Introduction

        A group of individuals from College Student Educators Internationals (ACPA) and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) came together to produce the Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators document. These individuals made up the Joint Task Force on Professional Competencies (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). This document provides a detailed description of 10 different competency areas that serve as a critical guide the student affairs profession. This work was centered around providing practices, professional development and, preparation of new professionals in student affairs (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). The intended audience for this document is for both graduate students in student affairs programs and current practitioners. These individuals consist of those who are all different ages, have different backgrounds, different degree types but all are involved with student affairs in some way.

 

        The 10 professional competencies are, Personal and Ethical Foundation (PEF), Values, Philosophy and History (VPH), Assessment, Evaluation, and Research (AER), Law, Policy, and Governance (LPG), Organizational and Human Resources (OHR), Leadership (LEAD), Social Justice and Inclusion (SJI), Student Learning and Development (SLD) Technology (TECH), and Advising and Supporting (A/S) (ACPA & NASPA, 2015). Each competency area has their own areas that identifies specific outcomes that are both unique yet offer some overlap with other competencies. For example, the Leadership competency outcomes specify that an individual who has excelled will be able to shift from knowledge to critical application and implementing the development among leaders. (ACPA & NASPA, 2015)

 

Each competency has three proficiency levels of outcomes, foundational, intermediate, and advance. An individual can resonate with any of the three proficiency levels individually or they can resonate with different outcomes within the three levels at one time. Most individuals start at the foundational level and once they achieve all the outcomes they move up to immediate or advanced. Each proficiency level of outcomes should not be viewed as a checklist to complete but as a gauge to show an individual’s growth and development (ACPA & NASPA, 2015).

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        This document is meant to give professionals directive on specific competencies and outcomes in which they should work to develop. It allows student affairs practitioners to gain knowledge of skill sets and practices that can be utilized in their daily work. For example, for the advising and supporting competency, this competency discusses different ways professionals can advise and support through direction, feedback, critique, referral, and guidance. Once a professional has achieved the highest of the three levels, they will be able to develop higher order capacities for listening, addressing group dynamics, managing conflict and crisis situations, and partnering with other professionals, departments and agencies. (ACPA & NASPA, 2015)

 

        Throughout my graduate school studies, I plan to dive deep into the background of each competency to learn about them and progress in their application. I will assess myself within each competency to identify both areas of strength and potential growth. Upon successfully meeting competencies outcomes, I will evaluate new ways as to how I can better perform in each area and build up to the advance level.

 

 

References:

American College Personnel Association and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. (2015, August). Professional competency areas for student affairs educators. Retrieved from https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/ACPA_NASPA_Professional_Competencie s_FINAL.pdf