Running head: AREAS OF GROWTH 1

Learning Outcomes Narrative: Areas of Growth

De’Andre Jones

Seattle University
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Learning Outcomes Narrative: Areas of Growth

When I began my coursework at Seattle University, it was a year of change due to our

primary faculty member being on sabbatical. Course offerings were sporadic, the faculty

teaching some of the courses taught in disciplines outside of student affairs, and as a result, I feel

as though I did not get to go as deep into the student affairs content as I would have liked. Thus, I

have chosen professional development and contextual knowledge as my theme for the areas of

growth narrative because it highlights some of the areas within student affairs that I feel I need

more exposure to. To be clear, the term professional development for the purpose of this

narrative is in reference to the development of a particular skill. The contextual knowledge piece

is in alignment with two of the sub-areas that I plan to touch upon within this narrative. The three

sub-areas that I have identified as critical parts of my professional practice that need

development are: History of higher education, enhancing language skills, and Finance & Law.

History of Higher Education: SDA Learning Outcome #1 [Artifact C1]

During my first quarter in the Student Development Administration program at Seattle

University, we were asked to complete the NASPA/ACPA competency assessment as a part of

the SDAD 5300 – Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession course. I was quite

overwhelmed by the amount of skills we are expected to have/develop as student affairs

practitioners. Fast forward to the fall of 2017, and I found myself taking the same assessment

again in SDAD 5900 – Student Development Capstone Seminar. Taking the assessment this time

allowed me to witness my growth after having only been in the SDA program for a year. Despite

my experiences in an array of functional areas, there were foundational pieces that were missing.

SDA learning outcome #1 has become increasingly important to me because one of the

competencies that stood out to me was about the foundation and history of higher education. I
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would define learning outcome #1 as a practitioner’s responsibility to recognize our professions

history, emerging trends that inform our current practice, and the long-term implication those

components can have on the student affairs and higher education industry.

From this assessment, I learned that I needed to do some more work in developing my

skills related to the history of higher education competencies. I did have the opportunity to

scratch the surface during my time in SDAD 5800 – Higher Education Law. Artifact C1 is an

example of my best scholarly written work during my time in the SDA program. This assignment

taught me how to analyze case law, explore historical contexts for marginalized populations,

apply student development theory, and consider the impact of institutional decision-making can

have on students in higher education. Despite having that experience, there is a part of me that

regrets not being able to take History of Higher Education course as part of the Student

Development Administration curriculum.

Enhancing Language Skills: SDA Learning Outcomes #8 [Artifacts A, F]

The next sub-area of professional development that I feel needs improvement is

enhancing my language skills. This demonstrated the importance of SDA Learning Outcome

#8, which I define as the ability to engage in professional communication with students,

institutional leaders, and stakeholders. Whether that is through email, professional development

presentations, or networking at regional and national conferences. This one is probably the most

difficult for me to accept because of my Latinx identity. Now more than ever am I feeling the

pressure to be able to speak fluently in Spanish. Furthermore, as I make the transition from a

higher education setting into the realm of College Access, it is necessary for me to learn the

language that is most commonly used in that space, which may differ from what I have been

using in an institutional setting.

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Artifact A represents my professional experiences, leadership, and affiliations. It is

evident that I am keen to taking experiences and growing from them. I firmly believe that as

practitioners, we are lifelong learners and that is something I pride myself on. In partnership

with Artifact A, I wanted to highlight Artifact F. This artifact represents the 2-to-5-year

Professional Development & Action Plan that created in SDAD 5900 – Student Development

Capstone Seminar in the fall of 2017. In consultation with my supervisor Eliza Arai Carrington,

Program Director at Summer Search-Seattle, I have created a professional development plan to

begin enhancing my skills in this area. Currently, I am looking into continuing education courses

being offered at the local community colleges for Spanish language. These classes will provide

me with the tools and vocabulary necessary to engage with Spanish speakers in my work and

help me to feel more confident in my Latinx identity by engaging in conversation with members

of my family who solely speak Spanish. Another part of this plan is to attend and present at

regional or national conferences related to Mentorship or college access work. These experiences

will provide me with more college access context and help me to become a more effective

communicator both amongst colleagues and the students and families I will be supporting.

Finance & Law: SDA Learning Outcomes #9 [Artifact C3]

The final sub-area I have identified as an area of growth would be finance & law. Law

and Finance in general have always been two difficult areas for me to understand. I understand

policies in relation to certain job responsibilities, but outside of that, I feel as though I am

disconnected from these aspects of our work. That is why I believe that SDA Learning

Outcome #9 is an area of growth for me. I define this learning outcome as one’s ability to

understand laws and the impacts it has on the parties involved, being attentive to the changing
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economic and governance structures at an institutional/organizational level or nationally and

knowing why certain policies are implemented.

Artifact C1 highlights some of my experience exploring these topics during my time

within the Student Development Administration program. This group presentation entitled

"Cultivating Connections for Success" from SDAD 5400 - Student Development: Theory,

Research, and Practice. We developed a program that would help promote diversity, a sense of

belonging, and opportunities for those within underrepresented populations in the STEM field.

Part of the assignment was to develop a budget and to look at policies that may inform the pre-

college program we created. Through this experience, I gained a stronger understanding and

appreciation of the work that is being done traditionally in higher education as well as in the non-

profit sector to promote access towards post-secondary pathways.

This is an area of growth for me because I will continue to research and participate in

trainings that will enhance my understanding of federal law and the impacts it can have on the

student experience. Particularly, as it pertains to students who come from marginalized

backgrounds, experiences, or identify as undocumented. .

Conclusion

Lastly, I think it is important to name that there is a gap between college access work and

higher education. That is one area of growth that I see in our current exclusionary system. An

area of growth that I am committed to combatting as a graduate of the Student Development

Administration program. We as a field need to stand in solidarity to ensure that we are ensuring

an equitable system for all students from start to finish. It will not happen overnight by any

means but that is definitely something that I plan to strive for in my work. Sure, there will be
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bumps along the way and I may make mistakes, but I hope that through these experiences, I can

continue to learn and become the best practitioner I can be.