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AmeriCorps – The Perfect Capstone Experience

24 August 2010, 9:16 pm

The start of a new academic year is always full of promise and potential. In my office, the beginning of each year is marked by the kickoff of our AmeriCorps program. We are part of CalServes AmeriCorps VIP, and this year we have 20 new members who will be serving at various agencies in the county for the next 10 months.

Over the past two days, I have been entrenched in orientation activities for our new members. They are an impressive group and bring a diverse set of experiences, backgrounds, and skills. Many members have recently graduated from college, others have not completed their undergraduate degree, and some have either started or finished a graduate program.

For recent graduates, AmeriCorps makes the perfect capstone experience. A capstone experience is a culminating experience in which students are expected to integrate, extend, critique and apply knowledge gained in the major (Wagenaair, 1993). Examples of capstone experiences are senior projects, internships, and research fellowships.

Capstone experiences can:

•Reduce the amount of on the job training.
•Ease the transition from undergraduate academics to career or graduate study.
•Provide an opportunity to try a professional role.
•Build marketable skills.
•Create an understanding of problems and issues in society.
•Build experiences for a resume.

Although Americorps members won’t get rich (at least not from their living allowance), they can look forward to tremendous benefits. Members gain confidence, transferable skills, knowledge about their personal work styles, clarification of their career goals, friendships, and professional connections. Americorps is an excellent  opportunity for individuals who are in transition – from recent college graduates looking for more work experience to babyboomers preparing for retirement.

What types of capstone experiences does your institution provide? How are they beneficial to students?

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The Anticipation Builds for WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”

20 August 2010, 8:00 am

Earlier this summer I pledged to see WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” and have been receiving regular updates about the opening of the documentary. Last week, I received a $5 credit for DonorsChoose.org when the pledge-o-meter reached 30,000 people who had pledged to see the film. DonorsChoose.org is like a dating website for teachers and philanthropists.

I’m excited to share that I gave my donation to a local project called “Making Geometry Exciting Through Technology.” The donation will go towards an LCD projector to assist a local teacher to help her students understand ideas such as volume, similarity, and proof with images, applets, and games, as well as DVDs and video clips that show Geometry coming to life.

This week, another major donor joined the effort to promote the film. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will provide $100,000 in new children’s books to U.S. libraries in need once 60,000 people pledge to see the award-winning documentary film. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is the world’s largest provider of educational materials for pre-K-12 schools.

“We are proud to support this film because it shares our mission to promote literacy and an appetite for learning among the nation’s students,” said Barry O’Callaghan, Chief Executive Officer of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. “An essential first step to improving our education system is providing those students with better quality and more accessible literacy-based resources within and outside of the classroom.”

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is the fourth major organization to take the pledge

WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” directed by Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) opens in New York and Los Angeles on September 24, nationwide in October.

Take the pledge at www.WaitingforSuperman.com.

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Bridging the Gap Between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs

18 August 2010, 8:00 am

I found a gem this morning as I was reading through my digital copy of Leadership Exchange (which is available to members only and another great reason to join a professional organization like NASPA).

The gem was this – a letter to the editor from James Appleton, president emeritus, University of Redlands. Although I am not a U of R alum, my family holds strong ties to the university because my dad, my mom, my sister, and several aunts and uncles all graduated from this private liberal arts college in southern California.

In his letter to the editor, Appleton makes a case to close the gap that exists between the two groups of professionals on campus who work most closely with students. He calls for a “new paradigm” or  ”a clearer vision that brings the resources of faculty and student life personnel in a more effective partnership.”

The relationship between academic affairs and student affairs may not receive as much attention as retention or inclusive excellence, but its impact can be just as great for students.

Ever since I stepped foot on campus as a student affairs professional I have seen and felt the real “division” between the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs. Of course, this is a historical challenge that has been going on ever since universities adopted the doctrine in loco parentis (“in the place of a parent”). As many student affairs professionals learn in graduate school, the role of student affairs shifted in the 1960′s from discipline and authority to a focus on coordinating of campus life and education outside of the classroom.

Appleton’s comments resonated with me because I often feel like I have my foot in both camps. In my role as a service-learning coordinator, I serve as a liaison between academic affairs and student affairs. Many faculty have limited interactions with student affairs and are unfamiliar with the variety of services and programs offered; not surprisingly, student affairs professionals often feel misunderstood and unappreciated by faculty.

I chose to pursue my Ph.D. because I wanted to leave the door open to academic affairs. My experiences as an instructor, as well as my personal experiences in education, have given me an appreciation for the transformative effect of a rigorous academic curriculum. And, my interactions with students outside the classroom have confirmed the importance of reinforcing the academic components through additional opportunities for student development.

I see the changes taking place in education and realize, like Appleton points out, that faculty are no longer the “holders” of knowledge but rather are becoming the “facilitators” of the learning process. Therefore, in the academic world, understanding student development theory, the learning process, and factors for success are critical supplements to a strong knowledge base in the academic field.

The gap between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs will not be bridged overnight. As Appleton points out, the key is to embrace both formal and informal administrative and structural approaches and build collaboration among faculty leadership and student affairs professionals. At the center of these collaborations will be professionals who understand the value of both academic affairs and student affairs.

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Professional Organizations for Student Development Professionals

17 August 2010, 8:00 am
If you were inspired by yesterday’s post on Why Join a Professional Organization and are looking for a way to get involved, check out this great list of Student Development Professional Organizations:

This list is provided by StudentAffairs.com.

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Why Join a Professional Organization?

16 August 2010, 12:04 pm

Today I renewed my membership to the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). I am also a member of NASPA and ACPA. It can be overwhelming sometimes to keep up with the national and regional publications, not to mention the email distribution lists and committees, so why do I do it?

Here are several important reasons to join a professional organization:

  1. Publications. Professional organizations publish journals, newsletters, and websites that are full of useful and up-to-date information. These publications will also inform you about the movers-and-shakers in the field.
  2. Resources. Many professional organizations provide valuable resources for their members. Many times an organization will have resources for members only, and other times they will make the information generally available on their website. For example, NACADA has a great Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources on their website.
  3. Leadership opportunities. Each professional organization has a hierarchical structure which usually includes leadership opportunities at various levels. There are often national and regional levels of leadership, as well as committees and sub-committees.
  4. Conferences. Almost all professional organizations organize conferences which are a great place to share your research and work with others. There are usually opportunities to present individually, in a team, or at a poster session. Conferences are also a great place to hear well-known speakers and to network.
  5. Networking. The more people you know the better! Getting to know other members in your professional organization could help you land a job or internship, or you could learn new and easier ways to do the job you already have!
  6. Opportunities to publish. The journals, newsletters, and digital publications associated with professional organizations are a great place to submit research and reviews. If you aren’t ready to publish but still want to be involved, you may consider being a reviewer.
  7. Grants. Many professional organizations are on the cutting edge of research in their fields, and often times they will support research in specific areas.
  8. Professional development and training. In addition to conferences, many professional organizations offer specific professional development and training. For example, NASPA offers an Institute for New Senior Student Affairs Officers.
  9. Discounts. Being a member of a professional organization often entitles you to discounts on their publications, workshops, and conferences.
  10. Community. One of the biggest benefits of being a member of a professional organization is to be part of a community. Members often have access to forums, directories, and blogs, in addition to the opportunities to meet other professionals at workshops and conferences.

You don’t have to be a senior administrator to be involved in a professional organization.

Which organization(s) do you belong to?

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5 More Tips for Interviewing in Student Development

9 August 2010, 8:32 pm

Last month I posted 10 Tips for Interviewing in Student Development. As I mentioned before, being on an interview committee is an opportunity to meet interesting people and learn more about their paths into this profession. In addition to the previously mentioned tips, I also observed these strategies used by successful candidates:

1. Be prepared with an example. A common interview questions is, “Describe a difficult situation and how you handled it.” A relevant example can demonstrate your ability to handle the challenges of the position.

2. Describe your strategies. Demonstrate your understanding of what challenges may be part of the position and how you are equipped to handle them.

3. Be willing to talk about your “learning experiences.” Don’t be afraid to talk about a situation you would have handled differently. This demonstrates that you are adaptable and learn from mistakes.

4. Be prepared with appropriate questions. Even though you’re the one in the hot seat, you should be interested in knowing about your committee as well. Appropriate questions include:

  • “What are you looking for in a successful candidate?”
  • “What is the relationship between [this position] and [insert other appropriate entity]?”
  • “Why do you like working here?”
  • “How is this position viewed by other constituencies?”
  • “What are the programming resources (or budget) to support this position? program?”

5. Be knowledgeable of professional organizations and national organizations appropriate to the position. If appropriate, describe your involvement in these organizations.

I am relieved to be wrapping up these two searches, but I have learned a lot through the experience. I have also very much enjoyed working with the other search committee members.

What interview tips have you found to be successful?

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Tell me about your blog

4 August 2010, 7:15 pm

Do you have a blog about student development, leadership, or advising?

If you have a blog that you would like to share, please leave a link in the comments. You can either leave a link to your blog homepage or a link to your favorite post.

I look forward to meeting you!

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Women’s Center Under New Leadership

3 August 2010, 8:04 pm

Our new coordinator for Women’s Programs and the Sexual-Assault Free Environment Resource (SAFER) is starting tomorrow!

We had a very qualified group of applicants and it was one of our most competitive searches. As I mentioned in a previous post, we have been busy recruiting for two new full-time staff in our department this summer.

I am so excited about the new coordinator because she suggested several innovative and insightful programs during her interview, and as her supervisor I look forward to exploring them more together.

One of the discussions we have been having in our department is about the purpose and vision of the Women’s Center. On some campuses, the Women’s Center has been redefined as a space to explore gender, sexuality, and sexism – for example, the UC Berkeley Gender Equity Resource Center and the USC Center for Women & Men. However, at many universities the Women’s Center is still alive and well – including Harvard and Stanford.

Many Women’s Centers were founded in the 1970′s and have a feminist and activist foundation. Today, many Women’s Centers focus on leadership opportunities, safety, gender equality, global issues affecting women, and civic engagement.

While great strides have been made in the women’s movement – women’s right to vote, increased rates of enrollment in higher education, overall lessening of gender constrictions around definitions of maleness and femaleness – one does not need to look far to see that there are still issues that need to be addressed. The list is too exhaustive to include here, but among these issues are violence against women, reproductive rights and contraception, and income.

How is the Women’s Center utilized on your campus? What is its purpose and how does it serve the evolving needs of students?

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Who Is Responsible for Advising Students?

2 August 2010, 8:24 pm

Campus was hopping with incoming students today as hundreds showed up for the first day of summer advising. Our SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising & Registration) program has seen plenty of changes in the past few years but, despite the fact that it looks much different than when I was involved, it always reminds me of my time spent as an advisor. Advising low-income, first-generation students was an excellent introduction to the university. It helped me to learn my institution’s philosophy and mission and to articulate it to students. It also helped me develop relationships across the university.

Advising has only recently been viewed as a stand-alone profession. In most academic settings, advising is primarily the responsibility of faculty. It is often “owned” by the academic sector, with additional advising resources found in Student Affairs. The challenge for faculty advisors is that good performance is rarely recognized or rewarded. Advising is a continuous process which, when done effectively, requires a caring relationship to be established.

Advising is a challenging profession. Advisors need an understanding of student development theory, knowledge of the institution’s rules, regulations, and policies, and a broad range of intervention and counseling skills. Advisors are metaphorical coaches, cheerleaders, translators, tour guides, and teachers.

As institutions look closely at their bottom line – retention and graduation rates – advising is going to be found more often under the spotlight. Research indicates that one of the most powerful positive influences on student persistence in college is individual attention. Academic advising is one of the only processes in place in the existing structure of many institutions to systematically provide one on one attention to students in a large-scale way.

On many campuses the focus is on who controls the advising on campus rather than the skills, knowledge and competencies needed by advisors. I’m not taking a stand on who should control advising in any institution, but rather I am recognizing the importance of advising, the critical role it plays in student success, and the knowledge and skills necessary to address students’ needs, wants, and legitimate expectations for assistance.

Whose responsibility is it to advise students on your campus?

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Take the pledge to see WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN”

29 July 2010, 6:47 pm

If you haven’t seen the trailer for WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” check it out at WaitingForSuperman.com and pledge to see the film this fall. The film, directed by Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”), examines the crisis of public education in the United States through multiple interlocking stories. The “Take the Pledge” campaign aims to inspire everyone to create innovative and long-term solutions to help change the course of our kids’ lives for the better.

First Book has agreed to donate 250,000 new books to schools and programs in low-income communities across the country once the pledge meter reaches 50,000.

When 30,00 people pledge to see the film, DonorsChoose.org will donate $5 gift cards for every person who pledges to see the film to be used to fulfill requests made by public school teachers across America. The mission of DonorsChoose.org is to improve public education by empowering every teacher to be a change-maker and enabling any citizen to be a philanthropist.

When 40,000 people pledge to see the film, Office Max will award 1,000 outstanding teachers with $1,000 in school supplies.

The trailer is sobering yet inspiring, and I can’t wait to see the whole documentary. Visit the website to take the pledge. At the time this post was published 25,806 people had taken the pledge.

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