PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT 1

Philosophy Statement

Kyra Chambers

School of Education, Louisiana State University

ELRC 7608: Practicum in Higher Education

Dr. Wes Heath

May 4, 2023
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Meaning of Higher Education Professionals

Each professional in higher education has their purpose and why they choose this type of

profession. Higher education professionals have a major impact on the institution as a whole.

Just as Griffin (2016) explains “Student affairs professionals play critical roles in the process of

creating more welcoming campus climates” (p. 82). As a student affairs professional myself I

choose this profession because of the positive and supporting experience I had while an

undergrad with higher educational professionals. Every department on campus has its specific

roles but every higher education professional has the same goal to create a supportive,

welcoming, and safe campus.

Personal Values

My values in my higher educational role include communication, respect,

follow-through, engagement, and culture. These are all very different values that I hold to myself

because there is specific importance in each value. It's essential to create values for yourself and

know them because “Knowing your values is a significant tool in becoming the professional you

aspire to be. Values are important barometers for personal career paths as well as professional

decisions” (Ellis, 2015, p. 268). The population I serve in my current role as an Admissions

Advisor Generalist is very diverse so it’s important to use these values so I can adapt to each

individual I am serving.

My Bachelor’s degree was in Communication Studies. Through this, I learned the

importance of different concepts and theories which helped me understand different aspects a lot

better. There are a lot of different communication theories that I can incorporate into my

professional and personal life. Another value that I hold dearly is using Maslow’s Hierarchy of

Needs as a guide to help serve the population at the institution where I work for. All aspects of
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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are important to meet and as a professional, I want to help the

population I serve to meet all of those needs if they haven't already. While I’m working as a

higher education professional I will network because this is “helpful in the context of job

progression because a large network of contacts provides information about current events within

or outside of the organization” (Bailey et al., 2017, p. 68-69). I’ve currently done this by using

Linked In to connect with other professionals at my institution and outside of the institution I

work at.

Professional Ethos

Some of the principles that I use to incorporate professional ethos in my profession are by

having knowledge of ethical codes and principles. This is important because “codes of conduct

and standards are the formal means for communicating how someone ought to behave in a

professional community” (Ortiz et al., 2015, p. 45). Another important aspect when

incorporating ethics into interaction is to self-reflect and have self-awareness. This is important

because “self-awareness is critical for new professionals who must assess whether their actions

are a fit with the institution” (Ortiz et al., 2015, p. 47). By using this ethos I will be professional

and follow through by reflecting before I decide to do something or make a decision.

Personal Leadership Style

In my personal leadership, I choose to not have a fixed mindset. The mindset that I

choose in my leadership style is a growth mindset because I’m always wanting to learn and

improve on different aspects of my professional life. This leadership style is an important aspect

and approach to my career because I’m only in an entry-level position now and want to get a

higher-level position. Having professionalism is also important to my leadership style because

“professionalism in higher education is the use and development of skills and competencies that
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contribute significantly to the educational mission of their institutions” (Smedick, 2017, p. 48).

During my student leadership positions as an undergrad, I learned many skills and developed

professionalism. Now in a higher education role I do and will continue to participate in many

different types of professional development opportunities.

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References

Bailey, K. W. & Carter M. (2017). Building a Supportive Network. In Holzweiss, P. C. &

Parrott, K. P. (Eds.), Careers in Student Affairs: A Holistic Guide to Professional

Development in Higher Education. (pp. 67-90). NASPA: Washington, DC.

Ellis, S. E. (2015). Words of Wisdom. In Amey, M.J. & Reesor, L.M. (Eds.), Beginning Your

Journey. A Guide for New Professionals in Students Affairs (pp. 267-282). NASPA:

Washington, DC.

Griffin, K. A. (2016). Campus Climate and Diversity. In Schuh, J.H., Jones, S.R., & Torres, V.

(Eds.), Student Services: A handbook for the profession (p. 73-88). San Francisco, CA:

Jossey-Bass

Ortiz, A. M. & O’Brien J. & Martinez C. R. (2015). Developing a Professional Ethic. In Amey,

M.J. & Reesor, L.M. (Eds.), Beginning Your Journey. A Guide for New Professionals in

Students Affairs (pp. 43-66). NASPA: Washington, DC.

Smedick, W. (2017). Practicing and Developing Professionalism. In Holzweiss, P. C. & Parrott,

K. P. (Eds.), Careers in Student Affairs: A Holistic Guide to Professional Development in

Higher Education. (pp. 45-65 ). NASPA: Washington, DC.