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Higher Education and Student Personnel Themes  When I began to research graduate programs, I found an array of programs that focused on several different aspects of higher education. The main reason that I chose to attend the Higher Education and Student Personnel program at Kent State University was due to the amount of practical experience that was a component of the program. Not only were graduate assistantships encouraged and supplied, but the number of practicum opportunities allowed me to get experience in other areas that I was interested in or wanted to explore.  I have found several main components to the Higher Education and Student Personnel program and will discuss them throughout this paper. I have found that throughout the majority of courses that I have completed that leadership is a main focus. Not only have leadership theories been discussed, but also the importance of developing a leadership style and how that can affect the way in which you deal with issues. As I look forward to graduating this May and begin to work full-time in the field of higher education, I will continue to develop and strengthen my leadership abilities and style. I am aware that many of the theories, both leadership and developmental will never be put into practice in regards to my work in higher education. They have provided a strong foundation of knowledge that has contributed to my understanding of how institutions of higher education function and the student populations that we serve.  Another main aspect of the higher education program is the fact that the faculty members engage the students in issues that are going on currently in the field of higher education. We are then engaged in discussions on how that affects us as future administrators. We are not only challenged to look at the issues from the standpoint of an administrator, but from all angles of the stakeholders. I think that is important to understand how decisions affect every aspect of the institution and field.  Current trends in higher education are usually discussed in every course in relevance to the topic being taught. For example, the Business Administration course is currently dating the economic considers that institutions of higher education are facing and how decisions have to be made regarding hiring new staff members, laying individuals off, and cutting back on departmental budgets. The higher education program has forced me to not only look at all angles of the issue, but have evidence and a rational for my opinions and beliefs.  I believe that the multicultural and diversity course was the most powerful course I have completed in the program so far. I completed this course in my first semester of the program and am grateful for that. I think that it pushed me to discuss and analyze difficult topics, but it also provided me with the ability to view situations from a new perspective. I am more aware of the issues that diverse student populations encounter and how my actions can either contribute to the ongoing problem or be an advocate for change. Before I began taking courses, I had read over the curriculum for the program. The courses seemed as though they would be useful and relevant to the field of higher education, but I was unsure how some of them would be of practical use. I soon understand that the majority of the information that I was coming into contact with would serve a purpose for me as a student and a future higher education administrator. When I decided to come to Kent State for graduate school, I was encouraged to find my “fit” for a higher education program. For myself Kent was that place and since then I have been encouraged to find the right environment for locating a position, both in the type of institution and department. As a result of the program, I have been introduced to several different institutions and departments through my graduate assistantship and my practicum experiences.  I have learned that institutions of higher education face many challenges. They are faced with the increasing demands of accountability and accessibility. Institutions have to decide what type of institution they want to become and design their mission statements and learning objectives to meet their goals. They are also debating how to attract new students who will strive on their campus and contribute to the learning that is taking place. Given the status of the economy currently, recruiting qualified students and ensuring that they will have the resources available to them to attend an institution of higher education is going to be a main issue among most institutions. I have learned throughout this program that there are seldom ever any easy answers to situations. You need to surround yourself with other qualified administrators and collaborate in order to solve problems.  In all of the courses that I have completed, collaboration has been a major component. Students were either required to work in small groups to discuss and solve issues or work together as a class to find solutions to problems. Even in the practicum experiences that I have completed, I was engaged in collaborative efforts when working with a supervisor and other administrators. It is a useful skill to utilize, especially in the field of higher education. Nothing in the field of higher education is accomplished very quickly. It is important to form relationships and network within the institution you are working at and among colleagues nationwide.  In a collaborative environment more ideas can be brainstormed and more solutions created to better serve the institution and the stakeholders involved. The Higher Education and Student Personnel program at Kent State University provides a well-rounded experience to the students who take part in it. I have gained more knowledge in several areas of higher education that I was unfamiliar with. The core courses provide a solid framework and the electives allow students to tailor their education to their wants and needs.  The ability to choose electives that were of interest to my professorial goals has only reinforced my interest in the field of higher education. The program was more well-rounded then I had expected when I started. I have had the opportunity not only to experience a small liberal arts college through my graduate assistantship, but large public institutions by obtaining the practicum experiences that I did. The encouragement to experience different types of institutions pushed me to pursue and engage in experiences that were different from the types of institutions that I had experience with in the past. I am grateful for the encouragement that the program provided and for the experiences that have prepared me to graduate this semester and begin my career in the field of higher education.