Running head: GROWTH NARRATIVE Bui 1

Growth Narrative

Thomas Bui

SDAD 5900 Capstone

Seattle University

April 11, 2019

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Areas of Growth

My experiences in Student Development Administration (SDA) are shaped because of

my work at Highline College while attending the program these last three years. As an educator

who values reflection, I knew that going back to school to further my education would serve not

only myself but also my community. Making the decision to pursue a graduate education

allowed me to continue to build my foundations as a practitioner in student affairs. SDA has

helped me enhance the way I serve and support students and community. This learning outcome

narrative highlights the areas of growth I have identified through my time in SDA. Centering my

narrative in skill development there are three main areas of growth I want to highlight; research

and assessment, policy and governance, and advocacy.

Research and Assessment (LO 4 and 7; Artifacts A, B, C1, and F)

Throughout my time in SDA, I knew that research and assessment was an area that I

would seek growth and development. I value the importance of research and assessment in our

field. Through LO 4, recognizing the complex identities and changing demographic of Higher

Education, Student Affairs professional must be able to advocate and critically reflect in the

communities they work. Challenging their own and others perspective, Student Affairs

professionals must strive to always develop themselves holistically by not being afraid to

advocate for diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice. I have been able to put a social justice

perspective on my approach to research and assessment. Constantly being critical of how

assessment is executed, questioning the need, and ensuring that the research and assessment

being done is to help me move forward in creating inclusive and equitable communities for

students. With a lens of social justice and equity I approach LO7 by being critical and reflective

through utilizing data, assessment, student narratives, lived experiences, and technology to
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improve programs, practices, and work. Student Affairs professionals must be able to innovate

and evolve their work to meet the needs of students. In alignment with my values and mission

statement (artifact B), as a professional I will always strive to make decisions that are student-

centered and informed by research and assessment. Kuh et. al (2010), states that assessment of

“…student learning is to solve problems and improve performance will also raise the public’s

confidence in its academic institutions.” (p.4). Artifact A, is an examples of evidence that

displays my commitment to growing in research and assessment as a professional who strives to

create change and inclusive environments for all. My resume shows my growing responsibilities

and committee work where I have had the opportunity to participate in research and assessment

at Highline. One of the most recent examples of this is my involvement with the Services and

Activities Budget committee where I was asked to research and assess the usage of funds for

student employment during breaks. I believe it is important to always take into consideration

student experiences to better understand how we can be effective in our work as student affairs

professional.

In addition, artifact C1 my MA project from SDAD 5990, is another example of my

passion and commitment to growing my skills in research and assessment. In my project I

examined the experiences of students of color on academic probation at Seattle University.

Focusing on understanding student experiences, I interviewed students who experienced

academic probation at the institution to better understand the gaps in processes and shape

recommendations for the institution on how to improve practices to help students navigate their

academics and be more successful. This course and my experience thus far in my professional

career have given me the confidence I lacked coming into the program in regards to research and

assessment.
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In reflecting upon these experiences, I have decided that I will continue honing my skills

in research and assessment to pursue further education in the future and obtain my doctorate.

Artifact F; my development and action plan, is an example that shows my tentative plans after

the program within the field as I continue to be a lifelong-learner. Now having a better

understanding of the field and foundational knowledge, I seek to gain more experience as a mid-

level professional and continue in developing my skills in research and assessment; which will

also prepare me for a future admissions into PhD or Ed.D programs

Policy and Governance (LO 8 and 9; Artifacts C3, D, & F)

As a young professional who aspires to one day hold a senior administrative role in

higher education as a dean of students or vice president for student services, policy and

governance will become increasingly important as a skill. Before coming into the SDA program,

I was uncertain in my ability to navigate policy and governance. Much of this feeling was

centered in imposter syndrome and not feeling comfortable. While there is still much for me to

learn, I now feel more at ease with navigating and understanding policies that impact me as a

professional in higher education. Through LO 8 and LO 9 I believe I have grown in my

competency, skill, and knowledge in policy and governance through courses like Leadership and

Governance and Higher Ed Law. I define dimensions of LO 9 as having minimally a

foundational understanding of law, policy, and governance for the institution and communities

you work at and serve. This also connects to LO 8, understanding and having the ability to

conduct oneself in a professional manner while communicating with others. I believe these two

learning outcomes are connected and complement each other because being able to navigate

policy and governance (LO 9) would not be effective without understanding how to conduct
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oneself and communicate in a professional manner (LO 8) so that you are heard by the

appropriate audiences.

Kuh et. al (2010) argues that there is no “single blueprint” for student success and while

one practice/policy may be considered effective at one school maybe not be effective at another.

Professionals need to take into account many factors that include student demographics and their

needs because our student communities are constantly changing. Being able to stay current on

any external policies and governance decisions will impact how successful I am in successfully

supporting students and advocating for student centered policies. Through artifact C3, my group

presentation for SDAD 5760, displays my growth in understanding how to navigate, understand,

and create informed decisions on potential policies that impact students. In artifact C3, my

group was given a case study scenario that we consulted on as a group. This artifact helped me

grow my perspective on how to navigate different policies with professionalism and clear

communication (LO 8), while utilizing my knowledge in collaboration with others to create

informed decisions around the policy (LO 9).

Through artifact D and F I plan on continuing to work on my growth in knowledge and

comfortability around policy and governance. Artifact D, exemplifies the growth and work I

have done before and through the SDA program as noted by my supervisor. Artifact F outlines

the ways in which I will seek professional development and training to growth post-graduation. I

will strive to do this through involvement in policy and governance at my institution,

involvement in the community, and staying up to date on news at the state and national level.

Ways I will accomplish this professional will be to seek out any relevant committee work and

continue to seek opportunities to support and back up student government at the institution.

Advocacy (LO 2, and 10; Artifacts C2 and G)

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My last highlighted area of growth is examining how I will advocate for myself, my

students, and my communities. As an educator and practitioner, I believe in transparency,

community, and reflection. These three values inform the way I work, collaborate, and support

the communities I am a part of. Theories such as Sanford’s Challenge and Support, Yosso’s

Community Cultural Wealth, and Strayhorn’s Sense of Belonging are centered in the way I

support students. The learning outcomes that inform this area of growth are LO 2 and LO 10.

LO 2, I define as relating to and understanding the student populations, their issues, and barriers

especially at the specific institution you are serving. LO 10, I define as conducting oneself in a

manner that reflects the respect and professionalism that is needed to serve others while always

striving to be a lifelong learner to enhance one’s knowledge and abilities as a Student Affairs

professional. I believe both of these learning outcomes are connected because I need to be able to

have a holistic perspective and understanding of the population I serve, who I am, and who I am

becoming to be an effective advocate.

Through artifact C2 and G, I have been able to demonstrate my growth and change in

the ways I advocate for myself and others. Artifact C2 demonstrates my ability to understand

students and student issues. Partnering with the Center for Community Engagement, I worked

with my group to create literacy curriculum for students at Bailey Gatzert. Through

understanding the specific barriers that students at Bailey Gatzert face in the diverse community

of Yesler Terrace. My group and I were able to innovate and create lesson plans that reflected the

needs of Bailey Gatzert’s diverse student population and community. Being able to provide

inclusive environment where students could see their identities reflected in the education helped

provide opportunities for students to understand the wealth and capitol they bring (Yosso, 2005)

and create a sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2007). Artifact C2 also helps me grow and establish
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myself as a professional (LO 10). Through applying the knowledge I have gained in SDA to

other education settings like Bailey Gatzert, I am able to widen my perspective, knowledge, and

abilities as a student affairs professional. Artifact G, course assisting for Dr. Sturdivant during

spring 2018 was another experience that has helped me understand other ways to advocate for

students. Being in community with students in the classroom gave me another opportunity to

center curriculum that represented the experiences of underrepresented students and

communities. Through understanding the barriers and challenges students face balancing

coursework and their other responsibilities, I was able to reflect on ways to advocate for students

and a need for critical pedagogy that is transformative and liberating. With an increasingly

diverse student population representing our communities in higher education. As an educator and

practitioner I must advocate for outdated policies, systems, and curriculum to change to meet the

needs of our diverse students (LO 2).

Conclusion

I am committed to always learning and challenging my own perspectives to grow as a

multiculturally competent professional. I aspire to be a lifelong learner who seeks to stay

informed on practices that allow me to be my best. Not only must I utilize my strengths to serve,

but I need to be critical in identifying areas of growth to continue to become a more holistic

student affairs professional. There are always areas of growth as a professional, as I reflect and

move forward in my higher education journey. Through working on these specific skills, I hope

to seek advancement and further my mid-level professional career as an assistant director.

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References

Kuh, G., Ikenberry, Stanley O, Jankowski, Natasha, Cain, Timothy Reese, Ewell, Hutchings, Pat,

& Kinzie, Jillian. (2014). Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve Higher

Education. Hoboken: Wiley.

Patton, L., D., Patton, L., D., Renn, K., A., Guido-DiBrito, F., & Quaye, S., J. (2016). Student

development in college: Theory, research, and practice (Thirded.). San Francisco,

California: Jossey-Bass.

Pope, R.L., Reynolds, A.L., & Mueller, J.A. (2004). Multicultural competence in student affairs.

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Strayhorn, T.L. (2012). College students’ sense of belonging. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Yosso, T. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community

cultural wealth. Race, Ethnicity & Education, 8(1), 69-91.