7890

My graduate experience at Kent State University in the Higher Education Administration and Student Personnel program has taught me about the importance of education and the practice of student affairs. Over the past two years I have been encouraged to challenge myself academically, professionally, and personally. I have gained valuable knowledge in the classroom and practical experience through my assistantships and practicum experiences. Additionally, I will leave the program with a better understanding of my own capabilities and skills. Classroom discussions have sparked my interest in a variety of educational subjects and I am eager to discover how to connect them with my career. As I reflect upon the past two years I feel that three major curricular themes have emerged: practical application, focus on student development theory, and leadership development. Each of these themes has reoccurred in my coursework and practicum experiences.  I have gained practical application of theory through practicums, assistantships, and hands-on activities in my coursework. I completed three different practicum experiences in the offices of residence life, student leadership, and service-learning. I gained experience at a state institution, research university, and a small private liberal arts college. Due to the variety of experiences I was able to practice a wide range of skills in many different higher education settings. Similarly, my assistantships gave me the opportunity to closely observe the daily functions of two different student affairs departments while making my own contributions. In the classroom the instructors assigned case studies, service-learning projects, and interactive activities. They recreated real life administrative scenarios that produced practical application for higher education practice. I believe this practice will help me in the beginning of my career. Furthermore, classes such as law and higher education, administration of disability services, business administration, and students in the college environment contained “how-to” information that can be directly applied to student affairs work.  I began my first semester in the program by taking a course in college student development. We discussed cognitive, psychosocial, leadership, organizational, person-environment, multicultural, and typology theories in great detail. I revisited each of these theories throughout the program. Each course built on the foundation of the information I gained in the initial development course. After each semester, I had a better understanding of these theories. I have used my understanding to better relate to students, analyze various college environments, work with diverse populations, and politically navigate organizations. The comprehensive analysis of development theories has allowed me to effectively apply this knowledge in a wide range of situations. As we near the end of the program and review each of these theories, I notice how far I have come in my understanding of student development theory. I began with a basic understanding, conducted further research, observed the practice and now have moved to application. I still continue to develop my understanding of student development theory, but as I reflect upon my coursework in the higher education program, I believe that I have made significant progress in this area.  The theory, practice and philosophy and leadership were woven throughout the higher education curriculum. Courses such as Women in Leadership and Leadership in Educational Organizations obviously focused on the concept, but indirectly, each course related to leadership in some capacity. Through intense analysis of various leadership philosophies and styles I have developed my own beliefs on leadership and have a greater understanding of the leaders around me. Furthermore, these lessons have helped to improve my relationships with other leaders, empower others, and encouraged me to reflect on my own development. Although leadership courses cannot fully prepare any individual for critical leadership actions, I now have a better understanding of which leadership style will work best in times of crisis, supervision, success, and conflict. I feel that understanding leadership is crucial for anyone beginning a career in higher education or student affairs and the program has given me to tools and resources to begin developing my own leadership style in the field.  Practical application of theory, focus on student development theory, and leadership development were the themes most evident to me during my graduate experience. They tied into each of my courses and experiential activities. Each of these themes has served important roles in my educational, professional and personal development throughout the program. I feel that they have supported my learning and will continue to tie into my future career development.