TPE Conference Blog
HigherEdJobs.com has partnered with NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and the Association of College & University Housing Officers - International (ACUHO-I) to help student affairs professionals find their next job in higher education at The Placement Exchange. The Placement Exchange is a joint venture between NASPA and ACUHO-I as well as the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA), the Association for Student Judicial Affairs (ASJA), and National Orientation Directors Association (NODA). We were pleased to sponsor the conference blog from The Placement Exchange's recent 2009 conference in Seattle. A representivite from The Placement Exchange was able to blog the sessions from the conference so HigherEdJobs.com's readers can benefit from them as well.
Friday, March 6th
11:35 AM – ASJA/ASCA: What Is It Like Working in Judicial Affairs?ASJA/ASCA Leadership
An informational session facilitated by members of the leadership team of the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA). In this session, these student affairs professionals gave candidates an insight into working in student conduct, or judicial affairs, in a higher education session. This leadership team spoke about recent developments in the field, specifically the transition from a punitive "judicial" process to the more educational restorative justice model which reflects the name change of the organization to student conduct. The team distinguished that this new process of student conduct looks at each student as an individual and utilizes the conduct process as an educational opportunity for those students. The team also gave valuable advice to the candidates who will be working in higher education and with the student conduct process. The advice ranged from having a full understanding of FERPA, to understanding your own institution's political and organizational structure/policies.
12:05 PM – NASPA: What Is It Like Working In Higher Education?NASPA Leadership
An informational session facilitated by Nathan Victoria, a member of the leadership team of the organization Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA gave insight into the professional organization and its partnerships.) Candidates learned about the many involvement opportunities of this organization with its Knowledge Communities and regions. Candidates were also given insight into what NASPA's role is in the higher education community and student affairs community.
1:35 PM – ACUHO-I: What Is It Like Working In Housing?ACUHO-I Leadership
Members of the leadership team from the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) gave candidates insight into what it is like working in housing and residence life. The leadership team spoke with the candidates about how they came to be a housing officer and reassured them that there is no one way to enter the field. The team spoke in detail about the ability of any housing officer to find balance between their professional and personal life when both are so close in proximity to each other. The leadership team gave valuable advice such as to look beyond housing and its live-in opportunities. The team stressed that there is more to housing and residence life than just the traditional residence director and area coordinator positions. The team also gave some insight into the differences between housing departments at every type of institution.
2:05 PM – Types of InterviewsSpelman Johnson Group - Peter Rosenberg
Peter Rosenberg from the Spelman Johnson Group spoke with candidates and employers about the different types of interviews and the process of interviewing. This presentation spoke on the many types of interviews that employers can conduct and that candidates can go through. Much advice was given on how to be best prepared specifically for on-campus interviews, which is the next step for most after The Placement Exchange.
2:35 PM – NODA: What Is It Like Working In Orientation and New Student Programs?NODA Leadership
Members of the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) led a discussion about the interworkings of Orientation services at most higher education institutions. This team gave a brief history of orientation and of the professional organization. The team also gave insight into what the trends are in orientation, specifically the transition from only orienting students to "college life" to now orienting students and their families to "college life". This important trend is one for which many institutions are beginning to provide services. The team also spoke about how orientation offices typically have a different work cycle than most student affairs departments due to the nature of their services. When the campus is quiet, orientation services are the busiest, which is mostly in the summer.
4:05 PM – The Importance of ReferencesSpelman Johnson Group - Peter Rosenberg
Peter Rosenberg from the Spelman Johnson Group presented to employees and candidates on the importance of references. He was able to give some valuable advice to candidates on always giving strong references and making sure that your references are aware of the positions for which you are applying. For employers, he stressed that you must utilize these references fully and make sure you prepare yourself properly for questioning references. This session shed light on some common misconceptions about reference checking and allowed employers and candidates the opportunity to best benefit from providing and questioning solid references.
Saturday, March 7th
11:05 PM – NACA: What Is It Like Working In Campus Activities?NACA Leadership
Members of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) leadership team spoke to candidates on what it is like working in campus activities and the services NACA offers to the field. These candidates were given the opportunity to learn from the experiences of experienced campus activities professionals. Many questions were answered about campus activities about recent developments in the field. The leadership team discussed the common misconception that campus activities are all fun and games. Their answer was yes, but there is so much more to it. The team discussed that student development is a key fundamental pillar of campus activities and that learning outcomes are becoming more prevalent. These learning outcomes may include contract negation skills, communication skills with agents and artists, as well as team building skills.
3:35 PM – Get Connected: Networking from the Get-GoAmanda Williams & Julie Chase, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
This session given by two student affairs professionals from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was mainly directed towards candidates. This session hit home on the topic of networking and its prevalence in this field. It was stressed that networking starts right here, right now at The Placement Exchange. Student affairs is a small field and it is important for you to utilize your network of colleagues. It was stated that networking isn't just for getting jobs but also for advancing the field of student affairs at your own institution and in greater society. A lot of advice was given to candidates about how to properly network and how to properly remain professional to ensure the building of a network of colleagues. It was stressed that you should never "burn bridges"; you should always be aware of your surroundings; and know that if you need to speak about positions and institutions that you should find a "safe zone" with your friends or other members of your cohort. Another great piece of advice was to utilize business cards. Tips were given such as: writing some notes on the back of the cards about where you met that person and what you discussed, and making sure you e-mail that person when you get back home to keep you name fresh in their mind.
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