Fall 2012 ASHE Annual Conference

Title: ASHE Annual Conference - Las Vegas, NV - November, 2012

Term: Fall, 2012

Description: I attended the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV from Thursday November 15-Saturday November 17, 2012.  ASHE promotes collaboration among its members and others engaged in the study of higher education through research, conferences, and publications, including its highly regarded journal, The Review of Higher Education. ASHE is committed to diversity in its programs and membership, and has enjoyed extraordinary success in involving graduate students in Association activities (ASHE website). 
My primary purpose for attending the conference was professional and personal development in addition to networking with graduate students. 

Learning Outcomes: Prior to attending the conference, I developed the following learning outcomes for the conference:

• SWiBAT strengthen my networking skills by talking with at least three professionals or graduate students and obtaining their business cards.
• SWiBAT attend a session for personal development to better myself as a graduate student and a session for professional development to better myself as a Pre-Professional.
• SWiBAT attend a session regarding a topic I do not have knowledge in.

Assessment Rubric: You can access my assessment rubric at the following link: Professional conference rubric- ASHE National Conference

Evidence: For my first learning outcome addressing professional networking, I gave myself a score of "2-basic", for the second learning outcome addressing personal and professional development , I gave myself a score of "3-competent" and for the third learning outcome addressing expanding my knowledge, I gave myself a score of "4-advanced".

Additionally, a link is provided for photos of the conference ASHE Conference photos and a copy of the 2012 ASHE Conference Program.

Reflection: Overall, I was satisfied with the conference. The ASHE Annual Conference is my first national organization conference and I did not know what to expect especially because I attended the conference alone.  The ASHE Conference provided a Newcomers Orientation to help new members navigate the conference freely without concerns.  There were also graduate events to help graduate students network in an easy manner such as having roundtables with different interests and topics.  

For professional networking, I only obtained one business card because the individual offered it to me.  I was able to approach people and have short discussions but was too intimidated to ask for business cards.  Nor did I think of handing out my business cards to initiate networking opportunities.  With this, I gave myself a "2-basic" as I learned I need to overcome being an introvert if I want to meet new people and build relationships.  In addition, I learned I communicate better when I am in small groups or small conferences such as the Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day. 

I gave myself a "3-competent" for my second learning outcome because I did not take the time to reflect on what I learned.  I attended the Graduate Student Event- Writing Presentation and Workshop to better myself as a graduate student.  Even though the presentation was about writing for a thesis, the information was helpful in regards to the tips for writing: share the paper with colleagues, pay attention to major content, form a writing group, and ways to establish good writing habits. As for my professional development session, I attended a session called "The Power of a Second Chance: A View from One Community College" by the keynote speaker for Friday November 16, 2012.  Mike Rose of the University of California, Los Angeles discussed his book "Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education".  He explained students in community colleges do not receive the respect they deserve.  He also expressed many students go to school to obtain skills but drop out before obtaining a degree or setting long term goals because they have family obligations.  Society may look down upon these students because they quit school but I learned some individuals have more on their plate than others and priorities are made when students with family commitments sacrifice their desires for the well being of their families.  Through this session, my views of community college students shifted.  I used to see students going to community colleges as lazy and/or were the bad students in high school.  Even if this applies to some students, not all students can be categorized as lazy students or bad students in high school.  In addition, everyone deserves a second chance, whether if they did well in high school or something was in the way of obtaining higher education. 

Lastly, for my third learning outcome, I gave myself a "4-advanced" for attending a session regarding the LGBTQ community.  Whenever I wrote about an issue for my papers or attended workshops and sessions, they were always about racism, Asian Americans, and women.  Since these three topics are something I can relate to, they are easier to understand which makes them more enjoyable for me.  For this conference, I wanted to break away from my comfort zone and learn about a community new to me.  Through this session, I learned transgenders have a sexual orientation and the word "queer" is appropriate to use because "homo" has a negative connotation to it (individuals who were labeled "homo" in the past were considered to have an illness).  In addition, the statement that stood out to me was "Don't assume you know what students need.  Find out and construct what they need."  It is important to connect with students and develop programs best suited for their needs based on their feedback and suggestions because they know what they want and need better than Students Affairs professionals do.  Student Affairs practitioners can help students develop holistically with the assistance from the students input and needs.  

Fall 2012 Student Affairs Day

Title: Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day- California Polytech Pomona, Pomona, CA - October, 2012

Term: Fall, 2012

Description: I attended the Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day at CSU Pomona on  October 26, 2012 to improve my knowledge in the Student Affairs and have the opportunity to network with individuals in the profession.

Learning Outcomes: Prior to attending the conference, I developed the following learning outcomes for the conference with my supervisor:

• SWiBAT Identify at least three professionals and if possible, collect a business card for networking purposes.
• SWiBAT Investigate the Student Affairs profession by attending at least two workshops.
• SWiBAT Administer and reflect on the knowledge gained by sharing with my supervisor, the Assistant Dean of Students Affairs for the College of Health and Human Development. 

Assessment Rubric: You can access my assessment rubric at the following link: Professional conference rubric- Student Affairs Day.

Evidence: For my first learning outcome addressing professional networking, I gave myself a score of "4-advanced", for the second learning outcome addressing investigation of the profession , I gave myself a score of "4-advanced" and for the third learning outcome addressing sharing and reflection on the information, I gave myself a score of "4-advanced".

Additionally, I have provided links to several photos of WRCSAD and a copy of the conference program


Reflection: Going to my first conference, I did not know what to expect and how to approach individuals especially with my introvert characteristic of being shy.  One of my cohort members introduced me to an undergraduate from my alma mater, the University  of California Santa Barbara.  Even though she was not a professional, we exchanged business cards and the experience helped me slowly want to approach people to introduce myself.  I was able to collect two other business cards in addition to writing down two contact informations.  In total, I was able to get contact information from three professionals, a graduate student, and an undergraduate student.  This exceeded my expectations of my target goal for networking.  It was also a great opportunity for me to know what to expect in bigger conferences such as the ASHE conference I plan to attend next month.

I attended three workshops: "Sculpting Race", "Balancing Life as a Graduate Student and Wellness: Tips and Tools", and "Student Affairs 101".  Sculpting Race discussed Janet Helm's White Identity Model (1993) which explained how white racial identity develops and how racism is abandoned.  There are six phases that individuals go through and the purpose of the theory is to promote diversity in addition to a nonracist society.  In "Balancing Life as a Graduate Student", I learned that I can't help others unless I help myself.  There were types of stressors that graduates experienced (ie time management, academic pressures, and financial concerns) and tips to manage stress (ie surround yourself with positive people, practice positive talk, and reward yourself).  Lastly, I learned about the history and overview of the Student Affairs profession in the "Student Affairs 101" session.  Not only did I attend more than two workshops, but I gained valuable information that will help me in class, deal with racism, and diminish my stress.

My third learning outcome was given an advanced because I wrote a reflection for my supervisor regarding the conference, what I learned, what I liked, and what I disliked.  She asked me questions which were easy to answer because I was engaged in the sessions and typed thorough notes to help me remember everything I learned.  Overall, the conference was worth waking up early in the morning and being stuck in traffic on the way back home.  I couldn't have asked for a better first conference.