Running head: AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

Learning Outcome Narrative: Areas for Growth

Irene Ziemba

AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

Areas for Growth (LO 4, 7, 9; Artifacts B, C2, E1, E2)

The integrative theme that best represents my biggest areas for growth in the SDA
program is knowledge and skills informing my daily practice. Before beginning the SDA
program I had a narrow view of what being a student affairs professional would entail. I
assumed that if I worked in orientation or student activities programs I would focus on
building events and trainings and working directly with students, and hadnt fully
considered that as a professional a variety of other factors would consistently inform my
work. Throughout the SDA program, I have learned how critically important integrating
knowledge and practice around assessment, multicultural responsiveness, and policy and
governance is in order to be an effective and responsive professional.
In their book Good Practice in Student Affairs Blimling and Witt (1999) outline a
variety of practices that effectively foster growth and learning within students, including
using systematic inquiry to improve performance, creating inclusive communities,
and forging educational partnerships within ones institution. Reviewing this text in
tandem with my SDA coursework was an important touchstone in helping me conceive
of myself as an educator who can use theory and best practices to strengthen their skills.
My biggest hope in entering the SDA program was that I would learn theories, principles,
and strategies to base my work in best practices for the field, instead of relying on my
instincts when interacting with students or building programs. While I hoped I would find
these guiding principles and practices, I entered the program unsure of what I needed to
learn. Understanding how institutional structures, diverse student identities and
experiences, and effective assessment practices should inform my work on a daily basis
has been my largest area for growth within the program, and will continue to challenge
me once I graduate and begin my first professional role.

AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

Assessment Informing Practice (LO 7, Artifacts B, C2, E1, E2)

The area that I had the least knowledge of coming into graduate school was how
to use assessment to inform practice. Despite having very little knowledge of assessment
practices prior to the program, I have made significant strides in my knowledge and
application of effective assessment practices. This area is supported by LO 7 utilizing
assessment, evaluation, technology, and research to improve practice. The key
dimensions of this learning outcome are basing decisions on concrete information,
designing measureable learning outcomes, and developing effective assessment tools.
My growth in this area is demonstrated by Artifact B. Within my mission
statement, I expand on how my professional philosophy is to balance my emphasis on
relationship with an emphasis on knowledge, research, and critical and strategic looks at
the work that I do. I entered the SDA program thinking I would be completely focused on
relationships, but my exposure to assessment, strategic thinking, and critical
examinations of existing programs throughout the program has changed my perspective
on how to best support students. As outlined in Blimling and Witt (1999), student affairs
as a field is still in the initial phases of truly embracing comprehensive assessment
practices. My experiences with professionals in the field throughout my time in the SDA
program showed me that many professionals do not tend to prioritize grounding their
work in assessment or research. I believe one can only be a student-centered professional
if one accurately understands students needs and experiences. I care about helping
students succeed, and have realized that in order to do my best work I need to use
research and assessment to accurately understand their experiences. Utilizing assessment
and research consistently will be an important area of growth for me as I continue in my

AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

career, as it will elevate my practice and help the student affairs field grow towards more
frequently adopting these important practices.
Many of my specific experiences with assessment are outlined in Artifacts E1
and E2. In my competency assessment at the beginning of the program, I identified as
not having basic competency in all the assessment, evaluation, and research categories
except for one. By the time I assessed my competencies again in my capstone course, I
had gained competency 5 categories I had no familiarity with initially. This artifact also
describes the experiences and skills I gained in assessment throughout my time in the
program. By completing the Assessment Certification Program at Seattle U, I increased
my knowledge of building learning outcomes and diverse assessment practices. I put this
knowledge into practice while designing the learning outcomes and assessments for the
iLead positional student leader training at SU. Through this process, I gained skills in
utilizing Qualtrics, designing measureable learning outcomes and corresponding
evaluations, and communicating the importance of assessment to my colleagues.
My final significant learning came in Course Design for Adult Learners,
represented by Artifact C2. This course gave me the opportunity to learn about the
importance of examining the educational context, conducting needs and learner
assessments, and building educational goals and measureable outcomes before designing
an educational experience. This knowledge transformed the way I view the process of
designing educational interventions for students. While I have much more to learn about
effective research and assessment, and will need to challenge myself to consistently
incorporate these things into my practice, I have gained a true appreciation for how
important they will be to my success as a student-centered professional.

AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

Practicing Multicultural Responsiveness (LO 4, Artifact C2)

Another important area that I had consistent growth in throughout my time in the
SDA program was multicultural responsiveness. This area is supported by LO 4
understanding and fostering diversity, justice, and a sustainable world formed by a
global perspective and Jesuit Catholic tradition. The key dimensions of this learning
outcome are gaining awareness of ones identities and perspective, understanding
systemic marginalization and oppression, and acting with multicultural competence.
While I entered the SDA program with some knowledge around issues of diversity,
oppression, and multicultural competence, I was challenged to significantly develop in
my understanding of how these factors contribute to effective student affairs practice.
My growth in this area began in Student Development Theory, Research, and
practice course. In that course I was exposed to the work of Pope, Reynolds, and Mueller
(2004), and their concept of gaining multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills,
which has framed my view of multicultural responsive practices. I also gained more
awareness of how my identity as a white, middle class, cisgender, heterosexual woman
can influence how I view higher education and the students I work with. I was able to
recognize times when my privilege had allowed me to dismiss the opinions of others, and
have since been able to identify when this happens and work to address it. I also gained
understanding of the aspects that make up campus climates for diversity, and was then
able to better critically analyze the climates of institutions Ive worked at (Hurtado, et al.,
1998). Understanding how systemic features affect how individuals with marginalized
identities feel on campuses or in societies was further developed in my Social Justice
course, which expanded my knowledge on how systemic oppression is perpetuated.

AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

My growth in this area is also supported by Artifact C2, my final proposal for
Course Design for Adult Learners. This artifact demonstrates the skills Ive developed in
understanding issues of structural and systemic social injustice that make educational
systems inequitable for students, and using this knowledge to develop programs and
services to address these needs. This project allowed me to pursue an issue that I feel
passionate about, helping all students successfully transition to college, and to actively
participate in building a course that could work to alleviate inequities in education that
first generation students face. This translation of knowledge to practice helped model
how my professional practice working to promote educational equity should look.
While I have grown significantly in my knowledge of multicultural competence
and social justice, I recognize that I have not moved much past Pope, Reynolds, and
Muellers (2004) steps of multicultural awareness and knowledge. As I move into my
career I need to devote significant time and effort to developing multicultural skills so I
can be an effective ally and advisor to the diverse array of students I will work with.
Understanding Policy and Governance (LO 9, Artifacts E1, E2)
The final area of knowledge that has informed my daily practice is understanding
policy and governance, and how the work I do intersects with these issues. This area is
supported by LO 9, understanding issues surrounding law, policy, finance, and
governance. The key dimensions of this learning outcome are understanding how
governance structures affect programs, awareness of how laws affect ones work, and
understanding how policies are created and enforced. I entered the program with only
vague understanding of governance structures and higher education laws, and while I
have gained some understanding, this areas remains one I need to develop in.

AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

My limited growth in this area is demonstrated by Artifacts E1 and E2, which

show that I gained limited understanding of issues around governance, laws, and policies.
My primary learning came from the Leadership and Governance in Post-Secondary
Education, where I gained knowledge about governance structures, how they differ in
public and private settings, and how leaders in higher education navigate crises when
current policies are inadequate to fully guide actions. Through case studies I also gained
skill in analyzing institutional responses to difficult situations for how effective existing
policies were and how they intersected with appropriate care for students. In particular, I
gained knowledge around Title IX through conducting an analysis of an institutions
response to an alleged sexual assault on campus.
Since completing artifact E2, I have completed the Higher Education Law course,
and gained increased understanding around how federal and state law can affect practice
in student affairs, particularly in the realms of freedom of speech and expression, liability
and risk management, Title IX, and due process for students. I also was able to gain
knowledge of how these laws affect student affairs practitioners in practice by
interviewing Lincoln Johnson, an Associate Vice President at the University of
Washington, about the role laws and policies play in his work. Meeting with Lincoln
taught me a significant amount about working at a public university, and how that affects
how funds can be used, political activity for students and staff, and freedom of speech.
While I have gained some understanding of how law, governance, and policies
can affect the work of student affairs professionals, I still have significant growth to do. I
need to learn more and let this knowledge inform how I make decisions on a daily basis
in my work. I look forward to improving in this area in my future practice.

AREAS FOR GROWTH NARRATIVE

References
Blimling, G. S., & Whitt, E. J. (1999). Good practice in student affairs: Principles to
foster student learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Hurtado, S., Milem, J. F., Clayton-Pedersen, A. R., & Allen, W. R. (1998). Enhancing
campus climates for racial/ethnic diversity: Educational policy and practice.
Review of Higher Education, 21(3), 279-302.
Pope, R. L., Reynolds, A. L., & Mueller, J. A. (2004). Multicultural competence in
student affairs. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.