The University of Virginia is the sixth university with which I’ve had some affiliation as a student or employee, and it has taken me a while to get used to the unique nomenclature and traditions of this historic institution. While I will forever hesitate and correct myself to say “on Grounds” instead of “on campus,” and I have completely given up on being able to recite the Good Old Song chant quickly enough, I have grown to appreciate UVA’s unique designations of class years. Instead of “freshmen” and “sophomores,” students at UVA are “first-years” and “second-years” to indicate the ongoing nature of education and the foundation for lifelong learning that is set at the university. As a student and as a practitioner, this approach to education and personal enlightenment complements many of my professional values and career interests.
As is true of many higher education practitioners, particularly those in student affairs and student programs, I ended up in the field after significant and life altering experiences as an undergraduate. For me, it was a combination of positive and negative events that opened my eyes to the world of higher education and the impact that professors and administrators have on student development. From the moment that students choose to attend college, if not earlier, they are expected to tell loved ones and strangers what they want to study, which career they plan to pursue, and the hobbies and values that are dearest to them. We expect 17 and 18-year olds to articulate plans for their lives, despite the fact that few adults have experienced linear paths without unexpected twists and turns along the way.
Through our study of psychosocial, epistemological and moral development, we have explored the various ways that young adults grow and mature between the ages of 18 to 24. Students move in and out of various stages of development, all while navigating challenging academic courses, new kinds of relationships, separation from their families, and questions about their places within their respective communities. By applying theory to practice, it is our role as administrators to offer support to students as they make sense of their core beliefs and identities, while challenging them to grow and to become ethical citizens. This is where the values of Thomas Jefferson, and UVA by extension, come into play as I reflect on what this looks like in practice in my career. I will encourage students not to think of their four years in college as a finite period during which they are passive learners receiving information from instructors, but rather as a launching point. College students are laying a foundation for a lifetime of new experiences and new educational opportunities by learning how to solve problems, how to work with a diverse array of people and perspectives, and how to apply critical thinking in a variety of situations.
While it is possible to accomplish this goal in a variety of offices and programs across the university, I have chosen to encourage this kind of development through experiential learning. I plan to use what I have learned about student engagement, college student success, high-impact educational practices, and leadership to develop transformative programs that encourage students to become active participants in their education.
In addition to student development practice, I plan to incorporate my knowledge about institutional governance, management, and organizational leadership to enhance my relationships with cross-campus and community stakeholders. I plan to be intentional about forging relationships with individuals from a broad range of offices across the university and to foster collaborations across the organization . I will join and participate in NASPA and ACPA events to continue learning and adopting best practices from leaders in the field, and I will follow research from ASHE to stay up to date on relevant research and findings. Perhaps most importantly, I will seek out mentors in student affairs and I will continue the practice of regular reflection by incorporating it into my personal life and into my work with students.
Lastly, I recently reflected on a question that I was asked by an interviewer who ended our meeting by asking me what my perfect day on the job would be. To answer this question, I thought about the fact that I have chosen a career that requires me to work long nights and to work around the schedules of college-aged students. Most of my days are unpredictable and I can easily be sidetracked by unforeseen problems, emergencies, or a student who simply needs to talk about a major life event. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. The best days are the ones when I witness a student experiencing an epiphany, or overhear a group of classmates discussing questions that were raised in their applied ethics course, or when I talk to students about using their passions to build meaningful careers and lives. The best days are the ones that I get to spend with students, supporting them as they navigate the world and challenging them to learn and grow in a college environment.
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