Running head: AREAS FOR GROWTH

Learning Outcome Narrative: Areas for Growth

Kari Berkas
SDAD Portfolio
Professor Thai-Huy Nguyen, PhD
Seattle University
April 22, 2016

AREAS FOR GROWTH

Learning Outcome Narrative: Areas for Growth

Theme: Student Empowerment (LO 2, 5, 6, 9 & 10; Artifacts A, C1-3, D, E1-2, F & G)
When I entered the SDA program, I would have said that empowering students meant
creating and connecting them with opportunities. However, as a result of my studies and cocurricular experiences, I have learned that student empowerment is more about giving students
tools to reach their definition of success. I have realized that we are not truly setting students up
for success without engendering the skills and opportunities for independent decision-making
and autonomy. This is important to me personally, because while I have endeavored to help
students develop confidence, I have been working towards the same goal myself. I have had the
opportunity to develop, listen to, and trust my knowledge base, and as I strengthen my own
professional identity in this way, I will be better able to contribute to student empowerment.
Awareness of Students Needs (LO 2; Artifacts B, C1, D, E1, E2)
In this program, I have learned to focus on understanding students needs. This connects
to Learning Outcome (LO) 2: Understanding students and student issues. With LO 2, we must
work with each student without any preconceived notions of their needs and instead actively
listen and respond to what they offer in the conversation. Therefore, three dimensions of this
learning outcome are listening, responsiveness, and multicultural competence. Pope, Reynolds,
and Mueller (2004) describe how student affairs professionals should possess awareness,
knowledge, and skills in their model of multicultural competence. This encompasses checking
assumptions, gaining content knowledge of cultural groups, and adopting behaviors that factor in
our awareness and knowledge. In my interpretation of this model, my knowledge and awareness
enhances my skills (Pope, Reynolds, & Mueller, 2004) in working students even if my lived
experiences are different than those of other identity groups. For example, I do not identify as a

AREAS FOR GROWTH

first generation student, but by learning about specific challenges that students with this identify
face in higher education, I am more aware of how my actions or institutional systems may create
barriers to their success. With this awareness and knowledge, I can work to identify solutions.
Before the SDA program, I did not engage in intentional reflection about identities.
However, I began to enhance my competency in this area through one of the first classes I took
at Seattle University EDUC 5200: Multicultural Perspectives. In taking SDAD 5400: Student
Development Theory, Research, & Practice the following quarter, I dove deeper into selfreflection and identity exploration. I saw how my advising style in my Graduate Assistantship at
the Albers Placement Center became stronger as I could better understand how students with
marginalized identities might experience different aspects of higher education. For example, I
often advise international students on writing resumes and cover letters. I have been raised in an
environment where showcasing our credentials is natural and comfortable, but while this may be
a reality for me, I realized it can be uncomfortable for some students, including some
international students. I prepared myself to engage in conversation on this topic with students
and support them in writing application materials in a way that honors their own voice.
Through advising and internship experiences, I have demonstrated growth in LO 2.
Perhaps the clearest illustration of this is Artifacts E1 and E2. While I was always strong at
advising and helping, my experiences at Seattle University and especially through my Graduate
Assistantship made me much more skilled at this in a higher education setting, and I included
this as a strength in my mission statement (Artifact B). Furthermore, my growth in student
learning and development was the largest area of observable growth when comparing Artifacts
E1 and E2 side by side. Other artifacts that showcase my awareness of students needs are
Artifact C1 and Artifact D. With Artifact C1, I completed a literature review on community

AREAS FOR GROWTH

college experiences for foster youth, homeless youth, and youth with convictions for SDAD
5590: The American Community College. These were student populations I have never studied,
and I gained knowledge about their educational needs. In Artifact D, my former internship
supervisor for SDAD 5650: Internship in Student Development Administration described how I
anticipated student needs in coordinating major components of the Fukuoka Summer Program.
By better understanding students and adapting accordingly, I can contribute to student
empowerment. Students must feel valued, and we cannot collaboratively discuss success plans
without me understanding what they truly want to achieve. After I graduate, my priority is
continuing to enhance my multicultural competence by finding mentors to discuss this with
regularly, identifying opportunities to improve accessibility and inclusion for all students in
whatever office I am in, and constantly tailoring my approach to fit students needs.
Developing Autonomy (LO 6 & 10; Artifacts C2, F & G)
One of the most important outcomes for me in the SDA program was realizing that I am
dedicated to developing students autonomy. Three theories I learned about in SDAD 5400:
Student Development Theory, Research, and Practice have largely impacted my thinking in this
regard. According to Sanford (1966), we must provide a balance of challenge and support to aid
in optimal development. Perry (1968) describes how individuals move from dichotomous
thinking to seeing multiple viewpoints and being able to support those viewpoints in his theory
of intellectual and ethical development. Finally, Baxter Magolda (2008) describes how
individuals develop a strong internal foundation on the path to self-authorship. Each theory has
prompted me to think of higher education as an opportunity for students to develop autonomy.
One LO that I personally connect with developing autonomy is LO 6: Developing and
demonstrating skills in leadership and collaboration. LO 6 means taking individual and

AREAS FOR GROWTH

collaborative steps to achieve a goal, and since I believe it most often means helping others
achieve their own goals, three dimensions are awareness, coaching, and self-confidence. Before
the SDA program, I regarded leadership with more of a top-down approach, but this shifted
during my time in the SDA program. One of the clearest turning points was my internship
(SDAD 5650: Internship in Student Development Administration) with the International Student
Center for the Fukuoka Summer Program, as it was my responsibility to train student leaders. I
realized that students need opportunities to devise their own action plans and develop their skills,
so as a leader, it is important to take a step back to give students a chance to use their own
judgment and creativity. Incidentally, this is something I also needed to develop as a leader.
I had this realization at my Graduate Assistantship as well, where I especially saw Perrys
(1968) theory manifested in my daily practice. While helping students in the job search process,
students often looked to me for the right answer. I came to realize that at the same time, I was
also looking for the right answer in terms of how I provided guidance. Gradually, with my
supervisors support, I began to realize that providing tools is more important than providing
answers, and this became my priority. One example of how I responded to this is the worksheet
included in Artifact G that we gave to students in undergraduate Business Communications
courses. I saw how much students adhered to examples when writing cover letters, so I
developed a worksheet where students received prompts but needed to write in their own voice.
This factors into LO 10: Establishing and enhancing professional identity, because I
believe that prioritizing problem-solving tools over answers in my interactions with students will
significantly benefit them on their paths to success. This is now a component of my professional
identity. I also believe that this LO encompasses my professional confidence. When I entered the
program, I thought of LO 10 as possessing knowledge of a functional area, but now I see that it

AREAS FOR GROWTH

is more about self-trust and leadership style. Therefore, three dimensions of LO 10 are
knowledge, self-confidence, and reflection.
An example of my own developing autonomy came in SDAD 5990: Graduate Project.
While it is common in the SDA program to complete several steps towards a complete
assignment (in SDAD 5400: Student Development Theory, Research, and Practice and SDAD
5590: The American Community College), in this course we were asked to complete a draft for a
literature review (Artifact C2 is the final version) for our topic before the first class. This
involved much more independence, confidence, and decision-making on my part, and it was the
start of a quarter-long process that continued to develop my autonomy.
Strengthening confidence will be a continuous goal, but I have made significant progress
during the SDA program because I know my identity and priorities and have progressed in my
own path of self-authorship (Baxter Magolda, 2008). In order to continue improving my
confidence, I should develop and maintain relationships with mentors and also seek positions
where I can utilize my strengths. These points are mentioned in Artifact F.
Knowledge of the Profession (LO 5 & 9; Artifacts A, C3, D, E1 & E2)
My increasing knowledge of the profession has been instrumental to my growth in the
SDA program. When I entered the program, my only exposure to student affairs had been my
experience as a Resident Assistant and intern at the Center for Community Service at Whitman
College. In completing our initial NASPA/ACPA Competency Assessment (Artifact E1) in
SDAD 5300: Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession, I realized that I had much
knowledge to gain not only in terms of the profession and its traditions but of other important
areas including law and finance. LO 9: Understanding issues surrounding law, policy, finance
and governance directly relates to knowledge of the profession. Three dimensions are critical

AREAS FOR GROWTH

examination, understanding politics, and advocacy. I gained more information about governance
in SDAD 5760: Leadership and Governance in Post-Secondary Education, and I learned about
law in SDAD 5800: Higher Education Law. Artifact C3 shows how I applied legal concepts to
higher education, and examining these issues was important to my growth as I saw how much
student affairs professionals must learn in this area to be successful. Artifact E2 shows other
areas where I enhanced my knowledge of the profession.
Furthermore, in the program I saw that different functional areas really are distinct and
require specific knowledge. My ability to adapt student services to different environments (LO 5:
Adapting student services to specific environments and cultures) came through my various
experiences with international education and career advising (shown in Artifact A, my resume).
Three dimensions of LO 5 are flexibility, the ability to make connections, and multicultural
competence, and I strengthened these abilities through my internship and professional
experiences. In Artifact D, my former internship supervisor makes a specific reference towards
my skill in this area. I also enhanced my knowledge of this through SDAD 5590: The American
Community College, as I had previously had no experience with community colleges.
Overall, I did enhance my knowledge of the profession but still have room for growth
moving forward. What I have gained will contribute to student empowerment because
knowledge of various functional areas and issues in higher education improves our ability to
advocate for students and impact their development in different aspects of their campus life. For
example, by knowing intricacies of how students approach education abroad programs, we can
support them in a way that meets their needs, and this may be different than the type of support
we provide in student activities. If we know how legal issues or campus governance impact
student programs, we can better serve students. I look forward to continuing to grow in this area.

AREAS FOR GROWTH

8
References

Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., Guido, F.M., Patton, L.D., & Renn, K.A. (2010). Student development
in college: Theory, research, and practice (Second Edition, Chapters 2, 5, and 10). San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Pope, R.L, Reynolds, A.L., & Mueller, J.A. (2004). Multicultural competence in student affairs.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.