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Running head: COMPETENCIES

NASPA Competencies First Year Overview
Margaret Hendrickson
Seattle University
SDAD 5300: Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession
Dr. Jeremy Stringer
Fall 2014

Competencies

Strongest Competencies
The three competencies that I think I am currently strongest in are Human and
Organizational Resources, Advising and Helping, and Leadership. These areas are those that I
have gained experience in through a variety of positions, both in and our of Student Affairs. My
supervisory positions at the youth development agency I have worked with, for example, have
provided me with ample opportunity to learn about how to best work with others on an
individual supervisory basis, how to create a larger group culture, how to advise, and how to
motivate and accomplish collective goals. I have used most of my experience in that capacity as
groundwork for the roles I have held in Student Affairs, and have recently been able to transfer
skills and experience back and forth between the two venues.
Competencies In Need to Improvement
While I definitely have room for growth across all of these competencies, the three that I
have the least experience with are Law, Policy and Governance, History, Philosophy and Values,
and Ethical Professional Practice. I think the first two really require the classroom education
behind them that I have not received fully yet. It seems that it would be much harder to have to
pick these up from just learning the job as I go. The politics of higher education are definitely an
area of interest for me. As far as Ethical Professional Practice, I feel as though during my
undergraduate experience I thought I knew what this meant, but now that I am a graduate
students who is in even more of a limbo between student and professional, I have realized that
this is something that deserves more attention and care.