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Kent State’s Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel program has fostered my learning and professional development through a combination of both theory based classes and practical field experiences. While the courses are theory based, the program also places an emphasis on the importance of gaining experience, through both Graduate Assistantships and practicum experiences. I have found that I have been able to apply concepts from my courses to my practical experiences and often use what I have learned to help guide my professional decisions and actions. Now that I am near the completion of the program I am able to identify some of the major themes and ideas of the Higher Education Administration program. Student development is the first major theme that cuts across numerous courses in the program. I noticed that many of the courses covered ways in which educational policies and practices impact the intellectual, social, and spiritual dimensions of student growth and development. During my first semester I took the College Student Development course. This course introduced the many theories of student development and after completion of the course I soon discovered that student development would be a concept that I would encounter again and again. For instance, student development was reintroduced in the Multiculturalism and Diversity course. In this course, I learned that recognizing the different characteristics of students makes it possible for administrators to refer to a theory of student development when attempting to understand the impact of an individual’s background on his or her college experience. The Students and the College Environment course also touched on the major theme of student development. In this course I learned about the role that environments and campus culture have in fostering and influencing student growth and development. Another theme that is constantly emphasized in the program is diversity. Many of my courses have covered topics that deal with diversity and inclusion. The theories that are covered in the College Student Development course pertain to specific student demographics including racial and ethnic groups, gender, and sexual preference. As an administrator it is necessary to be aware and accepting of multicultural differences in order to effectively serve students. In addition to the College Student Development course, an aspect of diversity was also a theme in the Students and the College Environment course. It is important for administrators to cultivate an environment that is inclusive for all individuals. For instance, the physical environment needs to provide various student organizations with a place to gather. Additionally, the physical environment needs to be accessible for students who have physical disabilities. The aggregate environment is made up of the individuals who are present on campus, whether it is students, faculty, or staff. When diversity exists in the aggregate environment, there is a greater likelihood acceptance of differences is also present. Although the Introduction to Counseling class is offered outside of the Higher Education program, this course also stresses the importance of educating yourself about other cultures in order to remove your own biases about a client who may come from a different background. In this class, we were told that if we wanted to have an appreciation for diversity then we should make friends with individuals who are different from ourselves. I don’t think that this is something I will ever forget. Diversity was certainly a theme that cut across many of the courses that I have taken. The continuous reminder of the significance of diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism has influenced my increased sensitivity to everyday issues that relate to diversity. Another major theme that was present in the program was the idea that institutions of higher education are dynamic and complex organizations that are different from one another. The Law and Higher Education course taught me about the difference in legal implications between private institutions and public institutions. Additionally, the course that I took about community colleges explained what makes community colleges unique from four year institutions. More specifically, I learned that community colleges are also different from one another. Depending on their mission, community colleges may either provide vocational education, developmental education, or courses that will transfer to a four year institution. I also learned about the dynamic nature of higher education institutions through the Leadership in Higher Education course. This course focused on the organization and structure of higher education and reiterated that every institution’s organizational structure will be different and will require administrators to be adaptable to the institution’s culture and structure. Lastly, the Athletic Administration course touched on organizational differences within the context of college athletics, specifically focusing on the three different NCAA divisions. Recognizing that no two institutions are the same is an important fact for administrators to be aware of. The expectations that I had set with regard to what I would learn throughout the program are, for the most part, in line with what I have actually learned. Knowing that I would be required to have at least two practicum experiences gave me the idea that the knowledge about the actual functions and responsibilities of specific units and offices would come from these hands on experiences. I expected the courses to cover basic theories related to student affairs but was very unsure of what kind of theories we would actually cover. Near the completion of the program I can confidently say that the balance between theoretical coursework and practical experiences has given me the opportunity to practice what I have learned, while recalling the major themes that are emphasized throughout the program.