Jessica Chung
My Professional Knowledge
After completing an assessment of my professional knowledge, I wrote a piece describing the areas in which I claim expertise: honors students, technology in student affairs, leadership theory, student learning, and student development in regards to advising. [ You can read my full piece here. ] From my paper discussion I have identified four knowledge areas and four competency areas in which to develop, which are detailed below.
​Student Learning
As I have indicated in other areas of my portfolio, I view student learning and development as the purpose of student affairs and higher education. Therefore, I am dedicated to continuing to develop this stronger knowledge area.

I specifically want to continue learning about how students learn, how they take in information, make sense of it, and create new knowledge. Recently I've come to appreciate the ways social psychology, neuroscience, and the principles of influence in marketing all contribute to me being a better educator for students. For example, how can story telling improve the way I can engage students in creating meaning across different ideas? What are the techniques I can use to improve memory for what I present?

Contemporary Development Theory
​
We spent a whole semester learning about the foundational development theory in the field, but I also understand that I have much more to learn beyond the basics. For example, I learned and really liked Perry's Cognitive Development Theory, but quickly found that there are many other updated versions of this theory as well. Quickly, I realized that other theories have contemporary counterparts that I should learn.

To me, student development is another word for growth, which is my intended purpose for higher education. Given that,
For example, one of the students in their focus group was a Black male in his mid to upper twenties with a hardened history in the detention system. Upon his first day of college, he was so overwhelmed and anxious that he just sat on a bench and cried. These stories brought to life the real struggles students can face when returning to the school setting, and I want to be a more informed supporter in that system for these populations.
Sustainability in Higher Education​

It is no secret that we are running on very limited resources in not only our everyday lives but in higher education as well. Since my partner studies sustainability, the topic was not new to me until we applied the concept to higher education. Sustainability is usually seen as a resource management issue; although managing our material and energy resources such as electricity, paper, or food is incredibly important, what I want to learn more about is how to make processes more sustainable.

For example, when you consider setting up for a program, you'll need specific items for the program. In some instances, someone on staff has this item at home and can lend it to the cause. However, if that program is to continue annually, borrowing from a staff member is not a sustainable practice. Similarly, what programs are sustainable long-term versus short-term? These are things I'd like to learn more about in order to be a more socially responsible professional that is a good steward of resources.
I view it as my duty to stay current on the theories that give me most insight into how students develop and grow today. Especially as research continues to explore more complex relationships between identity intersectionality and the educational experience, I want to stay abreast of these findings to better educate and develop students.
Non-Traditional Students
​
In the CSP program we are continually learning that the population of students we serve continues to get increasingly diverse. By diverse, I mean that higher education is increasingly comprised of students older than 25, from a wider range of socio-economic status, students with families and children, part-time students, veterans, and others. Given that the population of the students I serve will start to reflect this trend, I recognize this is an area in which I need to develop. I have had some limited experience with non-traditional students in some of my practicums, but there is simply a lot to learn since the label of "non-traditional" applies to so many people.

I want to learn more about the experience of non-traditional students, the different struggles they face, what programs and techniques are working, and how to be effective in teaching and advising them. When I attended a conference session at OCPA (ACPA's chapter in Ohio) about the real experience of the students from a low socioeconomic and non-traditional status, I was simply shocked at how much I did not know about these students' experiences.
My Professional Competencies
​Knowing the influential role of a supervisor, I want to be equipped with the tools to be influential for the good.
​
Personal Foundations

Although one of my strongest competency areas, I am one for pushing myself to grow every day. I feature a quote on the homepage about aspiring for "er" versus "est" that I try to honor as much as I can.

Specifically, I want to continue being better at finding harmony, gratitude, and contentedness. The nature of our society is such that we must be constantly chasing the American Dream-- bigger, better, faster, more. This constant chasing leaves us breathless and forever caught up in a future that is never "here." As I get older it feels as if time passes faster and faster-- my fear is that I am not fully experiencing my life because I'm too caught up in what is next instead of enjoying what I have right now.

Mindfulness is an exhausting practice at which I often fail, but I try to remind myself of its importance every day. Being present is the vehicle through which work really gets done, relationships get deeper, ideas get creative, and life gets lived.
From my competency assessment, I deem this area the one in which I am least developed. However, I know have to change that; there are potential legal implications that reach across nearly all functional areas so I need to be up to date on relevant policies in order to be the best and most responsible professional I can be.

Further, since I am open to a variety of functional areas for future employment (admissions, advising, leadership studies, etc.), it would be wise for me to familiarize myself with a wide variety of policy. For example, I will ensure I am up to date on the ruling regarding admissions policies at the University of Michigan, so as to recruit in a responsible manner.
Supervision
​
One competency area in which I also had little experience throughout my graduate career is supervision. Although I have been a mentor for students, I have never formally supervised a student or staff member.

Undoubtedly, I will enter a role in which I have to supervise someone, so I want to give a lot of thought to this skill. I have had the fortune of working with a handful of truly exceptional supervisors, and I have realized that style does not develop accidentally, but through deliberate choices someone makes.

I have spent a lot of time having discussions with peers and other respected mentors about their personal supervisory style, and it has helped me begin to outline my own style. At some point, I will put it to practice.
​Assessment
Throughout my internship experience I have learned to appreciate the potential in assessment strategies for measuring student learning and growth; I want to know more about these techniques so I can implement them in my own work.

Too often, we wonder whether assignments and tests truly help students achieve the learning outcomes of a given course. I realize the answer is to create assignments directly related to the outcomes, but perhaps this is easier said than done. I wish to practice creating assignments that are directly connected to the course outcomes and stimulate higher order thinking skills. My hope is that students will view these assignments as worthwhile to their growth.

I also want to be more confident in my ability to distinguish evaluation from assessment and use both properly in my work. It isn't enough to give out a survey at the end of a program and expect the feedback to be meaningful; I want to practice creating valuable questions for both assessment and evaluations to have a well-informed professional ethic.

Higher Education Law
​
The competency of law is an area with which I have little experience; admittedly, I also have very little personal interest in this area, which leaves me only adequately knowledgeable about relevant legal matters relating to higher education.
Now that I have self-assessed my competencies (as seen in this portfolio), I have identified four competency areas in which I would like to develop, which are detailed below.