Running head: FIRST YEAR REFLECTIONS 1

First Year Reflections: Programming and other Practices

Paola Carrera

Loyola University Chicago

FIRST YEAR REFLECTIONS 2

First Year Reflections: Programming and other Practices

Higher Education

History

According to Susan Jones and Dafina Lazarus-Stewart (2016), higher education has transformed

through three waves. The first wave was centered on student services. The second had a focus

on student development and the realization that identities were socially constructed. The third

wave, which is where higher education and student affairs are currently situated, emphasizes

student learning. Jones and Lazarus-Stewart (2016) concluded that:

“As has been the case throughout the evolution of student development theory, scholars

need to practice intentional and consistent interdisciplinary engagement by directing our

theorizing toward liberatory and healing ends. This has always been the commitment of

student development theorists, although in differing sociohistorical contexts, and

continues in the promise of third wave perspectives” (p. 25)

In the classroom and in my graduate assistant role, I have found that all instances are learning

opportunities for the students I work with and myself. This wave is rewarding but in order to

produce learning, we must situate ourselves in theory to achieve those learning experiences.

The Student Personnel Point of View (1937 & 1949) describes the purpose of student

affairs and practitioners in two distinct goals, the first being to advance the mission of the

institution and provide holistic development and learning of students. It is evident in our work

that student development occurs beyond the academic classroom as Quaye (2013) described “It

is impossible to fully understand college student identity without also addressing more macro

elements, such as the campus environment, campus climate, campus programs and policies, and

student success” (p. 169).

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My Journey

As an undergraduate student, I was not familiar with the work of student affairs

practitioners. The extent of my knowledge was that these grown adults working at Loyola

University Chicago, that were not faculty in academic, were there to ensure that students were

safe, successful, and followed the rules, whether that meant paying a tuition bill on time or

planning an event for a student organization on campus. I came into this higher education

program because I knew I enjoyed working with students at a college campus. My professional

experiences after college have all been on college campus around the country and I saw how

pivotal the college years were for young people coming into their own to become the people they

wanted to be, not who their surroundings made them be. Torres, Jones and Renn (2009)

discussed how identity is fluid and can be socially constructed as well as reconstructed based on

context and cite Abes and Kasch (2007) as “performativity illuminates the more contingent

nature of identity and suggests that individuals create and recreate identity through their actions,

which are constantly shifting” (p. 578). The thought that there was an entire program and career

dedicated to these students and their development struck me as fulfilling and had me excited to

pursue this journey known as graduate school.

My first year as a graduate assistant was met with a great learning curve and adjustment

to the policies and advisor relationships with the campus programming board at Loyola

University, known as the Department of Programming. In my role, I advised eight student

directors who are given financial and logistical support to provide late night alternative

programming for the student body, Wednesdays through Saturdays during the entire academic

year. Events these students have planned in the past year include Open Mic Nights, Team

Trivia, Sustainability events, a weekly film series, and our comedian weekend with John
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Mulaney and Trevor Noah. Reflecting upon the last year in my graduate assistantship, coupled

with the array of courses completed, I have been able to identify areas of growth, largely based

in theory and practice, to improve upon my role with these students but also as a student affairs

professional that will be working with variety of student populations through internships and

other opportunities.

Students’ Development

Early Commitment

In the past year, I spent a majority of the first semester in transition and working to

comprehend the structure of the organization, the policies that they, as a student sponsored

organization with Student Activities and Greek Affairs, must adhere to, and adjusting to the

department and campus culture as a new professional. Patton, Renn, Quido, and Quaye (2016)

interpreted Schlossberg’s theory of transition as “While a transition may be precipitated by a

single event or nonevent, dealing with a transition is a process that extends over time.

Essentially, individuals move from a preoccupation with the transition to an integration of the

transition” (p. 38). Because I was consumed with getting acquainted in my role, I did not do

enough to set up the student directors for success in the beginning of the semester. I presented

them with resources and other logistics to plan their events but could not offer as much support

because I myself did not have all the answers. It is worth investing the time to reaffirm students

early on in the semester as “validation is more powerful when offered during the early stages of

the student’s academic experience, preferably during the first few weeks of classes” (Patton et

al., 2016, p. 41).

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Finding The Purpose

For the upcoming year, I have seven students new to the Director roles and one returning

Director who will serve as the Executive Director (president) of the organization. Since this is

one of the first leadership roles that these students have held in their collegian experience, I have

devoted time in both our spring and fall training to leadership activities and team building

experiences. Additionally, I have made it a summer goal to find resources on how to effectively

develop young leaders from the role of an advisor to help these students thrive in their director

role but also as a leader on Loyola’s campus. My hope is that I can help them develop their

purpose that aligns with their own personal values and then can find opportunities that

compliment them or help further explore these areas as Chickering and Reisser (1993) stated

within the sixth vector as “developing purpose entails an increasing ability to be intentional, to

assess interests and options, to clarify goals, to make plans, and to persist despite obstacles. It

also involves a growing ability to unify one’s many different goals within the scope of a larger,

more meaningful purpose, and to exercise intentionality on a daily basis” (p. 146). This is a vital

tool when working with any student, whether it is a resident assistant on a hall staff or an

orientation leader because if the students do not understand their purpose in those roles, they’ll

miss the opportunities to make meaning from their experiences. As student affairs professionals,

we are equipped with knowledge and theories to help students make those connections, no matter

their career path after college.

Student Authorship

In working at any institution, it is important to acknowledge the different group of

students from each year that we are working with and allow the new students to form their own

goals and identity as a group but also as individuals, especially since a majority of these students
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are early in their college journey. A goal with this group of students, and future students I work

with, is to get to know them as people and discuss their goals as students and campus leaders to

help them achieve those goals while supporting their individual journeys. Patton et al. (2016)

elaborated:

“Baxter Magolda (2002) stressed the need for students and educators to work together to

develop student self-authorship, demonstrating respect for each other and actively sharing

ideas and viewpoints. Opportunities for self-reflection in these settings also assist

students in becoming clearer about what they know, why they hold the beliefs they do,

and how they want to act on their beliefs” (p. 374)

As students encounter various phases of Baxter Magolda’s (2001) self-authorship theory,

they will be able to define their own beliefs and acceptance of who they are. Reflecting on the

students I have worked with this past year, several have self-authored sooner in their life because

of certain identities. For example, one student director is the first in their family to attend a four-

year institution and the oldest sibling. Her experience in applying to four-year schools required

her to seek out resources more than others around her. That will and strong commitment to a

higher education motivated her to continue to find opportunities to engage in on campus such as

being a resident assistant, serving on the student government, and obtaining internships that are

relevant to her career path. She has credited her commitment to all these different areas on

campus because of the attitude and drive she developed working to understand the college

process and all that comes with that such as financial aid, living away from the comforts of

home, and transitioning to college level academic course loads.

Pizzolato (2003) wrote, “The process of navigating the college decision process may thus

catalyze self-authorship because these students may be forced to develop their own formulas for
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becoming successful- for becoming college students” (p. 800). This student is a great example

of whom we will engage with in our roles as student professionals, in any functional area. She

developed as a strong leader, which is how she became the Executive Director for the

programming board, but that stemmed from her need to self-author her education after high

school. Her future career in marketing and public relations does not align in full with being a

leader of this group but her formula for her collegiate success was the root of her motivation to

have opportunities to develop her as a student leader.

In the fall semester, I will be serving as a graduate intern with ACE (Achieving College

Excellence), which is a TRiO program that provides resources specifically for first generation

and low-income students. Having resources specific for this population of students is important

because as Pizzolato (2003) explained, “High-risk college students often enter college with more

potential constraints to achievement than their lower-risk peers, while at the same time

demonstrating their commitment to a particular possible self they aspire to” (p. 799). I am

excited and eager to experience a different functional area outside of programming since these

are students I have a sense of commitment to, seeing as my personal journey took me through

ACE at Loyola Chicago. Helping students to develop their beliefs and foundations in college is

essential for students of this population since they likely had to self-author before college and

would benefit from having support as they try to continue their motivation to complete college.

While we may not know all details about the students we cross paths with, we can support them

in their own development as they figure out their what their internal voice and commitments look

like. Looking at self-authorship in two different functional areas has reinforced the theory and

my own personal understanding that will be beneficial to translate into other future student

affairs roles.
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Growth Through Involvement

Because my assistantship pertained to student programming and I have spent the last two

semesters with the same core group of students, Astin’s student involvement theory was ever

present in my practice. As directors, these students are given immense responsibility, which

includes access to large budgets, autonomy to make decisions that can impact a large part of the

student body, and interactions with some key administrators at the university. Patton et al.

(2016) summarized:

“Rather than examining development growth, Astin’s involvement theory focuses on

factors facilitating development. Engaging actively in the environment is a prerequisite

for student learning and growth. College and university educators play a significant role

in creating opportunities for students to be involved in meaningful and transformational

educational experiences outside and inside the classroom, setting the foundation for

students to make developmental strides” (p. 35)

In my interactions with other students, such as other directors, general board members, or the

student assistants in the office, I have noticed how the students who are most invested in the

Department of Programming, and their role, have developed in a manner that is unprecedented.

The amount of hours these students volunteer to plan events, as well as staff the actual events

themselves, speak to their dedication to the organization and their level of commitment to their

own personal growth. In future practice, I hope to encourage students to be involved outside of

academics to enhance their collegiate experience and also look for opportunities, which can

complement their academics or future career path. In any area of student affairs work, we can

strive to showcase different ways to be involved whether students have an aficionado to their

residence hall and can join the hall council or we engage with a student worker in our department
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who could use some co-curricular opportunities and encouragement to grow as a leader and in

confidence. While this idea that being involved on campus will help students in their

development might seem like common sense, the research conducted helps to strengthen its

validity as to why student involvement in any facet while in college is vital for students’ growth.

Students and Their Identities

Salience of Identities

Through my current assistantship, I meet with students on regular basis as part of their

role but oftentimes, those conversations stray from programming to classes or other life

happenings whether it is a fraternity social event happening in a few weeks or internship

opportunities that involves resume feedback. In these experiences, I have learned a lot about the

students as people. In preparation for a speaker event we were having in November, featuring

Diane Guerrero, I was talking to the Mainstage Director about identities. I was nervous about

how this event would go since Diane Guerrero’s experience was around her family’s deportation

and immigration and the presidential election had just occurred two days prior where Donald

Trump was elected. Emily, as the overseeing director, was going to give Diane’s introduction to

the students in attendance. From previous conversations, I knew Emily had a strong passion for

this topic and could relate since her grandparents were immigrants to the United States from

Ireland.

In light of the election, another student brought up a concern to the group and we sat

down as a group and troubled what we thought students would think if they saw her, a privilege

appearing woman, introducing a speaker whose lived experiences were very real for some people

in the audience. For me, it was not about finding someone to replace Emily in giving the

introduction; it was more so to reflect on what students were seeing and how we could help make
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their experience at this event be on the speaker and her story. However, we did want to be

sensitive to students and acknowledge that there was an overwhelming sense of fear in the

immediate days following the presidential election. What came of this instance was a truly

moving conversation by a few students as one of my favorite moments that truly embodied

theory to practice this past year. Everyone shared their point of view and discussed their

identities and how some are more present in their everyday life at Loyola and how some seem to

be invisible in their life. For example, Emily holds her family’s experience with immigration as

a salient part of her identity but it is invisible to others as it is not apparent when looking at her

and unless someone took the time to ask questions or have a conversation, they would not know

that she is only second generation in this country and a first generation college student.

“What this means for student affairs educators is that the presence of intersecting

identities (e.g., Asian American students with disabilities) does not necessarily constitute

intersectional approach. Indeed, all individuals possess multiple social identities.

However, each is typically treated as distinct and independent. Rather intersectionality

centers analysis on how students’ experiences are enmeshed in systems of power and

inequality” (Torres, Jones and Renn, 2009, p. 589).

The conversation showed that while we are intersectional beings and can have intersecting

identities, they may not be intersectional because they are treated as distinct or some are not as

salient in a way where people see them. In my role, I truly believe that students have a multitude

of identities they resonate with but this example taught me how we cannot assume how students,

or people for that matter, treat their identities, especially those who may be invisible or less

salient. As a result of this conversation, Emily still gave the introduction to Diane Guerrero and

made it a point to explain why she felt passionate about having this speaker in particular because
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of her own experience and the passion she had for advocating for undocumented students. At the

end of the experience, I was glad for the honest moments of conversation we had shared, whether

it was a concern regarding the event or not, but to talk about identities that they felt were huge

motivators in their own lives and relating that back to our present day. This was a moment of

awakening as I contemplated how to better address multiple identities through programming and

with social justice as a central pillar in various events.

Advocating for Marginalized Identities

The group as a whole has struggled with programming around social justice. The term

social justice is used frequently at Loyola Chicago since the institution itself places a great

emphasis on addressing injustices happening whether on campus and in the local community or

on a global scale. Loyola has placed important topics such as sustainability, undocumented

students, and diversity at top initiatives which has resulted in environmentally sustainable

residence halls and other services, an annual Black Lives Matter conference, Women’s

Conference, and a scholarship, funded by enrolled students, strictly for undocumented students

enrolling at the university.

Being that the programming board is allocated funds through a student activity fee, there

have been goals and funds set in place to increase our social justice programming this past year

at the department and division level of administration. In prior years, these were not

expectations and the adjustment to these guidelines was not well received by the student group.

The students struggled to understand why they needed to tackle these present day issues of

injustices around race and gender equality, along with other topics, in their campus

programming. An outgoing director expressed that they did not feel knowledgeable in these

topics or how to be an ally to certain populations of students because of their own identities and
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did not believe they could not fulfill this new expectation. While I understand their obstacle to

implement these programs, I can acknowledge these inequalities because I’ve lived through them

and these students might not be able to relate or understand as much as I can because of their

privileged identities. Tatum (1997) quoted an early childhood educator, Louise Derman Sparks,

in their book stating, “If we teach children to recognize injustice, then we must also teach

children to recognize injustice, then we must also teach them that people can create positive

change by working together..” (p. 106).

In my future practice, whether with the incoming directors or other groups of students, it

would be extremely beneficial to acknowledge injustices and empower students to be advocates

for others in their role. Moving forward, students have been aware of the focus we need to have

on social justice programming in the upcoming year as it was expressed during the election

interviews process as an expectation because “we have the responsibility, and the resources

available, to educate ourselves if necessary so that we will not repeat the cycle of oppression

with our children” (Tatum, 1997, p. 51). In any functional area, it will be important to

acknowledge where students are at in certain areas such as allyship or their commitment to

advocating against injustices and see how we can educate ourselves to understand the

perspective of these marginalized groups.

Challenging With Support

The outgoing student directors would confirm that I challenged them this past year,

whether it was through marketing materials or asking them to think critically about the needs of

the campus population and aligning their programming efforts to match those needs. An area of

growth will be to provide support for the students as I challenge them throughout the year. It is

not reasonable to assume that students will know how to navigate campus resources or amplify
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an event that they presumed was near perfection. Sanford’s (1966) challenge and support theory

can be summarized as:

“The amount of challenge a student can tolerate is a function of the amount of support

available. Depending on the quality of the challenge and support provided by the

environment as well as a student’s characteristics, the range of optimal dissonance for

any particular student varies” (Patton et al., 2016, p. 36)

From my own experience, I know I need guidance to resources if asked to accomplish a task with

little knowledge or understanding. Knowing that I will continue to challenge them to think

critically about the content and quality of programs and events, I will work to be more supportive

in such a manner that students will excel in their roles and improve upon their leadership.

Theory to Practice

While reflecting on the past year in my role as graduate assistant to the Department of

Programming, I was able to assess areas where theory could have guided me to more meaningful

programs and thought-provoking conversations with the student directors whom I oversee. I

came into this course excited because I thought the theories we learned, and discussed as much

as the class time allowed, were going to be the foundation of our professional student affairs

careers. This excitement quickly turned into a panic and fear that I would not be able to

implement each theory into my everyday practice with students at all times. I admit that I am

still learning and dissecting many of the theories from the past 16 weeks of the semester, but one

of the greatest takeaways from the course is that we, as student affairs professionals, must make

our own macaroni and cheese. The purpose of theory is not to remember verbatim what the

Astin’s involvement theory is or know how every one of Chickering’s vectors can be applied in a

student interaction. The purpose of theory is to incorporate different parts of theory from
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different theorists so that it works for us in our practice. Certain concepts such as self-authorship

and validation, coupled with challenge and support, make me excited to incorporate pieces of

what I have learned into my student interactions and improve as a professional for my second

year as a graduate assistant.

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References

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Chickering, A. W., & Reisser, L. (1993). The seven vectors. In Education and identity (2nd ed.,

pp. 34-52). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Conference on the Philosophy and Development of Student Personnel Work in College

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Jones, S., & Abes, E. (2013). Intersectionality. In Jones, R., & Abes, E. (Eds.), Identity

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Patton, L. D., Renn, K. A., Guido, F. M., & Q. (2016). Student Development in College: Theory,

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