Running head: MY PHILOSOPHY OF HIGHER EDUCATION

My Philosophy of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Thaddeus J. Teo
Seattle University

MY PHILOSOPHY OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The following viewpoints I have on the nature of higher education and my role as a
student affairs professional and educator come mostly from my personal experiences as a student
who has spent four years at a large public research university in the United States. The scope of
my philosophy is therefore limited to a higher education setting within this country, and although
these opinions may not seem like the most ideal, they are my current thoughts as a young
professional as of December 2013, and are definitely open to future revision as I continue my
growth through the Student Development Administration (SDA) program.
Nature of Education
As a child, I was simply told by my parents and teachers that education would lead to a
good job, a high salary, and hence a successful and happy life; my understanding has since
changed dramatically. I graduated from the University of Washington (UW) with a bachelors
degree in physiology, but if you ask me to explain how the heart works, or any other body part
for that matter, I would not be able to give you a detailed textbook answer. I do, however, know
where and how to find those details to correctly explain it and then apply that information to a
deeper, more conceptual subsequent question. I strongly believe that the purpose of education is
to empower individuals with the knowledge on how to think critically and find solutions so as to
positively contribute to the advancement of society; what it is not, is merely creating individuals
who simply know the answers to a problem or are trained to do a particular task. As technology
rapidly advances, the knowledge that we currently have easily becomes outdated, and the jobs
that exists could very likely become automated as the landscape of the global economy is
constantly changing. Lucky for us, I do not foresee nor can I imagine student affairs becoming
automated or extinct anytime soon. Nonetheless, the rest of the world continues to become more
industrialized and globalized, and many of the jobs that the future generation will have has yet to

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be invented. What will remain the same is the fact that we are a growing population of diverse
individuals, and unpacking who we are and understanding this multiculturalism is essential to the
process of educational empowerment.
One of my personal philosophies in life is that education is a never-ending process. It
requires students to be an active participant in all aspects of life, learning from all personal
experiences regardless of whether the outcome was a positive or negative one; rather than simply
being a passive consumer of factual knowledge in the classroom. Education should not merely be
a diploma that students pay to receive, but instead an investment of time, effort, and willingness
to learn. When students become stakeholders of their education, it allows them to have a say on
the direction and method in which it is achieved. Only then are they able to be adaptable and
resourceful enough to tackle future challenges and be successful in their jobs later in life. As we
gain new knowledge and perspectives from personal experiences, we likewise contribute to the
development of those we are fortunate enough to interact with. I believe that we are all learners
and educators in one way or another regardless of our occupation or salient identities. I agree
with Paulo Freire (1970) as he introduces the concept of teacher-student with student-teachers
in problem-posing education that is created through interaction and dialogue. It allows students
who are being taught to also teach, and it is a joint process that enables all parties to grow once
there is conversation. This does not have to take place in a formal classroom because educators
should be free from boundaries and should not be restricted to any given location.
All of my life experiences have definitely shaped me into who I am today, and I continue
to grow and learn from everything that occurs around me. I have matured tremendously from
encounters with strangers and challenging circumstances, relationships with a diverse group of
friends and faculty, and working with different organizations both on and off campus. As a

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student, these experiences outside the classroom provided me with more of an education than I
got inside of one, especially since the classes I had were mostly in a big lecture hall where
professors talked at us. Therefore, one role of student affairs is to provide, encourage, and
facilitate opportunities outside of the traditional educational framework of a classroom for
students to engage in education. These are the opportunities whereby students begin to define
who they are and who they will go on to be. It is where they become empowered as individuals
to be effective citizens in society. I was fortunate enough to have had the chance to take part in a
myriad of different co-curricular activities from teaching in a high school to working with
international students on campus. These experiences were made possible because a student
affairs professional had brought the opportunity to my attention and encouraged me to pursue
these activities.
Rooted in my many historical contexts, education is most often regarded as a way of
achieving or practicing freedom (hooks, 1996). Indeed, freedom can also be viewed more
practically to refer to what students get when going off to college. This freedom is defined as
being outside the confines of their parents household and all the rules that go along with living
at home. Students move away and create new homes either in the residence halls, living
independently, or in the Greek system where they are now free to do and say anything they want.
In most cases, this would be the first time that a student is living away from their families and the
comfort and security of their parents. This is also a time when students begin to meet new
people, get new ideas, and start experimenting. It is where student affairs will most likely first
intersect with the students newfound freedom. Students are introduced to the many student life
programs available at the university or college almost immediately at orientation sessions. This is
where students begin to learn that student affairs professionals are not simply there as a substitute

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to parents or to be the enforcers of rules and regulations on campus. Nor are they there to tell a
student what is right or wrong, but present to create an inclusive environment that promotes and
supports all-rounded learning and personal development through the decisions and actions the
student makes. They can provide suggestions and guidance on the multiple paths available for a
student to take, but it should never be forced upon the student. This applies especially to minority
and/or diversity programs that attempt to group students up based on their salient identities. I
believe that they should open the doors and welcome students, but ultimately leave the decision
of walking in to them. Ideally, there will always be full support and no prejudice in creating
endless opportunities for a student to get involved on campus.
In revisiting and reflecting on my undergraduate college experience, I found that the best
way to go back and relive these experiences was to look at old photos and posts on social media.
Being part of the millennial generation, a lot of my time was spent being on multiple social
media platforms. Although I never imagined that social media technology would become the best
way of collecting memories, this is certainly what I would call a best practice for my generation.
It is interesting to see many colleges and universities continue to stay abreast of technological
developments by beginning to utilize social media. Admission officers have started to use it to
attract prospective students by posting interesting factoids and photos of campus and provide
real-time information on the application making the process smoother. Other administrators and
faculty have also begun to successfully communicate with students. More importantly, if student
affairs professionals can show that they can keep up with the changing technological advances as
fast as the younger generation can, it clearly shows that they are an example of being adaptable.
Everyone has their own opinions on what the best method for reaching students is. As ideal as it
would be, it is unfortunately too big of a challenge for educators to understand what each

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individuals preference is to promoting student engagement on campus. What has become more
effective, however, is studying best practices from colleagues across the country. What works on
another campus may or may not work at another, but we learn from experiences and become
adaptable to situations and populations.
Perspectives on My Role of an Educator
Reiterating my philosophy of learning into the field of student affairs, I believe that we
can best contribute to education by creating and facilitating opportunities for students to grow
and develop the right attitude that will lead to success in all aspects of life. It all begins with
formulating and understanding what the right campus environment is. Creating and maintaining
supportive campus environments is important because students perform better and are more
satisfied at colleges where positive working and social relations exist among different groups on
campus (Kuh, 2009). Cross-campus collaboration and understanding between different campus
services must exist so that students can easily receive help from the appropriate professionals.
For example, a student who recently moved to Seattle from a much sunnier part of the country is
suffering from seasonal affective disorder and his or her academic work has taken a hit. It should
be the responsibility of the academic adviser to bring in the health and wellness department or
vice-versa depending on who the first-responder is. The same idea of referring students to other
campus services or opportunities may also be applied to the social aspect of being in college.
Student affairs leaders and professionals need to be aware of the different types of student
organizations and/or volunteer opportunities that exists so that they can make appropriate
suggestions on the ways that a student can be involved on campus and enjoy it. Only when
students have found their niche on campus will they then begin to actually embrace the education

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that brought them here in the first place, and embrace the peers that will play a role in taking
them to the next place.
The beauty of diversity is that it is much more than ones phenotypical traits that define
each individual. It encompasses the backgrounds and upbringings of every student, which
unfortunately for student affairs professionals, becomes a challenge identifying those who could
benefit most from being immersed in specific personal and professional development programs
and services that are available on campus. Nonetheless, our role is not to point students only in
one direction, but to provide many options available with unique reasoning for why they were
each suggested. A large majority of college students are indeed legal adults who should be
responsible for the decisions they make, the opinions they have, and the comments they assert.
Educators cannot merely force these involvement opportunities, rules, or thought processes onto
them; however, they should open up a safe space for discussion and understanding of why they
were proposed in the first place. In addition, I believe that these discussions of understanding
need to proactively begin with the educators even before any conflict arises. It is necessary to
provide engaging discussions that cover historical, cultural, and social bases for diversity and
community, and there must be concurrent opportunities, encouragement, and expectations
outside of the classroom for students to interact across identity differences (Laker & Davis,
2009). Just as important, all student affairs professionals must learn and know how to be warm
individuals who welcome students in for dialogue at all times. The ability to be active listeners
will go a long way when interacting with students, faculty, and other colleagues. Only then will
students begin to feel more comfortable with their personal development issues.
Although I believe that the type of institution should not alter the way in which we
contribute and interact with students, the different institutional situations may pose challenges

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that can limit the way we work. Regardless of the size of the university, whether it is a private or
public, a for-profit or not, or where it is geographically located, what remains the same is that
students are here to get an education and educators are there to support that. One of the major
challenges that I will address here is one that large public universities face compared to a private
institution state funding is constantly at risk of getting cut. Through my experience as an
undergraduate who went through a period of state funding reductions, I witnessed more nonacademic student support services being cut or reduced, as much as I had wished that my
university saw the value in these services. A reduction in the number of academic advising staff
led to longer wait times for students who needed immediate assistance. The amount of attention
each student got was also greatly reduced as the adviser-to-student ratio continued to increase
because the university enrolled more students to make up for the budget deficit. It is certainly
more difficult for student affairs leaders and professions to navigate their roles at a university
that does not value them. Different institutional types also affect overall campus demographics.
More often than not, public schools are cheaper and cater to local students, thus leading to a
larger number of students who are first-generation and/or from a lower socioeconomic
background. Furthermore, geographic location may also influence the number of students of
color. As long as educators embrace the reality of a changing student population and are well
prepared to engage in challenges that come with each diverse situation (Broido, 2006), while at
the same time promoting understanding between students who are unlike each other, I believe
that we can effectively support education regardless of institutional type.
In addition to the many expectations of both educators and students laid out in
Reasonable Expectations (Kuh et. al., 1995), I believe that students should be able to expect a
reasonable explanation for why certain things are expected of them by the institution. Students

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deserve to ask questions of the institution in order to better understand where they stand and
what their roles as students are. Consequently for educators as they articulate explanations to
student queries, should expect students to be open to dialogue. This creates an environment
where everyone is aware of each others expectations and why, and the mutual understanding
will contribute to promoting the highest levels of learning for both parties.
As I write about our roles as an educator, a common theme that has developed is that
dialogue between student and educator is extremely important in creating understanding. Since it
is the way that student affairs leaders and professionals can best contribute to the aims of
education; likewise, it should be the way they are trained. Dialogue should begin in the
classroom where student affairs is taught. I believe that the work we do is very theoretical, but
theories are not always accurate and true. There are so many different types of situations that we
will encounter and there is not one formula that always works. Alternatively, we need to be
critical thinkers in order to analyze each circumstance on a case-by-case basis. Students in the
program need to take a look at past situations encountered by those who have served in positions
we aspire to be in one day. Upon bringing in the case study and understanding how the situation
came to be, students should brainstorm ideas on how to navigate the issue or solve the problem.
Different points of views should be understood and investigated, weighing the pros and cons for
each. Only after carefully thinking through the situation should the real story of what actually
happened unfold. In addition, it always helps to put theory and thinking into practice.
Perspectives on Student Affairs Educators as Professionals
So who are westudent affairs practitioners, student affairs educators, or student affairs
professionals? Without referring to an English dictionary, I shall attempt to briefly define and
articulate my argument for why it is a student affairs professional that Im working to become.

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In my opinion, the term practitioner refers to someone who literally just practices the
occupation. This person does what is expected of them as it is written in the job description or as
communicated by their supervisor. One main difference in being a professional is that it
encompasses more than just the responsibilities listed in the job description. The desire to
constantly seek improvement through professional development is intrinsic to a successful career
in student affairs. Ironically, from my experience looking at job openings in the field, quite a few
employers fail to mention professional development as part of the position and/or list the
opportunities that the institution provides for their staff. I would, however, like to think that
professional development is an aspect of the job that is already expected. Lifelong learning is
indeed an important aspect of any career in the field of student affairs, which should be promoted
and encouraged from the very beginning. Nonetheless, striving to better ourselves is one of the
unwritten rules that separates practitioners from professionals, in addition to being held
accountable to the ethical and professional standards of practice agreed upon and maintained
through the major professional associations in this field. I also believe that being an educator is
essentially a part of being a student affairs professional. It should be understood that education
outside the traditional classroom is possible and always happens despite the lack of a set
curriculum, and regardless of whether the older generation of faculty acknowledges us as
educators. I stand strong in my belief that learning occurs anytime, anywhere, and in every
possible way as long as the students are willing to engage in dialogue with us. I know that I
certainly learned a lot during my time as an undergraduate student who was extremely involved
in student organizations.
Komives and Carpenter (2009) provide a simple way of explaining the necessity for
professional development that I agree with, although grounded in bodies of knowledge from our

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formal study in higher education, student affairs, or student development, todays times require
that professionals acquire new information to approach contemporary challenges. In this field,
there are always new challenges that we will face, especially with the changing student
population that this country will see in the next decade. We, as professionals, need to be prepared
for change by keeping up with best practices and new theories in the field, which can easily be
addressed by joining a professional association. Certainly, more can still be done to connect
theory and practice, especially since I identify as a scholar-practitioner (Komives, 1998).
Coming from a science background, I continue to enjoy the study and assessment of practical
situations, experiences, and outcomes that will guide my thoughts and decisions as I move
forward in my career.
Reiterating my belief for learning through experiences, I recognize that I am fully
responsible for picking the paths that I believe will provide me with the best experiences, or at
the very least, an experience that I can learn from. I have to be proactive in seeking out
opportunities either through dialogue with those who are already in those positions or through
work, internship, and volunteer experiences. I have the autonomy to choose what I want to learn
and from who I want to learn from. To further facilitate this experiential learning, it is vital to
seek guidance from more experienced professionals who are already in the field. As I have a high
level of respect for seasoned professionals in the field, having an established mentor is helpful to
getting questions answered and gaining insight on navigating the many paths available. This may
include pursuing opportunities in areas that I would not have even considered, but may
eventually become something I find rewarding. In an ideal situation, my self-directed learning
through experience would be even more informative if I could pursue several job rotations at
different geographical locations and at various types of institutions across the country although

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I would not be opposed if this took me to another part of the globe as well. Student
demographics such as ethnic background and socioeconomic status, as well as the campus
culture are drastically different at both the community colleges and universities throughout the
country. Having the experience of being exposed to a wide array of different student
backgrounds and working within different institutional philosophies is definitely one way to
become a better and more flexible professional. There is a lot to learn and many people to learn
from. This is especially important for entry- to mid-level professionals who are just starting out
in the field, but more than just for personal benefit, professional development also benefits both
the institution and the students served.
A major difference that distinguishes student affairs professionals from other educators
within the academy is the much closer proximity that we are to students. These interactions occur
much more frequently and in a more private setting than our teaching counterparts. Our
professions enduring guiding moral purpose has been and continues to be about the holistic
welfare of college students (Dalton et al., 2009), thus because of this dynamic, we are more
likely to be caught in ethical dilemmas. We are often wedged in the middle between enforcing
institutional policies and facilitating the full college experience for students. Being in close
contact with students may also lead to unavoidable situations where the professional relationship
becomes compromised due to personal feelings. While we have to remain careful and aware of
where the line is when working with students, another aspect that distinguishes us is the
relationship we build and share with the surrounding community. The community includes
parents, law enforcement, politicians, and business owners, just to name a few. We must always
be aware of how our external stakeholders interact and influence both the student population and
the work that we do on campus. It is also our responsibility to engage them in dialogue so as to

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promote understanding and support of institutional policies. For example, we need to urge the
local law enforcement to act on businesses that sell alcohol to underage students, while at the
same time ensure that parents do not encourage any counterproductive efforts. Because of where
student affairs professionals stand within the institution relative to both internal and external
stakeholders, it is imperative that we are strict with ourselves in abiding by professional
standards of ethical behavior and keeping our colleagues in check through regular open and
honest dialogue.
When there is a campus crisis, student affairs professionals are responsible for multiple
different roles in helping students get over the situation. For starters, we are responsible for
executing plans that will allow proper communication among faculty, staff, students, parents,
first responders, and the greater community. Knowledge of the situation and further information
on next steps are important so that everyone will be aware and understands what needs to be
done moving forward. There should be open channels of communication for students to come
forward to seek comfort from student affairs professionals. Supporting them will have to come
from having open dialogue and genuine care and counsel, and when students are ready, an
opportunity to learn from the crisis should be presented in hopes that it would help prevent a
future similar occurrence. After all, a successfully managed crisis can result in positive visibility,
increased confidence, and deepened appreciation and understanding of the role of student affairs
on campus (Miser & Cherrey, 2009).
This paper sums up my current thoughts on what I believe education and a student affairs
career should be. As I continue to encounter new experiences through learning theory and in
practice, I will subject them to this philosophy, carefully comparing and contrasting them to what
I believe. I am willing to learn from more experienced mentors in the field, and therefore this

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document remains open to change. Education is after all about experience and is a never-ending
process.

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