5-Year Professional Development and Action Plan

Objective: Job Position

Year 1: Strive to find a position that is a good fit with values and professional
priorities (supportive office environment, etc.)
Take time to understand campus climate and the students you serve
Year 3: Seek out promotional opportunities every 2-3 years
All: Stay open to new challenges and opportunities
Objective: Advising and Helping
Read about motivational interviewing and other critical communication skills
Participate in any trainings or workshops on dialogue or counseling
Gain as much experience having critical, developmental conversations with
students as possible
Seek feedback from supervisor about this area
Gain more experience mediating conversations
5th Year Goal: Feel completely confident in ability to ask effective questions and
guide deeper developmental conversations in a sophisticated manner with
students
Objective: Assessment, Evaluation and Research
All: Read one news source or research journal a week
All: Practice ongoing collegial conversations around theory and best practices
with colleagues at institution and across the country
Year 1: Assess and evaluate new position, program, office and/or department for
areas of strength and areas for growth
Year 2: Create strategic plan and strategies for integrating best practice, research
and/or theory
Year 3: Focus on how technology can improve practice
Year 4: Submit proposal to present at a conference
Year 5: Publish a journal article or contribute as author and/or editor to a
publication
5th Year Goal: Have established some tangible credibility as a professional within
the field who improves practice and programming based on best practice, research
and theory
Objective: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
All: Participate in any trainings, workshops, seminars on social justice or
underrepresented student populations
All: Create programming that educates and serves underrepresented student
populations
Year 1-3: Design workshop or educational resource that educates and enhances
social justice in office or department at new institution

All: Seek out opportunities to serve on committees focused on equity and

inclusion
5th Year Goal: Have increased awareness, knowledge and skill of multicultural
competence and ability to be a better advocate for underrepresented students

Objective: Ethical Professional Practice and History, Philosophy and Values

Year 1: Familiarize self with campus culture, priorities and values
Year 1-2: Learn history and traditions of new institution
Year 3-5: Engage in conversations, committees and communities centered on
ethics in higher education and student affairs institutionally and through
professional organizations
5th Year Goal: Have applied to doctoral programs
Objective: Leadership/Professional Development
Year 1: Gain experience supervising student workers in office
Year 2: Gain experience hiring new student workers and performing student
employee evaluations
Year 3: Gain experience supervising student workers and non-student workers
Year 1-3: Gain more experience with budgeting
Year 3-5: Advocate for more team development, such as group readings, trainings
on conflict resolution or emotional intelligence
Year 1-3: Teach 1-3 courses at new institution
Year 3-5: Perform a 360 degree performance evaluation
All: Read 2 books on leadership every year
Year 3-5: Become certified in a new area
5th Year Goal: Have a clearer idea of career path and what kind of leader you are
when leading a larger team
Objective: Law, Policy and Governance
Year 1: Familiarize self with how policy is developed at institution and how
policy factors into your position (academic, conduct, etc.)
Year 2: Participate in trainings, workshops, etc., on issues like Title IX, hazing,
mental health, etc.
Year 2-5: Join committees and conversations on important student issues
surrounding policy and crisis management
Year 3-5: Receive training on crisis management and response
5th Year Goal: Be in a job position that works closely with student issue initiatives
and policies
Objective: Mentorship and Networking
Year 1-2: Find one new professional mentor at new institution
All: With each new job or promotion, find one new professional mentor
Year 1-3: Find a student organization to advise on campus

All: Attend 3-4 student events per year

Year 1-2: Choose a professional organization to be active in related to functional
area
All: Connect with new and old mentors once a season
All: Attend 1-2 conferences, either regionally or nationally, per year
Year 2-3: Volunteer with professional organization
Year 3-4: Join a conference planning committee
Year 4-5: Hold a leadership position in a professional organization
5th Year Goal: Become a mentor to a new student affairs professional