Personal Philosophy of Student Affairs

Philosophy of Student Affairs Statement 

Learning Domains:

Leadership	Social Advocacy and Justice	Education	Assessment and Evaluation	Personal Development
	X	X		X

Description:

This entry represents my personal philosophy of the student affairs profession. I will articulate a professional philosophy of student affairs practice by reflecting on the coursework I have completed for the Masters of Science in Higher Education (MSHE) graduate program and drawing on my professional development experiences gained throughout the course of the program.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: Articulate a personal philosophy of student affairs practices by integrating (synthesis) concepts from the MSHE coursework

SWiBAT:  Analyze my current personal philosophy of student affairs practice by identifying any shifts in thinking as compared to my philosophy in the first year of the program.

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	I articulated a personal philosophy of student affairs practices by integrating 5 or more concepts from the MSHE coursework	I articulated a personal philosophy of student affairs practices by integrating 3-4 concepts from the MSHE coursework	I articulated a personal philosophy of student affairs practices by integrating 1-2 concepts from the MSHE coursework	I articulated a personal philosophy of student affairs practices, but did not integrate any concepts from the MSHE coursework
SLO # 2	I analyzed my current personal philosophy of student affairs practice by indentifying 3 or more shifts in thinking as compared to my philosophy in the first year of the program	I analyzed my current personal philosophy of student affairs practice by indentifying at least 2 shifts in thinking as compared to my philosophy in the first year of the program	I analyzed my current personal philosophy of student affairs practice by indentifying at least 1 shift in thinking as compared to my philosophy in the first year of the program	I failed to analyze my current personal philosophy of student affairs practice by not being able to identify any shifts in thinking as compared to my philosophy in the first year of the program

Evidence:

Journal Entry : Personal Philosophy of Student Affairs Practice:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0By5wELYJmuCSZDlGSE5neTkzY0k/edit

Reflection:

I was able to achieve the first learning outcome at the advanced level of the rubric by integrating 5 concepts from the MSHE coursework into my philosophy of student affairs practice.  My personal  philosophy is centered on 1) promoting holistic student learning, 2) applying effective student development theories, 3) engaging students in active involvement in college, 4) enhancing student success and retention, and 5) advocating for social justice in student learning). I achieved the second learning outcome at the advanced level of the rubric by identifying 3 major shifts in my current personal philosophy of student affairs practice as compared to my philosophy in the first year of the program.  The first shift relates to learning how I could better meet students’ needs by being informed on unique characteristics of different student sub-populations. The second shift in my thinking relates to broadening my understanding of student success by becoming aware of the factors that influence student retention and college persistence.  The third shift has occurred by becoming an advocate of social justice rather than promoting equality by advocating for fairness in the students’ education conditions (please review the Journal Entry for more information).