Running head: STUDENT AFFAIRS PHILOSOPHY Salsman !

Student Affairs Philosophy

Scott Salsman

Azusa Pacific University

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Student Affairs Philosophy

The goal of this paper is to first discuss my personal philosophy on higher education.

More specifically I will look at the areas of learning, students and the field of student affairs

itself. To do so it is imperative to look at the foundational documents that student affairs

professionals utilize in their practice. In this paper I will compare and contrast both from

foundational documents such as the Student Learning imperative (1996) and the Student

Personnel Point of View (1949) as well as other articles that are relevant to the development of

students in student affairs. After there is a more clear understating of my personal student affairs

philosophy, I will then discuss how my personal beliefs will show through in practice, and how

they will affect my personal philosophy. Next I will explain how my strengths will both help and

challenge me in student affairs. Lastly, I will discuss how my Christian faith fits into student

affairs and how one can use their Christian faith to shape their personal student affairs

philosophy.

In the realm of student affairs there are many different philosophies and different ways of

working with students. Student affairs professionals are different and each will have their own

way of conducting their business. As a new student affairs professional it is important that I have

a philosophy that aligns with my personal beliefs, but it does so in a way that is student centered.

Higher education as a whole is based on student learning, but what exactly does that mean?

There can be great strides made in a students life in the classroom, but an equally significant

impact can be made on their lives playing an intramural sports game. The idea that higher

education is confined only to the classroom is difficult for me to comprehend. For the first part of

my philosophy I want to discuss how I believe that student affairs in higher education is not
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limited to the classroom, but should also be highly focused outside of the classroom. From my

personal experiences I have done some of my most transformative learning outside of the

classroom, and I have learned from many mentors and leaders that were not professors. For

example, I have learned so much about my own spiritual journey as well as what I want my

vocation to look from my supervisor in the Communiversity office. I believe that there is a

common pressure around schoolwork. I think that there is an idea that college is hard and there is

a form of resentment towards schoolwork. When this happens students look for an escape:

Residence hall events, intramural sport games, student life events, bible studies and athletics. All

of these events have a place in student affairs and can offer a great deal of learning. I believe that

student affairs professionals need to focus on the holistic student. Every part of college shapes

that student for better or for worse; it is our jobs as student affairs educators to make their college

experience the best one possible. This leads into the next section where I will discuss what I

believe about students as a population.

I believe that students have a constant desire to learn. They will not always say that they

want to learn, and they might not explicitly ask for it, but if they really look into themselves there

is an innate passion for learning. The difference between academic learning and out of class

learning is that most of the time when the student is outside of the classroom they either do not

realize what they are learning or they are voluntarily going out to learn. One of the reasons that I

feel so strongly about co-curricular or extracurricular learning is because I do think that there are

students who do not necessarily want to go to class. They enjoy learning and the class material

but getting to that class can be difficult for them at times. I come from an athletic background

and it is easy for many athletes to put the time that would normally be used for class and turn it
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into an opportunity to practice their athletic craft. Providing an opportunity for out of class

learning is important for any student affairs office. A mentorship program or student leadership

program provides a place for students to grow outside of the classroom as well as getting

involved within the campus.

One of the biggest parts of becoming a student affairs professional is figuring out what

kind of student affairs professional you want to be. Do you want to be someone more focused on

the academic side of student affairs, do you want to be someone who is in upper level

administration, or do you want to be someone that has a high level of student contact? In my

mind all of these people are educators in their own way. Each assists the students and educates

them on different parts of their college experiences. Recently I interviewed Eugene Shang who is

the Associate Residence Director at University of La Verne. When interviewing him I asked how

he came into the field of student affairs and he said that he went to school to be a teacher but

found student affairs. He said that the student affairs profession is just a different type of

teaching. He said in student affairs you get to teach life (Personal Communication, Eugene

Shang, 2015). There still is teaching going on; it is just a different type of teaching. These are the

areas that I am passionate about and I feel that my philosophy reflects holistic learning, the type

of learning done outside of the classroom. You get to see students in a way professors do not.

You get to often experience life with them and help them get through difficult times in their lives.

The greatest part about being an educator in this aspect is that you are always learning as well.

These students that you are investing in are also investing in you. That is why this type of

educator is so special. I feel as though anyone can be an educator, and you are not confined to the

classroom to teach. learning can take place anywhere.

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I believe that in the realm of student affairs, the most important aspect is that of the

student. It is imperative that the students needs are addressed and there is action put to the

students goals. As a student affairs professional it is vital that we remember that we do this work

for the benefit of the student. Our pride and ego will be set aside in order to best accommodate

the student. Mentioned earlier was the fact that it is important to see where student affairs have

come from. To do so we look to foundation documents such as the Student Learning Imperative

(1996) and the Student Personnel Point of View (1949). These documents set a base for student

affairs professionals and allow us to form our philosophies around their findings. First I would

like to discuss how the Student Personnel Point of view of earlier student affairs involvement

differs from my own personal view. In an article Jeff A. Doyle writes titled Where Have We

Come From and Where are We Going, Doyle says that the role of student affairs was to support

the academic mission of the institution by helping the students be prepared for the classroom (as

cited in Ender, Newton, & Caple, 1996b). Although it is true that student affairs professionals

should work jointly with academic faculty, it is not their sole or primary purpose on a college

campus. I feel as though so much student learning is done outside of the classroom it is the

student affairs professionals who should be facilitating this type of learning.

The next foundation document that I will discuss is the Student Learning Imperative

(1996). This document offers insight to many different aspects of student affairs. The section that

I want to focus on is one that aligns closely with my personal philosophy about student affairs.

The Student Learning Imperative talks about a holistic approach to student learning. It says that

contributing in in-class and out of class experiences both on and off campus assist the student in

both their learning as well as their development. (Student Learning Imperative, 1996). This is a
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part of student affairs that fits completely into my philosophy. I believe that student learning can

happen anywhere on campus and within any department. Student learning is not confined to a

classroom. The Student Learning Imperative (1996) goes on to say that student learning can be

had under active engagement and collaboration with peers, coworkers and mentors. Some of the

most significant learning in ones college career takes place outside of the classroom.

Overall my philosophy is that students are the center of our work. The goals of student

affairs professionals should be to challenge and support the student throughout various times

during their undergraduate career. It is important to note that student learning can happen

anywhere on campus and it is the role of the student affairs professional to facilitate and provide

opportunity for that learning.

Next we will look at how the Strengths Finder Assessment plays a major role in my

student affairs philosophy. Azusa Pacific University is a strengths based campus. What that

means is that everyone is required to take a Strengths Finder assessment and it will give them a

list of five strengths with a description that fits them best based on their responses to the

assessment. My top five strengths are Restorative, Relator, Developer, Arranger, and

Individualization. These strengths help define my student affairs philosophy and helped guide me

through my undergraduate career. Knowing your strengths is beneficial in how you lead and how

you learn. Really embracing them is important in not only knowing yourself, but also knowing

how you lead. I think that each person brings a unique skill set and each skill set is better suited

at certain areas of student affairs. I will discuss each of these strengths and how they align with

my goals in student affairs. First is Restorative.

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People who are especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with

problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it (Strengths Dashboard,

2015) Restorative is a trait that focus on finding problems and fixing them. I am a problem solver

by nature so I enjoy jobs or opportunities where that can be utilized and I feel that my

assistantship does a great job of utilizing me in that way. In student affairs it is often that you

find yourself in a difficult position where you have to make an unpopular decision. Being able to

navigate these tough decisions is a good trait to possess.

People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with

others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal (Strengths

Dashboard, 2015). Relator is an interesting trait for me. I enjoy working with students. That is

the main reason that I chose student affairs. But I do not consider myself someone who is good at

being a relator. The good thing about the strengths test is that it allows you to explore areas in

which you had a little doubt. In my current job being a relator is necessary. We are working with

students closely on a daily basis and being able to build a close relationship with our student

leaders is helpful.

The next strength is one that I feel is my strongest and one that I think fits me the best.

That is the strength of Developer. People who are especially talented in the Developer theme

recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement

and derive satisfaction from these improvements (Strengths Dashboard, 2015). My biggest

passion in student affairs is seeing the students grow and develop. Being able to see a student

who is struggling come out of that struggle and then succeed is rewarding. I think that the beauty

of student affairs is that success is a relative term. Referencing my interview with Eugene Shang
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again, he says that success is whatever it means to that student (Eugene Shang, personal

communication, 2015). My number one goal in student affairs is to help develop a student into

what that student wants to become. If I can help them develop and succeed then I have

accomplished my goal.

The next strength is Arranger. People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme

can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out

how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity (Strengths

Dashboard, 2015). This is one strength that I do not feel is one of my best. I know that being

organized is very important especially in a leadership role in higher education. It is an area that I

will need to work on and it is going to be a challenge for me.

The last strength is Individualization. People who are especially talented in the

Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift

for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively (Strengths

Dashboard, 2015). I believe that individualization is crucial when dealing with students. Making

each one feel valued is of upmost importance. Making each opinion and person feel important is

necessary. I think that being a good mentor and a good leader is making the people that you are

talking to feel important and special at that moment. One should not let outside issues or

personal problems creep into the conversation.

In my personal opinion each of these strengths each have a place in higher education and

in student affairs. Each one provides the student affairs professional with a set of skills that not

everyone has and each trait has specific areas where they excel and can preform the best.
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There are going to be challenges in any area of work. The challenges that I am currently

facing are those of boundaries. I am having a difficult time saying no to things. I want to do as

much as I can because I enjoy it so much, but at the same time I need to be cautious because I

can over work myself. I love working with students and that is why I am doing this program and

my work is so important to me. I feel as though it is easy to get so wrapped up in your work that

you forget that you have to take care of yourself not only mentally but physically as well.

Another challenge that I am having is investing in all of the students that I work with, and

investing in them with intentionality. It is not an easy thing to do to be fully invested in each

student so I am navigating that, as well as knowing that there are going to be difficult

conversations and difficult things that I will have to talk to students about and that students will

tell me. This can be emotionally draining as well. I think that with any job it is important to find

a balance.

My faith background spirituality definitely affects my philosophy. I think that as a

Christian I want to live my life Christ like. I have had many mentors in the past that have shown

me how to be a great leader and how to work with students so I think that they had a very big

impact on me. They are the reason why I am currently pursuing student affairs. My values will

impact my work because I just want to help students. That is my goal in whatever job I will have

later in life. Students are my focus so leading with a servants heart and knowing that the student

is the most important and I am here to help is important to me.

I believe that my faith shows through in my philosophy in part one. I am a firm believer

that your faith is shown through your work and how your portray yourself. Living your life

Christ like and being an example of Christ to me is one of the most important parts of being a
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Christian. I do not think that I necessarily need to outwardly preach the gospel, and depending on

where I work I might not be able to if I tried. There is a time and a place for religious

conversation and it is at the discretion of the student affairs professional. Obviously as Christians

we need to be disciples and spread the word of God but we also need to care for those that we

work with. Overall I do feel that my Christian background is reflected in my philosophy from

part one. Being a Christian is not something that you can turn off when you go to work or when

you work with a student. Being a Christian is something that influences your everyday decisions.

It influences your moral compass as well as every decision you make. Being a Christian is an all-

encompassing way of life. Our values and beliefs shape who we are so I believe that those same

values and beliefs also shape our philosophies that we have.

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Reference

Conference on the Philosophy and Development of Student Personnel Work in College and

University, & American Council on Education. (1937). The student personnel point of

view. Washington, D.C.: The American council on education.

Doyle, J. (2004). Where Have We Come From and Where Are We Going? A Review of Past

Student Affairs Philosophies and an Analysis of the Current Student Learning Philosophy.

24(1). Retrieved October 15, 2015, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ956994.pdf

Strengths Dashboard. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2015.

The Student Learning Imperative: Implications for Student ... (1996). Retrieved October 20,

2015.