Running head: APPROPRIATE PRACTICE

Appropriate Practice in Student Affairs Lauren Bell Georgia Southern University

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE Appropriate Practice in Student Affairs Americas system of higher education is a large network of thousands of colleges and universities. Each institution functions as a miniature society, carrying out the functions required to meet the educational, social, and personal needs of students. Individual faculty and staff members dedicate their time and efforts to performing the specific functions of their service area to ensure that the miniature society they are a part of is thriving. Professionals in student affairs are charged with the unique task of meeting all of those needs, and as the campus climate and student populations have evolved, the roles of student affairs professionals has become more complex. It is nearly impossible to accurately encompass all that constitutes as best practice in the field of student affairs considering the diversity of roles and service areas that fall under the category. In addition, each campus and student population is unique with a distinct set of needs and demands. Despite the complexity of the field, there is a framework of general standards that should guide a student affairs professional. I believe that ethics is the heart of appropriate practice in student affairs and can best be summarized by the five domains of ethical responsibility. These five domains are the institution, the profession, student welfare, the community, and personal conscience. The welfare of students should be the driving force behind all decisions in student affairs while personal conscience should guide all interactions in each of the other domains. All of these domains are fluid and exist both independently and cooperatively. Serving and protecting each domain to the best of the ability of an individual professional is the essential definition of appropriate practice in student affairs. (McClellan, Stringer, and Associates, 2009).

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE The Institution To best understand an individual institution, it is essential to read and understand its mission statement. The mission of an institution guides the policies, practices, and interactions that take place there. Specifically, the mission [has] a direct influence on the work of administrators, the relationships they form with students and others in their campus environments, and the rewards they reap from their jobs (McClellan, Stringer, and Associates, 2009, p.29). As an administrator, one is a representation of the institution and therefor charged with carrying out the mission of the institution. In choosing a place of employment, it is essential for new professionals to select a college or university with a mission that is in alignment with his or her own personal values and goals. In doing so, a professional can effectively retain ethical responsibility to both the institution and personal conscience. The Profession An important component of the student affairs profession is the professional associations. There are general associations as well as associations specific to certain service areas. The professional groups of student affairs serve many roles including (1) education and professional development(2) provision of information(3) the establishment of ethical and professional standards (4) a vehicle for discussion of issues (5) volunteer and service opportunities and (6) the development of a community of people who share common interests for support and networking ((McClellan, Stringer, and Associates, 2009, p. 207). These services aid professionals in fulfilling their duties as effectively as possible as well as advancing the profession to improve higher education and better serve students. While not all professionals are members of these associations, they are all responsible for upholding the applicable standards set forth by them. The Council for the Advancement of

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE Standards in Higher Education (CAS) acts as a consortium all of the various professional associations to create and uphold overarching standards. CAS was developed for two main reasons: first of all, because establishing standards is necessary for any profession and secondly, because assessment to obtain or maintain accreditation [has] increasingly become a necessary part of higher education (McClellan, Stringer, and Associates, 2009, p.191). CAS requires that the unit being assessed meets all standards as a minimum set by the council and encourages the unit to exceed basic requirements through guidelines. CAS reviews are actually self-assessments competed by functional units of the different services areas. While the process is a self-assessment, it still requires several formal procedures and reporting. Through these selfassessments, professionals can determine if their service unit is meeting the CAS standards, correct any discrepancies between the standards and practices, and identify ways to enhance the units programming to operate at an optimal level. As a part of best practice, student affairs professionals must devote themselves to lifelong learning and professional development. Given the increasing diversity, ever changing technologies, and varying needs of the student population, student affairs professionals can never become complacent in their skills and knowledge base. Learning and development can be a part of professional associations and conferences, but it can also be taken on as an individual or within the department at a specific university. Professional development can be manifested as seminars, webinars, networking, seeking advice from experts in the field, reading professional publications, or pursuing a higher degree of formal education. Essentially professional development is staying atop the emerging information and developments in the field and learning from peers so that a professional can implement best practice in his or her role.

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE Student Welfare A university, and more specifically the student affairs profession, would not exist without students. Essentially, the enduring central moral purpose of student affairs work has been and continues to be the holistic welfare of college students (McClellan, Stringer, and Associates, 2009, p. 178). Through all decisions and actions, appropriate practice should always lead to the best way to serve students. Each functional unit of a student affairs department is responsible for meeting a specific need that has been identified for that particular population of students. Whether the unit must work to secure the finances a student needs to enroll and persist in college or must provide safe and comfortable housing while the student attends college, each unit is essential to the education process. In addition to individual service roles, there are two components of student welfare that are the responsibility of all professionals in an institution: legal obligations and crisis management. First of all, all professionals should learn and stay updated on the laws governing higher education, the expressed or inherent contracts they must fulfill, and the legal issues facing institutions elsewhere. This information can help professionals proactively develop practices that protect student welfare. Breaking legal obligations puts both student and the institution at risk and can result in physical, financial, and/or emotional harm. While there are many laws that apply to higher education and specific professions within the realm, there are three guiding principles. Universities can be held liable if the following occur: (1) breach of an express or implied contract between the university and the student to provide both education and living arrangements; (2) negligent failure to meet general standards of care for student safety and wellbeingand (3) failure to meet heightened standards of care required by the existence of a special

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE relationship that may exist between a university and a particular student (McClellan, Stringer, and Associates, 2009, p. 505). While no professional wants to, or even is realistically capable of, imagining all of the crises that can arise on campus, it is essential to prepare in any way possible to best retain the safety of students and other university members. Because student affairs professionals are trained to work with people, and from this foundation, they become key leaders in responding to campus crisis (McClellan, Stringer, and Associates, 2009, p. 607). There should be training and assessment in crisis response as well as planning for rebuilding the campus community after the crisis has ended. Student affairs should remain flexible and quickly adapt to whatever needs arise before, during, and after a crisis. Through it all, professionals must do everything necessary to retain students physical and emotional well-being through the entire ordeal. The Community The relationship between student affairs and the community is not always clearly understood or defined. The laws and governmental agencies that affect higher education can be considered community influence. The accreditation and accountability processes are developed to convey to the community the quality of education and development being offered by the college or university. Institutions must work with community agents to provide additional resources to students such as career and internship sites, medical and counseling care, or legal support. The parents and family of students also make up the community, and as their presence is increasingly felt on college campuses, meeting their needs is becoming a greater part of appropriate practice. Additionally, campuses exist in the context of the physical community surrounding them, so positive relations between the institution and this community are essential to the schools success.

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE Conclusion In describing these domains, it becomes clear that they are all very interrelated and best practice in one ensures the success of another. In maintaining healthy and positive relationships to all of the domains in which a student affairs professional is ethically responsible, the individual can perform his or her duties in good conscience. While there are more gray areas than hard-and-fast rules, using ethics, standards, and personal conscience to guide actions and decisions will ultimately lead to best practice in the field.

APPROPRIATE PRACTICE References McClellan, G.S., Stringer J., and Associates (2009). The handbook of student affairs administration (3rd ed.) San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.