who most need them. Yet this program is only theoretical. It is also very large and requires a budget of its own. The program implemented at UMB is smaller in scale and has very narrow learning outcomes. Actually implementing a real program can be a very different thing from merely designing one. With more practice in program design and implementation, I believe I will achieve Foundational mastery of the areas of Design and Application and Assessment and Integration.

            In order to reach Intermediate mastery in these two areas, I will need to be employed in a student affairs position. Writing and evaluating learning outcomes requires being part of a division working to achieve a common purpose. Teaching others, creating syllabi and lesson plans, developing curriculum, and other teaching activities will only be possible if I am hired for a position that allows me to teach a first-year seminar course. I would really like to do this, as my colleagues who teach them say that this is a very rewarding part of their jobs. Teaching a course can be a way in which to build relationships outside advising sessions, and those relationships appear to make it easier for students to seek the resources they need. All students need to be seen and valued within the context of campus and family/ fictive kin relationships. As Elliott et al  (2004) point out, human beings need to know that we are valued as ends in ourselves and not for someone else’s instrumental purpose. Institutions of higher education must take their message to heart. Yes, mattering to others in one’s community affects retention and academic success. But more than that, mattering makes a qualitative difference in every college student’s experience. By committing to being fully present with each student, making them feel seen, heard, and valued, I can do my small part promote their flourishing.

Social Justice and Inclusion

For the purpose of the Social Justice and Inclusion competency area, social justice is defined as both a process and a goal that includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to create learning environments that foster equitable participation of all groups and seeks to address issues of oppression, privilege, and power. This competency involves student affairs educators who have a sense of their own agency and social responsibility that includes others, their community, and the larger global context.

My social justice training began in earnest in my first graduate experience at the Boston University School of Theology (BU STH). There, I learned foundational concepts in critical race theory, post-colonialism, and intersectional feminism. As BU STH is the school that conferred Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s doctoral degree, I was required to read and write about Dr. King’s speeches and writings, and about the speeches and writings of his mentors, Howard Thurman and Mahatma Gandhi. The STH was the laboratory in which I began to recognize and actively root out racism from my heart. In class, students respectfully challenged each other’s thinking and encouraged one another to better integrate the moral and ethical concepts we were learning into other course material. On the student activities side, STH’s student group CAUSE Justice was the place where I learned about worker justice and immigrant justice. This included learning about the restorative justice process. In my final year at the STH, I served as the President of CAUSE Justice. My greatest accomplishment in this role occurred when my best friend and I presented free trainings on Intimate Partner Violence for future pastors, a population which represented the majority of the student body at the time. While I was at BU, I attended a church that was created specifically as a place for LGBTQ people to recover from injury caused by the Church. The friendships I formed with Queer friends there, and their stories of discrimination and assault, solidified my commitment to LGBT inclusion.

            After graduation, as I continued my involvement in local activism, I attended trainings to learn about social justice issues, including trainings and seminars on deconstructing white supremacy. As a white person, especially a person with white supremacy in my extended family, I especially recognize the urgency for me to identify the tools needed to dismantle systemic racism. While in my corporate job, I reflected on the best ways I could do this. I realized that part of my privilege as a white, straight, cisgender, educated person was having a job that taught me about the inner workings of medical school admissions. This knowledge gives me the ability to help others access power, status, and wealth. What would be the best way for me to use my knowledge to help others? My answer coalesced into a goal of working as an academic advisor. As I observed a number of students with poor admissions outcomes, the patterns I saw helped me realize that students with marginalized identities shoulder so many responsibilities and competing priorities. I saw how low expectations in their K-12 school systems resulted in difficulty with college-level coursework. While I can’t fix K-12 education in the U.S., I do have a skill set for helping students make the most of their college academic experience.

            It is striking to me that the ACPA-NASPA competency rubric for SJI focuses primarily on using institutional power to break down structural barriers. While I can certainly evaluate an institution’s systems for the perpetuation of systemic oppression, and I make it a regular practice to self-evaluate my own privilege and bias, I may not progress beyond the Foundational and few Intermediate aspects of this competency I have already mastered. I am not interested in advancing beyond positions that involve direct service in a student-facing role within academic advising. My definition of success is not wealth, prestige, or influence; it is encouraging as many students as possible and giving them the tools they need to succeed. This may mean I will not be planning departmental trainings or allocating institutional resources. As an advisor, my work to continue to grow in the SJI competency will be to engage in continuous growth in cultural competency and continuing to reflect upon my own privilege. I intend to continue participating in trainings, workshops, and direct actions (e.g., protests/pickets, phone banking) that increase my awareness of cultures that are not mine and cause to me to stop and think about my privilege. I also hope to use the knowledge I have gained and will continue to learn to “design programs and events that are inclusive, promote social consciousness and challenge current institutional, country, global, and sociopolitical systems of oppression,” an Intermediate-level skill. Being able to design inclusive and socially conscious is important to me.

            Advancement toward the other Intermediate and all Advanced mastery items would require advancement beyond the type of work I want to do, as they involve leading processes and responding to events on campus in an official capacity. I would be remiss if I did not challenge the structure of this ACPA-NASPA competency rubric, which appears to value holding power and using it wisely. That value in itself is an expression of privilege. Does it really require a more complex understanding of social justice concepts to apply them to the work of a student affairs executive, or just different from doing so at the entry level? What would it look like for the SJI competency rubric to address growth in dimensions of SJI for low-status employees? Perhaps the Advanced column would have items like “Participates in direct actions while balancing public role as a university employee” or “Advocates for culturally competent curricula within reporting lines.” Restructuring this CAS competency may be necessary to make it applicable to all levels of Higher Ed employees.

Personal and Ethical Foundations

The Personal and Ethical Foundations competency area involves the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to develop and maintain integrity in one’s life and work; this includes thoughtful development, critique, and adherence to a holistic and comprehensive standard of ethics and commitment to one’s own wellness and growth.

As I continue to shed the insecurity of my 20’s, I have learned to take my personal wellness and self-assessment more seriously in my 30’s. My first graduate program at the Boston University School of Theology (BU STH) taught me to move beyond foundational abilities in self-assessment and self-reflection. The coursework I completed there allowed me to reflect upon my belief system and to better understand others’ beliefs. I believe my ability to reflect upon my experiences and learn from them has improved since graduating from BU STH.

While I was in my 20’s, I spent a lot more time focused on other’s needs and expectations for myself than my own. During that time, I ran myself ragged volunteering for everything. Partly it was that I felt my work was not very meaningful, and I sought to make up for that by doing meaningful volunteer work. But I did not know the limits of my time and energy. Although I did a lot of great things, I was not always fully present with my spouse or to myself. If I am quite honest with myself, I did not believe that I was worthy of being taken care of; I did not care for myself because I did not believe I deserved it. When I experienced a mental health setback, I finally spent some time disentangling myself from my many commitments. The low energy I experienced connected with my mental health status forced me to simply stop doing things. As I emerged from the morass, managing my health more effectively became a key to my healing. Even though I have not stopped participating in activism and volunteering, I no longer sacrifice exercise, sleep, or healthy home-cooked meals to do so. As a result, I am now more selective about the causes and initiatives which are most important to me, and I only give my energy to them. Now I have time to take near-daily walks with my spouse, sleep in on weekends, and plan healthy meals. Moreover, I can be a better friend and daughter by finding time for long coffee dates and sending cards to show I care. While I still find joy in volunteering, I find joy in caring for myself and my relationships. I am no longer willing to compromise my health to say “yes,” which leads me to believe I have reached an Intermediate level of wellness.

My ethical codes have been strongly influenced by both the ethical foundation I received at BU STH and by deeply engaging the NACADA Core Values. One may infer, however, that since I have adopted the NACADA Core Values, I am a virtue ethicist. This is largely true, although I acknowledge that my academic training in Western Enlightenment thought results in a deontological turn from time to time. My ethical guiding light is respect— and, I hope, a sort of love— for my fellow human beings, a philosophical perspective known as Personalism. Christian personalists such as Dorothy Day, Georgia Harkness, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. have strongly influenced my ethical thought. As a result, I do my best to evaluate each choice I make by whether or not it honors the human being sitting in front of me at any given moment. As I learn how legal concepts affect practice in Higher Education, I have begun to understand how Higher Education regulations constrain our choices. I am still figuring out what this means for me as an ethicist. When it comes down to a tough choice, however, I know I will default to prioritizing the student’s needs and honoring who they are to the furthest extent possible. The tasks of identifying my influences and integrating them with the professional standards by which I must practice is a primary focus for Intermediate mastery of Personal and Ethical Foundations. Therefore, I believe that I have reached an Intermediate level of mastery in this area.

As I learn how legal concepts affect practice in Higher Education, I have begun to understand how Higher Education regulations constrain our choices. I am still figuring out what this means for me as an ethicist. When it comes down to a tough choice, however, I know I will default to prioritizing the student’s needs and honoring who they are to the furthest extent possible. The tasks of identifying my influences and integrating them with the professional standards by which I must practice is a primary focus for Intermediate mastery of Personal and Ethical Foundations. Therefore, I believe that I have reached an Intermediate level of mastery in this area.

In order to reach advanced mastery, I will need to become a full-time member of a student affairs team. Developing workplace culture, dialoguing with others regarding professional standards, encouraging others to seek wellness, and taking positive action in response to my personal reflections, are all things that require a team of colleagues with whom to interact and students to serve. In in the meantime, I will continue to seek personal wellness through attending Zumba classes with my friends and participating in chorus, both of which increase physical and emotional wellness for me.

Organizational and Human Resources

The Organizational and Human Resources competency area includes knowledge, skills, and dispositions used in the management of institutional human capital, financial, and physical resources. This competency area recognizes that student affairs professionals bring personal strengths and grow as managers through challenging themselves to build new skills.

The Organizational and Human Resources competency area is likely the one in which my current level of mastery needs the most development. Part of this discrepancy derives from the large number of sub-competencies within this area, as demonstrated by the ACPA-NASPA competency rubric. I typically excel in areas that relate to communication, technology, and sustainability. I believe that I am a very effective communicator; my years in a call center taught me to be able to speak with almost anyone and make them feel reassured. Living in Cambridge has required me to become knowledgeable about sustainability practices, as our city is an early adopter of initiatives like single-stream recycling, municipal composting, and protected bike lanes. Moreover, my technology skills are used extensively in my admissions work. One of my tasks in admissions is to help our college’s program directors to learn and implement a new form of technology that eliminates excess paper use. Our goal is to use technology to go completely paperless in admissions and student records. In addition, my understanding of technology can be very useful at institutions where forms are very important. Transitioning forms from paper onto digital platforms can save students and employees time and resources.  I would enjoy being part of such an initiative because increasing students’ accessibility to university resources is important to me. In these areas, I believe that I possess some aspects of Intermediate mastery.

While I am proficient in communication, technology, and sustainability, there are a number of other sub-competencies that are areas of weakness for me. For instance, I have never directly supervised employees or managed a department budget. My only accounting experience has been with personal or household budgeting. Since my Finance in Higher Education course was more of a “bird’s-eye view” of the topic, I plan to take a basic accounting course in the future. Although I have served as a sexton, a role which involves facilities care and maintenance, I oversaw care for a 120-year-old church with a 50-year-old boiler; gaining proficiency in caring for the facilities systems in a modern university will likely be a re-education.  Although I have direct experience “managing up” and facilitating change in an organization, I have never taken management courses or had to the opportunity to directly supervise other employees. I also feel ambivalent about the prospect of doing so. I currently have no intentions of advancing to a Director position or higher, so I am unsure as to whether I would need to develop those skills. While I feel comfortable delegating work to student employees, this is the limit of interest in or comfort with managing employees. I have not participated in a recruitment and hiring process (from the standpoint of an employer), and I have no experience with determining or adjusting staffing levels. I have been asked to participate in 360 feedback processes, but did not feel comfortable criticizing another person’s job performance, so I only provided the person being evaluated with positive feedback. In the sub-competencies of financial and human resource management and hiring and staffing, I have not yet reached Foundational competency. My personal comfort level with the rubric items in these areas is low.

            In a couple of sub-competencies, I have reached Foundational competency. Under Skill Development, I believe I am a good writer and presenter, and I always come prepared to meetings. As part of this portfolio, I created a professional development plan, which reflects my lifelong commitment to self-examination and improvement. As far as networking and advocacy competencies are concerned, I believe can both network and understand how to navigate organizational politics. Yet while I feel confident in the skills I have developed under these competencies, I do not believe I have reached the intermediate level. I may struggle with “choosing appropriate alliances” as I have a tendency to avoid choosing sides and try to get along with everyone. I have the ability to motivate others, which is part of the reason I am pursuing a career in academic advising. I most hope to motivate students to do well in their classes and to meet their academic and professional goals.

Leadership

The Leadership competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required of a leader, with or without positional authority. Leadership involves both the individual role of a leader and the leadership process of individuals working together to envision, plan, and affect change in organizations and respond to broad-based constituencies and issues.

Ever since I was a young person, others have recognized leadership abilities in me. I was elected to my first leadership position at the age of 12, in sixth grade; more leadership responsibility quickly followed. I participated in a youth leadership organization until I graduated from high school. In college, I was nominated to The Bridge, an interfaith leadership organization. Our primary accomplishment was convincing the college dining hall to stay open later during Ramadan so Muslim students could eat after sundown. In seminary, I served as President of CAUSE Justice, the social justice organization on campus. I was the only student nominated to the Boston University School of Theology Leadership Society by two separate faculty members: once for CAUSE Justice, and another for my leadership in Seminary Singers, which I helped to grow by using my strength in Winning Others Over to recruit members.

            Although I have never taken any formal training or courses specific to leadership, leadership skills and abilities have always come naturally to me. I was nominated and elected to my first formal leadership position at the age of twelve, and subsequently began a role in a youth leadership organization just after I turned thirteen; I continued participation through high school graduation. Like my compatriots in the organization, I just dove in and did it. One component of leadership, in my experience, is simply being willing to be the first volunteer for something. Often, other folks follow in a volunteer effort once the first person has agreed to join. Being a somewhat fearless person, I never found it difficult to jump into new things. Another more challenging component of leadership is collaborative problem-solving. This is a necessary skill when a large committee is planning a regional event, and that was the focus of our organization. Before long, I picked up the interpersonal (sometimes called the political) side of leadership within an organization, especially using skills like consensus-building, , and compromise, and networking to find creative solutions to problems.

            Without being afforded leadership training in a traditional setting, I learned more advanced components of leadership through trial-and-error. One aspect I had to learn on my own is change management. In my corporate job, I quickly recognized the tension between the nature of a technology company, rooted in a sector that values innovation above all else, and its clients in higher education, a sector that tends to resist change and approach it with caution. Our transition to a completely new software platform taught me quite a bit about change management. In a client-facing role, I quickly discovered that relationships can be jeopardized when process changes are not communicated properly, and when stakeholders are not involved in the process as valued participants. This can result in clients feeling that decisions are arbitrary (innovation for innovation’s sake, with no rhyme or reason) and that decision-makers do not care about them or their needs. I found that anticipating and attending to clients’ emotional needs around these changes effectively helped to mitigate their ire. Effectively managing relationships clients involves knowing them personally and understanding what is most important to them, regardless of whether or not their priorities were consciously acknowledged. Moreover, knowing my superiors’ preference for data-driven decision-making allowed me to assemble the relevant information before lobbying them to better meet clients’ needs.

            When I enrolled at Northeastern, I brought this knowledge of change management with me. The primary reason I was recruited was to help transition our nursing programs’ admissions processes to a new platform, NursingCAS.  While my knowledge I possessed from having worked at the company that built NursingCAS is valuable, it was even more valuable that I recognized that the resistance to change was rooted in the nursing faculty not feeling heard or validated by their leadership. After a few months on the job, I realized that the nursing faculty are driven by relationships. I decided to take the time to sit down with faculty members individually and listen deeply to their needs. My supervisors were skeptical at first, but they did not object since I was still able to successfully balance my workload. Where large group trainings had failed, my individual meetings succeeded. I made it a point to ask faculty, “What is your biggest pain point? What takes up too much of your time?” I did everything I could within the system’s functionality to save them time and effort. My dual knowledge of the tech side and the relational side of admissions work allowed me to forge relationships and teach new skills to nursing faculty whom some had considered too entrenched in old workflows to learn. Recently I was able to accomplish a major breakthrough in interdepartmental collaboration toward transitioning our ABSN program to the new platform. Currently, I am planning a meeting to bring together all the stakeholders to present the process and seek consensus moving forward.             As a result of these accomplishments in change management and leading an interdepartmental process, in some ways I have reached Intermediate mastery in leadership. However, my lack of formal training means that I am missing theoretical information on the theory of leadership, and decision-making models. While I have informally mentored and encouraged others to contribute since high school, I am only now embarking on a formal mentorship experience. So far, I have not been offered training specific to leadership, but I am eager to participate as soon as the occasion arises. I intend to consult a colleague who specializes in leadership theory and practice to determine which resources I should seek. I hope that through independent study, and later in training through my employer, I can fill in my knowledge gaps and move toward Intermediate mastery in all dimensions of leadership.

Law, Policy, and Governance

The Law, Policy, and Governance competency area includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions relating to policy development processes used in various contexts, the application of legal constructs, compliance/policy issues, and the understanding of governance structures and their impact on one’s professional practice.

While the process of establishing policy is fairly easy to observe in most employment settings, until the beginning of last semester, I knew very little about laws that apply to Higher Education and the ways in which the law and Higher Education policy intersect. Fortunately, the course I took in the law of Higher Education has largely filled that knowledge gap. As a result of taking this course, I can articulate basic legal theories, the laws that affect professional practice in Higher Education, and the ways in which the law and institutional policy depend upon one another. Institutions generally do a good job of training employees on relevant legal dimensions of their work, however, I now possess a deeper understanding than a single training can provide.

In my experience, policies in colleges and universities are usually set informally and tend to be utilitarian. However, now that I know courts can rely on institutional policy in the event of a legal challenge, I am even more sensitive to the fairness and equity dimensions of policy as well. Understanding the appropriate circumstance to bend a policy rule can be challenging, especially because exceptions to policy are usually handled on a case-by-case basis. As a result, I always consult a supervisor or colleague when determining whether to make an exception.

Currently, I am at a Foundational level of mastery in this area, apart from the Intermediate rubric item, “Explain legal theories related to tort liability, negligence, the exercise and limits of free speech, discrimination, and contract law and how these theories affect professional practice.” In order to grow in this area, I need to be employed in a student affairs position. This will allow me to better understand how an institution’s governance affects my work and to be able to seek student feedback on policies that affect them. My job in admissions generally does not consult students because its function is to evaluate them. And while I can discuss equity issues in relation to admissions policy, I cannot affect the admissions policy I am required to follow. I look forward to hearing student perspectives on institutional policy and to opportunities to speak to stakeholders who influence policy creation. This will give me a deeper understanding of how governance and policy at my future institution will affect my practice and my students.

Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

The Assessment, Evaluation, and Research competency area focuses on the ability to design, conduct, critique, and use various AER methodologies and the results obtained from them, to utilize AER processes and their results to inform practice, and to shape the political and ethical climate surrounding AER processes and uses in higher education. 

I believe my coursework has prepared me well for Foundational competency in this area. In my undergraduate Sociology major and again in my Higher Education graduate program, I have been required to take Statistics and Research Methods classes in order to understand research design and how to analyze statistical data. The concepts of statistical significance and sample size are important to understanding the nature of any research I am reviewing or in which I am participating. Additionally, it is important to be able to design a data collection method that will elicit the kinds of responses from participants that are necessary to answer the research question(s) at hand. The course I took last year, Evaluation and Outcomes Assessment, helped me to understand the differences among assessment, evaluation, and research. While these types of analysis are all interrelated, these terms— and the activities to which they refer— are not interchangeable. My knowledge of AER methodologies, statistics, and research design will help me to interpret and articulate the results of any assessment I may be asked to review or in which I am asked to participate.

In my Evaluation and Outcomes Assessment class, I learned what a learning outcome is, how to write them, and how to compare them with an institution’s or division’s goals and values. Learning outcomes are important to student educators because they help us to measure how our students are impacted by the programs and services we provide. Comparing our expected learning outcomes with the outcomes we measure in our students allow us to adjust our programs and services to better meet students’ intellectual and developmental needs.

Although intellectually I meet most of the Foundational skills in the AER competency area, I have not yet encountered an opportunity to engage in an actual assessment or evaluation. In order to continue to grow in this area, I need practical experience executing assessment. Participating in the assessment process as part of a department engaging in self-assessment would give me the hands-on experience with an assessment cycle necessary to move toward Intermediate mastery in this area. With lived experience under my belt, I could then contribute to assessment design, results interpretation to stakeholders, and maintaining a culture of evidence within the department— all Intermediate-level skills. I hope to join a department close to a new assessment cycle so that I can gain this experience sooner rather than later.

Although intellectually I meet most of the Foundational skills in the AER competency area, I have not yet encountered an opportunity to engage in an actual assessment or evaluation. In order to continue to grow in this area, I need real-life experience with assessment. Participating in a real assessment process as part of a department engaging in self-assessment would give me the hands-on experience with an assessment cycle necessary to move toward Intermediate mastery in this area. With lived experience under my belt, I could then contribute to assessment design, results interpretation to stakeholders, and maintaining a culture of evidence within the department: all Intermediate-level skills. I hope to join a department close to a new assessment cycle so that I can gain this experience sooner rather than later.

Advising and Supporting

The Advising and Supporting competency area addresses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes related to providing counseling and advising support, direction, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance to individuals and groups.

Since my practicum is in Academic Advising, I have ample opportunity to build skills in the Advising and Helping competency area. Participating in walk-in appointments is very interesting. It keeps me challenged and allows me to interact with a wide variety of students from every major in the University of Massachusetts – Boston (UMB) College of Science and Mathematics. The skills I use most often are counseling skills: active listening, which involves asking clarifying questions, nonverbal communication, reflecting to students what they have communicated, and asking them what feels like the right decision for them. However, there is a strong informational component to my work as well. I try to get a sense of the student’s goals and interests, as well as their major and when they want to graduate. This helps me to ensure they have all the information they need to make a good decision.

Part of sharing helpful knowledge is directing students to other offices where they can find additional resources. At a large university such as UMB, good referral skills are key. When sending students to a different office, it’s very important that they are aware of which form(s) they need to bring, with whom they need to speak, and which questions to ask. We also do our best to follow up with students who have requested information with pertinent links, forms, and other information. In the Student Success Center (SSC), we always ask students to update us on their progress and to let us know if they need guidance or support with regard to any process of decision-making or institutional procedure. We tell them to keep us in the loop so we know whether we can be of further help, and also to show that we care about their outcome.

I believe my level of mastery in this area is Foundational but is moving into Intermediate in a few aspects of my practice. Specifically, I have learned to “simultaneously pursue multiple objectives in conversations with students,” an item in the Intermediate level of mastery under Interpersonal Skills. This practicum moved me from Foundational to Intermediate in this dimension of Advising and Supporting. Another dimension identified as Intermediate in the CAS Standards is “culturally inclusive advising, supporting, coaching, and counseling strategies.” As UMB is an extremely diverse institution, providing culturally inclusive advising and support is a necessity for every one of its professionals. While I anticipate growth in this dimension until retirement, I believe that my practice is culturally inclusive in many ways by virtue of the context in which I practice. I have also used technology to reach our students with important information and have discussed mental health issues with a number of students. Holistic wellness is incredibly important to students’ academic success. Because our students face many more and varied challenges as compared to so-called “traditional” college students, addressing barriers to good mental and physical health is part of working with students in the UMB context.

In order to move into Intermediate mastery of the Advising and Supporting competency completely, I need to be employed in academic advising long enough to take on leadership roles. Developing and implementing programs beyond one’s functional area, mentoring staff and students, managing conflict and group dynamics, and training others are all functions of staff who are very established in their roles. While I can certainly continue to hone my Foundational-level skills in my first year or two on the job, moving into Intermediate mastery will require both tenure and opportunity for leadership. I hope to find a department where I can put down roots, (so to speak) and become a part of the campus community that will be well received when it is time for me to step up as a leader in this competency area.