2024-2025 Professional Development

Theme: VALUES,PHILOSOPHY, AND HISTORY

2024-2025 Student Affairs Professional Development: Values, Philosophy, and History

Background and Learning Outcomes

Student Affairs professionals look to our NASPA/ACPA Professional Competencies as a tool to develop and assess knowledge, skills, and dispositions important in our work towards student learning, development, and ultimate success. Professional staff and Graduate assistants throughout all functional areas focus on professional competencies identified by the institution and the division. Leadership plays an important role in setting the conditions in which competency development can take place at the individual, program, and functional level.

At the division level, a Professional Development Team made up of professional staff across the division come together to plan and develop programming to supplement these efforts. This year’s professional development focus will be on the NASPA/ACPA Professional Competency entitled Values, Philosophy, and History. Through a series of rich and meaningful programming events, participants will strive to reach a foundational level of understanding in the selected competency.

Meeting the requirments for the programs include attendance and effective learning through an end of program questionnaire. This will result in the participants receiving a certificate of completion and an MSU Student Affairs bronze colored pin as they will have achieved a foundational level of knowledge and skills.

So, what should I expect for this year’s programming?

We hope to gain knowledge and skills related to the Values, Philosophy, and History Competency. Every month, we will plan a program targeting the learning outcomes within the fdomains; historical/ theoretical foundations, societal /cultural context, professional services and campus/civic engagement . A facilitated discussion from a diverse group of facilitators will reinforce the ideas and concepts brought up during the programs.

Tell me more about the Advising and Supporting Competency

This competency area Addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that connect the Values, Philosophy, and History of the student affairs profession to one's current professional practice. This competency area embodies the foundations of the profession from which current and future research, scholarships and practice will change and grow. The commitment to demonstrating this competency area ensures that our present and future practices are informed by an understanding of the profession's History, philosophy and values (ACPA & NASPA, 2015).