71302Phil

I believe that the purpose of student affairs is to develop the whole person outside of the classroom. In doing so, a student should leave the institution knowing how to communicate with others, interact with people whose opinions differ from their own, manage their time, and more. In order to do this, I believe it is necessary that student affairs professionals act as role models. By acting as role models, students can see how people they admire carry themselves professionally and personally. From this they can determine how they think they should act in different settings. Additionally, I believe that encouraging students to take advantage of opportunities such as multicultural events, studying abroad, or participating in service projects in the community are also important. This will show and teach the students how to interact with different people and how to be active citizens domestically and/or internationally. It is my firm belief that the next generation needs to be develop skills in regards to intercultural competence; they will be unable to do so unless they take advantage of the opportunities available to them while at school. This is why I wish to work at an institution that has the similar emphases. Finally, I believe that the most important thing that student affairs professionals need to remember is that they are there to educate the students and they are not customer service representatives. Students come to higher education institutions to learn, and if we do not take every opportunity to teach these students, then they will not learn from their mistakes. For example, if a resident approaches you because they wish for a room change, it is important to ask them why. Some may say that it is because their roommate is homosexual and in cases like these, it is important to speak with the resident. By talking to the resident, they might realize that the problem is not that their roommate is homosexual; in fact, they might realize that they have a number of things in common with each other. However, if the professional does not take the time to meet with the student, the student might not learn to look beyond the fact that their roommate is homosexual. Simple situations like these can teach students a great deal and it is our job, as student affairs professionals, to make sure that they do. These three things, role model, encouragement of multicultural events, and educating the students, are essential for student affairs professionals to practice.