2017 Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day
- Cristina Dypiangco
- Oct 7, 2017
- 3 min read
Learning domains: Personal & professional development and Education
Description: On Saturday, October 7th, I attended the 2017 Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day. This day is a local professional conference geared toward prospective graduate students and graduate students interested in student affairs. According to the Eventbrite page, this event is a “multifaceted professional development event that seeks to promote the profession to talented and diverse individuals, and to retain current professionals by meeting their career oriented professional development needs.” The keynote speaker was Dr. Vincent Vigil, Director of Student Life and Leadership at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Vigil advocates for students to achieve their personal and professional goals. The event included keynote speakers, workshops, and panels as well as coaching and resume sessions.
Term: Fall 2017
Learning Outcomes:
SWiBAT discuss experiences with student affairs professionals and/or prospective graduate students from other institutions.
SWiBAT engage with conference activities and relate them to both personal and professional goals.
Assessment Rubric
Reflection
Overall, I had a positive experience at the 2017 Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day. It was an excellent opportunity for me to expand my comfort zone and meet individuals from other institutions.
For SLO #1 I would rate myself as advanced because I had the opportunity to connect with several individuals, mostly undergraduate students. However, I would have preferred to interact with more professionals such as senior level administrators in the field, but this conference was catered more toward undergraduate students. After speaking to students in between sessions and during lunch I exchanged a few of my business cards. I heard back from one of the students and I will be following up with her to have lunch. I had the opportunity to obtain contact information from panelists from the “Doctor 4 Ways” workshop. Overall, I did not have difficulty networking with students and professionals. Striking up a conversation was more natural than I thought because I comfortable in the environment and knew that in this space we are all committed to helping students succeed in one way or another. I will follow up with the professionals that I obtained business cards from and thank them for sharing their experiences. Overall, the rubric held my accountable for following through with this student learning outcome.
For SLO #2 I would rate myself as competent because I attended various sessions that related to my personal and professional development through further knowledge about graduate school, exploration of campus communities, and improving my resume while learning about potential careers. For example, I wanted to learn more about obtaining a doctorate so during the the “Doctor 4 Ways” workshop, I listened to panelists who went to/are going to school at USC, Claremont Graduate University, Pepperdine, and Cal State Northridge. Professionals had obtained either an EdD or PhD and their reasons varied depending on affordability, time, and personal preference. It was interesting that an EdD did not used to be considered teaching degree, but now it has become more accepted for individuals to teach with this particular degree. Additionally, I attended a workshop on LGBTQIA+ student affairs professionals to better understand how I can become more knowledgeable about different communities on campus. I was surprised how only a small percentage of universities have some sort of Pride Center available for students. If an institution does not have a center, workshop panelists suggested that student affair professionals incorporate LGBT material into already existing diversity or cultural competency workshops. Lastly, the facilitators reminded the audience of the power of the student voice and to encourage students to use it.
During the resume workshop, I gained greater insight into potential future careers and how I could exemplify my experiences in a way that would differentiate myself from other candidates. Erin Booth, Associate Director at CSULB’s Career Development Center, suggested that I go beyond the tasks and duties of the job description and include elements of measurement/assessment as well as how I went above and beyond in certain roles. I was able to ask some questions about my resume and best practices; however, I could have had more detailed questions prepared or asked during this time.
Evidence
Please reference pictures below.
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