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.