Running head: FIELD EXPERIENCE REFLECTION

Field Experience Reflection

Tyler Sanders
Western Michigan University

FIELD EXPERIENCE REFLECTION

Field Experience Reflection

During the last year I've had the opportunity to work under the supervision of Brian Dietz
at Kalamazoo College in the Office of Student Involvement. This field experience allowed me to
actively engage with a diverse group of students as I assessed the needs and areas for
improvement for the office. Throughout the year, I participated in multiple activities and attended
various events put on by the office and the student organizations. Each event allowed a variation
of immersive experiences at Kalamazoo College and helped me to become acclimated to the
culture of campus. Whitt (1998) claims that understanding this culture would require me to listen
to institutional leaders, learning the language, and using an open mind. Through this field
experience I would engage in all of these actions to become acculturated. While ones field
experience allows them to gain experience with a different work environment, it also allows you
to acquire skills to work with a variety of different students and gain knowledge of the field to
add depth to your skill set. I feel that I was able to acquire this with my yearlong efforts with the
Office of Student Involvement.
Within the first month, I started to recognize the environmental differences that Strange
and Banning (2001) noted between the various types of institutions. Within my work, I found the
difference within centralization to be very clear with the organizational culture according to
Strange and Bannings (2001) definition of the way in which power is distributed in a setting
(p. 64). In Residence Life at Western Michigan University, I found that supervisors like to keep
all the power centralized at the top, while at Kalamazoo College I felt a personal autonomy
which allowed me to be in control of my efforts. From my observations, I was able to recognize
the differences in both working environments as it affects morale and efficiency in the quality of
work by the professionals and also by the students. One direct correlation to this difference could

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be seen in the constructed environment or typology of the student population. According to

Astin, the typology of the students at Western and Kalamazoo College are very different based
on the leadership styles and personalities of these students (Strange & Banning, 2001).
The students that I engaged with a Kalamazoo College had a very different personality
and attitude towards research and assessment for the betterment of the office and their
organizations. Not to say that the students at Western did not have similar feelings, but it was
apparent that the culture was very different on how to engage the campus community to move
forward in creating progress on campus. In working with the student population, one course
concept that I continued to recognize was the idea of dualism and how the students perceived the
decisions of the administration and the actions that were being taken at the institution. Arnett
(2000) stated that this dualism has a direct relationship to the background and upbringing of
these and individuals. Pascarella and Terenzina (2005) continue by stating that this development
will be directly related to the success that they see in college. There was an amount of student
growth that still needed to occur with the student population as they felt a certain form of
privilege that was affecting their development and understanding of those who are different from
them. An example of this was seen in discussions with students about their organizations about
race that had come up in their student organizations and on campus.
Continuing on the topic of diversity, an area that I continued to observe within student
engagement was this idea of inclusion. There was debate on whether diversity was a high priority
at Kalamazoo College and this was seen as various student groups were having discussions about
the best actions to take to promote diversity. Students would regularly bring up in discussions
that they had with other students about making progress and bringing up the issues to
administration. As student affairs professionals, it is important to understand the interventions

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that can take place with the students about the debates that were arising out of this conflict.
Whether it is first year students or graduating seniors, the students need to help navigating the
diversity issues that sometimes they have never faced before. As administrators it is important
that we consciously act to promote conversations that help to progress the university to being the
best it can be. While this looks differently at various types of institutions, we understand the
campus culture is important and being able to navigate these issues with the students.
It is important to be able to navigate these issues with the students, is also important to
recognize the administrative tape that is involved for professionals. This is something that I was
able to observe and come here between my positions and Residence Life at Western and the
office at K. With different types of channels and different values held among administrators, the
campus climate can be very different when it comes to the politics of what can and cannot be
done. This goes back to the idea of centralization within the environment. At Kalamazoo College
I felt the ability to do whatever I wanted and then have discussions about it later based on the
success of an idea. This was very different from my previous experience where an idea would be
stimulated before given a chance to be implemented. This can be directly related to
administrators at the top in their approach to change. This field experience gave me the
opportunity to gain an increased knowledge of small school politics and how these populations
coexist to create a successful environment.
In reflecting on the professional competency skills that I was able to hone in on during
this field experience, I think the main one is that I was the focus of this field experience was on
assessment and in being able to continuously assess. In looking over some of my reflections
throughout this process, there were several challenges that came up in my experiences with
assessment and some things that must be learned through the experience and without this

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experience would not have attained. It is important to recognize now the scope of research that
can be completed and continually trying to understand your population and what their needs are.
You not only must continue to improve for yourself but also for that client base that you are
working to create the best product or service.
This field experience also allowed me to continue to define my professional competency
within human and organizational resources, as I was in a position that is very different from
anything that I had gained at Ball State University or Western Michigan University. The structure
and styles of a small school create very different challenges but also promotes a very culture that
can be based on the values of each year and can be moved more fluidly because of the size of the
institution. This helped me to understand not only myself, but also how the profession can take
several different forms even though we all maintain a very similar goal.
Finally, is the development of personal foundation that I think this field experience may
not have helped me to come to my final stage, but helped me to identify the skills and attitude
that I need to have to maintain wellness in various forms. I clearly had trouble being able to
balance all of the challenges and commitments that I had taken on to be successful in this area. I
think this field experience will have helped me to recognize the workload that I can take on, but
also the amount of commitment that one should adhere to win taking on the position in this field.
Looking at my own interest in reflecting on my career goals based on this field
experience I think that it helped me to determine that while I have had good experiences within
residence life, that there are other areas of the field to explore and also enjoy the same quality of
experience with students and their growth. I think through this experience I was able to identify
that for me it is not about certain things that residence life values, but it is more about being able
to engage the students and help them to be successful. Without this experience I would not have

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known the wide variety of opportunities that are out there and the autonomy that can come from
a position like this. I believe that this has helped me as I explore a different graduate
assistantship position for my third year at Western Michigan University. By being able to see a
different climates in a different position, I was able to see that there is always an opportunity to
try something different and that is something that I will value for my career within student affairs
for forever.

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7
References

Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through
the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.55.5.469
American College Personnel Association & National Association of Student Personnel
Administrators. (2004). Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student
Experience. Washington, DC.
Pascarella, E., & Terenzina, P. (2005) How college affects students: A third decade of research.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Whitt, E. J. (1998) Dont Drink the Water?: A Guide to Encountering a New Institutional
Culture. Professional Development in College Student Affairs Administration, 516-523.
Strange, C., & Banning, J. (2001). Educating by design: Creating campus learning environments
that work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.