Higher Education and faculty and staff who support their students and institution have 10 basic competencies which are fundamental to creating a firm foundation, promote personal and professional growth, and advancement of principles in the industry.
As a member of student affairs, it is the responsibility of staff and faculty to act reasonably and ethically in-person and online. Practicing accountability, humility, empathy, inclusion, and integrity are integral to the profession. All members of staff and faculty are mandated reporters and are expected to be responsible and act ethically in a variety of situations.
The history of HESA is a new one over the past 200 years. This profession has fundamentally changed since its origination from in loco parentis and that notable shift best viewed in the context of the 1960s. This profession will continue to change as it persists and as colleges and universities continue to be utilized for academic rigor and technical training.
My professional values stem from my early college education: I needed additional support and was met with confusion. In praxis, I now am able to articulate to students, parents, or new staff what is necessary or needed to address student support.
The practice of assessment, evaluation, and research are essential to every facet of industries, beyond just higher education. The utilization of these practices are needed to measure effectiveness and identify pain points to improve or alter what is being presented. In student affairs, the utilization of IRB approved research surveying or interviewing students in effectiveness of student learning outcomes (SLOs) to understand quantitatively and qualitatively how a program is perceived by students is crucial to maintaining excellent services and academic programs.
All members of an institution shall be governed by the polices in place at the institutional, state, and federal levels. All institutions are expected to follow laws such as FEPRA, ADA, and FOIA. IDEA is part of K12 programs but is often associated with ADA.
When there are legal implications of stances of students, such as First Amendment rights in regard to essay topics or admissions polices, cases may see court. As this occurs, decisions formulated at the court level will be based on precedent cases to guide results.
Working on a team, a campus, or a community require timely communication in regard to feedback, advocacy, and equity measures. Organizational structures will govern how some of the processes and communication channels are expected through. Transparency in the organizational structure can aid in positive outcomes.
Leadership is both an art and a science; it requires practice and tempering, meeting results and consequences with accountability and humility. Providing constructive feedback to students and staff to improve and doing so tactfully requires balance and confidence in one's own abilities. Self-reflection and discernment in praxis will aid in identifying potential obstacles, when to build resilience, and advocacy.
Social justice is a constant. Should action not be taken under any circumstance could mean the unintentional harm of others. It is necessary for all professionals and private individuals to know how status affects people, majoritized and minoritized. Student populations are extremely diverse. It is encouraged professionals are aware of how their privileges aids them and support those who do not hold the same privileges.
We are constantly surrounded by technology which is constantly evolving. It is in the best interest of professionals to prioritize learning and staying aware of new technology so to best aid students and the workplace. With new technology also comes new opportunities and issues. Integrating new technology will have unique situations that are limited in resources, such as AI and ChatGPT to simulate human responses. Some professionals have opted in this age when programs that have AI integrated flag works as AI generated to ask students to include AI disclosures including what prompts were used, if any, or acknowledgement of no generative content.
Advising and supporting students will have professionals interacting with a variety of students. It is important to practice helping skills and be aware of campus programs available to students. While it is important to aid students, it is also important to hold students accountable for their own actions. In the case of some universities, there are program registration deadlines. While it is important students are able to enroll into programing, it is also the responsibility of the student to follow through with the requirements of their program.
Utilizing theory in praxis can be difficult for even seasoned professionals. Practicing a holistic review of a student is acceptable in practice, however, it is good to refresh theories that would be most appropriate for different student groups.