Professional Values and Philosophy
An understanding of higher education as a public good in society and a private good for economic advancement will guide my practices as a professional in higher education, informed by my core values as a leader. My core values of putting people first, their right to equitable access to further the quality of their lives, and creating more socially-just structures in society informs my purpose in higher education. I will continue to be inclusive with my decision-making by taking responsibility for my own development and various processes that affect the university community under my purview, to increase equity in higher education for students and staff. I will strengthen our community by building meaningful connections, and developing students, staff, and colleagues, while actively learning. I will engage in multicultural action through allyship and calling people in when I see injustice and oppression. This combination of values and my commitment to social justice will equip me to be successful in achieving my career goals and effecting lasting change centered on social justice in higher education.
Practice Area and Five-Year Plan
My primary motivation for obtaining a master’s degree is to recognize the various opportunities that may become available to me. I hesitate to pre-commit to a field and, in so doing, limit my professional choices. Even so, I am choosing to look first for opportunities in Academic Affairs and Student Engagement at a 4-year, public, land-grant university. Given my interest in understanding the social and cultural foundations of higher education and my aspiration for developing my abilities to address systemic oppression in education, I intend to pursue opportunities to better prepare me for engaging in social justice-oriented changemaking.
The most exciting aspect of my educational career was having the opportunity to pursue an education in the United States. However, I learned quickly that many who live in the country and have the interest to further themselves, do not have the same access as someone like me from another country. Additionally, most of the issues I faced while I was in college continue to affect the newer generations of students, and my inability to address them, leave me disheartened. To begin to address these issues and create equitable access to all those who wish to change their economic circumstance through an education, I must develop myself professionally through my education and career growth. These learning experiences will allow me to effect change that could make a difference at an institutional level. I could have an impact on larger populations of students from working at a higher level of the university than if I did in a one-on-one capacity. I explore my own positionality and the ways in which they have motivated me to pursue a career in Higher Education and Student Affairs in this Pecha Kucha.
Professional Development and Ethics
My primary goal is to develop myself beyond my master’s degree to inform me of the various challenges facing students and institutions of Higher Education, and ways to successfully navigate them. Keeping abreast on current research and emerging theories on student development will inform my practices. Following current events in higher education through sources such as Chronicles of Higher Education and Inside Higher Education, as well as being aware of policy changes and considerations at the institutional, state, national, and international level will develop my ability to consider the concerns of various stakeholders while staying true to the land-grant mission of my institution. Reflecting on issues facing higher education in America today, and understanding national conversations surrounding civil rights will allow me to critically analyze decisions, power structures, and their effects on students. As a student affairs professional, I will strive to determine whose interests are being served, and consider the ethical consequences of my decision-making as recommended by Kezar (2018). This will ensure that I engage in ethical processes with my colleagues and students that help identify underlying common values to arrive at ethical decisions as a community (Kezar, 2018).
Professional Goals
The Institute for Higher Education Policy (2005) reported consistent findings through studies that have “shown that going to college has broad and quantifiable national impacts, from higher salaries to improved health to increased volunteerism to a reduced reliance on welfare and other social support programs” (p. 3). To serve this purpose of higher education, and to create a culture of social justice and inclusion in my institution, it is important to be able to identify the power structures within the university that shape diverse students’ college experiences.
Students from diverse populations including students of color, low socio-economic status, veterans, adult learners, and students with different ethnicities increasingly begin their higher education in a two-year community college and attend more than one institution before obtaining their degree (Quaye & Harper, 2015). Higher education institutions must therefore identify and address institutional barriers for these transfer students and create a transfer-receptive culture. My creative component delineates the needs of the transfer student population, and offers key practices borrowed from grassroots community organizing as a way to challenge underlying assumptions and create a transfer receptive culture in four-year public institutions of higher education.
My professional goal of bringing equitable access to higher education for all therefore begins with the diverse transfer student population at OSU. An internship in the Office of Transfer and Student Veteran Success provided me with the resources, networks, and experiences I need to apply a critical lens to various processes and policies. Additionally, this experience allowed me to consider multiple organizational perspectives and factors that influence decision-making by higher education leaders and administrators. Based on my reflections related to my cumulative experiences, I will continue to build relationships with leaders on campus. I will identify ways in which we can collaborate and work towards creating a collective of leaders who bring in their insights and abilities to move my institution towards breaking down institutional barriers and increasing equitable access to education for diverse students.
References
Institute of Higher Education Policy. (2005). The investment payoff: A 50-state analysis of the public and private benefits of higher education. Washington, DC. http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED484570
Kezar, A. (2018). How colleges change: Understanding, leading, and enacting change (2nd edition). Routledge.
Quaye, S. J., & Harper, S. R. (2015). Student engagement in higher education: Theoretical perspectives and practical approaches for diverse populations. Routledge.
