Progression from foundational to advanced level proficiency involves the development of higher order capacities for listening, addressing group dynamics, managing conflict and crisis situations, and partnering with other professionals, departments, and agencies.

With another shift – this time to Director of Student Engagement – came another change in my advising and supporting competency. As the lead-advisor to the Student Government Association my role as student challenger-and-supporter has remained largely consistent from previously more general student organization advising, but as my strategic-level position within the competency has increased my daily student interactions have decreased in quantity (perhaps increasinging in depth/quality). While now at a higher-level intermediate competency, I have begun focusing on developing the skills of student affairs professionals within the Student Engagement department, which I now manage and lead.

Goals

1. Promote professional development of department colleagues, particularly as they relate to Advising & Supporting.
2. Host at least four partner programs with various cross-campus departments focused on student wellness.

With the shift to Assistant Director of Student Engagement came many more broad opportunities for student interaction and advising. No longer was advising and supporting restricted to service leadership topics or tangential student needs, but now discussions ran a much wider gambit. Unfortunately I was unable to become Green Dot certified, since JWU Charlotte no longer offers Green Dot training, but I was able to become QPR certified for self-harm and suicide prevention. While still at an intermediate level, I now have more opportunities to develop cross-campus collaborative relationships — something that is also very necessary on a small private campus. 

As students returned to campus the number of advising and supporting interactions increased from 2020-2021. Further, new roles – as the instructor of a first year experience course and the third-year cohort advisor for a 4-year scholarship program – provided new spaces conducive to advising and supporting students. Additionally, during the 2021-2022 academic year I implemented a new practice at the end of each advising meeting – one simple question: “Are you safe, secure, and are your immediate needs being met?” And with a few less than positive answers I was able to refer students to appropriate campus resources. Even with this new practice and with these new roles, I continue to remain comfortable rating my competence as ‘Intermediate.’

The 2020-2021 academic year stressed the interpersonal nature of Advising & Supporting. Flexibility, understanding, and compassion were vital to both my success as a professional and the success of students I worked with. Unfortunately, the total number of student engaged in service leadership programs dropped through virtual programming, which diminished the number of advising interactions I had over the past year, however I believe for many reasons that the quality and meaningful nature of the advising/supporting interactions I did have increased. These things considered, I believe I remain at the Intermediate Level of the competency. 

I while continue to believe that I am at an intermediate level within Advising and Supporting. I believe the depth and solid-ness with which I am in the intermediate level has increased. I have been able over the course of the last two years to more fully understand the role of culture in creating appropriate advising/supporting interventions. I believe my ability to listen empathically has increased drastically. The experiences I have had during the COVID-19 period of remote-instruction, has reminded me the importance of space for emotional processing in community – even if that space is virtual. The technology competency has been a significant help to this area of my professional practice in the virtual setting.

While I was not able to visit counseling services or take a campus physical fitness course, I have visited both University Psychiatry and the Leech Campus Recreation Center. Both experiences allow me to better refer students to those services. I have also become more familiar with the campus hurricane plan, as I helped prepare shelter activities last October. Many of these skills have already been put into practice as I worked with a student in crisis through Florida State Alternative Breaks. During the Fall 2019 semester I plan on participating in the Green Dot training – I completed Safe Zone and Allies training during the Fall 2018 semester. Generation Z goes to college would still be an excellent opportunity for professional development. I will be purchasing the book in the coming weeks.

Intermediate – After serving as a leadership development consultant and advising individual students for over 24 hours a week, I have gathered a significant amount of experience related to advising and supporting. The over 300 hours of training and development that went into this position including many of the foundational outcomes, including rapport, challenge and support, referral services, and confidentiality/law/policy. While much of this job was individually oriented, some was also group oriented, with large group facilitation and goal setting. I do not however have experience related to mental health, crisis, violence, or wellness.