LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 1

Learning Outcomes Narrative

Rita Manalastas

Student Development Administration, Seattle University

SDAD 5920 02: Portfolio Seminar

Paige Gardner, Ph.D.

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 2

Learning Outcome Narrative

My journey in higher education is insignificant without my core values as a first-

generation, Filipino-American scholar and my tenacity as a DEI-forward practitioner. These

values are but aren’t limited to, integrity, humility, growth, community, and leadership. The

Student Development Administration program has prepared me to apply these values to various

roles I can envision myself in. This narrative outlines how I’ve further developed and translated

learning objectives throughout academic courses, assignments, and professional experiences.

Each one of these learning objectives has contributed greatly to my formation as a scholar-

practitioner and you will notice themes of student-centered work, resistance toward harmful

practices, and the redefining of what it means to advance equity and inclusion in higher

education.

1. Understanding the Foundations and Emerging Nature of the Student Affairs Profession
and Higher Education

As a scholar, LO #1 outlines my responsibility of being a life-long learner of the student

populations and their experiences in higher education. As a practitioner, LO #1 emphasizes how

imperative it is that I have an understanding of foundational practices that I can adapt to the

inevitable changes in this field. My growing philosophy of this profession from SDAD 5300:

Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession further validates my strength in supporting and

amplifying the growing population of diverse students. However, I inherently hold the

assumption that students from four-year institutions represent all college students. In addition to

highlighting my strengths and areas of growth, this learning outcome implies the need for

historical awareness. I should be knowledgeable about education’s harmful history and know

how to use history to improve my practice.

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 3

I’ve exercised the skill of adapting my practice to be culturally conscious and reflective

of the communities I work with, like students of color. I have been successful in creating an

institutional culture of divesting from westernized standards to initiatives that uplift and celebrate

students of color. I am prepared to recognize the Community Cultural Wealth of students with

marginalized identities that might not be valued in “traditional” academic spaces (Yosso, 2005).

As a former admissions counselor, I led an event to welcome admitted students of color where I

learned that with a more diverse student population being accepted to SU, our event should

recognize the cultures and values that students of color bring with them (Artifact D).

Recognizing the significance of intentional representation in a predominantly white institution

demonstrates my ability to empathize with diverse students’ experiences and identify how I must

shift my attention as a practitioner toward those affected most by higher education’s changing

landscape.

I am hyper-fixated with the four-year institutional model and am working towards

adapting my retention and outreach efforts to student populations beyond traditional, four-year

college students. While my Autoethnography (Artifact C3) was purposefully about my own

educational experiences, it proved that I have defaulted the image of college students to those

who are transitioning from high school to a four-year institution. As I adjusted to my role at

Highline College from a four-year university, I’ve learned that recruiting students at four-year

institutions was straightforward and focused on high school students whereas recruitment efforts

in professional-technical colleges are less predictable due to students of diverse ages and

educational backgrounds. This experience showed me that practices found in the dominant

college culture are irrelevant and sometimes harmful when trying to replicate them in other

collegiate environments. My role as a scholar-practitioner involves educating myself on evolving

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 4

student demographics and holding myself accountable for rejecting problematic traditions

(Stewart, 2018, p. 5).

These skills are linked to the NASPA/ACPA competency of History, Philosophies, and

Values because knowing the exclusive/inclusive history of higher education and identifying

one’s responsibility in utilizing the history in their practice are the foundations of lasting change

in this profession (Bresciani et al., 2010). Demonstrating critique of higher education’s past is

the first step to instilling hope that this field can make positive strides. I imagine my contribution

to this mission as being involved in committees and task forces, such as the Martin Luther King

Jr. Week Celebration Committee I am a part of. Student collaboration coupled with departmental

unity will inspire the types of conversations, reflections, and calls to action necessary for

institutional and systemic transformation.

2. Understanding Students and Student Issues

LO #2 describes my power to listen intently to students, educate myself on their various

needs, and use their needs to inform my everyday tasks and projects. I’ve successfully harnessed

my skill of intentional and resourceful advocacy enough to center it as I trained student leaders.

But I still must grow in my ability to organize and implement sustainable, high-impact

programming that addresses students’ issues. Specifically, with underserved student populations,

SDAD 5400: Student Development Theory Research has drawn attention to theories that outline

the needs of various students’ identities. In all my roles, LO #2 is a constant reminder of my

responsibility to be a resourceful supporter for my students who can advocate for lasting

initiatives that respond to their needs.

Being a resourceful advocate who is educated on students’ needs has made me pay

special attention to how needs are often dependent on students’ salient identities. The American
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 5

Community College has provided me with many examples of student populations in which I had

to research and explore the identity-conscious approaches I can use to serve different

populations. Schlossberg’s Transition Theory validated the idea that many needs are dependent

on the students’ identities, backgrounds, and the current phase of life the student is in (Patton et

al., 2016, p. 37). As a graduate assistant for Orientation Programs, it was important for me to

develop a workshop where student leaders can be exposed to and understand the identity-specific

needs that students have during their initial transition to higher education. In essence,

understanding the intersection between students’ identities and students’ issues determines a

practitioner’s ability to provide relevant support to students and potentially advocate on a

programmatic scale.

My area of growth consists of being inexperienced with consistent and purposeful

programming. SDAD 5300: Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession presented me with the

idea of high-impact programming (Kuh, 2008, p. 14). I soon realized how limited and

underdeveloped my knowledge was of what makes programming effective for the development

of students. For example, I’ve organized new-student excursions and a welcome event for

admitted students of color and while they both addressed student issues, my efforts felt

superficial at times. These types of short-term initiatives are critical to student development, but

they have less of an impact on long-term student issues like student persistence and self-efficacy.

The positive correlation between high student involvement and academic/social achievement

found in Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement have inspired me to think about how my

programming can increase sustainable student engagement and satisfy students’ personal, social,

and academic needs (Long, 2012, p. 52).

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 6

LO #2 is associated with two NASPA/ACPA competencies: Advising and Helping and

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. My strength is related to Advising and Helping because

knowing and interacting with students’ concerns is crucial in providing individualized and

meaningful support (Bresciani et al., 2010). This competency highlights the role of relationship-

building and building rapport with students to better understand their needs. Equity, Diversity,

and Inclusion apply to both my strength and area of growth because these principles are the

guiding posts of how I seek an understanding of students’ needs, identify the relationship

between identities and needs, and prioritize diverse needs in my daily work.

3. Exhibiting Professional Integrity and Ethical Leadership in Professional Practice

I define LO #3 as leadership with a multicultural lens that centers on trust, allyship, and

advocacy against oppressive norms that target marginalized students. In the situation of equity

and inclusion, SDAD 5910: Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education showed me how ethical

leaders are anti-racist and anti-white supremacy. Therefore, LO #3 stresses being critically

aware of how marginalized students navigate inherently racist and inequitable institutions. This

becomes complicated when ethics do not align with the rules and barriers practitioners are

expected to abide by (Saunders & Wilson, 2017). In practice, this learning outcome challenges

how I reflect on complicated situations and decide to act on them.

I’ve prioritized integrity and ethical leadership throughout my practice by advocating for

underserved and undervalued students even when the dominant cultures and systems would

oppose them. Inspired by Critical Race Theory’s idea that racism and oppression exist

effortlessly in our ordinary lives, I do not hide behind oppressive systems but rather, uncover

and dismantle them (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). Advocacy requires the courage to criticize

and reimagine long-standing, harmful practices. In my Letter of Promise (Artifact E), my

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 7

colleague emphasizes my willingness to raise questions about the confusing nature of financial

aid and my dedication to supporting first-generation students who are left overwhelmed. In

professional practice, I have learned to challenge the rules that end up preventing me from

fostering authentic and ethical relationships with students. Despite being a former admissions

counselor and current retention specialist, I fiercely support students’ decisions to reject and

leave institutions that do not serve them holistically.

Developing integrity and ethics in my practice does not happen instantly and there are

times when I have failed to recognize my role in perpetuating damaging systemic practices. An

SDAD 5640: Internship in Student Development Administration assignment on ethical

dilemmas in my workplace allowed me to further reflect on the idea that when I benefit from

the system, ignorance can overcome me and prevent me from understanding the weight of my

privileges. I support adult learners in navigating their re-entry into higher education and/or the

workforce and I quickly realized that as a younger professional, I am more familiar with

present-day academic practices, technology, and the job search process. My students would

explain how their reality with the job market is much different than mine, and as a trusted

advocate, I could not continue my work without reflecting on how I contributed to the ageism of

the workforce system. Using the Adult Learning Theory, I will practice being a more trusted

advocate by reinforcing my empathy toward adult learners and how current systems are not

accommodating nor accessible to their needs (Knowles, 1980).

My strength and growth for LO #3 inform me to cultivate a practice that reflects the

following NASPA/ACPA competencies: Ethical Professional Practice, History, Philosophy, and

Values, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Bresciani et al., 2010). With my foundational

understanding of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, I will be in constant reflection on how my

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 8

personal ethics align, or do not align, with an institution’s reception of marginalized students.

This involves acknowledging historical trends and precedents that influence present-day

institutions’ efforts toward accommodating diverse communities. This trio of competencies

inspires my critical lens of today’s educational systems and moving forward, I will seize

opportunities to be involved in committees and advocacy groups that address macro-level

injustices and aim to transform institutional processes to better serve student needs.

4. Understanding and Fostering Diversity, Justice, and a Sustainable World Formed by a

Global Perspective and Jesuit Catholic Tradition

I define LO #4 as my personal and professional pursuit of social justice on individual,

community, and systemic levels. LO #4 would describe my responsibility to educate myself on

topics of (in)equity, inclusion, and justice and apply my knowledge to advocacy. This section

will outline my strength in centering community engagement in my DEI work with students. I

will also explain my growth area in applying new-found knowledge to my practice which SDAD

5800: Higher Education Law has since inspired me to use my knowledge as power to help

others. LO #4 ultimately connects my role as a scholar-practitioner to the real-life issues that my

students endure and the identities that they carry outside of the classroom.

I am the most effective at implementing DEI initiatives when I am able to collaborate

with communities and create spaces of belonging for students by engaging them with

communities they resonate with. Inspired by Laura Rendón’s study on how internal and external

validation can enhance a student’s experience in higher education, I’ve practiced fostering

relationships with external community members in hopes to connect them with students who

seek representation and familiarity (2012). Working at a school that is predominantly students of

color, with Black/African American students being the biggest population, I’ve led a panel

discussion with Black-owned business owners/community members to speak to students about

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 9

owning a business, following their visions, and centering community. I understand the education

system’s proximity to whiteness and exclusion, so my intention was to encourage authentic

dialogues where students can feel seen and heard by those they can relate to. My practice values

the power of relationships and cultivating community spaces as a form of advocacy.

My responsibility as a scholar-practitioner is to act on social justice and applying my

knowledge to action is still an area of growth for me. While this program has motivated me to

utilize resources, literature, and other wealth of knowledge to develop my own dedication

towards causes that support my students, learning about social justice is different from acting on

social justice. This fact was apparent to me during my 5800: Higher Education Law when I

chose to do my Professional Development Assignment (Artifact G) on DACA case studies. I

studied the legal history and effects of DACA as well as explained how relevant this information

is to my work with diverse student populations. This was an appropriate start to learning about a

cause that I wasn’t the most familiar with, but I did not prioritize how I would exert this new-

found information into my practice which consisted of working with undocumented students in

the admissions and financial aid processes. My definition of LO #4 calls attention to how

imperative it is to be an active participant in advocacy and moving forward, I will continue

working on balancing my roles as a knowledgeable scholar and engaged practitioner.

Each element of LO #4 will be relevant to my practice and they are reflective of the

NASPA/ACPA’s competencies of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Leadership (Bresciani et

al., 2010). The competency of Leadership pays attention to envisioning goals and initiating

changes to fulfill them. This relates to my area of growth because effective leadership creates a

bridge between knowledge and application. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion involve creating

welcoming, celebratory spaces which I alluded to when describing my strength in encouraging

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 10

spaces where communities can bond. Creating nurturing spaces is a foundation for initiating

programming that celebrates diversity in the education field. Being aware of the significance of

diversity and representation in the education system, I hope to transition into positions where I

can lead programming for underserved student populations.

5. Adapting Student Services to Specific Environments and Cultures

LO #5 has reframed my approach to meeting students where they are. I must be willing to

challenge what I know to effectively adapt my practice to cater to students’ environments and

cultures. I’ve successfully displayed my commitment to prioritizing the cultures and identities

that students bring to their college experience and integrating them into my programming.

However, I am continuously unlearning my inaccessible practices and growing in the way I view

accessibility in both virtual and physical environments. Supported by Phinney’s Model of Ethnic

Identity Development, transfiguring services to students rather than forcing students to conform

to their institution could improve retention efforts and the confidence of students (Patton et al.,

2016, p. 135).

My strength is my ability to intentionally get to know my student populations and

integrate their cultural wealth into my programming, events, and everyday interactions with

them. I diligently confirm that my practice is meeting students where they are and not

assimilating students further from their values and cultures. The first major event I led was SU’s

BIPOC Brunch event in which I made Strayhorn’s Sense of Belonging the foundation of the

programming by centering the theory’s idea that it is important for new students to feel secure

and included in intimidating environments like college campuses (2019). I collaborated with

SU’s cultural and identity-based clubs to host a small-scale involvement fair for the admitted

students, so they could experience authentic representation and connections with current
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 11

students. This professional experience and my self-reflections in SDAD 5400: Student

Development Theory, Research, and Practice (Artifact C3) helped me connect my own

experiences as a first-generation, student of color to my understanding of how critical it is to

recognize and celebrate students’ identities and cultural capitals that are often underrepresented

and undervalued in Western Education.

LO #5 serves as a critical foundation of my professional practice but I have neglected to

consider specific identities throughout my work. My approach does not always consider people

with disabilities and ableist culture is something I unintentionally uphold. My elective, NPLR

5250: Nonprofit Leadership hosted a guest speaker/disability advocate, ChrisTiana ObeySumner,

who has helped me reflect on how I perpetuate inaccessibility by assuming that virtual platforms

are more convenient and less prone to accessibility issues versus an in-person setting. All my

roles had adopted a virtual setting and I often caught myself establishing rules such as keeping

one’s camera on during Zoom and assuming that students could hear and understand clearly.

Robert McCruer’s Crip Theory has given me the tools to think about not only providing

accessible options for students with disabilities but rather, designing programming and events

with their needs already woven into them (Abes & Darkow, 2020, p. 228).

A couple of NASPA/ACPA competencies that uphold this learning objective is

Leadership and Equity, Diversion, and Inclusion (Bresciani et al., 2010). The first competency

outlines my efforts in leading inclusive and transformative practices that can influence the

institutional culture around supporting students of diverse backgrounds. The second competency

highlights the importance of a DEI-centric practice that is knowledgeable of student needs and

accommodations that are informed by their various identities. The future of my practice
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 12

envisions myself and my institution changing for and accommodating students versus expecting

students to conform to higher education.

6. Developing and Demonstrating Skills in Leadership and Collaboration

LO #6’s principles are foundational in taking initiative on transformational change and

forming relationships with other key stakeholders, such as students and other departments, along

the way. I have proven to effectively collaborate with students and involve their feedback in my

leadership. But while I am strong in centering students in initiatives, I tend to underestimate the

power of micro-level, intimate acts of leadership and collaboration. I am working towards

recognizing the impact of one-on-one relationships in my leadership and applying my

interpersonal skills in my collaboration with others. As suggested in Pascarella’s Model for

Assessing Student Change, engaging with students through leadership and collaboration can

achieve campus-wide change that can benefit each individual student (Long, 2012, p. 50).

My strength in LO #6 is reframing traditional, self-centered concepts of leadership and

collaboration into one that is student-centered. It is critical for me to lead and collaborate in a

way that actively includes students because as a student affairs professional, I have an inherent

level of power that can disempower students if I choose to ignore their input (Griffin, 2017, p.

144). Leading projects is an integral part of my current position at Highline College and

collaborating with students is the biggest contributor to those projects’ success. My current

projects of creating professional development workshops and analyzing student enrollment data

are initiatives I’m leading but students are influencing me at every step through formative

feedback. Inspired by the practices of my peers from SDAD 5640: Internship in Student

Development Administration, frequent surveys and informal check-ins have been useful in my

efforts to gather student data and get students engaged with my work.
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 13

My area of growth is to anticipate the power of micro-level leadership and collaboration

which sees the value in human connection and relationships. As a leader, my default is macro-

level action and while this can be perceived as an asset, it can be detrimental to my collaborative

relationships and student-centered practice if I fixate on grander initiatives. In Artifact C2, I

mention my ongoing goals of extending my DEI advocacy to institution-wide efforts so that I

could truly contribute to the transformation of institutional culture. I failed to acknowledge the

first step: cultivating collaborative relationships and leading with strong partnerships with

colleagues and students. According to Tinto’s Theory of Student Departure, student affairs

professionals must create space for informal interactions with students if we care about their

integration into their institution (Long, 2012, p. 52). This theory teaches me that connections

with students are the backbone of institutions and my collaborative leadership efforts with

individual students are never wasted.

LO #6 is tied to two NASPA/ACPA competencies: Advising & Helping and Leadership

(Bresciani et al., 2010). Advising & Helping alludes to my capacity to challenge students to be

engaged and take control of their educational journeys. This requires me to collaborate with

students and lead in a way that invites them and encourages them to get involved - despite the

inherent power hierarchies in place. Leadership connects to my goal of institutional unity and

improvement which is something that cannot be achieved without collaboration with students.

These competencies and their relationship to my practice suggest a future where I can help

influence the strategic planning of institutions to be one that integrates students as much as

possible.

7. Utilizing assessment, evaluation, technology, and research to improve practice

LO #7 consists of using assessment, evaluation, technology, and research to amplify

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 14

students’ voices and needs. EDUC 5000: Intro to Educational Research prompted me to think

about the potential truths found in student data that could enrich my practice. I have gained more

confidence in conducting the type of assessments that will help measure the success of

programming to better inform how I can improve as a practitioner. However, I lack experience in

disaggregating data from research that identifies long-term trends and implications with my

student populations. The more chances I get to learn about students’ ideas on how staff,

programs, and institutions can better support them, the more I see LO #7 as a reminder for me to

encourage students to shape their own experiences in higher education through assessment,

evaluation, technology, and research.

Although the majority of my responsibilities have been organizing and leading programs

and events, I am becoming more comfortable and well-versed with including the step of

assessment once those programs and events are finished. When I was a Graduate Assistant for

Seattle University’s Orientation, post-assessments were just as important as completing the

programs and events because the answers gave me an idea of how new students and student

leaders perceived them. Using Google Forms, one-on-one meetings, and other tools to survey

students and student leaders, I was able to gather both quantitative and qualitative data that

displayed our department’s success and areas of growth. I realized that by doing this, I was

helping to create a campus culture that valued assessing programs for the purpose of

accountability and improvement (Renn & Patton, 2017, p. 122). This relates back to my view of

LO#7 and its role in engaging students to advocate for programming and events that better suit

their needs and desires for their undergraduate experience.

Disaggregating data is a strategy I learned about in SDAD 5910: Diversity and Inclusion

in Higher Education, but I have yet to disaggregate the data of my own studies and assessments.
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 15

Even if I gather helpful feedback from students, I’ve been missing an equity lens in my data

gathering that could highlight answers that trend in specific groups of students (McNair et al.,

2020, p. 55). I’ve also noticed that while I include my use of assessments to inform my practice

in my resume (Artifact A), I do not yet include a distinction of what types of student populations

I am serving. Therefore, I am being too general and failing to acknowledge that my practice

might not be received the same by certain communities. If I continue to use LO #7 as inspiration

to welcome feedback that can transform my practice for the betterment of students, I must honor

intersectionality that can be reflected in student data.

LO #7 is connected to the NASPA/ACPA competencies of Assessment, Evaluation, and

Research and Personal Foundations (Bresciani et al., 2010). The technical abilities found in LO

#7 relate to Assessment, Evaluation, and Research because I must be familiar with various types

of data-gathering methods and the different ways to analyze data. Additionally, LO #7 and this

competency both emphasize my skills in conducting influential research for my practice and

institution. LO #7 should be coupled with Personal Foundations because that competency

reflects my skill in identifying my strengths and areas of growth. Because I define LO #7 as a

way to include student voices and feedback in my practice, I must intentionally collect and

analyze data to produce conclusions that I could use to improve how I fulfill my role and

responsibilities. For example, I can explore the use of pre-program surveys and post-program-

surveys, to comparatively assess the effectiveness of the programs I create for students.

8. Communicating Effectively in Speech and in Writing

My definition of LO #8 describes my ability to shape the delivery and impact of my

verbal or written message and be conscious of who the affected audiences are. As a first-

generation college student, I am skillful in being able to explain academic jargon to students and
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 16

families. One area I would like to improve on is diversifying my modes of communication to

better accommodate the needs and preferences of students. I believe that effective speech and

writing are the building blocks of impactful and intentional communication between groups and

individuals. My ability to effectively practice LO #8 can determine how well students receive

pertinent information that can impact their educational experiences.

LO #8 has emphasized my strength in authentic and accessible communication that

considers students and families of diverse backgrounds and communities. My time taking SPED

5410: Multicultural/lingual Learning has made me especially aware that I hold a position of

power and knowledge that can be perceived as jargon by first-generation students and families of

color. An element of Multicultural Competency is gaining the “trust and respect” of those who

do not share the same cultural experiences as me (Pope, 1997, p. 20), and I try to remain

conscious of that when communicating with my community. As a former admissions counselor,

my responsibility was to inform prospective students of their options regarding college

discernment. Many first-generation, low-income students had widely different concerns than

students from wealthier areas with more resources. Being an inclusive practitioner involves

finding ways to disrupt deeply rooted power hierarchies and being conscious of the needs of my

audience.

Communication is effective when it is individualized to one’s needs and over time, I

learned that students have various preferences. I specifically gained insight into the

communication needs of adult learners in SDAD 5590: The American Community College. As

I’ve gained more responsibilities when it comes to interacting with students through speech and

writing, I’ve struggled to be concise and less cumbersome with my communication. With the

professional development workshops that I facilitate in my current role, the content I deliver
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 17

must be comprehensive yet succinct because many of my students work full-time and have other

non-academic obligations to focus on. I noticed that many students who work outside of school

don’t have much time to check their emails throughout the day. Moving forward, I will embody

the element of humility written in my mission statement (Artifact B) and embrace the process of

trial and error to determine the best means of communication with my students.

Two NASPA/ACPA competencies that are tied to LO #8 are Advising & Helping and

Human and Organizational Resources (Bresciani et al., 2010). Advising & Helping stresses the

elements of self-awareness and reflection on my way of communicating with diverse student

populations. I must be mindful of different techniques when communicating with various

individuals and populations. This is relevant to NASPA/ACPA’s competency in Human and

Organizational Resources because effective and intentional verbal/non-verbal communication

with others can prevent misunderstanding, misalignment, and conflict. One of my professional

goals is to create programming that supports adult learners’ transition to college using

communication techniques that resonate the best with them. The skills and competencies I

highlighted above will help me identify ways to authentically bridge students to their educational

goals through effective and validating communication.

9. Understanding Issues Surrounding Law, Policy, Finance, and Governance

LO #9 describes my obligation as a scholar-practitioner to be aware of political events

and policies that are internal and external to my institutions. This learning objective also includes

ascertaining how they could influence students’ collegiate journeys - both academically and

personally. I am competent in challenging unjust and inequitable laws and policies that target

vulnerable student populations. I still have room to gain more knowledge on financial politics

and budgets in higher education. Essentially, LO #9 and SDAD 5800: Higher Education Law
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 18

have provoked me further into studying and critiquing complex policies and laws that have

negatively impacted historically marginalized students.

One strength that I have been wielding is the act of questioning and reimagining policies

that are harming students. The Campus Climate Framework on experiences of BIPOC students

has made me more critical of the forces, such as policies, that have negatively shaped campus

climates for people of color (Griffin, 2017, p. 136). The Admissions Office has been a functional

area with rigid policies. I navigated multiple cases of frustrated and anxious students and

families who had issues with our policies on deposits and refunds when it came to making their

admission decisions. With every case, I made sure to identify how we can manipulate a policy

into one that produces a better outcome for students and their families. My propositions were

usually denied, but I knew I had to raise my concerns if there were any chances of policy reform.

As much as LO #9 is about awareness of unjust policies, I also consider it as another form of

being a fierce advocate for students.

Much of LO #9 remains to be an area of growth and finance in higher education is one

that I need more experience around - specifically state and federal grants. I never expected

money to play a significant role in my practice until I transferred to a public, two-year institution

and noticed the effects of budget and finances on the institution’s operations and students. In

SDAD 5910: Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education, I researched and conducted a SWOT

analysis on the equity plan of another two-year public institution (Artifact C1). I was able to

identify the internal and external financial hardships that were a threat to the institution’s equity

goals. I did not, however, take into consideration their source of funding and the possible

consequences of budget cuts from decreased state/federal grants. Funding is imperative for

student services that enhance student well-being and Hettler’s Model of Wellness emphasizes the
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 19

correlation between wellness and student success (Long, 2012, p. 50). I plan to be more

intentional about acquiring knowledge of how institutions are affected by funding and how they

are investing in students’ education and well-being.

LO #9, as well as my strengths and areas of growth, apply to NASPA/ACPA’s

competency of Law, Policy, and Governance because this competency aims at the fact that our

practice can be seen as political acts (Bresciani et al., 2010). As much as higher education is a

system in which students can thrive and find their purpose, they are also businesses and political

entities that involve legalities, money, and other aspects that are often dealt with behind the

scenes. As a practitioner, it is up to me to dissect what my role means in these contexts and

reflect on how I can improve students’ experiences using what I know about law, policy, finance,

and governance.

10. Establishing and Enhancing Professional Identity

LO #10 addresses the work I will do to enrich and maximize all aspects of my

professional experience. Guided by the wisdom I gained from mentor feedback on my 3-Year

Professional Development and Action Plan, I define this learning objective as the act of

exercising and challenging my professional development in three areas: self-reflection of my

values and “why”, securing a role that is authentic to me and satisfies my needs, and meaningful

networking with my community. I am transported back to the moments when I refused to settle

for positions that did not align with my values and recognized that it was time to conduct a job

search. I also think about how I wish to expand and cultivate my network. LO #10 highlights the

self-directed steps I will take to be a confident, values-driven practitioner that isn’t afraid of

growth and connecting with fellow practitioners.

This learning outcome requires reflection on what professional opportunities I align with
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 20

and don’t align with. I have strengthened my skill of pivoting positions when I no longer feel that

they are serving me. This is comprised of multiple steps such as self-check-ins, honest

communication with my colleagues, and balancing a job search with continuing to fulfill my

responsibilities. I was affirmed of skills when reading about Magolda and King’s Theory of Self-

Authorship and this theory’s emphasis on values-driven decision-making during a practitioner’s

developmental experiences throughout their career (Holzweiss, 2017, p. 2431). When discerning

the transition from Admissions to another functional area, my stability in my values has

successfully fueled how I navigated my last months in that position. Relating back to my

definition of LO #10, I plan to maximize my professional development by integrating the

necessary self-reflection and conversations around whether my role can truthfully contribute to

my professional goals in my 3-Year Professional Development and Action Plan (Artifact F). This

is key to navigating a successful transition into a more fruitful role.

Building a purposeful networking community has not been a priority for me and I intend

to initiate more outreach toward higher education practitioners. While I currently have a solid

circle of mentors to look to for advice and wisdom, I have not done my job to diversify my

choices on who to reach out to. This experience is parallel to how I would encourage students to

challenge their comfort zones and reach out to mentors, professors, and other students who either

share the same passions as them or share the knowledge they don’t know yet. Like students in

their collegiate journeys, I must embrace Chickering’s vector of Developing Mature and

Interpersonal Relationships to center building relationships where I can find comfort in my

commonalities with others as well as learn new perspectives from other professionals (Patton et

al., 2016 p. 298). SDAD 5900: Student Development Capstone has further proved that
LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 21

networking is an enriching activity for me to connect with other professionals and explore

various positions and functional areas.

LO #10 closely identifies with the NASPA/ACPA Competency Area of Personal

Foundations (Bresciani et al., 2010). My definition of LO #10, inclusive of professional

development through self-reflection, authentic job searches, and a positive transition from one

role to another, resonates with this competency area’s skills of recognizing the intersections of

personal and professional beliefs and remaining curious about changes in professional

opportunities. As I continue to advance my career, I will make great efforts to ensure that my

future practice is inspired by the key actions of this learning competency. This includes the

critical work of mentally preparing myself for seeking new positions and articulating my short

and long-term goals that will eventually inform how I connect with my potential network and

positions that align with my core mission.

Conclusion

I believe it is important to understand that these learning objectives only scratch a portion

of the surface of being a resilient and sustainable scholar-practitioner of higher education. My

narrative of learning objectives are actions that inspire social transformation in the system of

higher education, and they can take different forms depending on roles, institutions, student

populations, and the spaces I see myself working in. The willingness to grow and reimagine what

these learning objectives mean in evolving contexts is critical to my ability in inspiring

meaningful change. This narrative is a living document of my experiences toward my ultimate

goal of unbridled joy and liberation for students, colleagues, and myself. I will evolve and

transform into a more knowledgeable, confident scholar-practitioner and these learning

objectives must evolve and transfer with me.

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 22

References

Abes, E. S., & Darkow, D. C. (2020). Using crip theory to create campus cultures that foster

students’ disability disclosure (practice brief). The Journal of Postsecondary Education

and Disability, 33(3), 228. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1281097.pdf

Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2001). Chapter 1: Introduction. In Critical race theory: An

introduction (pp. 1–12). New York University Press.

Griffin, K. A. (2017). Campus climate and diversity. In Student Services: A Handbook for the

Profession (6th ed., pp. 136-144). Jossey-Bass.

Holzweiss, P. C., & Parroott, K. P. (2017). Careers in student affairs: A holistic guide to

professional development in higher education. National Association of Student

Personnel.

Kuh, G. D., Schneider, C. G., & Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2008).

High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they

matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Long, D. (2012). Theories and models of student development. In L. J. Hinchliffe & M. A. Wong

(Eds.), Environments For Student Growth and Development: Librarians And Student

Affairs In Collaboration (pp. 41-55). Chicago: Association of College & Research

Libraries.

Marilee J. Bresciani, Patricia A. Perillo, Dwayne K. Todd, Stan Carpenter, Steven M. Janosik,

Susan R. Komives, Patrick Love, David McKelfresh, Steven Neilson, Patty Perillo,

Robert Reason, Ronni Sanlo, Bette M. Simmons, & Steve Tyrell. (2010). Professional

competency areas for student affairs educators. American College Personnel Association

& National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 23

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/52f94d3ee4b0c731199ec27d/t/533c9d26e4b0d9f7b

a7e33ad/1396481318987/ACPA-+NASPA+Core+Competencies+copy.pdf

McNair, T. B., Bensimon, E. M., Malcom-Piqueux, L., & Pasquerella, L. (2020). From equity

talk to equity walk: Expanding practitioner knowledge for racial justice in higher

education (1st ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Pappas, C. (2013, May 9). The adult learning theory - andragogy - of malcolm knowles.

eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/the-adult-learning-theory-andragogy-

of-malcolm-knowles

Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., Quaye, S. J., Forney, D. S., & Evans, N. J. (2016).

Chapter two: Foundations for understanding student development theory. In Student

Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 35-39). Jossey-

Bass.

Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., Quaye, S. J., Forney, D. S., & Evans, N. J. (2016).

Chapter six: Ethnic identity development and acculturation. In Student Development in

College: Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 135-136). Jossey-Bass.

Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., Quaye, S. J., Forney, D. S., & Evans, N. J. (2016).

Chapter thirteen: Psychosocial identity development. In Student Development in College:

Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd ed., pp. 298). Jossey-Bass.

Pope, R. L., Reynolds, A. L., Mueller, J. A., & Cheatham, H. E. (2004). Multicultural

competence in student affairs. In Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs (1st ed.,

pp. 3–28). Jossey-Bass.

Rendón, L. I., & Nepo, M. (2010). Sentipensante (sensing/thinking) pedagogy: Educating for

wholeness, social justice and liberation. Van Haren Publishing.

LEARNING OUTCOMES NARRATIVE 24

Renn, K. A., & Patton, R. D. (2017). Institutional identity and campus culture. In Student

Services: A Handbook for the Profession (6th ed., pp. 122). Jossey-Bass.

Saunders, S. A., & Wilson, C. M. (2016). What is ethical professional practice? In Student

Services: A Handbook for the Profession (6th ed., pp. 158–159). Jossey-Bass.

Stewart, D. L. (2018). Minding the gap between diversity and institutional transformation: Eight

proposals for enacting institutional change. Teachers College Record: The Voice of

Scholarship in Education, 120(14), 5. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811812001411

Strayhorn, T. L. (2019). From plausible explanation to evidence-based theory. In College

Students’ Sense of Belonging: A Key to Educational Success for All Students (2nd ed., pp.

26–44). Routledge.

Yosso *, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community

cultural wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69–91.

https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006