Running head: STRENGTHS 1

Learning Outcome Narrative: Strengths

Tasmia Moosani

Seattle University
STRENGTHS

Portfolio Narrative: Strengths

(LO #2, #4, #5, #6, #7 & #10; Artifacts A, B, C1, C2, C3, & G)

Introduction

From academic coursework to professional assistantships and internships, the SDA

program has enabled me to develop certain strengths that contribute to my promise as a

practitioner in this field. This learning outcome narrative highlights such strengths (or sub-

themes), including leadership and collaboration, advocacy for students, and intersectional

lens, all of which form the overarching theme of my professional identity.

Leadership and Collaboration (LO #5 & #6; Artifacts A & C3)

Collaboration is one of the essential driving forces that help improve student success in

higher education; it has not only dismantled silos, but it has also prevented them from existing to

begin with (Manning, 2013). My experiences at Seattle University have highlighted my growth

in LO #6. LO #6’s defining dimensions encompass the ability to collaborate professionally with

other departments on campus, the means of having a student focused mentality that advocates for

underserved populations, and the capability of working together to put the needs of students first.

During my first quarter at Seattle University, I took on the role as an academic advisor in

academic affairs. As I got more involved in my role, my curiosity began to grow, and I wanted to

gain experience and understanding in other functional areas of the university. I then began to

proactively seek out opportunities throughout the Seattle University campus. This curiosity for

my field led me to apply for the Orientations Programs NODA Intern position at Seattle

University. One of my main roles as a NODA intern included collaborating with campus partners

to ensure presentations, workshops and information sessions were ready to go for each

orientation (LO #6). Through my most notable presentation (Artifact C3), I discuss in depth the
STRENGTHS

first-hand collaboration experiences that I have encountered at Seattle University. By having

worked closely and collaborated with Disability Services and Housing, for example, I ensured

that accessible housing and proper accommodations were met and made available throughout

each program, as students arrive to campus for each of their orientations. In addition, I have also

collaborated with Housing and Conference and Events Services to provide a LGBTQIA+-

friendly housing space and community. Altogether, if we want resources to be accessible and

available for students to help improve success in higher education, then we first need to have

open access to each other (Manning, 2013).

In creating my resume (Artifact A) in SDAD 5900: Student Development Capstone

Seminar, I have broadened and deepened my professional experience in academic advising,

orientation, and diversity and inclusion. In addition to being an academic advisor and orientation

intern, I also had the opportunity to intern at the Office of Diversity & Inclusion (ODI) at Seattle

University. Partnering with OMA and faculty, ODI invited a speaker to highlight and elaborate

the experiences of Trans students through an event called Trans Allyship: Welcoming Trans

Students. This partnership entailed and fostered a strong collaboration between multiple

departments, all focused on bettering the overall student experience at Seattle University.

According to Manning (2013), “collaboration will not only improve working for all in

higher education, but can create meaningful roles for staff, students and others who traditionally

have been excluded from the power structures within colleges and universities” (p. x). Both

academic and student affairs staff are undoubtedly critical to student development. They play a

major role in orienting students on and off campus, helping students transition into college, and

advising students in various aspects of personal and professional growth. My experiences have

helped me build strong relationships in which I can tap into when I see opportunities for
STRENGTHS

collaboration. As a result, this has allowed me to serve as a bridge between academic affairs and

student affairs to continue supporting Seattle University students, both personally and

academically (LO #5). The defining dimensions for LO #5 include having the ability to

understand the history and power structures in higher education, collaborating with campus

partners to discuss the emerging issues in the field, and thinking about how current practices can

be improved to better support the student population. With that, I now see part of my work as a

student affairs professional is to find opportunities to collaborate to better the overall student

growth and experience.

Advocacy for Students (LO #4 & #7; Artifacts B & G)

Through my leadership experiences at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) I was

able to dive right into the SDA program with the background in social justice and advocacy.

Some of these roles at UCI included being the Resident Advisor for the Diversity: Advocacy &

Activism hall for two years, and the Director for Community Outreach through ASUCI, which

focused on community issues such as homelessness, human trafficking and food insecurity. As a

first-generation woman-of-color who is still navigating the world of academia, fighting off

imposter syndrome, and finding a sense of belonging that is not created for me had ultimately

sparked a passion in me to dive deeper into higher education. As an indirect result, one of my

strengths throughout my time at Seattle University has been developing a professional identity

around advocacy for marginalized students. Coming directly from being an undergraduate

student to being a professional in higher education, my reflection revolved around how I use my

narrative to break down systemic barriers that continue to negatively impact our students (LO

#4). Advocating for marginalized populations, breaking down systemic barriers, and reflecting

on the role I play in this field are my defining dimensions for LO #4. Peter Bahr (2010) states
STRENGTHS

that “Race itself is not a cause of the disparities; rather, it is the many correlated facets of

inequality that lead to lower preparation and achievement among historically disadvantaged

racial groups” (p. 212). In turn, my personal mission statement (Artifact B) speaks to my ability

to reflect my own intersecting identities, and to translate that into working, supporting and

advocating for marginalized students to empower them and provide them a sense of belonging at

their institutions.

With my overlying passion for advocacy, I have gained a strong dedication to work with

marginalized students on academic probation. My defining dimensions for LO#7 cover the use of

assessment to reach actionable results, the application of research to find areas of improvement

in the field, and the improvement of current best practices or implementation of new practices.

During my time as an academic advisor, I built a program called Academic Coaching (Artifact

G), which focuses on coaching marginalized students whose grade point average (GPA) is no

longer meeting the minimum requirements. Such marginalized students include first-generation

students, students of color and/or students who have other intersecting marginalized identities.

Deil-Amen (2011), for example, suggests that relationships and meetings with faculty,

counselors or advisors provide the social capital needed to strengthen academic knowledge, and

provide the positive encouragement necessary for success in classes, college and careers. The

Academic Coaching program is designed to help students deepen their relationship with their

success coach, and help them connect to campus resources, one of which being their faculty. In

addition to helping students navigate the university, the program’s goals are to also help students

feel a sense of belonging – ensuring students feel respected, valued, accepted, cared for,

included, and making them feel that they matter (Strayhorn, 2012). Lastly, I worked on general

assessment by gathering data after running the program for its first year to learn how the program
STRENGTHS

can be improved, to know what students need, and to determine how successful it was overall

(LO #7).

Intersectional Lens (LO #2 & #10; Artifacts C1, C2)

My time in the SDA program has given me the opportunity to learn about student issues,

and how intersecting identities play a role in each student’s college experiences. Kimberlé

Crenshaw, for example, stated that “if we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable,

are going to fall through the cracks.” That said, I have defined LO #2 to fit the following

dimensions: understanding how student issues vary amongst the different types of institutions,

assessing student needs more accurately through research, and using such research to advocate

for institutions to better support their students. In the classroom I was able to dive into research

on specific issues that students face. My MA graduate project (Artifact C1), for example,

focuses on how feeling a sense of belonging and a sense of preparedness impact first-generation

students of color, and their experiences both inside and outside the classroom. Terrell Strayhorn

(2012) mentions that sense of belonging is whether or not students feel respected, valued,

accepted, cared for, included, and feeling that they matter in the classroom, at college or in their

respective career field. Artifact C1 gave me the opportunity to provide recommendations on

how institutions can better foster a more socially just campus environment, where students,

specifically first-generation students of color, are more likely to succeed. My research, along

with others, have shown that minorities or marginalized groups such as first-generation students

of color “have value but we do not see it as value because it is not the norm (white, upper and

middle-class)” (Yosso, 2005), which ultimately affects the success of students (LO #2).

My defining dimensions for LO#2 have helped me reach a better understanding of LO

#10: Establishing and enhancing my professional identity. The defining dimensions for LO #10
STRENGTHS

involve being able to lead with authenticity, using passion for justice by challenging current

systems in place, and continuing to seek out ways to learn and advocate for underserved

populations. Through my SDAD 5590: The American Community College class, my research

paper focused on food insecurity and how it directly impacts student’s physical and mental

wellbeing, which in turn impacts their academic success as a whole (Artifact C2). Recent

studies show that almost fifty percent of the college student population struggle with food

insecurity, which includes community colleges as well (Maroto, Snelling, & Linck, 2015). When

students feel compromised by lack of access to basic needs, their ability to focus on schools is

also compromised (Goldrick-Rab, Broton, & Eisenberg, 2015). That said, food-insecure students

have a higher possibility of being first-generation, low-income, and/or students of color. As a

result, reflecting on the importance of intersectionality, it is important to me as a professional in

this field to challenge all systems of oppression and continue to ask critical questions that

challenge current policies and practices, and promote new ones instead (LO #10).

In addition to my experiences inside the classroom, I have also gotten the opportunity to

be a graduate intern for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Seattle University. One of my

tasks included developing toolkits that consisted of resources, both for on and off-campus use.

One toolkit, for example, focused on undocumented students; it included a variety of resources

that ranged from community support for UndocuQueer students, undocumented students with

disabilities, and low-income undocumented students. These toolkits helped me reflect on the

importance of recognizing the intersecting identities that may have an impact on our students. In

addition to providing resources for students, I was also able to find trainings that can be

facilitated to our faculty and staff, so they can better support their students who come from such

marginalized backgrounds. Lastly, as I build these toolkits, I incorporated ways students, faculty,
STRENGTHS

and/or staff could begin to recognize the multiple forms of systemic discrimination, and how

intersecting identities can present unique and multiple barriers for students (LO #2).

Through my coursework, assistantship and internship experience, and my constant

reflections, I have strengthened my understanding on intersectionality, not only among my own

identities, but also through salient identities that many of our students carry (LO #2). This has

ultimately led me to gain a deeper understanding of students and student issues (LO #2). In

addition, these experiences have also enhanced my identity as a professional, as they have

allowed me to reflect on how I can continue to break down systemic barriers through my

professional practice (LO #10).

STRENGTHS

References

Bahr, P. R. (2010). Preparing the underprepared: An analysis of racial disparities in

postsecondary mathematics remediation. The Journal of Higher Education, 81(2), 209-

237.

Deil-Amen, R. (2011). Socio-academic integrative moments: Rethinking academic and social

integration among two-year college students in career-related programs. The Journal of

Higher Education, 82(1), 54-91.

Goldrick-Rab, S., Broton, K., & Eisenberg, D. (2015). Hungry to learn: Addressing food &

housing insecurity among undergraduates. Wisconsin Hope Lab, 1-25.

Manning, K. (2013). Organizational Theory in Higher Education. New York, NY: Routledge.

Maroto, M. E., Snelling, A., & Linck, H. (2015). Food insecurity among community college

students: Prevalence and association with grade point average. Community College

Journal of Research and Practice, 39(6), 515-526

Strayhorn, T. L. (2012). College students' sense of belonging: A key to educational success for

all students. Routledge.

Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community

cultural wealth. Race ethnicity and education, 8(1), 69-91.