Running head: LEARNING OUTCOME NARRATIVE

Learning Outcome Narrative

Ben Teurlay

Seattle University
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Introduction

In my professional development, I value growth, direction, and flow. Through the

exploration of these 10 learning outcomes and reflection of my artifacts, I hope to find a sense of

direction for my future path, find a balance of areas to challenge myself and find support, and

develop within new areas. As a result, I hope to become a stronger resource for students and

professionals.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome #1: Understanding the foundations and emerging nature of the Student

Affairs profession and higher education

I define Learning Outcome #1 as acknowledging the history of universities and the

profession of student affairs in order to understand the historical relevance of traditions, find

important best practices, and improve obsolete concepts to create better structures for students.

This learning outcome had manifested when researching the foundations of higher education in

my coursework and applying the missions and values of an institution to my work. I have

demonstrated my strengths regarding this learning outcome through my Best Academic Work in

the SDA Program (Artifact C), Graduate Assistantship in Orientation, and my Foundations of the

Student Affairs Profession (SDAD 5300). My Best Academic Work in the SDA Program

(Artifact C) is a theory paper from Theory, Research, and Practice (SDAD 5400) which focuses

on the theories of Cross and Fhagen-Smith (2001), Kohlberg (1981), and Yosso (2005). These

theories are a foundation into how students develop their identity, morally develop, and bring

valuable capital to a university. Through my Graduate Assistantship, I have learned the value of

applying values, missions, and traditions to trainings, orientation sessions, and other practical

work. For example, I started our first student leader training session with a values activity to
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compare personal values, department values, and the university’s values to Orientation Advisors’

(OAs) future roles. Lastly, Foundations of the Student Affairs Profession (SDAD 5300) has

provided me with insight into the history of higher education. Understanding the history of

higher education allows educators to see the creation of structures that benefit predominantly

white, straight, male students and historically make negative impacts on students that don’t fit

the demographics and identities of that model. Knowing this creates an open mind for

professionals to develop a more efficient and inclusive environment as well as resources to

promote better access for all students.

My areas of growth have three major aspects. Firstly, I am hoping to understand the

history of different functional areas which I have only slightly touched on within my course

work. Secondly, I want to gain knowledge regarding the history of higher education from a

student affairs conference which Resume and Cover Letter (Artifact A) shows I have never

attended. Thirdly, I hope to improve my knowledge of the field by exploring new campuses

given that all my post-graduate experience is at two private institutions. I will grow in the future

by researching and applying history and theories of student affairs, attending a higher education

conference, revisiting my NASPA/ACPA competencies, taking positions at new universities, and

continuing to apply missions and values to positions.

Learning Outcome #2: Understanding students and student issues

Learning Outcome #2 is recognizing how students are impacted by the university’s

student population demographics, the university’s policies and procedures, and the current

political climate’s impact on their personal views. I have utilized it by understanding the students

that I am serving within my position and the concerns that students face within their transition,

identities, campus culture and their lives. I have gained three major strengths throughout my time
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at Seattle University. First, I have gained academic context through my Theory, Research, and

Practice (SDAD 5400) where I learned about Strayhorn (2016), Kim (2012), and Schlossberg

(1996) which taught me how students transition to a university, how their identities are

impacted, and the importance of gaining a sense of belonging. Second, throughout my internship

with Student Success and Outreach, I was able to research first-generation students in order to

better understand that demographic. Third, My Distinctive Contribution (Artifact G) highlights

the issue of implicit bias and provides ways of reducing personal biases.

I will improve in this area in multiple ways. I hope to gain a stronger understanding and

education of identities through the attendance of trainings because I have no training pertinent to

the LGBTQ+ community, undocumented students, and veteran students. I want to better

understand university issues and culture and how to create change through campus initiatives,

which is outlined in my Professional Development and Action Plan (Artifact F). Lastly, I hope to

research current issues for students within student affairs which I have lightly explored in my

course work. In the future, I will be attending trainings regarding student issues and identities,

gaining experience within assessment, gaining experience implementing initiatives on a campus-

wide level, and understanding student issues through the application of theories by supporting

students developing through stages or tenants of a model.

Learning Outcome #3: Exhibiting professional integrity and ethical leadership in

professional practice

I view Learning Outcome #3 as the process of ethical decision making and creating

positive change that is grounded in providing equitable and developmental opportunities to all

students. I have experienced this through my ability to understand the impact of my own actions

and words on my staff and students, as well as guide students through moral development. I have
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gained strengths in this area through Student Development Capstone Seminar (SDAD 5900)

where I presented on Learning outcome #3, Resume and Cover Letter (Artifact A) which

highlights my experience as an Area Coordinator showing my crisis management and conduct

skills, and my experience in orientation creating educational training sessions on ethical

dilemmas. These opportunities allowed me to apply theories such as Kohlberg (1981) to develop

students, present the application of Learning Outcome #3 to graduate students, and facilitate a

guided discussion on moral and ethical philosophies with student leaders.

I hope to grow in this area by better understanding policy changes and impact of

systematic changes on a student body which I have only lightly touched on in my courses. I have

never supervised professionals, only student leaders as a profession. As a result, I hope to better

understand the proper ethical boundaries to be the most effective supervisor. Lastly, in

Professional Development and Action Plan (Artifact F), I highlight my interest in reassessing my

top five personal values (honesty, health, intentionality, flow, and empathy) within a new

position to better understand how to balance them with the mission of my institution. I will meet

with student affairs professionals to discuss their history with policy and systemic changes I will

proactively work on this learning outcome by increasing my awareness of my boundaries,

values, and supervision style within a new professional role. Additionally, I will continue to

educate myself on current and new laws within the field, gaining new conduct experience, and

utilizing theory.

Learning Outcome #4: Understanding and fostering diversity, justice and a sustainable

world formed by a global perspective and Jesuit Catholic tradition

I define Learning Outcome #4 as establishing an awareness, knowledge, and skill that is

founded in Jesuit Catholic tradition and a diverse world perspective. This perspective is
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grounded in values of care, academic excellence, diversity, faith, justice, and leadership in order

to create a holistic education for one’s self, students, and the university. I have incorporated

Jesuit missions, values, and education within workshops, trainings, and orientation sessions.

Learning Outcome #4 has been a strength that I’ve integrated into my life through personal

reflection and holistic education outlined in my Mission Statement (Artifact B), by helping to

plan and implement orientation sessions on the Jesuit context, and through Internship (SDAD

5640). In these experiences, I reflected on my personal development in multiple areas of my life,

applied Jesuit traditions to work my experience, and created opportunities for transitioning

students to understand the impact of Jesuit practices at Seattle University.

I have multiple areas of growth in this area. First, I have a low understanding and

exposure of what issues impact students of different religious identities on a college campus.

Second, I’ve had little contact with Campus Ministry on campus which is shown by having no

reference of it in my Resume and Cover Letter (Artifact A). Lastly, I have not applied Jesuit

values and concepts to opportunities outside of Seattle University. I hope to further evolve by

collaborating with Campus Ministry, developing an understanding of multiple religions, and

applying Jesuit concepts within future positions.

Learning Outcome #5: Adapting student services to specific environments and cultures
Learning Outcome #5 is utilizing and improving resources, programs, and policies to

better attend to the needs of students and campus culture. I have experienced this through my

insight from Learning Outcome #2 in making adjustments in my department that benefit

students’ development and provide support. My strengths in this learning outcome were gained

in my (Artifact D) my Best Practice of Demonstration of Professional Practices, my SDAD 5650

Internship in Student Development I course and through my Graduate Assistantship in

Orientation. Through Artifact D, I learned about how the University of Washington, Seattle
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Pacific University, and Cornish College of the Arts have catered their residence life, conduct,

and Title IX resources to create more restorative and supportive opportunities for students. From

these Best Practices, I’ve learned how cater resources to align with restorative justice in order

help students develop better communication, conflict management, and community building

skills. In SDAD 5650 Internship in Student Development I, I highlighted how I adapted social

media and mentorship programs for first generation students. Lastly, as part of Orientation, I

helped plan and implement “Choose Your Own Adventure” sessions that allowed students to

find resources that connected to their identity and needs. These sessions taught me the skills to

better cater transitional opportunities to students from different backgrounds.

One area of improvement for this section is understanding functional areas outside of

first-generation catered resources, residential students, and orientation students and how to cater

resources which is highlighted by Resume and Cover Letter (Artifact A). I know that I can gain

more knowledge about success of catering a resource to a student because I have only touched

lightly on this assessment within my coursework. Lastly, I have never developed a resource on a

college campus. In future practice, I hope to explore new functional areas, research, and develop

my own resource to learn more about the success of catering to student needs.

Learning Outcome #6: Developing and demonstrating skills in leadership and

collaboration

I define Learning Outcome #6 as gaining knowledge and experience from the insight of

professionals or working within a team. Utilizing multiple perspectives and splitting portions of

projects with co-workers to create a better product, I have gained strengths in this learning

outcome by working with other departments on campus. I have experienced these aspects

through group work for our final research in The American Community College (SDAD 5590),
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creating and presenting a conflict management workshop with a co-worker which is reflected in

my Letter of Promise (Artifact E), and building relationships and working together with multiple

offices in Seattle University’s iLead committee.

I want to improve in this area by collaborating with professionals from other universities

for the first time in a position, taking a more proactive approach to work with classmates on

educating one another outside of the course structure, and spending time networking with

professionals in different functional areas as outlined in my Professional Development and

Action Plan (Artifact F). I hope to grow by networking with professionals on and off my campus,

and additionally, working with current classmates to become better educated and learn from new

perspectives.

Learning Outcome #7: Utilizing assessment, evaluation, technology, and research to

improve practice

I view Learning Outcome #7 as adapting to this ever-changing profession by collecting

and analyzing assessment data, determining successes and improvements of an office is a

specific functional area, learning new technical programs, and gaining knowledge from research.

I have personally utilized this definition by creating assessments to better understand students’

experiences and applying and researching best practices within technology. My strengths for this

learning outcome have been established through Best Practices in Student Services course

(SDAD 5750), my Graduate Assistantship in Orientation, and my Letter of Promise (Artifact E).

Through these experiences, I have gained assessment of resources on other campuses, created

and analyzed assessments for students’ and guests’ experiences and transitions, and developed

recommendations based on social media data.

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I have multiple areas of growth for this learning outcome. I have little knowledge and

experience with assessment outside of two orientation assessments, campus computer programs

and technologies within my positions as shown through Resume and Cover Letter (Artifact A),

and research into current technical advancement in higher education within my coursework. To

improve in these areas, I can complete more assessments regarding students’ evaluations of

campus resources, gain more experience with student affairs related computer programs such as

Maxient and starrez, and research new technological advancements within the field of student

affairs.

Learning Outcome #8: Communicating effectively in speech and in writing

I define Learning Outcome #8 as having the ability to lead a team, facilitate discussion,

and convey information in a clear manner in both written and verbal form. This has been utilized

in all my Seattle University courses, positions, and extracurricular activities. I’ve gained

strengths in this learning outcome professionally and academically. This learning outcome has

become evident through my experience as a Graduate Assistant in Orientation Programs, my

Distinctive Contribution (Artifact G), and my Leadership and Governance Post-Secondary

Education (SDAD 5760). In these experiences, I have given presentations, vocalized information

in staff meetings, created facilitation guides, and wrote papers to increase my oral and written

ability.

I have three areas of growth that I found through reflecting on my experience at Seattle

University. First, I hope to improve my ability to create visual content for a PowerPoint and

written content for slides for training materials. Second, I want to improve my ability to be a

confident presenter and have an appropriate tone, which was feedback from my supervisor

regarding my improvement in facilitating Distinctive Contribution (Artifact G). Lastly, I hope to

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improve my ability to proofread and meet a high standard of excellence with my written

documents, projects, and emails within a work environment. To proactively work on these areas,

I hope to gain more experience creating visual aids for presentations, join Toastmasters to

improve my tone during public speaking, and continue to gain skills in producing high quality

written materials within my positions. By improving my communication, I can convey a stronger

message with students, families, and co-workers in order to influence people and decrease

miscommunication.

Learning Outcome #9: Understanding issues surrounding law, policy, finance and

governance

I look at Learning Outcome #9 through the lens of staying updated on current concerns

regarding legal systems, campus policies, budget, and the political climate as it relates to student

development, higher education, and its impact on universities. I’ve gained strengths in this

learning outcome through my residence life positions listed in Resume and Cover Letter (Artifact

A), in my position in Orientation, and Higher Education Law (SDAD 5800). In these

opportunities, I enforced campus policies and participated in conduct hearings which helped me

reflect on how policies are often created to promote a safe environment that’s comfortable for all

students and help students recognize the laws of the state and federal government. I additionally

produced a budget proposal for student leaders’ hours and payment which helped me recognize

the limitations of producing results with limited resources. Lastly, I developed an understanding

of laws within student affairs such as FERPA, the Clery act, and Title IX and how these apply to

the decision making of professionals.

I’ve recognized multiple areas of growth for this learning outcome. I have no experience

maintaining a budget as shown in in Resume and Cover Letter (Artifact A), have not applied
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much of my new understanding of higher education law to the field, and have not personally

created campus policies within a position. These areas of improvement are important to my

ability to follow state and federal laws. Additionally, the experience of budgeting and creating

policies will one day make me an effective director of a department. In my future position, I

hope to gain experience by selecting positions in student affairs where I can apply my knowledge

of higher education law, maintain a budget, and develop campus policies.

Learning Outcome #10: Establishing and enhancing professional identity

I view Learning Outcome #10 as being conscious of one’sprofessional strengths and

limitations in order to determine a direction to continuously educate, experience, and develop as

a professional in new areas. I have performed this learning outcome by utilizing new strategies

and leadership styles in order to be a stronger overall leader and gain new insight into new

functional areas. I have grown my strengths in my professional identity through Emotional

Intelligence (MGMT 5335), Professional Development and Action Plan (Artifact F), and through

my relationship building during orientation and internship hours. In my Emotional Intelligence

course, I learned techniques in paraphrasing, counseling, and conflict management skills that are

now ingrained in the way I supervise, advise, and present myself. In my Professional

Development and Action Plan (Artifact F), I lay out my future goals in order to establish a path

for the leader that I hope to someday become. During my time working at Seattle University, I

have had lunches with one new Graduate Assistant each week to establish rapport in order to

learn from new perspectives and create a more cohesive work environment.

My areas of growth in this learning outcome include understanding new lenses of fields

outside of student affairs and emotional intelligence, working to develop stronger relationships

with professionals, and developing through the aspects listed in Professional Development and
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Action Plan (Artifact F). These areas of improvement will boost my interpersonal skills and

establish a deep sense of who I am as a professional. In the future, I will follow my action plan in

order to attend conferences, take new professional positions, and evaluate my current view on the

field of student affairs. Additionally, I will research new educational philosophies and techniques

outside of the field of student affairs and get lunch with campus partners in order to establish

rapport.

Conclusion

I recognize through my reflections on the learning outcomes that my graduate school

experience has provided me with the tools to build stronger relationships, develop my

professional identity and values, and adapt theories and best practices. However, I know as I

return to the professional world that I must find positions that give me new responsibilities, an

ability to continue exploring different ways of thinking, experience different functional areas,

and the opportunity to improve my professional skills by focusing on my areas of improvement.

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References

Gallagher, C.A. (1997). White racial formation: Into the 21st century. In R. Delgado, and J.

Stefancic (Eds.), Critical White studies: Looking behind the mirror (pp.6-11). Temple,

PA: Temple University

Press Strayhorn, T. (2016). Student development theory in higher education: A social

psychological approach New York: Routledge.

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

wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69-82