professional philosophy

Running head: PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY 1

Professional Philosophy

Bruce B. Mann

Seattle University

SDAD 577

Professor Alvin A. Sturdivant

December 4, 2013

PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY 2

It was a Thursday afternoon in April 2012 when I saw all of the missed calls on my

phone. I was in my first year as the coordinator of the volunteer center at the University of Idaho

and we had been holed up in the conference room for most of the day conducting interviews for

the following year’s group of student coordinators. I left the room to find out what was going on

and at that moment everything changed for me as a student affairs professional and a person.

Karen, who I had the pleasure of supervising and mentoring in her position as an

alternative service breaks coordinator, had been rushed to the hospital after suffering what turned

out to be a stroke in the university pool. A week later I sat in a waiting room in Spokane as the

doctors and Karen’s mother let everyone know that she was officially brain dead and would be

removed from life support. A month away from graduation with a degree in biology and dreams

of medical school and a life of service, Karen was suddenly gone from our lives and the world.

I was unprepared for how to best help students through the crisis while also finding time

to work through my own grief. We set up a time and place for people to come together to grieve

with the assistance of the counseling center and the Dean of Students. I sat and listened to

students while we remembered, we laughed and we cried. We offered support during a time of

immense sadness, but I continued to struggle with the loss and how to proceed. I did not have the

experience or skills to simultaneously support students in making meaning of a tragic situation

and deal with my own pain.

My personal professional philosophy came into sharp contrast in the months following

Karen’s death. In processing the events of that spring I also began to reflect on my role as a

student affairs professional not only in the moments of crisis but also in my day-to-day work

with students. I came to recognize that while I was producing quality work and developing


engaging educational opportunities for students, I was losing sight of the fundamental function of

higher education and student affairs, as well as my role in it.

Through personal reflection and graduate coursework my professional philosophy has

evolved and deepened, centering on empowering, affirming and caring for students, their

learning, and their personal development in order to prepare them to affect positive change in the

world. The formation of my philosophy and approach to working in student affairs can be best

understood by an exploration of my views of the nature of education and student affairs, the role

of student affairs practitioners as educators, and how we show up in the work as professionals in

practice.

The Nature of Education and Student Affairs

Currently, almost every country is engaged in conversations about “reforming” education

in the context of globalization and an increasingly “flattened world” (Friedman, 2005).

Specifically, in the United States our education system is grounded not in an empowering,

transformative philosophy but rather a staid, static one.

Fundamentally, education is formed around an outmoded pedagogy based on meeting the

needs of a post-industrial revolution society (Robinson & Aronica, 2009). Students and society

are rapidly changing, yet the fundamental philosophy and pedagogy of formal education (top-

down, transactional, vocational training) remains the same. According to Robinson (2008), “The

problem is: they are trying to meet the future by trying to do what they did in the past.”

Addressing new challenges in the most inclusive way possible, not to mention dismantling

anachronistic systems should be an important function of student affairs professionals. In order


to be the most effective in achieving transformation it is necessary to outline and understand my

own views regarding the purpose of education and the role of student affairs in higher education.

For me, the purpose of education is rooted in the notions of change, transformation and

improvement. Influenced by the scholarship of Freire (1970) and hooks (1994), I view education

as an act of freedom. Their work and the work of others are instructive in that it offers a holistic,

inclusive and transformative view of education.

Education has the potential to transform, but a much more common outcome is that

education (from K-12) acculturates and assimilates learners to the dominant system. As the

oppressed come into power, they themselves become oppressors. They have taken on an

“attitude of ‘adhesion’ to the oppressor” (Freire, 1970, p. 45). Education cannot be truly

transformative if an implicit outcome is the continued (mostly unconscious) support of an

oppressive, exclusionary system. Most of education and teaching resembles a banking system

(Freire, 1970), where knowledge is transmitted from the expert teacher and students are only

asked to memorize and recite that knowledge. This has the effect of treating students as

inanimate objects that have little autonomous purpose beyond what is ascribed to them. This,

along with the banking system’s lack of attention to the inner wellbeing of students (hooks, p.

17), serves to deny the individuality and humanity of students.

While, for me, it is easier to identify what the purpose of education should not be, I do

find inspiration in the idea of an “engaged pedagogy” that regards students as active participants

and partners in the learning process and where educators take care to consider the holistic

wellbeing of students (hooks, 1994). This shifts the emphasis from teaching to a focus on the

learning and personal experiences of the students. The work of both Freire and hooks provide a


critical framework in which we can not only transform learning inside the classroom, we can also

start dismantling the current top-down system of education in order to be more inclusive.

Changing the educational paradigm with an emphasis on engaged pedagogy is necessary

in order to achieve, what I believe to be, the true purpose and power of education. That is a

system that “…puts emphasis, in brief upon the development of the student as a person rather

than upon his intellectual training alone (NASPA, 1989).” This care of the whole person is

critical in assisting students in developing increased self-actualization and preparing them to

transform the world in a positive way, attuned to justice and the common good. In my opinion, a

hallmark of a transformative education is the advancement of democratic ideals through

development of students

My perspective on education in general, and higher education in particular, is that to be

most effective in empowering agents of societal change, care must be given to educating the

whole person. Found explicitly in Jesuit education, holistic education does not focus solely on

intellectual growth but includes educating the heart, mind, body and spirit (Stringer & Sweazey,

2006). It is out of this that I believe the purpose of student affairs flows, which is to attend to the

personal, interpersonal and cultural development of students beyond intellectual training.

Student affairs developed over time due to a variety of factors including responses to a

post-industrial revolution America, the increase of both male and female students in the post war

period, continuing changing demographics of students, the social upheaval of the 1960’s and a

variety of other factors. (McClellan & Stringer, 2009). Born out of necessity and out of the

influence of early deans of men, deans of women, and personnel works, student affairs primary

concern should be with individual student’s personal development.


Student affairs fills in gaps in the higher education system. Starting with an ethic of care,

student affairs attends to the needs of students beyond their intellectual development. In its most

effective form, student affairs provides space for students to thrive holistically. If there are

challenges impeding student success, it can provide assistance and intervention. Student affairs

can also help students develop a range of competencies and skills, the benefits of which

positively affect individuals, groups, and ultimately society as a whole. In order to one day

effectively transform the world that accepts, empowers and validates all of our humanity,

students must have confidence in themselves and in the idea that they can make a difference. The

purpose of student affairs is to guide students through the self-discovery and discernment

processes. Student affairs facilities the process of meaning making for students as they wade

through complex issues and their roles as active, engaged citizens. It works in concert with the

ideology of Freire and hooks, affirming each individual’s humanity while centering the

educational process on the student rather than the content or instructor.

I firmly believe that education is an act of freedom and when structured around active

student-centered, learning with attention paid to educating the whole person we are able to reach

a diverse range of students. Higher education should prepare students to enter the world and

workforce as confident leaders willing and able to transform the world for the better.

Student Affairs Practitioners as Educators

Since the time I became aware of student affairs as a profession, I have always viewed

most student affairs practitioners as educators, first and foremost. While we have seen a

paradigm shift and increase in student affairs practitioners seeing a stronger connection between

their functional roles and the critical mission of learning at institutions of higher education


(Bourassa & Kruger, 2001), it is alarming to me to see, at least anecdotally, so many

practitioners unwilling to identify as educators though it is a core tenet of the profession. It is my

strong belief that “educator” is a central, fundamental role for student affairs practitioners. In

order to be most effective as educators, we must explore how student affairs practitioners can

best contribute to the aims of education at a variety of types of institutions, what are the best

methods in teaching student affairs subject matter, and what should students and practitioners

reasonably expect from each other.

Higher education should attend to the holistic development and education of students

connecting in and out of classroom experiences as seamlessly as possible. I believe we as student

affairs practitioners are ably suited to contribute to the aims of education by building

partnerships with faculty and other educators and utilizing the frequency of our direct contact

with students. Student affairs practitioners can, and should, work to enhance student learning by

breaking down organizational barriers and engaging in partnerships across campus (American

College Personnel Association [ACPA], 1994). Partnerships have the potential to produce

complementary curricular and co-curricular experiences that effectively use campus resources in

meeting shared learning outcomes (Kezar, 2009).

There are countless reasons I have heard why collaborations and partnerships with faculty

are difficult or cannot be done. I still see student affairs practitioners internalizing assumptions

and bias against them as educators, as well as faculty who struggle with treating those without

doctorates as partners in the educational process. The research shows that these attitudes are

shifting (Kezar, 2009), but more work must be done by faculty and student affairs professionals

to create an effective, integrated learning environment. I have been fortunate to have worked

with faculty in developing the curriculum for alternative service break trainings in my past


professional position. It was mutually beneficial for us as planners in that I was able to tap into

the pedagogical and content expertise of the faculty while they were exposed to a diverse group

of students outside of their department and gained experience working in a system that was

rooted in written and group reflections. Our co-curricular program was able to deepen the level

of learning by working together across academic and student affairs.

Student affairs practitioners can also contribute to the aims of education by taking

advantage of our breadth of knowledge around student development and our direct, at times

sustained, relationships with students. In reference to multiculturalism and diversity, McClellan

and Larimore (2009) posit that student affairs practitioners are best positioned to address these

issues because of the direct relationships with students. We then must seize the opportunities we

have with students to help make connections between in and out of class learning.

The type of institution has an effect on how student affairs practitioners can contribute to

student learning. In order to be most effective we must recognize and understand the complex

factors making up the campus ecology, climate and culture and their effects on the environment

for student learning (Kuh, 2009). Many complicated elements play out in shaping the campus

environment influencing student learning that include institutional mission and philosophy,

effective educational practices, and campus cultures (Kuh, 2009). From my time at a large,

public, high research activity institution, I saw that most faculty were focused on research and

publication in their quest for tenure, leaving little room for deep cross-pedagogical partnerships

with student affairs practitioners. This has a great effect on potential for integration and

collaboration around student learning across institutional boundaries.


Beyond partnerships, student affairs professionals act as educators in developing

programming, presenting workshops, teaching classes and seminars, and working one-on-one

with students. From my experience as both an undergraduate student and a professional, I have

found that an adaptive, engaged approach with attention paid to diverse learning styles is the best

method for teaching student affairs subject matter. hooks (1994) and Freire (1970) both advocate

for a problem posing style and engaged pedagogy in order to create opportunities for

transformative and liberating education. I am a proponent of an engaged pedagogy but I believe

that there is also a place in foundational subjects or concepts for the banking approach criticized

by Freire. An adaptive approach is needed depending on content, context, and the developmental

levels of students. Kolb’s theory of experiential learning (1981) provides a valuable framework

in addressing the needs of learners with differing learning styles and preferences which can be

used to develop methods and programs that are inclusive of a diverse range of learning styles. I

believe that student affairs subjects and material should be taught with student learning outcomes

at the forefront using methods that will both engage a diverse range of learners.

In the early 1990’s, recognition was made that student and institution relations have

changed drastically over the years and there was a need to clarify the expectations and needs of

both groups in order to enhance the quality of student learning, out of which emerged the paper

Reasonably Expectations (Kuh, Miller, Lyons, & Trow, 1995). I am in agreement with the

majority of the authors’ points in regards to what students and institutions should expect from

each other, however how often are we engaging students in conversations around what we expect

of each other. Student affairs practitioners and students should have open conversations about

each other’s expectations in order to best work together to improve the learning environment.

From my perspective, students should reasonably expect student affairs practitioners to see them


as individuals while supporting their various identity developments, offer support and assistance,

push their comfort levels in regards to engaging in differences, offer learning opportunities that

complement curricular work, and be invested in their holistic development. We should

reasonably expect from students that they approach experiences with an open mind, act as

responsible members of the community, take advantage of the vast resources on campus, act with

integrity, and work on developing personally as well as academically.

In order to improve learning opportunities and environments we as student affairs

practitioners not only must see ourselves as educators, but we must also take an active role in

creating effective campus partnerships, promote and utilize inclusive, adaptive pedagogies and

encourage students to expand their learning edges around personal development issues. As the

student population and world change, we must adapt our methods and approaches in order to best

prepare students to be successful, contributing members of society.

Student Affairs Educators as Professionals in Practice

Student affairs professionals have the ability to greatly affect students’ cognitive and

social development but in order to be most effective we must dedicate ourselves to life long

learning, understand how we differ from other members of the academy, and explore how we

approach and work through crisis.

Dealing with the death of a student with whom I was close highlighted the fact that I was

working through something without direct experience or knowledge. I did what I could, but I

would have been more effective both professionally and personally with a scholarly knowledge

base from which to draw. I agree with Carpenter and Stimpson (2007) that intentional practice


requires life long learning and we must constantly be looking to improve our understanding of

students and situations.

When I began my career in student affairs without a master’s degree, I believed that I

needed to “catch up” with colleagues so I developed a personal professional development plan to

get both a theoretical foundation and to stay current on trends and emerging scholarship. After

five years of professional experience and now a graduate student, I still have the same mindset

when it comes to lifelong learning. Lifelong learning for me is necessary to continue to learn and

grow throughout my career through multiple methods in order to best assist students in their

development as well as to navigate the rapidly changing nature of the complex problems student

affairs practitioners face daily (Cantor, 2006).

Komives and Carpenter (2009) explain that we are never finished learning and even after

moving from formal academic preparation our learning must be just as intentional, thought out

and organized. I believe that to have effective and efficient lifelong learning, you must develop a

plan that uses formal and informal spaces to continue growing as a professional. Higher

education associations, conferences and journals are valuable areas to further our knowledge

base, but learning should not be constrained to just formal arenas. I believe that to gain a holistic

understanding of students, student affairs and higher education we must be intentional in

developing our informal personal learning networks (PLNs) online and in person. I gain a

tremendous depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding from alternative forms of

professional development such as my engagement with student affairs colleagues on Twitter, co-

host of a student affairs-focused podcast, and involvement with multiple ACPA commissions.


I started my professional career with a self-directed professional development plan and

still believe that fundamentally most of our learning should be self-directed. Ideally, both learner

and supervisor should develop a learning and development plan together, but it is also imperative

for student affairs practitioners to take the lead in their learning. We should not wait for direction

or for opportunities to present themselves. In response to a lack of divisional professional

development and opportunities to discuss critical issues at Idaho, a small group of us created an

informal student affairs book club. We could have complained about a lack of opportunities, but

learning and development was important to us so we took it upon ourselves to create something

on our own. It is in this mindset that I approach lifelong learning. We must never stop reading,

learning, and growing both intellectually and personally.

Constant, consistent career and lifelong learning are imperative for student affairs

professionals especially because of our unique role in higher education compared to other

educators and administrators. We are distinguished from others in the academy because of our

direct, deep level of work and contact with students. Student affairs continues to be at the leading

edge of supporting students’ development in all aspects of their lives including exploring and

celebrating their diverse identities, promoting wellness in individuals and communities,

exploring faith and spirituality, offering support and guidance in times of crisis, and providing

educational programming that complements and builds upon knowledge gained inside the

classroom (McClellen and Stringer, 2009). All of these activities are undertaken in order to

prepare students to leave college ready to positively affect the world with an understanding that

learning and growth do not end at graduation.

The unique role of student affairs practitioners is incredibly important and apparent when

we manage crises and assist students in making meaning of tragic and impactful experiences.


Crises come in all shapes, sizes, and impact. They most commonly take the form of human,

facility or environmental crises (Miser and Cherrey, 2009). It is the human crisis that takes a

well-developed knowledge base and understanding to help students work through the difficult

questions and feelings that inevitably arise. It is our duty to create and maintain a crisis plan as

well as a climate of support during all periods of a crisis (Miser and Cherrey) but I believe that

our most important role comes from directly helping students process the crisis.

When crisis hits a campus community, like it did with Karen at Idaho, student affairs

professionals should provide both group and individual opportunities for processing, grief, and

conversation. We must start from a place of empathy and listening, as students work through

their feelings in different ways. We must support where we can but we also must be willing to

enlist the assistance of our colleagues in counseling services whenever possible. We must

acknowledge what we do not know and what we cannot or should not do, in order to guide

students through crises most effectively and humanely. We must also be willing to look inward

and get help with our own responses to crises lest we burn out or break down, neither of which is

helpful to the students with which we are working. It was in this is the area that I failed after

Karen died. I gave everything I could to her friends, co-workers, classmates and others, but

struggled to deal with it myself.

My professional philosophy is continually evolving as I deepen my academic and

experiential knowledge base. I continue to grow, learn and hope that I am better prepared to

work through challenges I will face in the future. I am not there yet and Karen’s death continues

to hurt me to this day but I am hopeful that with work I can learn, and be a better student affairs

professional for all of the students I will work with in the future.


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