NASPA Western Regional Conference 2014

Term:

Fall 2014

Description:

The 2014 NASPA Western Regional Conference was held on November 9-12, 2014 in Anaheim, California. This year’s theme was “Imagine: Inspire Dreams. Transform Communities.” The conference brought together student affairs professionals from Region VI to celebrate successes in our field and provide a series of workshops and presentations to cultivate and inspire new and aspiring student affairs professionals and reaffirm the mission and explore new possibilities for the profession. Attending the conference, I wanted to learn about new research and best practices to bring back to my graduate assistantship, network with other student affairs professionals, and presented a poster on the Titan Dreamers Resource Center at the conference.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT learn one new approach from workshops attended.

SWiBAT gain at least 3 new network.

SWiBAT improve public speaking skills by presenting a poster on the Titan Dreamers Resource Center.

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO #1	Attend at least 5 workshops with student learning outcomes and discuss with supervisor about experience	Attend at least 5 workshops with student learning outcomes	Attend 5 workshops	Attend fewer than 5 workshops
SLO #2	Student will network with at least 3 student affairs professionals and start up a conversation about job, class, program	Student will network with at least 3 student affairs professionals and start up a conversation	Student will network with at least 3 student affairs professional	Student networks with fewer than 2 student affairs professional
SLO #3	Student will collaborate to design the poster, present it at conference, and ready to answer questions with confidence	Student will collaborate to design the poster, present it at conference with confidence	Student will collaborate to design the poster, present it at conference adequately	Student will collaborate to design the poster, present it at conference unprepared

Evidence:

At the NASPA Western Regional Conference, I marked down the workshops and presentations that related to my graduate assistantship to better serve undocumented students. I learned new ways to advocate for our undocumented students. For example, if undocumented students are excluded from a social or dance held by ASI because they require a driver’s license to prove age, we advocate for other forms of identification like passports to verify age or having stamps to at least allow students without IDs to still attend the social without drinking. I also went to other presentations helped me understand how to become a better ally to other marginalized groups.  I was actually invited to be part of a panel to discuss some of my experiences being undocumented and the challenges undocumented students face while navigating higher education institutions at Cal Poly Pomona as part of their Dreamers Ally Network program. I would rate myself “advanced.” Attached is the PowerPoint they used to present. Link

Here are some pictures from NASPA WRC:

 

I am an introvert so meeting new people can be challenge. But I knew this is a great opportunity to connect with other student affairs professionals and share stories and experiences and help form a community. I attended lunches and breakfasts to make sure I mingle with others, introduce myself, and exchange information.  I also challenged myself to start conversations and I was actually surprised that I actually found it easier than I thought.  Presenting the poster on Titan Dreamers Resource Center also helped me connect with other student affairs professionals who work with undocumented students and were able to share experiences and best practices that way.  I met professionals from Educational Opportunity Programs, Housing and Residential Life, etc. and from different campuses. I would rate myself as “advanced.” Here are some of the business cards of the professionals I connected with:

 

I collaborated with my cohort mate, Yessica De La Torre (Assessment Graduate Assistant in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs), in creating a poster on the Titan Dreamers Resource center and showcasing the testimonials of students on post-its to show the need for the space for undocumented students. Although I was nervous presenting at my first professional conference, I was able to promote the Titan Dreamers Resource Center and the vital support and resources it provides our undocumented students and highlight the support the center has gotten from leadership of CSUF (from President Mildred Garcia to Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Berenecea Eanes) as well as students, faculty and staff who were instrumental to its creation.  I would rate myself as “advanced.”  Here is the poster we created and present: Titan Dreamers Resource Center poster. Here are some photos of the presentation:

 

Reflection:

The Naspa Western Regional Conference was my very first student affairs professional conference I’ve ever attended. I did not really know what to expect. I was quite nervous meeting new people and attending different workshops and presentations.  I am happy that I actually accepted Yessica’s offer to collaborate with her and present the poster.  It really was a great experience connecting with other student affairs professionals and hearing about how other campuses are supporting undocumented students by hiring new coordinators, counselors, and establishing centers.  I learned a lot from attending the NASPA WRC. I learned new practices and research that will help me better serve our undocumented students.  Actually seeing the students affairs community come together and find ways to better serve our students was very invigorating and reemphasizes the importance of our work not just as staff but also as educators.

Graduate Assistantship in Diversity Initiatives and Resource Centers - Titan Dreamers Resource Center

Term:

Fall 2014

Description:

The Titan Dreamers Resource Center is the first in the CSUF system and only second in the nation. We are proud to give support and a safe space for our undocumented students.  As a graduate assistant, I assist the coordinator of Titian Dreamers Resource Center helping support and provide resources to our undocumented students by creating programs, through education, outreach, ally training, promoting resources available and the center, and cultivating a supportive environment. We provide assistance with completing the AB 540 Affidavit, the CA Dream Act application for financial aid, referrals to reliable resources for legal advice, mentoring support, ally training, counseling and wellness support, and workshops and programs.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT create programs that promote resources available for undocumented students.

SWiBAT gain a greater understanding of his strengths and weaknesses.

SWiBAT fostering growth in students and student assistants by applying student development theory.

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO #1	Create programs collaborating with partners on campus and addresses intersections of identity	Create 5 programs collaborating with partners on campus	Create 5 programs	Creating less than 5 programs
SLO #2	Student will identify strengths and weakness as a leader and use their strengths and the strengths of their team.	Student will identify strengths and weakness as a leader	Student only identifies strengths as a leader	Student did not identify strengths and weakness as a leader
SLO #3	Student will meet one on one with students assessing their needs. Student will also meet with students to assess areas for improvement using theory.	Student will meet one on one with students assessing their needs and give support.	Student will meet one on one with students assessing their needs.	Student will not assess students’ needs

Evidence:

Creating Programs: I find that collaboration with partners on and off campus creates stronger programs. With all programs I helped create for the Titan Dreamers Resource Center, we collaborated with other departments at CSUF. We collaborated with faculty, Financial Aid, Asian Pacific American Resource Center, WoMen’s Center, an immigration attorney, the Student Health and Counseling Center, and others to help students, faculty, and staff learn about not only about the challenges undocumented students face but also the resources available, the intersections of identity, and to help support our undocumented students by encouraging them to continue pursuing their educational and career goals. We created programs that tackle issues like domestic violence, healthcare access, professional panel, laws and policies, and undocumented Asian Pacific Islanders. I would rate myself “advanced.” Here’s a sample of a PowerPoint presentation I created on undocumented Asian Pacific Islanders.

Understanding strengths and weaknesses: Being a very empathetic person helps me a great deal in gaining trust and insight.  Being a great listener also helps me assess what the student needs even if just a person to listen to them. But being empathetic I found that I do experience burnout as I sometimes take to heart students sharing painful experiences and their emotions.  I’ve had instances where I felt drained after a student had confided in me.  But being in a supervisorial role has made me cognizant of the line between friendship and professionalism. I’ve had to hold a student assistant accountable for not completing assignments on time. I worked with her one on one to come up with ways to complete assignments on time like setting up deadlines.  Early into the assistantship, I knew I wanted to work on my presentation skills and indicated it to my supervisor. Giving successful presentations have given me a boost of confidence communicating in general. I would rate myself “advance.” Here are some pictures from Days of Discovery:

Fostering growth in students using theory: My graduate assistantship at the Titan Dreamers Resource has shown me that I need to learn more about being a good supervisor. Amey & Ressor states that it sometimes means relinquishing some control to those you supervise, so that they are able to challenge themselves and grow professionally and personally (as cited in Hirt & Terrell, 2011).  Our student assistants help me research, come up with titles, and write proposals for our programs and utilize their strengths and interests as well.  They are not just filing or answering phones, they are also learning critical thinking, analytical, interpersonal, and leadership skills that will help them in the future.  In turn, my supervisors have greatly helped me become a better supervisor and become more intentional in my work by giving me feedback on our contact meetings and going through my performance evaluations to help address skills that I want to improve.  I feel that their guidance has helped me become more comfortable seeing myself as a leader and a professional. I would rate myself “competent.” I feel that I still have a lot to learn in terms of theories and forming my own philosophy. Here are pictures of our great team:

Reflection:

Working at the Titan Dreamers Resource Center, I have seen that the importance of access and support in helping minority students persist. But, the center is also a space for all students, faculty, and staff where they can learn to become allies and foster a just campus community and multicultural competence.  I believe that multicultural competence in very important in our profession, especially as we interact with students with many intersecting social identities who may feel marginalized and need extra support.  I have learned that being sensitive to our students’ diverse experiences and backgrounds helps me gain insight on to how better serve them.  We have seen many undocumented students come into the center on feeling overwhelmed and defeated trying to find resources to help them stay at CSUF and upon us meeting with them and showing them resources and other options, they would start crying because of the huge relief they felt. 

Being a graduate assistant as TDRC also helped me grow personally. The experience allowed me to examine my own privileges and biases and reminded me to keep myself in check.  I feel that the supportive team at Diversity Initiatives and Resource Centers really adds to my experience. I am learning a lot from my colleagues. 

Cohort 7 Retreat - Pilgrim Pines Camps & Conference Center, Yucaipa - September 19-20, 2014

Term:

Fall 2014

Description:

I attended the MSHE retreat with my cohort mates hosted by the MSHE department. The retreat was meant to help us to get to know each other and bring the cohort closer together. It was also meant to educate us about the values associated with the student affairs profession.

Learning Outcomes:

SWiBAT get to know my cohort mates by learning at least 10 cohort members' names, their interests, strengths and background.

SWiBAT gain a greater understanding of the student affair profession.

SWiBAT gain better understanding of my five strengths.

Assessment Rubric:

	Advanced	Competent	Basic	Needs Improvement
SLO #1	Able to recall 10 cohort members’ names and their strengths and their background	Able to recall 10 cohort members’ names and their strengths	Able to recall 5 cohort members’ names and one of their strengths	Recalled fewer than 5 cohort members’ names and was not able to recall their strengths
SLO #2	Able to recall 6 of Boyer’s principles for community and able to synthesize with personal experiences and experiences of cohort mates	Able to recall 5 of Boyer’s principles for community and able to synthesize with personal experiences	Able to recall 5 of Boyer’s principles for community	Able to recall fewer than 4 of Boyer’s principles for community
SLO #3	Gained a better understanding of 5 strengths, how they influence their personal and professional development and how they influence their interaction with students	Gained a better understanding of 5 strengths and how they influence their personal and professional development	Gained a better understanding of 4 strengths and how they influence their personal and professional development	Gained a better understanding of fewer than 4 strengths

Evidence:

Reflection:

I was at first doubtful of how necessary the retreat could be for my personal and professional growth.  It proved to be very meaningful.  My experiences at the retreat will stay with me for the rest of the program and throughout my career in higher education. I learned a great deal about my cohort mates, my professors, and myself.  I was not expecting the retreat to challenge me and bring up very sensitive issues surrounding race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, values, etc.  But I am glad it did because I got to learn my own strengths, my privileges, and what I and my cohort mates bring to the program.

We allowed ourselves to be vulnerable and in turn got to know each other in a deeper level.  I got to hear stories, sometimes emotional, about my cohort mates' backgrounds and challenges they faced.  This showed me the diversity of our students and what it means to have a dialogue about subjects that are at times difficult to discuss and the importance of cultivating a safe place for our students to do so.  Sharing my own struggles and stories also made me feel supported by everyone.  At the end of the retreat I felt a change in me.  The retreat helped solidify why I wanted to be in student affairs.  I will no doubt look back to this moment to inspire me as I face tough times personally and professionally.  I am glad that I was part of this retreat.