Student Learning
& Development

This competency has three subcategories: Understanding Theory, Design and Application, and Assessment and Integration. Based on my lack of application in this competency, I have a foundational understanding; however, my education within the Higher Education program has provided me with an accurate pathway to increase my understanding. 

UNDERSTANDING THEORY

Most of my knowledge in this competency stems from the following courses: Introduction to Higher Education (EDLF 5010), College Student Experience (EDLF 5830), and College Student Development (EDLF 7130). Part of a foundational understanding of the Student Learning and Development competency is the ability to “articulate theories and models that describe the development of college students and the conditions and practices that facilitate holistic development” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). Within EDLF 5010 and EDLF 5830, I gained in-depth knowledge of the factors that trigger institutional departure and student success. One of the recurring themes in both courses was Alexander Astin’s theory of Student Involvement (1991). This theory was the first to explain how desirable outcomes for higher education institutions (e.g., high retention rates) are seen in relation to how students develop because of co-curricular involvement. Astin’s three-pronged model evaluated a student’s “inputs,” demographics, background, and previous experiences; their “environment,” the experiences students have during college; and “outcomes,” a student’s knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and a student possesses after college graduation. 

 As a future student affairs professional, I assume part of my future career is to demonstrate the importance of campus involvement. Student involvement in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and leadership positions have a positive correlation with retention and academic success. Additionally, the utilization of Astin’s I-E-O model will prepare students for affective contributions to the campus community and society. My plan is to create future leaders, and using Astin’s I-E-O model is one of many I plan to incorporate into my advising. 

Given the title, College Student Development (EDLF 7130), we discussed multiple models of student development, the most prominent being Rest’s (1994) theory of Moral Development. This development theory identified ethical decision-making and involves four separate psychological processes: moral awareness, moral judgment, moral intention, and moral action. Rest claims that, when confronted with an ethical dilemma, individuals engage in a decision-making process that involves working through these four components. As they develop, individuals pass through different schemas and form their own sense of morality. Rest’s model (1994) is a great example of the moral choices a college student has to make during their time at an institution. Explaining to students the consequences of their actions is a great way to further develop them into successful college students and contributing members of society.

DESIGN AND APPLICATION

Part of a foundational understanding of this subcategory is the ability to “construct learning outcomes for daily practice, teaching, and training activities” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). My most effective application for this section is a psychoeducational group plan I created in Counseling Student Athletes (EDHS 7200) (See artifact below). My psychoeducational group plan focused on student-athlete career development. According to the NCAA (2015), less than 2% of collegiate athletes go on to play their sport professionally, and due to this disproportionate number, college students must have an education to fall back. Many college athletic programs need to prepare their students for life after college, so I created a program to aid in the college-to-workforce transition. Although I did not conduct the group plan of actual student-athletes, my idea is to incorporate it into their practice schedule to cater to the students while refraining from adding additional time commitments to their already busy schedules. 

ASSESSMENT AND INTEGRATION 

I am least familiar with this subsection of the Student Learning and Development competency. My integration of the psychoeducational group plan listed above with student-athletes’ practice schedule is one experience I have had (See artifact below). I thoroughly enjoy working with student-athletes; therefore, when tasked to create a class for students, my group and I chose to create a name, image, and likeness (NIL) education course. The implementation of NIL has been particularly stressful for institutions’ athletic administration. There are multiple businesses offering NIL deals to student-athletes that do not have the athletes’ best interest. The introduction of a NIL course will show student-athletes how to recognize legitimate NIL opportunities and understand compliance guidelines and achieve a general understanding of student/identity development theory. Through the creation of the class, we hope the University of Virginia adopts the program or a rendition of it to protect its athletes and foster its student-athletes monetary gain. 

Resources: 

ACPA & NASPA (2015). Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators. Washington, DC: Author

Astin, A. W. (1991). Assessment for excellence: The philosophy and practice of assessment and evaluation in higher education. New York: McMillan. 

National Collegiate Athletic Association. (2015). Estimated probability of competing in professional athletics. NCAA.org.

Rest, J. (1994). Background: Theory and research. In J. Rest & D. Narvaez (Eds.), Moral development in the professions: Psychology and applied ethics (pp. 1-26). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.