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).

MSHE Graduate Coursework: California State University Fullerton

Diversity, Access and Equity Course

Instructor: Dr. Eugene Fujimoto

Learning Domains:

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

Description:

The purpose of the Diversity, Access and Equity Course is to examine the concepts of diversity, access, equity, multiculturalism, and pluralism in the context of education.  This entry will highlight my learning process to gain an understanding of these concepts from a historical lens and their applications to student affairs and higher education. I will describe my learning outcomes for completing three  course assignments: an interview protocol, a narrative paper, and a group video project.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT:  construct (synthesis) a comprehensive interview protocol addressing cyclical issues in educational history, select a person at least 1 generation (20 years older) to represent the population under study in this class and interview him or her

SWiBAT: synthesize (synthesis) the information obtained from the interview by writing a narrative paper “Tell me Your Story” organized into multiple themes that emerged from the interview

SWiBAT: effectively work in a group to identify common tenants and themes found in the narratives from the “Tell Me Your Story” assignment and create (synthesis) a group video using I-Movie to represent the findings

Assessment Rubric:

The rubric for the first learning outcome:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	I constructed a comprehensive interview protocol addressing cyclical issues in educational history, selected a person at least 1 generation  older than me, and interviewed him or her	I constructed a well-written interview protocol addressing cyclical issues in educational history, selected a person at least 1 generation  older than me, and interviewed him or her	I constructed an acceptable interview protocol addressing cyclical issues in educational history, selected a person at least 1 generation  older than me, and interviewed him or her	I constructed a weak interview protocol that did not address cyclical issues in educational history, selected a person at least 1 generation  older than me, and interviewed him or her

The instructor’s  “Tell Me Your Story” rubric and the Video Project rubric are used to evaluate the second and third learning outcomes.

Evidence:

Interview Protocol

Tell Me Your Story Assignment

Video

Reflection:

I found the aforementioned assignments to be intellectually stimulating and influential in enabling me to achieve the desired learning outcomes for this course. Developing the interview protocol for the “Tell Me Your Story” assignment was a useful exercise. It allowed me to practice creating a set of wide-ranging interview questions that represented the key course concepts: diversity, access, equality, equity, and justice. I believe that I achieved learning at the competent level of the rubric for the first learning outcome by developing a comprehensive interview protocol that yielded noteworthy responses by the interviewee. Writing the “Tell me Your Story” narrative enabled me to successfully synthesize the information provided by my interviewee and organize it into multiple themes that emerged from the interview.  I was able to derive that the interviewee’s educational experience was impeded due to the following obstacles: her immigrant status, cultural background, social context, and institutional shortcomings.  However, she successfully overcame those struggles by staying true to her original intent as a student and aspiring for academic achievement (The full paper can be accessed here). Lastly, the video project was a great collaborative assignment that provided me with a chance to work in a small group in order to combine our individual findings into one collective story.  Although it was initially challenging to produce a video that represented each interviewee’s unique narrative, we decided to emphasize their differences as an underlying theme for the video.  Consequently, the video portrays the educational experiences of four individuals from 3 different perspectives: the international perspective, the color-blind perspective, and the person of color perspective (the video can be viewed here. Overall, I am satisfied with my learning achieved by completing this course. 

Program Evaluation Proposal

Saddleback International Program Evaluation Proposal

Course-Introduction to Educational Research

Instructor-Dr. Karen Kim 

Learning Domains:

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

Description:

This entry highlights my progress of developing an-in-depth program evaluation proposal for EDAD 510: Introduction to Educational Research course.  The main goal of this assignment was to enable me to develop the necessary knowledge and skills in order to write an effective plan on how to evaluate a given student service program.  I will describe my learning experience of writing an in-depth evaluation proposal for the International Student Program at Saddleback College.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: apply 5 research concepts learned in EDAD 510: Introduction to Educational Research course to write an effective in-depth evaluation proposal for the International Student Program at Saddleback College

SWiBAT: integrate (synthesis) the findings from a former evaluation report of the International Student Program at Saddleback College to write an in-depth evaluation proposal consisting of 5 main sections (with 2 of them being: design and methodology and limitations).  

SWiBAT: earned an A or higher on the assignment grade.

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	I applied 5 or more key research concepts learned in EDAD 510 course to write an effective in-depth evaluation proposal for the International Student Program at Saddleback College	I applied 3-4 key research concepts learned in EDAD 510 course to write an effective in-depth evaluation proposal for the International Student Program at Saddleback College	I applied 1-2 key research concepts learned in EDAD 510 course to write an effective in-depth evaluation proposal for the International Student Program at Saddleback College	I was unable to apply any key research concepts learned in EDAD 510 course to write an effective in-depth evaluation
SLO # 2	I integrated the findings from a former evaluation report to write a new evaluation proposal, consisting of 5 or more main sections	I integrated the findings from a former evaluation report to write a new evaluation proposal, consisting of a program overview and assessment plan	I integrated the findings from a former evaluation report to write a new evaluation proposal that did not include an assessment plan	I was unable to integrate the findings from a former evaluation report to write a new evaluation proposal
SLO # 3	I received an A+ on the assignment grade	I received an A on the assignment grade	I received an B on the assignment grade	I received an C or lower on the assignment grade

Evidence:

Assignment Grading Information 

Program Evaluation Proposal

Reflection:

I found this assignment to be extremely beneficial to my overall understanding of educational research practices. Writing an evaluation proposal for the International Student Program at Saddleback College expanded my insight of the key elements that interplay the process of program evaluation and influence assessment techniques. When it comes to the first learning outcome, I was able to achieve learning at the competent level by effectively applying 3 key research concepts that I learned from the Introduction to Educational Research course. In my evaluation proposal, I recommended to apply the 1) pragmatic research lens by using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to answer the research question (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle, 2010). Another concept that I incorporated was 2) a focus group approach to evaluate the effects of enrollment in an academic planning course on international students’ integration in the American college system. A focus group approach may be applicable when one is exploring the perceptions of a group of participants who share a common experience (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle, 2010).  The third research concept relates to 3) surveying international students upon degree completion at Saddleback. I recommended developing an exit survey to solicit feedback from students that intends to evaluate the program effectiveness in 3 major areas: overall level of satisfaction with the services, an average length of study, and the extent to which the program was helpful in providing specific support services.  When it comes to the second learning outcome, I was able to achieve learning at the advanced level of the rubric. I successfully integrated the findings from a former International Student Program report and wrote a new in-depth evaluation proposal that consisted of the following 5 sections: a program overview, design and methodology, practical implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research.  Lastly, I met the third learning outcome at the competent level in light of the rubric by receiving 25 out of 25 points on the assignment and earning an A.  Having the opportunity to write an evaluation proposal for a student service program where I currently work enabled me to gain a comprehensive understanding of educational evaluation procedures, while also providing me with practical insight about the International Student Program at Saddleback College.

References

Lodico, M. G., Spaulding, D. T., & Voegtle, K. H. (2010). Methods in educational research: From theory to practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

SEVIS WEB-Based Training

Student Exchange and Visitor Immigration System Web-based training

Learning Domains:

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

Description:

This entry discusses the process of completing a web-based training for the Student Exchange and Visitor Immigration System (SEVIS). The purpose of this training is to gain the necessary knowledge and skills in order to assume an effective role of a Designated School Official (DSO).  The responsibilities of a DSO include carrying out various actions required to update, maintain, and retrieve international student information. For instance, a DSO is responsible for issuing an I-20, a legal immigration document required for all international students as part of their application process to obtain a student visa.  This entry will reflect my progress in expanding knowledge in federal regulations and immigration requirements that address international student matters. In addition, it will describe my learning process in relevance to gaining new skills in the area of immigration compliance.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: identify (knowledge) 6-9 nonimmigrant F-1 student visa regulations upon completion of the DSO training by grouping them into 3 main categories (becoming an international student, maintaining student status, and employment procedures)

SWiBAT: differentiate (analysis) the guidelines for the only 3 circumstances that permit students to reduce their course load from full-time to part-time

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	I indentified 10 or more nonimmigrant F-1 student visa regulations upon completion of the DSO training by grouping them into 3 main categories	I indentified 6-9 nonimmigrant F-1 student visa regulations upon completion of the DSO training by grouping them into 3 main categories	I indentified 2-5 nonimmigrant F-1 student visa regulations upon completion of the DSO training by grouping them into 3 main categories	I indentified 1 or fewer nonimmigrant F-1 student visa regulations upon completion of the DSO training
SLO # 2	I differentiated the guidelines for the only 3 circumstances that permit students to reduce their course load from full-time to part-time and described each of circumstances in further detail	I differentiated the guidelines for the only 3 circumstances that permit students to reduce their course load from full-time to part-time	I differentiated the guidelines for 2 circumstances that permit students to reduce their course load from full-time to part-time	that permit students to reduce their course load from full-time to part-time

Evidence:

SEVIS Training Certificate of Completion

Reflection:

Completing the SEVIS web-based training enabled me to strengthen my knowledge in F-1 student visa requirements and enhanced my decision-making skills in providing effective immigration advising to international students in my current role as an Admission and Records Specialist at Saddleback College.  I have increased my general understanding of the legal policies that pertain to becoming an international student in the U.S., maintaining international student status, and following appropriate employment procedures.  I have met the first learning outcome at the advanced level of the rubric by identifying more than 10 (14 total) F-1 immigrations requirements and created a matrix tables by grouping them into 3 main categories.  In addition, I was able to successfully differentiate between the only 3 immigration guidelines that permit F-1 students to reduce full-time course load: 1) academic difficulties, 2) medical conditions, and 3) completion of a course of study. Academic difficulties may be approved as a reason for reducing course load if a student experiences an initial difficulty with the English language or reading requirements, unfamiliarity with U.S. teaching methods, or improper course level placement (U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, n.d.).  An authorization for a reduced course load due to academic difficulties is limited to one term at each program level. The guidelines for reducing course load due to medical conditions state that F-1 students with documented medical conditions can take a reduced course load (or no course load at all) if they provide the Designated School Official (DSO) with appropriate documentation from a licensed medical doctor (U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, n.d.). This type of authorization period cannot exceed a total of 12 months per program level. Lastly, F-1 students in their final term of studies are not required to be enrolled full-time. They are permitted to take the amount of units needed to graduate (U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, n.d.).  As a result, I accomplished the second learning outcome at the advanced level of the rubric by differentiating the guidelines for the only 3 circumstances that permit students to reduce their course load and described each of circumstances in further detail.  Overall, completing the SEVIS web-based training empowered me to become more competent at providing effective immigration advising in my daily practice to prospective and continuing students at Saddleback College.

References

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (n.d.). Student and Exchange Visitor Program: Training for Designated School Officials. Retreived from: http://www.ice.gov/exec/training/

Qualitative Research Project

Integration of Female Student Veterans In College

Course-College Students’ Characteristics and Cultures

Instructor-Dr. Meri Beckham

Learning Domains:

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

Description: The project description in the course syllabus is as follows:

Each group will develop an extensive analysis and synthesis of the research literature regarding the selected population.  The core group will collectively develop an interview protocol and an informed consent document.  Each student will then select and interview two (2) currently enrolled undergraduate college students from the group’s sub-population.  Each student will transcribe his or her interviews, identify preliminary themes and codes, and create a cover sheet for each transcript.  During and after the interview process, each group will develop a coding system for analysis of the interview data as a whole. Each group will prepare a final research paper including title page, abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, references, and appendixes.  The body of the paper should not exceed 20 pages (pages not counted in the body are title, abstract, references, and appendixes).  The discussion section should include several significant recommendations for meeting the needs of the sub-population students based specifically on the literature and the results of the research project.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: Collectively select a specific student sub-population to study for the qualitative research project, complete a literature review on the sub-population, and synthesize the literature to identity any gaps the scholarly findings

SWiBAT: Collaborate with my core group to develop an interview protocol, select 2 currently enrolled undergraduate college students from the chosen sub-population and conduct an interview with each student

SWiBAT: Transcribe the interview responses, identify preliminary themes, and collaborate with my core group to develop a system of coding for a collective analysis of the sub-population

SWiBAT: Collectively construct a final research paper including appropriate APA manuscript sections (title page, abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, conclusion, references, and appendixes) and make recommendations for meeting the needs of the sub-population on the literature and the results of the research project. 

Assessment Rubric:

Instructor’s Qualitative Research Project Rubric

Instructor’s Grading of the Project against the Rubric

Evidence:

Interview Protocol and Consent Form

Group Coding System

Final Course Paper (includes the Literature Review)

Reflection:

Completing this qualitative research project was a great learning experience as it enabled me to enhance my collaboration skills, gain practical knowledge of qualitative research methods, and deepen my understanding of female veteran students as a unique sub-population. Additionally, I was able to develop more leadership skills by assuming the role of a group leader and facilitating effective communication among my group members. I am very satisfied with my individual learning and the group’s collective outcomes achieved through this project.  I hope to have more opportunities to conduct qualitative research in the future either in my profession or as a part of my doctoral studies.

2012 Educational Research Symposium

From Theory to Practice : Educational Research Symposium

Learning Domains:

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

Description:

This entry describes my experience attending the 2012 Educational Research Symposium presented by the California State University Fullerton, Education College, Ed.D Program and the Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (CREAL).  I sought out this event as an enriching opportunity to broaden my overall awareness of the current trends in education.  I had hoped to expand my overall knowledge in the field of higher education by learning about various issues that are noteworthy of research. I also perceived the symposium as a networking opportunity by enabling me to connect with other student affairs professionals and educational leaders.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT: Engage in meaningful conversations with 4 or more student affairs professionals and identified at least 2 of them as sources of potential research guidance.

SWiBAT: identify at least 4 current topics in student affairs that I would like to explore further as a possible research topic for my personal research

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO # 1	I engaged in meaningful conversations with  4 or more student affairs professionals and identified at least 2 of them as sources of potential research guidance	I engaged in meaningful conversations with 3 student affairs professionals and identified at least 2 of them as sources of potential research guidance	I engaged in meaningful conversations with 1-2 student affairs professionals and identified at least 1 of them as a source of potential research guidance	I did not engage in a meaningful conversation with any student affairs professionals
SLO # 2	I identified 4 or more current topics in student affairs that I would like to explore further as possible topics for my personal research	I identified 2-3 current topics in student affairs that I would like to explore further as possible topics for my personal research	I identified 1 current topic in student affairs that I would like to explore further as a possible topic for my personal research	I was unable to identify any current topics in student affairs that I would like to explore further as a possible topic for my personal research

Evidence:

Event Flyer

Follow up e-mail to Symposium Scholar 

Reflection:

I had hoped that the research symposium would serve as a successful networking opportunity to enable me to expand my professional contacts. However, I did not account that the poster session duration was rather short, which prevented me to spend more time engaged with other professions.   Although I had briefly talked to several professionals about their research, I was only able to engage in a meaningful conversation with one scholar,  Dr. Martha McDonald, who conducted research on veteran students.  I was drawn to research on veterans because I am currently working on an a qualitative research group project addressing veteran students for the Student Sub-Populations graduate course, EDAD 522. When I asked Dr. McDonald if she has identified any existing gaps in the literature about veteran students, she replied that more research should be done to investigate the experience of female veteran students. Therefore, my group members and I decided to use her insight as a guide to narrow down our research question by exploring whether female veteran students feel that their higher education institutions are meeting their unique needs. I also e-mailed Dr. McDonald after the symposium to ask her a few additional questions that pertain to veteran student issues.  As a result, I achieved the first learning outcome at the basic level by engaging in a meaningful conversation with one student affairs professional and identified her as source of potential research guidance. The second learning outcome pertained to identifying relevant research topics that were of interest to me as potential issues to explore. Although, there were many fascinating and important issues covered at the event, the two that stood out to me included the Supplemental Instruction in Stem-Related Disciplines by Eric Rabitoy and the Engagement of Community College Student Veterans by Marta McDonald.  I met the second learning outcome by identifying two current topics in student affairs that I would like to explore further as possible topics for my personal research.Reflecting on the overall event, I will use better time-management skills when attending another research symposium or a similar conference by deciding ahead of time on the amount of time I will spend on networking alone and use the rest of my time to learn about a few research issues in detail. Overall, I am glad that I had an opportunity to attend the symposium as I now feel more informed about the current trends in higher education (The complete journal reflection can be accessed here).