Academically, I have always considered things through a historical framework; having majored in history as an undergraduate.
Now, looking back on the past two years I recognize that that has evolved into a developmental framework. When I speak with a student I think about where they are developmentally and how they may develop further in various ways, and what resources I can contribute towards that. In my own academic work I almost always compare it stylistically and organizationally to past academic work and therefore consider my own development.
Foundations of Student Affairs
All of my experiences in various functional areas has shown me how valuable viewing students and their experiences from a developmental framework can be in an realm of student affairs. Because I have also learned the value of being a scholar practitioner, I apply the same framework to my academic pursuits as I do to my student contact. My knowledge of the historical, philosophical, and contextual foundations of student affairs only enforces my personal framework in student affairs. I can draw many parallels between the historical foundation of student affairs and my understanding of multiple functional areas as well as my understanding of current events and my own framework. My first learning experience specifically pertaining to what student affairs is was in CSA501 and my most salient memory is of the history of this profession. Learning how our profession as well as higher education as a whole developed definitely influenced my own framework.
Student Development and Outcomes
Our College Student Development course is likely the origin of my intellectual framework. It was in this course that I learned theories which have become foundational to my practice and understanding of student affairs. Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning (1984) for instance discusses four learning preferences; positing that every student learns differently. The way those four preferences can interact within one persons' learning is what interests me because it suggests development and growth through the lifetime. For me this theory relates both to Piaget's development theory (1936) and Bloom's Taxonomy (1956) because of the developmental aspects. All types of learning are based on our development. A child can't learn to run before they can walk (theoretically) just as a student can learn to overcome barriers until they learn to recognize them.
Another salient theory to me from this course and in my practice is Schlossberg's Transition Theory (1981) because of how important it is for the population with which we typically work. Our students are constantly in transition from high school/military/work force to college, college to graduate school/work force, and a million other things going on in their life. Identifying where they are in emotional development and within Schlossberg's theory can help us, as professionals, understand what they're feeling and help them move forward.
Professional Competencies
Competencies such as project management, planning, implementation, active listening skills and empathy, cross cultural communication, and knowledge and adherence to professional ethical standards are much more closely related to my own development, but also still important to my intellectual framework revolving around development on a broader scale. I have absolutely developed all of these skills to some extent during my time in this program. The notable thing is not development has occurred but rather how it has occurred and the degrees to which it has occurred in regards to these various competencies. For instance, I had no knowledge of formal professional ethical standards before this program, therefore my knowledge and adherence has developed quite significantly over two years. In turn, my knowledge of these standards has also led me to develop other skills, specifically communication skills with colleagues. On the other hand, I was previously very aware of cross cultural communication competencies and indeed quite adept at this type of communication. Therefore this competency has not developed much.
My point here is that everyone is at different places, even within themselves. Keeping in mind development, whether it be traditional developmental milestones, or pebbles in our own stream of development, helps us determine where we should focus energy or knowledge within ourselves or with our students.
Inter-and Intrapersonal Skills
Anyone who has any knowledge of development and/or development theories knows that inter and intrapersonal skills develop as we grow. I take that a step further in the way I think about it, and consider that the development of these skills actually contribute to other development such as problems solving, or religious/moral/ethical development.
In addition to this point, we, as student affairs professionals must have excellent skills in both interpersonal and intrapersonal domains in order to understand our students and their developmental stages. Just as we must understand our own biases, for example, we must also understand our own strengths and weaknesses in inter- and intrapersonal skills in order to identify with and provide resources to our students.
Commitment to and Understanding of Issues Related to Social Justice
The Atkinson, Morten, and Sue Minority Identity Model (1979) discusses how a person of a minority population develops their identity, through 5 stages. These stages are conformity, dissonance, resistance and immersion, introspection, and synergistic articulation and awareness. Something that strikes me about all ethnic, racial, minority development theories is that everyone develops in their own way, based on their own experiences, and that even if the model is specifically designed for that population, it may not apply. My thought is, of course it may not apply, because every person, no matter their color, religion, gender, sexuality, or anything else, is the same as anyone else. In my opinion this is part of the essence of social justice- recognizing that everyone is different, even from the people they are 'the same' as, and that this difference is what makes them valuable members of society. Development in terms of social justice means learning to recognize differences, but not differentiate treatment based on those differences but rather simply appreciating diversity.
I have experienced a great deal of my own development in the social justice realm over the past 2 years. Much of it has actually been just recognizing that the things I value are aligned with social justice. Recognizing that has helped me develop more appreciation for diversity and also explore how I developed that appreciation in order to pass that on to my students and other people around me.
Research and Assessment
Even though it's difficult, you can measure development. I know for certain that I have developed in many areas (beyond those mentioned above) in the last 2 years. I also know that because of the specific learning outcomes set forth by our program, this development could be measured.
The fact that I know that development can be assessed only reinforces my belief that this is a strong framework through which to view not only my student affairs work, but also my own intellect and my academic pursuits. I am in an interesting position where my former intellectual framework (historical) has not only contributed to my current intellectual framework (developmental), but seamlessly flows into it as well. History develops, events occur in direct correlation to earlier events- just as a student develops.
References
Atkinson, D.R., Morten, G., & Sue, D.W. (1979). Counseling American minorities. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown.
Bloom, B.S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives; The classification of educational goals. New York: Longmans, Green.
Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experiences as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Schlossberg, N.K. (1981). A model for analyzing human adaptation to transition. Counseling Psychologist, 9(2), 2-18.
Now, looking back on the past two years I recognize that that has evolved into a developmental framework. When I speak with a student I think about where they are developmentally and how they may develop further in various ways, and what resources I can contribute towards that. In my own academic work I almost always compare it stylistically and organizationally to past academic work and therefore consider my own development.
Foundations of Student Affairs
All of my experiences in various functional areas has shown me how valuable viewing students and their experiences from a developmental framework can be in an realm of student affairs. Because I have also learned the value of being a scholar practitioner, I apply the same framework to my academic pursuits as I do to my student contact. My knowledge of the historical, philosophical, and contextual foundations of student affairs only enforces my personal framework in student affairs. I can draw many parallels between the historical foundation of student affairs and my understanding of multiple functional areas as well as my understanding of current events and my own framework. My first learning experience specifically pertaining to what student affairs is was in CSA501 and my most salient memory is of the history of this profession. Learning how our profession as well as higher education as a whole developed definitely influenced my own framework.
Student Development and Outcomes
Our College Student Development course is likely the origin of my intellectual framework. It was in this course that I learned theories which have become foundational to my practice and understanding of student affairs. Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning (1984) for instance discusses four learning preferences; positing that every student learns differently. The way those four preferences can interact within one persons' learning is what interests me because it suggests development and growth through the lifetime. For me this theory relates both to Piaget's development theory (1936) and Bloom's Taxonomy (1956) because of the developmental aspects. All types of learning are based on our development. A child can't learn to run before they can walk (theoretically) just as a student can learn to overcome barriers until they learn to recognize them.
Another salient theory to me from this course and in my practice is Schlossberg's Transition Theory (1981) because of how important it is for the population with which we typically work. Our students are constantly in transition from high school/military/work force to college, college to graduate school/work force, and a million other things going on in their life. Identifying where they are in emotional development and within Schlossberg's theory can help us, as professionals, understand what they're feeling and help them move forward.
Professional Competencies
Competencies such as project management, planning, implementation, active listening skills and empathy, cross cultural communication, and knowledge and adherence to professional ethical standards are much more closely related to my own development, but also still important to my intellectual framework revolving around development on a broader scale. I have absolutely developed all of these skills to some extent during my time in this program. The notable thing is not development has occurred but rather how it has occurred and the degrees to which it has occurred in regards to these various competencies. For instance, I had no knowledge of formal professional ethical standards before this program, therefore my knowledge and adherence has developed quite significantly over two years. In turn, my knowledge of these standards has also led me to develop other skills, specifically communication skills with colleagues. On the other hand, I was previously very aware of cross cultural communication competencies and indeed quite adept at this type of communication. Therefore this competency has not developed much.
My point here is that everyone is at different places, even within themselves. Keeping in mind development, whether it be traditional developmental milestones, or pebbles in our own stream of development, helps us determine where we should focus energy or knowledge within ourselves or with our students.
Inter-and Intrapersonal Skills
Anyone who has any knowledge of development and/or development theories knows that inter and intrapersonal skills develop as we grow. I take that a step further in the way I think about it, and consider that the development of these skills actually contribute to other development such as problems solving, or religious/moral/ethical development.
In addition to this point, we, as student affairs professionals must have excellent skills in both interpersonal and intrapersonal domains in order to understand our students and their developmental stages. Just as we must understand our own biases, for example, we must also understand our own strengths and weaknesses in inter- and intrapersonal skills in order to identify with and provide resources to our students.
Commitment to and Understanding of Issues Related to Social Justice
The Atkinson, Morten, and Sue Minority Identity Model (1979) discusses how a person of a minority population develops their identity, through 5 stages. These stages are conformity, dissonance, resistance and immersion, introspection, and synergistic articulation and awareness. Something that strikes me about all ethnic, racial, minority development theories is that everyone develops in their own way, based on their own experiences, and that even if the model is specifically designed for that population, it may not apply. My thought is, of course it may not apply, because every person, no matter their color, religion, gender, sexuality, or anything else, is the same as anyone else. In my opinion this is part of the essence of social justice- recognizing that everyone is different, even from the people they are 'the same' as, and that this difference is what makes them valuable members of society. Development in terms of social justice means learning to recognize differences, but not differentiate treatment based on those differences but rather simply appreciating diversity.
I have experienced a great deal of my own development in the social justice realm over the past 2 years. Much of it has actually been just recognizing that the things I value are aligned with social justice. Recognizing that has helped me develop more appreciation for diversity and also explore how I developed that appreciation in order to pass that on to my students and other people around me.
Research and Assessment
Even though it's difficult, you can measure development. I know for certain that I have developed in many areas (beyond those mentioned above) in the last 2 years. I also know that because of the specific learning outcomes set forth by our program, this development could be measured.
The fact that I know that development can be assessed only reinforces my belief that this is a strong framework through which to view not only my student affairs work, but also my own intellect and my academic pursuits. I am in an interesting position where my former intellectual framework (historical) has not only contributed to my current intellectual framework (developmental), but seamlessly flows into it as well. History develops, events occur in direct correlation to earlier events- just as a student develops.
References
Atkinson, D.R., Morten, G., & Sue, D.W. (1979). Counseling American minorities. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown.
Bloom, B.S. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives; The classification of educational goals. New York: Longmans, Green.
Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experiences as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Schlossberg, N.K. (1981). A model for analyzing human adaptation to transition. Counseling Psychologist, 9(2), 2-18.