Joann Zhang

A. Define professional development needs and interests for continued growth including opportunities for future contributions to the body of knowledge

 

            Being able to have a well-functioning, supportive team is something I greatly value. I want members of the team to feel as though their voice matters and that the work they do, motivates them to always strive. For someone who works full-time, employees can potentially spend more time with their co-workers than they do with their family and friends. Thus, something I’d like to continue to grow and develop further knowledge around is how to manage a successful team and how to motivate individuals who are not as contributing to the team. As outlined in my Professional Development Plan, for my Organization and Administration course, there are so many aspects of a team and who makes up the team dynamic. For individuals who have been part of the team or office for numerous years and have lost the passion for the work we do, how can I, as a newer professional motivate them to find their passion again? Through my development plan, I attended workshops during the 2016 NASPA Western Regional Conference, read recent articles around team management and watched a few different TED Talk lectures. One Ted Talk lecture that I found very interesting was by Jason Fried (2010), titled: “Why work doesn’t happen.” Fried indicated how as supervisors, we should reevaluate the purpose of meetings, and whether or not tasks get accomplished through meetings. He also indicated having a few hours throughout each day that is a dedicated ‘no talking’ time. By designating time around not talking, individual staff members can concentrate on their own projects and job responsibilities without the fear of interruption by a coworker. I enjoyed Fried’s ‘out of the box’ thinking and would like to take a creative approach to motivating others to contribute to a team.  It is important to understand the need of the team, in order to ensure they are happy with their work environment. I plan to take Fried’s approach as well as implement what the team desires to create a well-functioning, supportive team environment.

 

B. Identify one’s professional values and ethics

 

            In our Counseling course, we had discussed our Personal Values and Ethics when working with students. My values included social justice, deepening my professional competencies by keeping up with best practices and current events and recognizing my professional responsibility for inclusion and diversity. I enjoyed this assignment because it provided me an opportunity to reflect on my values and what I found ethical. I believe it is important to keep these in mind when working with students because what is ethical can get gray, especially when thinking about situations on a case-by-case basis. As a result, I think it is important for professionals to remind themselves of their values and why they want to a part of higher education. In relations to this, during my Advising class, we had discussed the benefits of having your values listed around your office space. By doing so, you are constantly being reminded your ethics and values. In my Personal Advising Philosophy & Development Plan, I listed other values that I have that shows up when I advise students. One the examples I listed was having an authentic relationship. Having an authentic relationship relates back to my interest for having a well-functioning team. In my opinion, it is difficult to do well in a team if you do not have a genuine relationship with those you work with. This is not to say it cannot be done, but the time spent with your team could be more enjoyable and productive if you have an authentic relationship with those around you.

            My personal values and ethics also show up in the courses that I’ve chosen to take to fulfill my area of specialization. I wanted to deepen my knowledge around social justice and multicultural empowerment. Thus, by choosing to engage in classes such as Social Inequality, I wrote a research paper on Rural Students in Higher Education. Through this paper, I learned more about barriers rural students face when accessing and transitioning into a college campus. Rural students was not a community I often associate with being a marginalized group, however upon researching, I realized that students from a rural community encounter barrier similar to those who identify as people of color. For an example, one of the barriers rural students face is having a shortage of qualified teaching who teaches a curriculum that adequately prepares students for college or having more extracurricular options in order to be more competitive when applying to prestigious higher education institutions. I valued learning about social inequalities that are currently impacting our society and how much further we have to go in order to make our community more equitable.

 

C. Describe how one’s own worldview impacts values and assumptions when working with others

 

          One’s own world or experience can impact how they work with others. In our Student Development Theories I class, we discussed our salient identities through Jones and McEwen’s (2000) Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity (MMDI) model. Our salient identities play a crucial role on how we relate to others. For an example, my ethnicity and race identities are closer to my core within the MMDI because it has greatly influenced how I see the world. My lived experiences being an Asian-American, more importantly, a Chinese-American has influenced how I relate to other people of color. I may be more understanding or have more empathy for people because I understand their story whether or not I shared similar experiences.  

            In our Social Inequalities course, we read numerous articles and journals on different communities and how they experience inequality. One article that stuck out to me was by Thomas J. Gorman (2000), titled: Cross-Class Perceptions of Social Class. The article had talked about how individuals from working class viewed individuals from middle-class and vice versa. The article included exact quotes from members of each community which ultimately captured how working class viewed middle class as pretentious, book smart, or putting their careers ahead of their kids. Middle class viewed the working class as uneducated, dirty and overly paid. Thus, how they view others is based on their experience and what they’ve interrupted as valuable characteristics of the ‘other’ community. It is important to keep Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s (2009), The Danger of a Single Story’s TED Talk video in mind when working with others, and to not assume their story based on your own assumptions or experiences. This reflects back to my training for the Search Advocacy program and the concept of biases. Rather than stereotyping or using preconceived knowledge about a certain community or individual, it is important to get to know individuals and allow them to share their own experiences. In my role as a student affair professional, I want to truly take the time and get to know my students and peers so that I can keep my implicit biases in check.

 

 

D. Establish a commitment to engage in ongoing inquiry throughout one’s career or articulate the value/appreciation of ongoing inquiry and engagement

 

            Through my CSSA education, I have developed a deeper passion for learning. I have further developed a commitment towards social justice, becoming a conscientious/active citizen and creating meaningful relationships between students and staff.  The reason I joined the CSSA program was to earn my Master’s degree in higher education administration so that I can have a career that focused on students and educating them beyond the classroom experience. The courses I have chosen to take to complete my area of specialization: Social Inequalities, Ethnicity and Social Justice and Social Justice within Higher Education. These were all courses I found valuable, that excited me when I went to class and helped me developed a deeper understanding of our current societal structure and how much further we have to go to ensure equity and justice. I will take what I’ve learned from those courses to educate others. In my future role in student affairs, I will continue to have meaningful conversations with peers and student, continue to develop deeper understanding around complex issues by attending conferences and workshops that engage in impactful work that will help better our community. It is important to keep up to date with current practices and research and to not lose out on motivation when working within student affairs.  Our students are always changing whether it is once every two, four or six years, and thus, it is important for student affairs practitioners to be able to adapt and continue to education oneself so that they can support all students.