An initiative of our Division of Student Affairs is to help develop new professionals in the field. Because of this, the DSA developed a series called the New Professionals Institute. After applying to participate, around 40 of us have embarked on a year long professional development opportunity. Once a month, we meet to discuss a certain topic led by our more experienced colleagues. We talk in a large group, but we are also broken down into smaller discussion groups. Six sessions spread throughout the academic year, it is almost like a mini graduate course...even with it's own Blackboard page.
Today, aside from the orientation meeting, was our first session, and the topic was professional congruence. Who are you, what do you believe, what do you want to accomplish, and how does that align or not align with your university and you division? An appropriate first topic. We focused actually on a chapter from a NASPA monograph that I used in a presentation I did last year at ACPA with some other amazing new Student Affairs professionals.
Thinking about our own missions and comparing them with where we work seems like a basic thing to do, especially when we were searching for jobs in the first place. Yet today's discussion really made me start thinking about why I did come to FSU and why I took a job in Student Activities. I think I have to admit neither of these decisions were intentional. Actually, I cannot say I ever thought I would be doing Student Activities, and I really was looking for a new place to move. FSU and the Student Activities Center just seemed to make sense at the time.
Maybe that is or was enough. But what is my purpose? What do I really want to accomplish as a professional? Getting wrapped up in the job and not taking time to evaluate why you are doing what you are doing can be easy to let happen. I think I have some reflecting to do.
By no means am I unhappy with where I am right now. I know that I want to help students, and funny enough, the students I advise actually reminded me of how much I love working with them during our meeting tonight. However, I think I do need to take a step back to do some thinking...
Sidenote: For all my Student Affairs friends who read this, here is an interesting new website we were told about today during our session. It is called "Student Affairs OMG." Ethical issues anyone?
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