Values, Philosophy and History (VPH)
"The Values, Philosophy and History competency area involves knowledge, skills, and dispositions that connect the history, philosophy and values of the student affairs profession to one's current professional practice. This competency area embodies the foundations of the profession from which current and future research, scholarship and practice will change and grow. The commitment to demonstrating this competency area ensures that our present and future practices are informed by an understanding of the profession's history, philosophy, and values"
Throughout my time in BGSU's CSP program, I have been exposed to many opportunities to connect to the field of higher education and student affairs in what I believe is an exemplary level of understanding around its values, philosophy, and history.
In CSP 6010: Foundations and Functions of College Student Personnel, I was given necessary information to better understand the context of our profession, through two rounds of issue papers. Within my issue papers, I was able to "explore new philosophical approaches and contexts" to problems that have historically affected various aspects of student affairs and higher education. My first paper examined the effectiveness of dry college campuses and included my own assessment of the issue based on current and past research. In my second paper, I similarly focused on implications for parental notification in student alcohol violations. Through these assignments, I was able to "identify enduring questions, issues, and trends from the history of higher education and discuss their relevance to current and emergent professional practice". It is clear that many issues will stand the test of time in higher education, and further exploration and research on these problems are key to solving them.
Through CSP 6010, I am also better suited to "articulate the historical contexts of...functional areas within higher education and student affairs" by completion of my functional 15 presentation. For this assignment, I learned more about conference and event services through my own findings, the CAS standards, and an interview with Patrick Nelson, Director of BGSU's Conference and Event Services. Although event management is not typically viewed as a direct functional area of student development, I discovered that these offices are constantly working with student leaders to provide optimal learning environments for successful events and programming. Additionally, most event services offices prioritize the needs of student groups and organizations before outside vendors, therefore, incorporating student-centered philosophies within their work.
During Summer 2017, I participated in the 2017 study tour with BGSU Higher Education and Student Affairs, where we visited institutions of higher education in France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Throughout this life-changing experience, I "articulated similarities and differences of varying and emerging global student affairs philosophies" by engaging in critical dialogue with our student affairs counterparts at colleges and universities in Europe. Many of these countries are only beginning to explore the integration of student development in higher education, which gave important context in "identify[ing] [their] history and development of student affairs practice". Additionally, we ended the European study tour by attending the 2017 Transatlantic Dialogue at the University of Luxembourg. This conference engaged participants in cultural experiences outside of the United States and meet with professionals at a variety of institutions around the world. Through exploration of other cultures and conversations with our global partners in higher education, I was able to "acknowledge, critically question, and bring together diverging philosophies of student affairs practice" in order to move forward with a holistic understanding of student development and support.
To demonstrate my exemplary understanding of Values, Philosophy, and History, I have included a link to my culminating reflection of my study tour experiences. This was the final project of my study tour course, and serves as an important reminder of my time spent learning about institutions of higher education in Europe.
Dr. Mike Coomes taught my CSP 6010 course and has been one of my biggest mentors within my time at BGSU.
BGSU CSP at American University in Paris, France
Dr. Coomes, Judy Gardner and I at the 2017 TransAtlantic Dialogue in Luxembourg.
Personal and Ethical Foundations (PEF)
"The Personal and Ethical Foundations competency area involves 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 standards of ethics and commitment to one's own wellness and growth. Personal and ethical foundations are aligned because integrity has an internal locus informed by a combination of external ethical guidelines, an internal voice of care, and our own lived experiences. Our personal and ethical foundations grow through a process of curiosity, reflection and self-authorship"
A photograph of my aura, representing my adventurous and creative energies
Our CSP 6890 group with our advisor, Dr. Jessica Turos.
My time in BGSU's CSP program has solidified my personal values and ethics, which are aligned well with my identity as a student affairs professional. Because of this congruence, I believe that I demonstrate exemplary work in my personal and ethical foundations.
As I transitioned into graduate school, I knew that many things were going to be different within my personal practice. Living in Bowling Green was my first time being away from a metropolitan location, since I went to college in the Twin Cities and grew up in Southern California. Graduate school was also my first time not consistently dancing, as I was not performing in an ensemble or studio like I had previously. These changes were huge transitions for me, and I had to take responsibility for advocating and supporting my personal wellness. In order to promote all aspects of my own wellness, I prioritize traveling within my means as much as I can. Additionally, I have found that working out is a healthy way to move my body in similar ways as dance and theatre.
My work and reflection throughout CSP 6890 has been key in pursuing my ethical and personal foundations. Specifically, this course allowed me to "recognize the importance of reflection in personal, professional, and ethical development". Through our facilitated class sessions in our 6890 groups, we were all able to process our graduate experiences in a trusted space, thus encouraging further reflection in aspects of our own development. During my first year internship experience, it was critical for me to "appropriately question institutional actions...not consistent with ethical standards" as I split my time between two offices with little support on either side. My 6890 group was the platform I needed to appropriately "identify and manage areas of incongruence" in my graduate school experience, which gave me the confidence to express my concern with my supervisors and faculty members in HESA. Once I facilitated my internship switch into HESA, I spent the rest of my first year internship articulating and solidifying my personal beliefs to promote integrity in my work as a rising student affairs professional.
Our time in CSP 6050: Capstone Seminar was the space I needed to examine and integrate my experiences to better inform my personal and ethical foundations. Throughout my statement of mission paper, I was able to effectively "articulate key elements of [my] set of personal beliefs and commitments" in relation to my personal and professional code of ethics. My mission statement was instrumental in solidifying my personal beliefs, since I was able to physically represent my values in my writing. This assignment serves as an accurate reflection of the integration of my professional and personal foundations and how I hope to continue to find balance in them as I transition out of graduate school.
Law, Policy, and Governance (LPG)
"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"
I have spent considerable time within my graduate experience learning more about issues related to law, policy, and governance, which I believe to have reached at an exemplary level.
My time as a Student Conduct Hearing Officer in BGSU's Office of the Dean of Students has been instrumental in my ability to "describe the student conduct processes at the institutional level and demonstrate concern for the legal, social, moral, educational and ethical expectations of the community". Throughout my meetings with students, I explained what the conduct process looked like at BGSU. Usually, students were most surprised to learn that BGSU's code of conduct applies to them no matter where they were, meaning if a policy violation occurred off-campus, students could still be found responsible. For my students, this realization was important in understanding their community impact, as it can go far beyond their peers and groups at BGSU. As a Hearing Officer, I also expressed my concern for students' actions within the constructs of their communities. Even though one policy violation might seem like a small event within a student's personal life, it can produce harm in my ways to the community of Bowling Green. As students, we often forget that individuals and families make their homes in the town of Bowling Green, so even if we do not plan to stay in the area, it is critical to treat the community with respect and care as others call this place their home.
Additionally, my course work in HIED 7210: Law in Higher Education has strengthened many outcomes within the competency of Law, Policy, and Governance. As a class, we were all given the opportunity to complete our final paper and presentation on a topic of our choosing within law and higher education. I decided to further investigate my interest in managing risk in student life and campus traditions, as this topic came up frequently within my time in student conduct and campus activities. Through my exploration on the 1999 Texas A&M Bonfire collapse, I was able to "explain concepts of risk management" and their relation to student affairs and higher education, in addition to describing "how policy is developed and implemented in one's department and institution". Ultimately, the TAMU Bonfire collapse was a tragedy that changed the course of liability and crisis management within our field, but it was also a preventable event with many institutional strains that needed to be addressed as an entire campus. The safety and wellbeing of students on a college campus must always take priority over longstanding tradition and revere of those who came before.
I have included my paper and presentation surrounding the priorities of risk management in higher education and indication of my exemplary work in understanding law, policy, and governance.