The First Year on the Job: Experiences of New Professionals in Student Affairs

2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen A Renn ◽  
Jennifer Hodges
Keyword(s):  
Student Affairs ◽  
First Year ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Job Experiences

The First Year on the Job: Experiences of New Professionals in Student Affairs

NASPA Journal ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen A Renn ◽  
Jennifer Hodges
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Affairs Professionals ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Online Data Collection ◽  
New Student

Ten new student affairs professionals participated in this longitudinal study of their first year on the job. This qualitative study used online data collection. Participants submitted monthly responses to open-ended prompts inquiring about their experiences, challenges, and surprises. Over three time phases (Pre-Employment and Orientation, Transition, and Settled In), three themes emerged: the importance of relationships, institutional and professional fit, and issues of competence and confidence. Findings suggest several implications for practice, including preparing new professionals, being a new professional, and supervising new professionals. The authors suggest areas for future research.

Book Review: A Guide to Decision Making in Student Affairs: A Case Study Approach

NASPA Journal ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracy Davis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Affairs Professionals ◽  
Expert Advice ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Study Approach

Stanley Levy and Charles Kozoll capture much of the complexity of decisionmaking and offer an important contribution to our understanding of this perplexing topic. The publication of A Guide to Decision Making in Student Affairs: A Case Study Approach, furthermore, is timely due to what Stage (1993) recognizes as an increasing expectation that "new professionals, even at the lowest levels, have the ability to work independently and solve complex issues knowledgeably and with skill and integrity" (p. iii). The case study approach combined with the expert advice of 15 seasoned student affairs deans (called informants) provides a valuable resource for learning about a central task in our profession. The book offers students as well as experienced professionals background information critical to decisionmaking in higher education, exploration of fundamental issues that influence the process, carefully constructed and relevant case studies, and a reservoir of advice from some of the most well respected senior-level practitioners in our field. This book is particularly valuable to faculty members facilitating learning with new professionals, but it is a resource most student affairs professionals would find well worth owning.

scholarly journals Designing Effective Online Orientation Programs for First-Year University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Crozier
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Community Of Inquiry ◽  
First Year ◽  
Orientation Programs ◽  
Orientation Program ◽  
Online Orientation ◽  
First Year University ◽  
First Time ◽  
Student Affairs Professional

While asynchronous, self-paced online orientation programs are not brand new in the field of orientation, transition and retention, COVID-19 forced many institutions to rapidly create a program for the first time to help welcome fall 2020 students. Using the community of inquiry model as a framework, this literature review explores the research related to orientation and online learning in an effort to identify the principles, practices and processes that can help a student affairs professional to design an effective and engaging online orientation program, or enhance an existing program.

The Journey of Service Delivery Competence in Applied Sport Psychology: The Arc of Development for New Professionals

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-126
Author(s):  
Jana L. Fogaca ◽  
Jack C. Watson ◽  
Sam J. Zizzi
Keyword(s):  
Sport Psychology ◽  
Longitudinal Design ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
First Year ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Counseling Trainees ◽  
Developmental Characteristics ◽  
Supervision And Training ◽  
Practitioner Development ◽  
Applied Sport Psychology

A fundamental issue in applied sport psychology is the development of competent professionals who can provide effective and ethical services to clients. The current study uses a qualitative longitudinal design to track the development of five novice sport psychology practitioners in their first year of practice. The research team analyzed and integrated data from surveys, interviews, and journals to understand the participants’ experiences and compare them to previous literature on practitioner development. Participants reported increased confidence and flexibility over time, and reduced their perceived anxiety and dependence on supervision. These changes were similar in nature to what has been reported for counseling trainees, but seemed to happen more quickly. These findings highlight important developmental characteristics of first year sport psychology practitioners, which can help graduate programs to tailor their supervision and training to their students’ needs.

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