Higher Education and College Student Personnel

As practitioners responsible for the co-curricular educational experiences of students as well as the structural, administrative governance of institutions of higher learning, graduates of the higher education and college student personnel programs are expected to continue to avail themselves of opportunities to learn more about the field, their specific functional unit, and students through active participation in professional associations and professional development activities. Such activities would include but are note limited to participating in conference workshops and seminars, other specific professional development workshops sponsored by their institutions or professional development associations, as well as subscribing and reading relevant journals and books both in their field and in their specific functional area. Our graduates will also demonstrate informed practice through the consistent and appropriate use of systematic inquiry through research, assessment, and evaluation, guided by relevant and appropriate theoretical models.

Graduates of our programs are also responsible practitioners in that they exhibit ethical practice according to the guidelines of the American College Personnel Association and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators joint ethical statement and/or similar guidelines relevant to their specific functional areas. Our graduates will also use reflection on their practice as a means to encourage the responsible and responsive carrying out of their duties.

Graduates of the Higher Education and College Student Personnel programs will be committed to diversity in their professional practice, through deliberate advocacy on behalf of those who are underrepresented, oppressed, and otherwise excluded from participation and involvement within their spheres of influence. This commitment to diversity will be evidenced also by continually educating themselves about the histories, cultures, and needs of people different from themselves and intentionally reflecting on their own identity and development. This multicultural competence will be demonstrated in every area of their professional practice and they will become change agents and leaders of efforts to promote multicultural competence in their colleagues, their students, and their institutions.

Graduates of the Higher Education and College Student Personnel programs are committed to their professional identity and growth. They embrace the responsibility of continuing to develop their own knowledge, skills, and abilities so that they may be effective leaders- higher education administrators and faculty members. The graduates of the higher education program shall seek opportunities to engage in research, whether it is to inform practice or contribute to scholarship. They are intrinsically motivated with internalized standards of professional performance and have a strong commitment to the core academic values associated with teaching, research, and service.

Graduates of the Higher Education and College Student Personnel programs will be principled, expert leaders in their fields of student personnel, academic administration, or college teaching. The curriculum and program experiences will prepare the graduates to assume leadership positions including those of academic deans, student affairs deans, academic vice presidents, student affairs vice presidents, associate provosts, provosts, and presidents. These graduates will be principled expert leaders in these positions in community colleges, private colleges and universities, and public college and universities serving the state and nation.

Graduates of the Higher Education and College Student Personnel programs will, by virtue of this credential, assume not only particular opportunities but enhanced responsibilities. Among these will be the conduct of professional duties in an ethical manner, making the interests, well-being, and respect of students and colleagues an integral priority of professional and personal life. Moreover, the graduate will be expected to uphold ethical practice among colleagues and students, and to intervene appropriately when high standards are not met.

Proficient and ethical users of technology

All students, both master’s and Ph.D., will take research courses requiring national database facility and computer-based statistical programming. In addition, virtually all classes utilize Blackboard and related instructional technologies, and presentation software. A great many students also compile electronic portfolios as part of their educational and career development. 

PhD students will typically complete three research courses, rather than the college minimum standard of two, and are capable in both qualitative and quantitative research methods.  The dissertation is an exercise in research methods competency, evaluated by no fewer than four committee members. 
Our master’s degree students are among the few in the college that continue to have a culminating exercise in the identification and framing of an issue that can be addressed through research literature, with the subsequent challenge of identifying, acquiring, evaluating, synthesizing, summarizing, and drawing conclusions from that research.  This exercise, the Master’s Seminar, typically results in a professional-level paper of 30-50 pages.