Running head: COMPETENCY GOAL REVIEW 1

Competency Goal Review

Michelle Guzik

Montclair State University

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Competency Goal Review

The Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators illustrates

“essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions expected of all student affairs educators”

(ACPA & NASPA 2015, p.7). NASPA and ACPA have created a guideline and standards

for higher education professionals to assist in measuring their professional development

within their work. Here I have chosen a total of six competencies, four of which I have

developed over the past two years and two that I have created as a goal for my future

professional career.

The first two competency outcomes I have chosen to reflect on are

“Communicat[ing] with others using effective verbal and non-verbal strategies

appropriate to the situation in ways that the person(s) with whom you are engaged

prefers” (ACPA & NASPA 2015, p.24) and “build[ing] mutually supportive relationships

with colleagues and students across similarities and differences” (ACPA & NASPA

2015, p.27). I have grouped these two outcomes together since they have coincided with

one another within my work. Effective communication can be a challenge if one person is

unresponsive to another’s outreach, to ensure that communication is understood properly

one must analysis the best ways to either verbalize their thoughts or concerns as well as

ensure it is done within a timely manner. If either of these are not done properly one may

not hear back from the other person or the other person may not be receptive with that is

being said. This outcome plays into mutually supportive relationships because

communication is the basis many professional relationships begin from either through e-

mail or in person. Active listening is also another aspect within this since it creates

valuable dialogue and sustains professional relationships. Through my work as a graduate

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coordinator for facilitation, the first skill I teach students is how to properly use active

listening. This has allowed me to improve this skill and use it within my professional

career to strengthen my work through social connections and using it to gauge my

relationships with others.

The third and fourth competency outcome I have chosen to reflect on is “use[ing]

appropriate technology to support leadership processes (e.g. seeking input or feedback,

sharing decisions, posting data that supports decisions, use group support website tools)”

(ACPA & NASPA 2015, p. 27) and “assess[ing] the developmental needs of students and

organizational needs of student groups” (ACPA & NASPA 2015, p.37). For my Capstone

project, these two competencies were vital in my success. Since I had created a survey to

collect data from the student population, technology was vital in my daily work. Through

ensuring each question was linked to the proper proceeding question, to making sure the

survey had been e-mailed to the correct students.

Technology is very important in streamlining the process of communication, data

collection and sharing those results. This is part of the process of innovation which is

allowing us to work more efficiently that ever before. With this use of technology and

data collection within my capstone, I was able to understand the needs of the specific

group I surveyed. This allowed me to think critically about the developmental needs of

the student body, beyond the necessities. This data collected illustrated the needs of

workshops and other resources, as well as illustrating possible areas of improvement for

future years to come. With technology and a theoretical framework, one can often look

for aspects of improvement; since the student body changes from year to year it is

important to create small changes with this.

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The previous four competency outcomes have shown my areas of development

and understanding over the past two years, which created a foundational basis for my

future development. I have chosen two competency outcomes to use as a benchmark of

my future professional development, to ensure I am growing and developing within the

career. The two outcomes I have chosen are “design[ing] a professional development

plan that assesses one’s current strengths and weaknesses, and establishes action items

for fostering an appropriate pace of growth (ACPA & NASPA 2015, p.24) and “ensuring

that decision making processes include the perspectives of various groups on campus,

particularly those who are underrepresented or marginalized, or who may experience an

unintended negative consequence of the proposed change” (ACPA & NASPA 2015,

p.28). The first outcome depends on my own performance within the first few years in

my professional role to continuously reflect on my work and assess my areas of

improvement. Reflecting and creating a list of new areas to work on will allow me to

grow professionally throughout my career.

The final competency outcome is a long-term goal that I believe is vital to carry

with me throughout my work. Throughout my current work, I have seen the benefit of

student voices being heard, as well as the consequences of ignoring diverse perspectives.

As out student body changes, we must adapt as professionals to create supportive and

inclusive resources to ensure the persistence of our whole student body. It is important to

me to be aware of marginalized student groups and to use my own privilege to work with

those students and support them as best I can. Overall, each competency has shown me a

vital aspect of my own professional development and my future values within my career.
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References

NASPA & ACPA. (2015). Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs

Practitioners. Washington, DC: College Student Educators International.