Chapter 15 is all about the organization and functional areas within the student affairs field. It has been strongly suggested that we become involved in the two main professional organizations that are briefly mentioned at the beginning of the chapter: The National Association of Student Personnel (NASPA) and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). If you would like more information on each, there is a lot of useful information on their respective websites: http://www.naspa.org/ and http://www2.myacpa.org/.
Since a majority of the chapter focuses on the functional areas of student affairs I think it would be a great opportunity to utilize this blog to discuss what area of the field we are most interested in working in once we complete the CSA program here at USF. Some of us may want to stay working in the areas where our assistantships are and some may want a completely different experience. As we continue the next couple of years we may change our minds, but it is never too soon to start thinking or talking about it (may give great thought as to what you want your practicum to be in).
At this moment I enjoy working in student government, but I am also interested in pursuing a career in leadership programs (which is why I am doing my interview on Jen Espinola in the CLCE). I understand there is a vast amount of material to choose from when creating leadership programs, but I think that is half of the fun. It would be amazing to create leadership development programs from the ground up and give an opportunity to students to participate in those programs. I would say this passion stemmed over the past couple of years as I facilitated numerous leadership retreats to a good portion of TKE chapters across the country. It is the best feeling in the world to see the “light bulbs” go off in students and watch the continuous progression as they grow into young leaders.
Once I complete the CSA program here at USF, I would love to work in the Dean of Student’s Office. I understand that this is the office that has the ability to help students in all aspects of student affairs as well as enforce community standards and institutional standards. Helping students in all areas and being able to implement leadership ideologies and theories are two areas in which I am very passionate about. I have a passion to work in many functional areas within student affairs such as Student Activities, Leadership Programs, Greek Life, and Athletics because as an undergraduate student-leader at USF I had the opportunity to be apart of and partnership with many of these functional areas. Fortunately being able to work in the Dean of Students Office would allow me to be able to work with all those departments and help structure them in ways that would be best beneficial for students while fulfilling my needs as a student affairs professional.
In the near future, I want to work in academic advising. I have always loved being a student and want to help others succeed as one. As an undergraduate student, I learned many things about my academic progress through my own trial and error. I think that students are hesitant to see academic advisors because they feel that they do not receive enough personal attention or are lost in the masses. This is a challenge, especially for large schools like USF. However, I think that the individual can take the time and make an effort to be more involved. For my interview, I spoke with Bob Herron who told me different ways he gets involved with his students (organization advisor, collaboration with different departments, etc.).
I am completely unsure of what I would ultimately like to do. I enjoy working with students in every capacity so it makes it very difficult for me to choose where I would work best. I really enjoy working at the Honors College. The students I work with are all wonderful, inspiring, and driven students and I have an opportunity to help them develop academically, socially, and emotionally. I would like to see them more often than I do and I have a great passion for programming and reslife. So I think I would love to work in reslife again for a few years because I do miss it. After that I would like to (maybe) further my education and perhaps work as a dean of students. As Greg explained, they get to work with students in all aspects of student affairs. We will see what happens. The next two years will be a great learning experience and an opportunity to really find myself within student affairs!
I know there are very few of us who know exactly what our end goal is for our student affairs career, so don’t feel like you have to know that aspect right now. This is just to get our minds working towards the first step after we complete the program. Where we start is most likely not going to be where we will be working 5, 10, 15 years down the line (although it might).
Oh boy...can you ask me this same question in another year? Haha. I know for a fact that I would want to have the experience in working in a number of areas, from Student Activities and Event Planning to Athletics and Campus Recreation. Within my assistantship, I have had some kind of exposure or a working relationship with those departments. One thing that intrigues me about all of them is how they do have a form of student focus. Though they have a distinct mission as to what their office does, it is ultimately done to benefit the student. I know for a fact that I need to work with students hands-on to get a grasp for them, especially if I plan to enter into administration in my far future and serving them in another form.
I definitely know that I want to work with students. Especially since now I have little to no interaction with them right now. I would prefer that my "start-off" career in field is in either Fraternity and Sorority life, or Judicial affairs. I find both of those functional areas to be fast-paced, fun, and exciting. However, I am up for anything as long as I am not sitting behind a desk everyday, not working with students. I also have an interest in student retention and working with first-year students, so I would be happy with any position that correlates along that interest as well. I am sure over our experiences in the next 2 years, I may change my mind slightly, but that is the direction which I would like to see myself headed.
I'm really enjoying my time in the Honors College working with a small group of students, but in the future I think I would like to work in an office where I have the opportunity to interact with a wider range of students. Current interests of mine are working in admissions, the career center, leadership, and study abroad. I have so many interests that every time a new speaker comes to class or I learn more about a specific department on campus I think I may want to work there some day. I guess it may end up being a good thing, but for now I just feel slightly overwhelmed and confused. One thing I know for certain: there is a place for me in student affairs where I will be able to work with students on a daily basis and hopefully be a part of their development here no matter what title I may hold.
I love the question because I like learning more about what makes us all tick.
I could see myself staying in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement for a while - I'm more than happy with the people and the work I'm doing. My natural passion is in leadership - I have a minor in Leadership Studies from K-State and have always been involved with leadership programming in some form or fashion. I love the opportunities I get to interact with students on a daily basis, but I also have time to develop new programs and use my creativity for revamping old programs.
Eventually, I'd like to think that this might lead me to be the Director - whether at USF or another institution - until I work my way up to VP of a university. I don't really have any desire to make the sacrifices that a President is asked to make, but I feel like the work of a VP would be rewarding, challenging and engaging.
I haven’t seen enough of student affairs to have a clear direction yet. I look forward to actually working with students. Financial aid has not yet given me many of those opportunities. The areas that sound the most interesting for me so far are athletics, campus recreation, judicial affairs, leadership and advising. At least I have narrowed it down a little. I know that the next year and a half will lead to some more changes. Change is good in this area, as long as it comes with more information. I look forward to each of the next classes to help me find some focus on the next career.
I have always had great passion for psychology on a grand scale from adult psychology to child psychology. I like the analyzing process and talking and getting to know different individuals. While in college I have also enjoyed working with the student body as a whole, so in the near future I would like to maybe do some type of counseling for students; students with disabilities as well (physical and psychological). More and More I realize that I will ask my self how much student contact is there in the different departments that I am interested in. Lately I would have to say that is where my drive is coming from. I wouldn't mind continuing to work in student unions on university campus or even campus recreation. These are the areas I have looked into, but I haven't quite narrowed it down just yet!
I love this question! Every area of student affairs gets me excited though, so narrowing it down is very hard. While working at a student union gives me so much, I could see myself in Student Judicial Services, or something in fraternities and sororities. I like what Ryan said though. “Life Never works out like we plan”. I never thought I would be where I am a year ago, so I really can’t tell where I am going to be two years from now. We will just have to see. I don’t think I will go beyond a Master’s degree, but then again that might change as well.
My answer is similar to Takiyah's in the sense that I really enjoyed my undergraduate years in psychology. I have a true passion for it and love working with people. I think I am going in the direction of working in a career or counseling center on campus. I also wouldn't mind being an academic adviser. I'm really excited about my future in college student affairs and possibly even pursuing my education farther in psychology.
I want to work in Athletics and really utilize student development theory. I’m passionate about working with students who are not expected to go to college and I am interested in shifting the mentality that many minority student athletes wouldn’t be in college if it weren’t for “this athletic ticket out”. The past couple of weeks I have spent some time in Athletics talking with a few Academic Coaches and athletes to find out what a day in the life is like. Like Emily stated earlier students sometimes shy away from asking for help and that also applies in athletics. I think some athletes maybe even the majority of them don’t ask for help because of a preconceived notion that they have it all together, especially if they’re on scholarship. I think there’s an interesting dilemma between Athletics and the rest of the campus community and I have hopes to ease that dilemma when I get employed. I know that won’t come easy but I’d like the challenge. I think a different kind of investment needs to be made in athletes, an academic investment-not academic babysitting. BUT this dilemma begins so early in the communities that students grow up in. All students should be expected to do well academically. Everyone involved in education needs to be held accountable.
Before I make it to athletics I want to continue working in Housing & Residential Life, preferably at a medium size school. I enjoy advising students and watching them grow through different circumstances. Many of the things I envision are more public policy based so who knows where that will take me. I have been intentional in getting into graduate school and that trend will continue for each of my goals, everything I do is purposeful.
Positions in Housing and Residential Education (as it is called here) can be one of the most impactful in our profession, in my opinion, at least for those students who live on campus. If we're sticking to the immediate future, right after graduation, my answer is going to be housing, where I am working now. Hall Director positions are often the most widely available and can be a lot of fun (though hard work!) if you're working with the population that fits with you. I think that eventually though, I'd like to work with business students in an office similar to the one I worked in during my undergrad (Career Management) or with wellness initiatives. But that's reaching past the 5-year mark.
After I graduate from the CSA program, I am interested in working in academic advising, in career counseling, or working with first year students with a program like University Experience. Like Monica, I'm interested in working in a medium-sized school or smaller school so that I can get varied broader experiences in an office that has multiple functional areas. I'm open to working in housing, leadership, student activities, etc but right now those functional areas aren't where I am most interested. I think we all agree that the more exposure we have, the better we will be able to hone our specific interets. I also think my interests lie where I have had experience thus far and so further exposure could open my eyes to different functional areas.
There are so many areas that I could work in and be passionate about. However, if I had to chose today right now where I would like to be, I think I would like to work with athletics at a Division II school. I enjoy the new experience at a large institution but there are a few things I miss that I can only find at a smaller school. I think when you work in student affairs at a smaller college, you are asked to wear many hats. You have more responsibilities and more chances to get involved and experience other aspects of campus. GOing back to athletics, I played volleyball all through my undergrad and I think that athletes are in need of a different kind of support on and off the field. Not only are athletes required to perform intellectually in the classroom, but also physically on the playing field. I miss that interaction with students and I would very much like to get back to athletics or campus recreation.
But, like Ryan said, life never works out the way we plan! We will see what happens in 2, 5, and 10 years!
I am interested in academic advising after I finish the CSA program. I want to help students choose classes that fit their schedule, their style of learning, and their interests. I also want to help transfer students understand what previous courses they’ve completed count towards their degree and create a plan for graduation. With my assistantship in financial aid I do have some opportunities to interact and help students think about their financial future. I have found that many students I see depend on the financial aid they receive to live. I have also seen how important academic planning and success is to students’ financial aid.
I, too, am keeping my options open. At this point, I am interested in working with community service and service learning programs or first-year experience programs. I think it is very important to have these all of these types of programs available to students. I would love to be able to connect the students with service opportunities and I have also enjoyed working with first-year students’ transition to college. Service learning has also always been to me the best of both worlds, as it combines academics and experience. For now I am truly enjoying learning about all of the different functional areas, and we shall see how my experiences here shape my future decisions.
Such a great question and although we've all been asked this a few times in our short 7 week CSA career I still have not been able to nail anything down yet like the rest of you. I am, however, enjoying my time in the Center for Student Involvement. Working directly with students is incredibly rewarding. This next week I will get to see an entire group of student's hard work come to fruition as we celebrate Homecoming Week. It's exciting to see that happen, but sad at the same time as I know this means it's time to close the chapter on this group and watch some of them graduate while others may move up in leadership rank for next year's board. This is definitely what excited me about any career in student affairs - developing students to move to the next level. I can't remember who said it above, but seeing the "light bulb" go on in their heads and to know that they are actually learning something is the reason I am here. So with that being said, I think I definitely want to stay in the student life area, whether that be leadership, activities, organizations, etc. But long term, definitely working on furthering my own education in addition to moving up in the professional as well!
I think this is a real healthy discussion. I also think alot of us might look back on this blog and be doing something totally different too, haha. I am interested in a variety of functions within student affairs. I am really into recreation and sports so Campus Recreation would be an interest, I also have expereince in Admissions work which is something I continue to see myself staying in. What we all have in common is a genuine interest in student lives and college life. I would probably be happy in a number of areas within the field. I also could see myself transitioning among a few different offices in my career.
Oh boy…how are we ever supposed to choose?! I loved my days in undergrad admissions. I thought sharing the school I loved so much with future Hawkeyes was awesome. Picking a college is a big decision and there was something very rewarding about helping a student make that choice. But there was also something great about Athletics. I hated that students weren’t always the first priority…but I really liked the students I worked with and they were a big part of my decision to go into student affairs. Student Government has it’s good days and bad days too…in a lot of ways it’s a good fit for me. My dad says I’m happiest when I have a crisis to solve and there is definitely a lot of that. Honors at Iowa was also an incredibly positive experience and there’s a part of me that would like to go back to that at some point. So…I guess I’m about as undecided as they come. Almost all of the speaker’s we’ve had so far this semester have said something that made me think “that would be cool!”
I know that once I complete the program I'll never be 100% sure on where specifically I want to be. I've had much practice in many departments and sometimes I can see myself going back to programming and events because it was my first passion. I really enjoying seeing students take ownership in what they do and make something unique. I also get satisfaction helping them figure out the process to get from point A to point B.
I will say though that working at Outdoor Recreation opened my eyes a little more to see that Student Affairs is so vast and diverse. I could see myself working in a different department in Campus Recreation. I'm really interested to see in the next couple of years what area I feel more connected with and go into.
Wow, I loved reading everyone's responses to this question! I like many have not nailed down one area in particular! I love my assistantship within the Career Center, especially since it is constantly changing and focusing more and more on student success and involvement! I am interested in academic advising, LLC's, activities, and new student programming! Right now I am just very excited to be here and trying to take everything in!
I enjoy my position now but I feel that venturing into another department could be very beneficial to me. I know many of the other students in our program have tried out different departments and if I had the opportunity I would like to go over to athletics. I think I would really enjoy a position in a department that my athletic ability/desire to continue athletics never took me to. Again just like Ryan said who knows where we will end up. I do not have a set life plan at all but if I had to look into the future right now I think some sort of athletics or campus recreation position would be in sight.
In case anyone wants to sign up for NASPA or ACPA, the membership fees are not too terrible for graduate students:
NASPA-$37.00
ACPA: Full-time Graduate Student Option 1 - $33.00 Any person who is currently engaged in graduate studies in an accredited graduate school in courses related to the student affairs profession and who is not employed full time during the membership year. The student’s major professor must attest to these qualifications. Pre-doctoral internships or work experiences required for completion of a degree program are not considered full time employment for the purposes of this category. An electronic only subscription to the Journal of College Student Development (JCSD) is provided.
Full-time Graduate Student Option 2 - $49.00 Same except a print subscription to the Journal of College Student Development (JCSD) is provided.
The world of Student Affairs is so diverse and the more I think about it and the more I read and the more guest presentations I hear the more I realize it is impossible too soon and I am completely not ready to make a definitive "this is what I want to be" statement. I can say that I know I want to work at a University whether it be private, public, large, or small who knows. And I know I want to in some way work with students, whether I am advising them, counseling them, or who knows even disciplining them only time will tell.
This really has been a wonderful chance to catch a glimpse of each of you. It’s discussions like these that make our group more “cohorty” That said, I’m like a lot of you, interested in working with students in the immediate future. As far as my own plans and intentions go, I’d like to go into academic advising, most likely at a small, private school. Eventually, I’d like to serve as a Dean of Academic Affairs or VP of Academic Affairs. At this point in my life, I also don’t see the glamour of undertaking the responsibilities of a university president position. I’m interested, like Aaron pointed out, how (if at all) our plans shift over the next two years. That said, good luck to everyone during this time of self-exploration!
My assistantship is currently in athletics. I currently label myself as undecided, but I know part of me wants to stay in Athletics. I admire the administrative aspect of athletics. I feel that there is so much that goes into this area in student affairs, and many people are not aware. Most people relate athletics to just the sports teams, but there is so much more. Im finding out through my assistantship what makes up this beast and it's a lot more than just the teams that occupy its facilities. I am interested in learning more about the organizations that work behind the scenes such as NCAA, NJCA, and NAIA. Although extremely political i find these aspects of athletics extremely interesting and overall how they form these facilities.
My assistantship is with the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement with a focus on Civic Engagement and Service. I find it strange that I ended up with a position in service after devoting most of my undergrad to student employment. Now I have the privilege of working with students everyday that come to the office just because they want to help others and not because they are paid to work there. I think that down the road I may choose to stay in the service field. I am a very competitive person by nature and I feel that being a male in the field could allow me to get to where I would like to be quickly. Also, I do feel that male leadership is something that is needed throughout student affairs. With that said I would also like to pursue leadership in the future. I think that the center I work in now will give me a good foundation for developing a joint "Leadership and Service" department on another campus.
With all of that said, I would like to be the director of a student union that contains a bowling center. I love bowling and it consumes a good portion of my life. I think that combining the two efforts would allow me to be double as passionate about my work. It just seems like a perfect fit!
I know that I want to work with students directly to help them work through the many decisions they will face throughout college. As an academic advisor I hope to share the same encouragement, respect, and wisdom that I have received from many people who I admire. I know what I want to do, now I need to remain focused on our program to earn the knowledge and degree needed.
Well, ideally I would love to start working in Academic Advising, because I think that this would be a good entry level position into the student affairs field. I think this is something that I would like to do, but not permanently. Afterwards I’m really open to any opportunities that come my way. I’ve always thought that it would be interesting to be involved in campus design, but I’m not sure if this involves a well-rounded knowledge of architecture. Another area that I’m interested in is residence life. I’ve never lived on campus, so this would be a new experience for me.
I was surprised the first couple of times this question was asked in class how many of you "have no idea" or are "keeping your options open." I think that's a very interesting testament to the breadth of the SA field as well as the transferable skills to other fields that are acquired through this program. Personally, I'm a planner, and very intentional in every life move I make. I plan to go directly to receive my PhD and work full time at a small (maybe medium) college with first generation access/minority student affairs or at an HBCU. My ultimate goal is to work in administration at an HBCU. I'm looking forward to gaining experiences working in many different aspects of Student Affairs along the way.
I don't know what I ultimately want to do once I graduate but I am starting to get some ideas of areas which I am growing interested in working. One of the areas that I really miss working in now that I've started the CSA program is student unions. I used to work in the Marshall Student Center and I really miss the opportunities that student unions have on impacting the student experience. I have recently starting thinking that I would love to work professionally in a student union once I graduate. The other area that I am leaning towards (like Anthony and a few others) is work in the service or civic engagement fields. I really like the leadership aspect of that we have here at USF too and would love to work in the general field of "leadership" but there are not a lot of universities that have "leadership" and even fewer that do under the student affairs umbrella.
Chapter 15 is all about the organization and functional areas within the student affairs field. It has been strongly suggested that we become involved in the two main professional organizations that are briefly mentioned at the beginning of the chapter: The National Association of Student Personnel (NASPA) and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). If you would like more information on each, there is a lot of useful information on their respective websites: http://www.naspa.org/ and http://www2.myacpa.org/.
ReplyDeleteSince a majority of the chapter focuses on the functional areas of student affairs I think it would be a great opportunity to utilize this blog to discuss what area of the field we are most interested in working in once we complete the CSA program here at USF. Some of us may want to stay working in the areas where our assistantships are and some may want a completely different experience. As we continue the next couple of years we may change our minds, but it is never too soon to start thinking or talking about it (may give great thought as to what you want your practicum to be in).
At this moment I enjoy working in student government, but I am also interested in pursuing a career in leadership programs (which is why I am doing my interview on Jen Espinola in the CLCE). I understand there is a vast amount of material to choose from when creating leadership programs, but I think that is half of the fun. It would be amazing to create leadership development programs from the ground up and give an opportunity to students to participate in those programs. I would say this passion stemmed over the past couple of years as I facilitated numerous leadership retreats to a good portion of TKE chapters across the country. It is the best feeling in the world to see the “light bulbs” go off in students and watch the continuous progression as they grow into young leaders.
ReplyDeleteOnce I complete the CSA program here at USF, I would love to work in the Dean of Student’s Office. I understand that this is the office that has the ability to help students in all aspects of student affairs as well as enforce community standards and institutional standards. Helping students in all areas and being able to implement leadership ideologies and theories are two areas in which I am very passionate about. I have a passion to work in many functional areas within student affairs such as Student Activities, Leadership Programs, Greek Life, and Athletics because as an undergraduate student-leader at USF I had the opportunity to be apart of and partnership with many of these functional areas. Fortunately being able to work in the Dean of Students Office would allow me to be able to work with all those departments and help structure them in ways that would be best beneficial for students while fulfilling my needs as a student affairs professional.
ReplyDeleteIn the near future, I want to work in academic advising. I have always loved being a student and want to help others succeed as one. As an undergraduate student, I learned many things about my academic progress through my own trial and error. I think that students are hesitant to see academic advisors because they feel that they do not receive enough personal attention or are lost in the masses. This is a challenge, especially for large schools like USF. However, I think that the individual can take the time and make an effort to be more involved. For my interview, I spoke with Bob Herron who told me different ways he gets involved with his students (organization advisor, collaboration with different departments, etc.).
ReplyDeleteI am completely unsure of what I would ultimately like to do. I enjoy working with students in every capacity so it makes it very difficult for me to choose where I would work best. I really enjoy working at the Honors College. The students I work with are all wonderful, inspiring, and driven students and I have an opportunity to help them develop academically, socially, and emotionally. I would like to see them more often than I do and I have a great passion for programming and reslife. So I think I would love to work in reslife again for a few years because I do miss it. After that I would like to (maybe) further my education and perhaps work as a dean of students. As Greg explained, they get to work with students in all aspects of student affairs. We will see what happens. The next two years will be a great learning experience and an opportunity to really find myself within student affairs!
ReplyDeleteSounds great so far!
ReplyDeleteI know there are very few of us who know exactly what our end goal is for our student affairs career, so don’t feel like you have to know that aspect right now. This is just to get our minds working towards the first step after we complete the program. Where we start is most likely not going to be where we will be working 5, 10, 15 years down the line (although it might).
Oh boy...can you ask me this same question in another year? Haha. I know for a fact that I would want to have the experience in working in a number of areas, from Student Activities and Event Planning to Athletics and Campus Recreation. Within my assistantship, I have had some kind of exposure or a working relationship with those departments. One thing that intrigues me about all of them is how they do have a form of student focus. Though they have a distinct mission as to what their office does, it is ultimately done to benefit the student. I know for a fact that I need to work with students hands-on to get a grasp for them, especially if I plan to enter into administration in my far future and serving them in another form.
ReplyDeleteI definitely know that I want to work with students. Especially since now I have little to no interaction with them right now. I would prefer that my "start-off" career in field is in either Fraternity and Sorority life, or Judicial affairs. I find both of those functional areas to be fast-paced, fun, and exciting. However, I am up for anything as long as I am not sitting behind a desk everyday, not working with students. I also have an interest in student retention and working with first-year students, so I would be happy with any position that correlates along that interest as well. I am sure over our experiences in the next 2 years, I may change my mind slightly, but that is the direction which I would like to see myself headed.
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying my time in the Honors College working with a small group of students, but in the future I think I would like to work in an office where I have the opportunity to interact with a wider range of students. Current interests of mine are working in admissions, the career center, leadership, and study abroad. I have so many interests that every time a new speaker comes to class or I learn more about a specific department on campus I think I may want to work there some day. I guess it may end up being a good thing, but for now I just feel slightly overwhelmed and confused. One thing I know for certain: there is a place for me in student affairs where I will be able to work with students on a daily basis and hopefully be a part of their development here no matter what title I may hold.
ReplyDeleteI love the question because I like learning more about what makes us all tick.
ReplyDeleteI could see myself staying in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement for a while - I'm more than happy with the people and the work I'm doing. My natural passion is in leadership - I have a minor in Leadership Studies from K-State and have always been involved with leadership programming in some form or fashion. I love the opportunities I get to interact with students on a daily basis, but I also have time to develop new programs and use my creativity for revamping old programs.
Eventually, I'd like to think that this might lead me to be the Director - whether at USF or another institution - until I work my way up to VP of a university. I don't really have any desire to make the sacrifices that a President is asked to make, but I feel like the work of a VP would be rewarding, challenging and engaging.
But hey, life never works out like we plan!
I haven’t seen enough of student affairs to have a clear direction yet. I look forward to actually working with students. Financial aid has not yet given me many of those opportunities. The areas that sound the most interesting for me so far are athletics, campus recreation, judicial affairs, leadership and advising. At least I have narrowed it down a little. I know that the next year and a half will lead to some more changes. Change is good in this area, as long as it comes with more information. I look forward to each of the next classes to help me find some focus on the next career.
ReplyDeleteI have always had great passion for psychology on a grand scale from adult psychology to child psychology. I like the analyzing process and talking and getting to know different individuals.
ReplyDeleteWhile in college I have also enjoyed working with the student body as a whole, so in the near future I would like to maybe do some type of counseling for students; students with disabilities as well (physical and psychological). More and More I realize that I will ask my self how much student contact is there in the different departments that I am interested in. Lately I would have to say that is where my drive is coming from. I wouldn't mind continuing to work in student unions on university campus or even campus recreation. These are the areas I have looked into, but I haven't quite narrowed it down just yet!
I love this question! Every area of student affairs gets me excited though, so narrowing it down is very hard. While working at a student union gives me so much, I could see myself in Student Judicial Services, or something in fraternities and sororities. I like what Ryan said though. “Life Never works out like we plan”. I never thought I would be where I am a year ago, so I really can’t tell where I am going to be two years from now. We will just have to see. I don’t think I will go beyond a Master’s degree, but then again that might change as well.
ReplyDeleteMy answer is similar to Takiyah's in the sense that I really enjoyed my undergraduate years in psychology. I have a true passion for it and love working with people. I think I am going in the direction of working in a career or counseling center on campus. I also wouldn't mind being an academic adviser. I'm really excited about my future in college student affairs and possibly even pursuing my education farther in psychology.
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ReplyDeleteI want to work in Athletics and really utilize student development theory. I’m passionate about working with students who are not expected to go to college and I am interested in shifting the mentality that many minority student athletes wouldn’t be in college if it weren’t for “this athletic ticket out”. The past couple of weeks I have spent some time in Athletics talking with a few Academic Coaches and athletes to find out what a day in the life is like. Like Emily stated earlier students sometimes shy away from asking for help and that also applies in athletics. I think some athletes maybe even the majority of them don’t ask for help because of a preconceived notion that they have it all together, especially if they’re on scholarship. I think there’s an interesting dilemma between Athletics and the rest of the campus community and I have hopes to ease that dilemma when I get employed. I know that won’t come easy but I’d like the challenge. I think a different kind of investment needs to be made in athletes, an academic investment-not academic babysitting. BUT this dilemma begins so early in the communities that students grow up in. All students should be expected to do well academically. Everyone involved in education needs to be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteBefore I make it to athletics I want to continue working in Housing & Residential Life, preferably at a medium size school. I enjoy advising students and watching them grow through different circumstances. Many of the things I envision are more public policy based so who knows where that will take me. I have been intentional in getting into graduate school and that trend will continue for each of my goals, everything I do is purposeful.
Positions in Housing and Residential Education (as it is called here) can be one of the most impactful in our profession, in my opinion, at least for those students who live on campus. If we're sticking to the immediate future, right after graduation, my answer is going to be housing, where I am working now. Hall Director positions are often the most widely available and can be a lot of fun (though hard work!) if you're working with the population that fits with you.
ReplyDeleteI think that eventually though, I'd like to work with business students in an office similar to the one I worked in during my undergrad (Career Management) or with wellness initiatives. But that's reaching past the 5-year mark.
After I graduate from the CSA program, I am interested in working in academic advising, in career counseling, or working with first year students with a program like University Experience. Like Monica, I'm interested in working in a medium-sized school or smaller school so that I can get varied broader experiences in an office that has multiple functional areas. I'm open to working in housing, leadership, student activities, etc but right now those functional areas aren't where I am most interested. I think we all agree that the more exposure we have, the better we will be able to hone our specific interets. I also think my interests lie where I have had experience thus far and so further exposure could open my eyes to different functional areas.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many areas that I could work in and be passionate about. However, if I had to chose today right now where I would like to be, I think I would like to work with athletics at a Division II school. I enjoy the new experience at a large institution but there are a few things I miss that I can only find at a smaller school. I think when you work in student affairs at a smaller college, you are asked to wear many hats. You have more responsibilities and more chances to get involved and experience other aspects of campus. GOing back to athletics, I played volleyball all through my undergrad and I think that athletes are in need of a different kind of support on and off the field. Not only are athletes required to perform intellectually in the classroom, but also physically on the playing field. I miss that interaction with students and I would very much like to get back to athletics or campus recreation.
ReplyDeleteBut, like Ryan said, life never works out the way we plan! We will see what happens in 2, 5, and 10 years!
I am interested in academic advising after I finish the CSA program. I want to help students choose classes that fit their schedule, their style of learning, and their interests. I also want to help transfer students understand what previous courses they’ve completed count towards their degree and create a plan for graduation. With my assistantship in financial aid I do have some opportunities to interact and help students think about their financial future. I have found that many students I see depend on the financial aid they receive to live. I have also seen how important academic planning and success is to students’ financial aid.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am keeping my options open. At this point, I am interested in working with community service and service learning programs or first-year experience programs. I think it is very important to have these all of these types of programs available to students. I would love to be able to connect the students with service opportunities and I have also enjoyed working with first-year students’ transition to college. Service learning has also always been to me the best of both worlds, as it combines academics and experience. For now I am truly enjoying learning about all of the different functional areas, and we shall see how my experiences here shape my future decisions.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great question and although we've all been asked this a few times in our short 7 week CSA career I still have not been able to nail anything down yet like the rest of you. I am, however, enjoying my time in the Center for Student Involvement. Working directly with students is incredibly rewarding. This next week I will get to see an entire group of student's hard work come to fruition as we celebrate Homecoming Week. It's exciting to see that happen, but sad at the same time as I know this means it's time to close the chapter on this group and watch some of them graduate while others may move up in leadership rank for next year's board. This is definitely what excited me about any career in student affairs - developing students to move to the next level. I can't remember who said it above, but seeing the "light bulb" go on in their heads and to know that they are actually learning something is the reason I am here. So with that being said, I think I definitely want to stay in the student life area, whether that be leadership, activities, organizations, etc. But long term, definitely working on furthering my own education in addition to moving up in the professional as well!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a real healthy discussion. I also think alot of us might look back on this blog and be doing something totally different too, haha. I am interested in a variety of functions within student affairs. I am really into recreation and sports so Campus Recreation would be an interest, I also have expereince in Admissions work which is something I continue to see myself staying in. What we all have in common is a genuine interest in student lives and college life. I would probably be happy in a number of areas within the field. I also could see myself transitioning among a few different offices in my career.
ReplyDeleteOh boy…how are we ever supposed to choose?! I loved my days in undergrad admissions. I thought sharing the school I loved so much with future Hawkeyes was awesome. Picking a college is a big decision and there was something very rewarding about helping a student make that choice. But there was also something great about Athletics. I hated that students weren’t always the first priority…but I really liked the students I worked with and they were a big part of my decision to go into student affairs. Student Government has it’s good days and bad days too…in a lot of ways it’s a good fit for me. My dad says I’m happiest when I have a crisis to solve and there is definitely a lot of that. Honors at Iowa was also an incredibly positive experience and there’s a part of me that would like to go back to that at some point. So…I guess I’m about as undecided as they come. Almost all of the speaker’s we’ve had so far this semester have said something that made me think “that would be cool!”
ReplyDeleteI know that once I complete the program I'll never be 100% sure on where specifically I want to be. I've had much practice in many departments and sometimes I can see myself going back to programming and events because it was my first passion. I really enjoying seeing students take ownership in what they do and make something unique. I also get satisfaction helping them figure out the process to get from point A to point B.
ReplyDeleteI will say though that working at Outdoor Recreation opened my eyes a little more to see that Student Affairs is so vast and diverse. I could see myself working in a different department in Campus Recreation. I'm really interested to see in the next couple of years what area I feel more connected with and go into.
Wow, I loved reading everyone's responses to this question! I like many have not nailed down one area in particular! I love my assistantship within the Career Center, especially since it is constantly changing and focusing more and more on student success and involvement! I am interested in academic advising, LLC's, activities, and new student programming! Right now I am just very excited to be here and trying to take everything in!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy my position now but I feel that venturing into another department could be very beneficial to me. I know many of the other students in our program have tried out different departments and if I had the opportunity I would like to go over to athletics. I think I would really enjoy a position in a department that my athletic ability/desire to continue athletics never took me to. Again just like Ryan said who knows where we will end up. I do not have a set life plan at all but if I had to look into the future right now I think some sort of athletics or campus recreation position would be in sight.
ReplyDeleteIn case anyone wants to sign up for NASPA or ACPA, the membership fees are not too terrible for graduate students:
ReplyDeleteNASPA-$37.00
ACPA:
Full-time Graduate Student Option 1 - $33.00
Any person who is currently engaged in graduate studies in an accredited graduate school in courses related to the student affairs profession and who is not employed full time during the membership year. The student’s major professor must attest to these qualifications. Pre-doctoral internships or work experiences required for completion of a degree program are not considered full time employment for the purposes of this category. An electronic only subscription to the Journal of College Student Development (JCSD) is provided.
Full-time Graduate Student Option 2 - $49.00
Same except a print subscription to the Journal of College Student Development (JCSD) is provided.
The world of Student Affairs is so diverse and the more I think about it and the more I read and the more guest presentations I hear the more I realize it is impossible too soon and I am completely not ready to make a definitive "this is what I want to be" statement. I can say that I know I want to work at a University whether it be private, public, large, or small who knows. And I know I want to in some way work with students, whether I am advising them, counseling them, or who knows even disciplining them only time will tell.
ReplyDeleteThis really has been a wonderful chance to catch a glimpse of each of you. It’s discussions like these that make our group more “cohorty” That said, I’m like a lot of you, interested in working with students in the immediate future. As far as my own plans and intentions go, I’d like to go into academic advising, most likely at a small, private school. Eventually, I’d like to serve as a Dean of Academic Affairs or VP of Academic Affairs. At this point in my life, I also don’t see the glamour of undertaking the responsibilities of a university president position. I’m interested, like Aaron pointed out, how (if at all) our plans shift over the next two years. That said, good luck to everyone during this time of self-exploration!
ReplyDeleteMy assistantship is currently in athletics. I currently label myself as undecided, but I know part of me wants to stay in Athletics. I admire the administrative aspect of athletics. I feel that there is so much that goes into this area in student affairs, and many people are not aware. Most people relate athletics to just the sports teams, but there is so much more. Im finding out through my assistantship what makes up this beast and it's a lot more than just the teams that occupy its facilities. I am interested in learning more about the organizations that work behind the scenes such as NCAA, NJCA, and NAIA. Although extremely political i find these aspects of athletics extremely interesting and overall how they form these facilities.
ReplyDeleteMy assistantship is with the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement with a focus on Civic Engagement and Service. I find it strange that I ended up with a position in service after devoting most of my undergrad to student employment. Now I have the privilege of working with students everyday that come to the office just because they want to help others and not because they are paid to work there. I think that down the road I may choose to stay in the service field. I am a very competitive person by nature and I feel that being a male in the field could allow me to get to where I would like to be quickly. Also, I do feel that male leadership is something that is needed throughout student affairs. With that said I would also like to pursue leadership in the future. I think that the center I work in now will give me a good foundation for developing a joint "Leadership and Service" department on another campus.
ReplyDeleteWith all of that said, I would like to be the director of a student union that contains a bowling center. I love bowling and it consumes a good portion of my life. I think that combining the two efforts would allow me to be double as passionate about my work. It just seems like a perfect fit!
I know that I want to work with students directly to help them work through the many decisions they will face throughout college. As an academic advisor I hope to share the same encouragement, respect, and wisdom that I have received from many people who I admire. I know what I want to do, now I need to remain focused on our program to earn the knowledge and degree needed.
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ReplyDeleteWell, ideally I would love to start working in Academic Advising, because I think that this would be a good entry level position into the student affairs field. I think this is something that I would like to do, but not permanently. Afterwards I’m really open to any opportunities that come my way. I’ve always thought that it would be interesting to be involved in campus design, but I’m not sure if this involves a well-rounded knowledge of architecture. Another area that I’m interested in is residence life. I’ve never lived on campus, so this would be a new experience for me.
I was surprised the first couple of times this question was asked in class how many of you "have no idea" or are "keeping your options open." I think that's a very interesting testament to the breadth of the SA field as well as the transferable skills to other fields that are acquired through this program. Personally, I'm a planner, and very intentional in every life move I make. I plan to go directly to receive my PhD and work full time at a small (maybe medium) college with first generation access/minority student affairs or at an HBCU. My ultimate goal is to work in administration at an HBCU. I'm looking forward to gaining experiences working in many different aspects of Student Affairs along the way.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I ultimately want to do once I graduate but I am starting to get some ideas of areas which I am growing interested in working. One of the areas that I really miss working in now that I've started the CSA program is student unions. I used to work in the Marshall Student Center and I really miss the opportunities that student unions have on impacting the student experience. I have recently starting thinking that I would love to work professionally in a student union once I graduate. The other area that I am leaning towards (like Anthony and a few others) is work in the service or civic engagement fields. I really like the leadership aspect of that we have here at USF too and would love to work in the general field of "leadership" but there are not a lot of universities that have "leadership" and even fewer that do under the student affairs umbrella.
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