Introduction: Values, Philosophy, and History
The Values, Philosophy, and History competency encompasses how student affairs practitioners can apply and build upon the foundations of the higher education field. Student affairs as a field has developed over time, seen initially as merely administrative and tangential to academics, it is now co-curricular and a large part of the university experience for students. This includes a deep understanding of the structure of student affairs within higher education and an application of responsible campus citizenship and professionalism. This means engaging with student development theories, learning counseling and advising skills, and understanding historical and emergent research. Specifically applicable to my work has been the history of higher education institutions both alleviating and deepening inequality in the United States (Kirshner, 2023).
Application of Values, Philosophy, and History
This area of competency is vital to my work in the RTAC office. The office consists of non-traditional student affairs staff from different disciplines of theater and arts rather than a higher education background. With this diverse landscape came a ripe opportunity to discuss our practice through my educational lens as I have been learning about the profession’s history, values, and philosophy.
Specifically, this competency helped me express my concerns regarding access and equity for student groups on campus. I could articulate the importance of developing equitable practices on campus, especially concerning opportunities for marginalized students. This was produced in the greater higher education context and the history of exclusion at Boston College. This process led to my department revamping our student show season to increase access to our space. This year, we have two new student groups performing in our space as a result, and 4 large culture shows occurring under our purview.
I am passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this new student process, I have created an application process that eliminates structural barriers for new and diverse student groups to present shows in our limited spaces. I could only identify and work to combat these barriers by learning the history of equity and racial barriers in higher education. This learning is best exemplified in a paper I wrote for my comprehensive exam in the fall that charts the history of diversity and access for students in higher education, and how that can and should look moving forward.
Progress and Future Growth
Overall, I have developed professional growth in this competency through my time transforming from undergraduate to graduate at Boston College. As a student, I was able to notice and articulate the issue of the lack of equity in specific processes at Boston College. Once I began my Master’s studies, I could articulate how structural inequity affects this access, and then I sparked a conversation that sparked change in my department. I developed language to express this, and now I have practical experience using the profession’s values in conversation with history to improve student life. Additionally, my experiences as a NODA Intern at Binghamton University and as a Graduate Assistant at Northeastern University taught me how other universities reckon with the changing landscape of higher education and the values, philosophies, and history.
In my professional journey, I will keep my sense of discovery and curiosity about how institutions deal with our history and values while shaping the future. This will serve the students best, as I will stay abreast of new and alternative ways of addressing student needs within higher education. I aim to carry the history of inequality and systemic oppression intrinsic to higher education in mind as I aim to improve and combat the legacies of inequality within higher education.
My artifact for this competency is an essay written for my comprehensive exams, demonstrating the history of affirmative action and frameworks for moving forward after it was struck down in Summer 2023.
References
Kirshner, J.A. (2023, January 29). Op-Ed: Higher education as a path out of poverty is now more myth than reality. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-01-29/higher-education-college-degree-poverty-student-debt-loans.
Emma Roney 