The Search for Perfecting Student Affairs Competence

Dan

In today’s Inside Higher Ed, Maria Stewart addresses perfectionism and the inability to acknowledge mistakes. The article couldn’t come at a better time because I’ve seen a few examples lately of folks in our field aiming to defy reality:

Student affairs professionals are not superhuman. We make mistakes.

I believe Dr. Stewart’s points apply well to us: admit the mistake, explain the reason why it was mad, determine how it will not happen again, and seek forgiveness. These are all things we can do better. We can be transparent about our faults. We can receive forgiveness and deal with those who will  not accept our apology. I think the biggest problem is when we are called for the mistake and then our hubris emerges: it was not a mistake. It was someone else’s fault.

And we make the same mistake again.

When considering our competence and confidence to do this work, we have a lot of expectations on us: attend to the distinct needs of diverse populations of students while also doing what is best for all. We have to mitigate risk and attend to the law. We have to abide by ethical principles. We have to act in alignment with student affairs values and principles. If we are doing these things, making the effort, and the mistake happens, then we learn from it and move on.

I believe that if we ground our work in an intentional way and exercise due diligence, then when the mistake occurs most will be willing to forgive and most likely the majority will at least forget.

What have been your mistakes? How did you move on from the mistake? What did you learn?

 

The Student Learning Focused Advisor

Dan

I finally finished reading “Learning is Not a Sprint” edited by Darby Roberts and Kathy Collins. The books’ great overall but I feel two of the chapters are particularly important for student affairs professionals to read.

In chapter five Katy King explains the responsibility student advisors and student employee supervisors have for helping students learn. Based on the DEEP (Documenting Effective Educational Practice) project conducted by higher education scholars in 2005, she identifies 10 strategies to promoting learning in advising and supervising roles. I won’t dive into the ten practices, as you could buy the book and it would make this blog too long, but King argues that all we do should focus on learning. Period. She writes that filling the roles of mentor, teacher, supervisor, leader and follower can help students learn from those who advise and supervise them. King does well to apply several concepts and frameworks to basic advising strategies. She ends with the resolution that this is a shared journey between advisor and student and it is one that each person will be all the better for as a result of experiencing.

In chapter six Krista Jorge Bailey brings forth the concept of the “student learning focused” advisor/supervisor. She explains that student affairs professionals have an obligation to develop the skills needed to teach the students with whom they work. She acknowledges that this may be a difficult process, as it’s a paradigm shift for many. She explains John Kotter’s Leading Change model, which has been applied in so many different contexts including higher education. Through providing tactics for each of the eight steps of the change process, Bailey helps us to see how we can better integrate learning.

I’d recommend reading “Learning is not a Sprint” for these two chapters alone – both can aid in increasing your competence and confidence to enact the ACPA/NASPA Core Competencies of Student Learning and Development and Assessment, Evaluation and Research. I believe these chapters by King and Bailey bring forth great ideas to integrate learning approaches into our work.

Have you read “Learning is not a Sprint”? What are your thoughts about key takeaways?

 

Identifying Models of Excellence in Professional Competence

Dan

I’ve embarked on a project lately – I want to hear from colleagues about why they view the competencies of the student affairs profession as important and how they have gone about developing skills, attributes, values and knowledge that make them “stand out” as models of excellence.

Within our division of student affairs, I’ve interviewed one person that I believe stands out for each competency. We’ve got lots of examples of people who do really great work and know what they’re doing, but this project focuses on not only having the competence but listening to their stories of how the skill evolved and what kinds of watershed moments have facilitated the growth of that competence. It isn’t always about being the best but rather these staff members stand out as having the work ethic and commitment to improve on an existing foundation of success. It may be the director of student leadership and involvement who has worked hard to clarify his professional purpose and approach to enacting this approach  (Personal Foundations) or the coordinator of a student success program geared at first-generation students who believes that theories of learning and development should guide her work (Student Learning and Development).

In a soon to be released Division of Student Affairs newsletter, I’ll share the interviews I conducted with these staff. In the meantime who in your division of student affairs would you hold up as a role model for each competency? What makes that person “special”? Take the time to have the conversation with her/him to learn about their journey and how you can increase your competence and confidence in enacting the competencies that are needed to do good work in student affairs.

What does it mean to be “authentic” in student affairs work?

Dan

A lot has been written about authenticity in student affairs work. In the ACPA and NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners, the Personal Foundations competency states that at the intermediate level one should be able to “identify the effect between one’s personal and professional lives, and develop plans to manage any related concerns”. Ultimately, we have been asked to bring our “authentic selves” to our work with students.

I believe the concept of authenticity has a ton of baggage that comes along with it: as the concept exists somewhere within the parameters of what YOU think is appropriate and what OTHERS in the profession think is appropriate. You have to be ready to know just how much of the REAL you is appropriate to share. You also have to know when your work and professional selves intersect and when they are separate. Ultimately, you have to reconcile to what extent your approach to authenticity aligns or counters with the perspectives of others and the expectations of the field. It is for you to reconcile and if you can come away saying “I am authentic” then that’s great. If you come away thinking that you have a hidden or contradictory self then you might consider what needs to give. Either way, a harsh reality is that you will be asked to explain yourself. Just have your response ready and prepare to disagree with someone that your idea of authenticity and theirs may differ.

What issues do you think place your authenticity into question?

To what extent does our walk and talk need to be synonymous?

What can you do to “manage related concerns” and strengthen your personal foundation?

 

 

Student Affairs New Years Resolution: Reconsidering the Concept of Life/Work Balance

Dan

January 1st came and went; many student affairs professionals assuredly made a resolution to achieve “life/work balance”.

Maybe the resolution should be reconsidered and clarified:

Do we actually work more/less than other salaried professions with comparable educational credentials? Teachers? Association executives? Nonprofit community leaders?

Are we looking at a definition of balance that is based on the myth of a 40 hour work week for those in salaried positions?

What is it that consumes our time? How could we approach our work differently to properly influence the lives of our students and complete the duties of our position in 40-45 hours?

In the course of your day, how much time do you spend on Facebook? Twitter? Walking to get coffee at the student union? How much time are you WORKING vs. BEING IN THE OFFICE/ON CAMPUS and what is appropriate in terms of expectations of WORK?

Do you fit in time during the work day to participate in professional associations? Listen to webinars, read journals, etc for your professional development?

Do you appreciate what is likely a good 20 days paid-vacation a year off between holiday breaks that many in the private sector don’t receive?

Are you happy in your work and willing to make the concessions of time and income to stay in student affairs? If not, what needs to change? If your skill set was applied in some other career would you work less/make more?

Does your environment feel healthy in general and is there a sense of collegiality and support for achieving the level of balance that works for you? If not, what needs to change?

In my dissertation research, one participant talked about an “integrated self” in her description of life as a student affairs professional. As a graduate student she knew that others around her saw her as inbalanced, but she believed in the work she did. She was partnered and had other things to do, but checking her email at 9 at night was something she believed she needed to do to maintain some sanity. Good or bad, she recognized student affairs was a profession that required her to integrate her personal and professional selves rather than hope they could remain compartmentalized.

There’s a lot of literature in student affairs and other professions that address productivity and issues with salary/hours work conflicts. There’s resources such as PayScale that can help you to understand salaries of professions and how we compare. Ultimately, student affairs is about reconciling expectations (of success, influence, economic security, etc.) with realities (we will often fail and be frustrated, we won’t be paid what we think we’re worth).

Additionally, the life/work balance we all want should be driven by our individual goals; not someone telling you what is and is not appropriate. If you are convinced that you’re off balanced because of what YOU believe to be your professional goals and values, then it’s time to reconsider the resolution to be more balanced and figure out what needs to change to allow it to happen.

What would life/work balance mean to you?

How functional area associations support professional development over time

Dan

I work in student affairs assessment. I came up through working in fraternity/sorority life programs and leadership. I have not worked on a campus directly with students in fraternities/sororities for six years though I have done consulting in this area and continue to volunteer in a range of ways. A person asked me why I continue to attend and see value in the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Annual Meeting (AFAAM) because I no longer work in this functional area. There are three main reasons I continue to see value in active involvement in and attendance at the AFAAM.

First, I think functional area associations do more than just educate on the functional area. Many of the skills that are explained as necessary in the ACPA and NASPA Professional Competencies document as intermediate and advanced can be learned in the functional area association. The functional area is often just the context in which you work, but AFAAM has workshops on multicultrual competence, assessment, supervision, etc. While explained in part for a F/S Life Office, these are skills we need in any area and skills we can continue to develop/improve across the career span.

Another reason is that I approach any information as learning. I don’t tend to go to some of the workshops that are a little more activity oriented – such as how to plan recruitment – but there are plenty of sessions at the AFAAM that while I’ve likely attended a session on the topic before, I can pull something new from hearing it again.

Finally, I believe in mentoring and generativity in the student affairs profession. I go to AFAAM and often do several workshops or participate in activities that help graduate students with resume preparation. I get a lot out of contributing to help others and in turn I develop increased competence.

Are you involved in a functional area association even though you’re a mid-level generalist or working in a different functional area? Why do you stay involved?

Intentional Professional Development Plans

Dan

I have been engaged in student affairs professional activities since December 1996 when I attended my first Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors meeting in Orlando. Participation in committees made sense for me – I tend to like to get involved and contribute. Over time I’ve held lots of positions in five different higher education associations, authored lots of articles, made many presentations. I tend to read/skim every issue of association magazines and journals

My inclination for involvement is why it is so important that I be intentional: I can get distracted by the bright lights of new journals, conference attendance, and volunteer positions. While it is important to be engaged, managing a commitment to professional development should only come second to doing your job well in the first place.

Recently I developed my individualized professional development plan as a part of our Division of Student Affairs initiative. I chaired the committee that developed the template and I am excited to see how staff adopt the concept.

I have focused on the Core Competency of Human and Organizational Resources and developed four areas of focus:

1. Demonstrate applications of appropriate supervision techniques for staff (intermediate)

2. Implement advanced accounting techniques that include forecasting, efficient use of fiscal resources, and interpretation of fiscal records (intermediate)

3. Determine if the message (verbal and written) communicated is congruent with the desired outcome for the intended recipient or audience (intermediate)

4. Describe how various fundraising strategies are facilitated by student affairs professionals (intermediate)

It is on these competencies that I will focus the next couple of years. I will be intentional about placing myself into position to develop and strengthen these skills.

If you were me, how would you go about developing your professional competence and confidence in these four areas?

 

Student Affairs’ Role in Increasing Student Self-Efficacy

Dan

I’ve been spending some time exploring the concept of self-efficacy, particularly as it relates to the role of student affairs professionals. Self-efficacy can be defined as  “the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations. In other words, self-efficacy is a person’s belief in his or her ability to succeed in a particular situation” (http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/self_efficacy.htm).

It appears increasing self-efficacy may also be a tactic to helping students along other developmental processes such as identity development, self-authorship, and moral development. Basically, if we can help students develop self-efficacy, then we can help them:

1. Do well academically.

2. Develop a sense of confidence to succeed in a diverse college environment (sometimes in spite of hurdles they have overcome).

3. Become sound and ethically grounded leaders

4. Intervene when there is a problem.

The University of Memphis Division of Student Affairs has adopted self-efficacy as one of its learning objectives, which we call the Vision for Students. Self-efficacy can be mapped back to any of the six CAS Learning Domains, particularly cognitive complexity and its dimension of critical thinking. We can also find that self-efficacy is implicit as we seek to develop the Student Learning and Development core competency in the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practice.

I’m fortunate to have a great supervisor who studied self-efficacy of women in STEM programs. I recently interviewed her to learn more about self-efficacy and the recording of this 14 minute interview can be found here.

What do you do to influence students’ self-efficacy? How can we be more intentional about prioritizing self-efficacy as a desired student affairs goal?

We’re Losing Our Minds! Learning as Primary vs. Hopeful Byproduct

Dan

Keeling and Hersh (2012) explain as colleges and universities move toward a focus on increased graduation rates and meeting students’ expectation to “get me a job”, we forget what should be primary to our existence and purpose in society: helping students learn. While graduation rates and job placement numbers matter, are we satisfied that students enter society without some of the basic skills they should have learned under our guidance? Many of our graduates lack essential skills. Does college/university really accomplish what the world needs it to?

Student affairs needs to ask the same question: if we cannot prove that students learned as a result of our programs, what value do we have?

We are at a point when all we do should be about learning. We should not just hope it occurs. Keeling and Hersh (2012) tell us this. Guiding documents of student affairs tells us this – in fact, in a recent essay, Jim Barber and I explain that while not always first on our mind, learning has always been a byproduct of good work in student affairs. In the ACPA/NASPA Student Learning and Development competency, at the basic level, we are expected to “Identify and construct learning outcomes for both daily practice as well as teaching and training activities”.

What else do we need to hear before we’re just being negligent about our work in student affairs? Why are people still not prioritizing learning? Why don’t we use language that more meaningfully connects what we do to learning? Why don’t we view our role as educators? Really, why has this been so hard?

It’s hard because we can’t see or feel learning as much as we can see a student happy with her residence hall experience or relieved after we’ve provided her with counseling services for stress management. Student affairs folks like happy – that’s not a bad thing – but when we see her happy we can also meet our other obligation by asking her (in some way) what it was she learned as a result.

What will it take for you to prioritize learning? If you already do, what are the strategies you use to infuse learning more strongly into your work?

 

Helping a Division of Student Affairs Focus on Professional Development

Dan

When I was hired for my position as Director, Student Affairs Learning and Assessment, I was tasked with divisional professional development. You can imagine that it was a task that I was really excited about but also a bit anxious – how does one exactly help to meet the needs of diverse student affairs professionals at a school such as the University of Memphis?

Within the first six months, a task force was appointed to examine how we might be more intentional in helping our colleagues. As a result of that task force, a series of recommendations were made. We’ve used the ACPA/NASPA Core Competencies and CAS as frameworks that inform our approach. We’ve focused on increasing competence and confidence to help us work toward divisional goals. You can find our report here.

One of the things we’ve tried to do is be intentional about getting resources into the hands of our staff. It then becomes up to them to accept the individual responsibility to develop the plan they need to focus time and energy on developing the competencies relevant to their current and desired future roles. I am really excited about the energy that has come from a monthly professional development newsletter. You can see October’s issue as well as past issues here. We’re highlighting staff who are engaged in their work and value professional development. It’s a fun way to acknowledge people and also to use podcasts.

What things are you doing in your division of student affairs to engage colleagues in conversations about professional development?