While in graduate school at BGSU and working within my internship site I have been pushed to focus on gaining knowledge and skills to further my professional development. When I transition into working full time, I will no longer have the academic focus and pressure that currently structures my learning and development. As someone who values being a lifelong learner and recognizes there is always more to learn in the field of higher education and student affairs I have spent still assessing my current knowledge and skills and created a professional development plan for the next three years. I feel this plan will help me develop in areas where I have gaps in my knowledge as well as enhance areas of interest. My plan is a balanced combination of building on what I know and pushing myself to learn more about functional areas I aspire to work in.
Knowledge Areas:
- Student Activities, including Greek Letter Organizations
- Student Transition & Success Programs
- Parents & Families
- Academic Advising
Competency Areas:
- Personal Foundations
- Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
- Leadership
- Assessment, Evaluation, & Research
Professional Development Plan
I have knowledge of Nancy Schlossberg’s Transition Theory and currently use this knowledge in my role as a Hall Coordinator. I have gathered a vast amount of knowledge about student transition programs through completing a directed reading on first and second year success and transition programs. This is an area I would like to develop further as working with orientation programs has always been a passion of mine. I have also developed an interest in second year students and the challenges that these students are presented with. I believe that knowledge about student transition and success programs will help me to obtain a position in first year programs or orientation services, as well as best support students in these groups. By reading blogs, online journals, and attending conference sessions I hope to continue to develop my knowledge in this area.
I have studied and worked first hand with student organizations and recognize the outcomes of involvement on student success and development. However, I wish to know more about student activities as a whole and further my knowledge of this functional area. I have limited knowledge of fraternity and sorority life, having never been involved in Greek life throughout my undergraduate and graduate career, I see this as a knowledge area to improve upon. Greek life has a presence on many college campuses and so to best serve students and support Greek initiatives and traditions I should spend time learning about fraternity and sorority life. My knowledge is very limited in understanding fraternity and sorority culture, recruitment, rituals, and values. I would like to improve my knowledge of this area, to better help students work through their decision process about “going Greek,” supporting them as members, as well as, what this means for their development and sense of self. I hope to develop knowledge in this area through professional conference attendance and working with student groups.
Student Activities
Student Transition & Success Programs
Many positions in student affairs will lead to contact and interaction with parents and families of students. At this time my knowledge of working with parents and families is based on experience and not grounded in knowledge, with the exception of my knowledge of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). I hope to expand my knowledge in this area because I believe families are becoming increasingly invested and involved in the lives of college students and interested in the outcomes of higher education. Working with students and families as well as continuing to read professional journals will keep me informed on current trends and practices in this knowledge area.
Parents & Families
Within my current position in residence life I have developed strong knowledge of helping and advising practices but have has little opportunity to collaborate with the academic side of student affairs. I would like to gain knowledge about various advising styles and the roles of academic advisors at various institutional types. I believe that by gaining knowledge about the philosophies, values, and styles of academic advising I would be expanding my knowledge into the academic side of student affairs. By talking with colleagues and learning about the academic requirements at my next place of employment I will continue to develop my knowledge of academic advising.
Academic Advising
I have been working hard throughout my second year in the CSP program at BGSU to understand and develop my personal foundations. As a prepare to leave the program I want to continue to be intentional in my personal development as I transition to a new city and new position. I will need to continue to focus on establishing a healthy lifestyle and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships. I have been able to put an emphasis on my physical health this past year and hope to continue to do so in my next position. I also will no longer be in a long distance relationship but living with my partner, I will need to work on developing what this means for my personal foundations and wellness.
Personal Foundations
During my time at BGSU, I have gained substantial knowledge in the area of multicultural competence and demonstrated skill in facilitation and working with understanding difference. I would like to continue to develop my competence in the area of equity, diversity, and inclusion; particularly, I would like to develop knowledge and skills to become an effective social justice advocate. While I am able to successfully navigate difficult dialogues with students and understand various identity development theories, I have struggled to see the ways in which I can advocate for others within my department and role. I want to develop knowledge on how to best support those different from myself and recognize inequalities more readily. My hope is that I will be able to support and develop students as social justice advocates. I hope to attend training sessions, professional conferences, and become certified in a bystander intervention program to furer my professional competence in equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
I wish to develop in the competency area of leadership. While I have shown proficiency in my abilities to demonstrate leadership amongst students and help students develop as leaders I want to enhance my knowledge and skills in this area. As I enter my first professional position, it is my hope that I will continue to work with and develop student leaders; having a stronger and wider knowledge base of leadership theory and leadership training, supervising, and advising would assist in my goal to develop student leaders with transferable skills. While I want to continue to develop student leaders I also want to continue to develop myself as a leader within my department, through innovation and ingenuity. I hope to develop myself as a resourceful professional with knowledge of strategies and the ability to make positive change. I hope to develop my skills in the competency area of leadership through hands on experience as well as through facilitating sessions on leadership development for student leaders.
Leadership
In order to improve programs, supervision, and offerings, we must constantly assess what we are doing and how our work is being perceived. By completing accurate assessments work can be checked for effectiveness and relevance. I hope to learn about the current assessment strategies at the next institution I go to and how I can do good assessment. The CSP program has taught me the fundamentals of assessment and research there is still much I hope to learn and put into practice.
Assessment, Evaluation, & Research