Cafe Victoria

With the full moon in the distance, I started the week accepting the position of Coordinator of Student Activities at Cañada College in Redwood City. It’s funny what a full moon can do. It has been nearly 9 years that I have been working at Napa Valley College. I waited until I told my students before I mentioned it to the rest of the campus. When you work in student affairs, you learn over the years how important your relationship is with the students you advise. In away, it is a sign of respect to tell your student government president and office staff before you make an announcement in their meeting or to the rest of the campus. Over the next few weeks I’ll share about the new opportunity and what it will mean for my family and me. But for now, I want to enjoy my last 2 weeks at Napa and the students I advise right now.

For many of us, the next few weeks are filled with graduations, transfer celebrations and student government elections. As one group of students leave us, another group will be arriving into our offices and classrooms before we know it. However, it is important to reflect on what we learned this past year. For me, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is “Not one student is special, but what they do can be special”. It is important that when students bring us challenges, new ideas, and positive changes, that we focus on how our response would help or hurt future students. At first, we might want to say “this is one student”, but the truth is, that student is not special and that is okay. Just keep in mind that how we respond is not special but putting future students in perspective.

What better way to market your college than to have your men’s basketball team end up in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, or Elite Eight. I remember when I was on National Student Exchange in 1997-1998 at Rhode Island College and I think it was Providence College or Rhode Island University made it into the Elite Eight. For the first time, those colleges were on the map! And my friends back at Sonoma State remembered that I was gone..and were like “is that where you are V”? Best advertising ever!

Matthias and I picks (random and researched):
Vic’s got Northern Iowa, Matthias has Michigan St.
V-got Tennesse, M-Ohio St.
V-Syracuse, M-Butler
V-Kansas St., M-Xavier
V-Cornell, M-Kentucky
V-West Virgina, M-Washington
V-Duke (wish is was Cal), M-Purdue
V-St Mary’s (Yay for the local team!), M-Baylor

Last week, I finished the additional course that was added to my graduate degree program. As I mention in my post of Sat. March 14, 2009, I had learned the graduate program I graduated from more than a year ago added one more course requirement and changed the degree to Master of Science in College Counseling and Student Development. It originally was called Master of Education in College Student Affairs (CSA).  I made the choice to go ahead and take this additional course  because at many community college campuses across CA, to be able to teach in their counseling division or apply to be a faculty member, applicants must have “counseling” in the degree. Which ended up being one of the reasons  APU updated their Master of Education in College Student Affairs program. Now that I have completed the Career Counseling and Development, I believe that the following additional 12 units from APU’s past CSA program makes me and many other past graduates qualified to join counseling divisions. I strongly believe that Student Affairs professionals and Community College Counselors have a lot in common. We each share a common passion to be part of the support college students need to be successful both in and outside the classroom. Our training might be slightly different, but the focus towards the college experience is still there.

APU College Student Affairs/ now called Master of Science in College Counseling and Student Development Program Course Descriptions with “Counseling Focus”:

CSA 552: The Process of Adult Development (3 unit) Students study and critique selected human development theories relevant to the process of being and becoming an adult. An overview of models for translating theory to practice and assessment techniques to be applied to individuals, groups, and the environment is provided.

CSA 583: Counseling Issues and Practice (3 unit) Conflict, crisis, and dysfunctional behavior on the college campus are examined. Specific attention is given to the key issues relevant to culturally diverse student populations, including prejudice, substance abuse, promiscuity, suicide, cults, and eating disorders. An opportunity for the development of skills applicable to college student affairs roles is provided through laboratory experience/practice.

CSA 563: Counseling: The Helping Relationship (3 unit) This course includes an introduction to and overview of various theoretical approaches to the helping relationship and an examination of helping techniques (with culturally diverse populations) as applied through advising, crisis intervention, and consultation roles. Behavior development and change as an interpersonal process is addressed. Practice in role-playing situations involving various helping and human relations skills is included.

CSA 573: Career Counseling and Development (3)  This course provides a comprehensive review of career theory, as well as resources and techniques utilized in assisting individuals to make informed educational and career choices. An exploration of changing concepts of work and careers and their implications for career counseling are emphasized. A focus on the relationship of career to other issues of counseling and development is addressed.

CSA 562: Today’s College Students (3 unit) Students are provided with a review and analysis of the ecology of college students in contemporary American higher education. Student characteristics, subcultures, values, beliefs, lifestyles, and other critical variables are examined in relation to assessment methods and policy/program implications.

CSA 598: Special Topics: Strength Implementation in Higher Education (3 unit) This course will introduce a strengths-based philosophy and assessment tool for higher education.  Applications of strengths-based philosophy for personal development, leadership, individual student development, student team development, and institutional culture change will be discussed.  Students will develop curricula for strengths implementation into both the curriculum and co-curriculum.

Taken from: http://www.apu.edu/bas/csdol/studentdevelopment/courses/

I’ve been on maternity leave for 2 1/2 weeks now. My first real break from work in a really long time. I’ve done a pretty good job of not responding to work emails. I check my work email maybe every other day to clean out junk email. I think once the baby comes, I will find myself having no time to even think about checking it. However, what I am realizing about myself is how important my friendships and feeling connected to people is to me. My job in the field of student affairs naturally has me connect with people all day. For years, my days were filled with daily student interaction, meetings, and checking in with other staff at lunch time. I also do work that has me connect groups of people to each other. Now, my daily interaction is with people in my yoga class, at a local restaurant, grocery store, etc.  I have this desire to start a mini mom’s group/club from the women and men in our weekly labor classes. Something, I would totally encourage if I was leading the class.

I am scheduled to return to work June 1. I will keep you posted on how I make the transition into motherhood and how I start to see my career in my life. Right now, I see becoming a mom as an extension of myself, kind of the same way I see my work in student affairs. It will be fun to see how many mom groups I connect with. I hope at least one. I’m also interested in how I will view myself  and work down the road.

As president and member of the California Community College Student Affairs Association (CCCSAA), I have noticed a very hot topic that has come up on our Email List Serve. There have been a lot of questions and responses around what is the role of student government advisors, what can campuses do when the administration is talking about cutting student life programs as part of the budget cuts, and what will be the future of student affairs on community college campuses. To help bring awareness about the importance of student life programs, especially on community college campuses and to help advisors advocate more for their programs, the CCCSAA board decided to bring back a document that was developed in 1994 at our Annual Professional Conference. The document is called the California Community College Student Affairs Association Statement of Professional Standards and Competences. The document provides professional standards and competencies for student affairs professionals on community college campuses. The professional standards and competences address management, supervision, and professional development, along with student development and student relationships. The document also includes Student Affairs/Activities minimum standards for hiring Student Affairs/Activities Personnel.

I encourage all student affairs professionals and managers to visit www.cccsaa.org, click on resources to download a copy of the CCCSAA Statement of Professional Standards and Competences. It is an excellent resource. There is a link off my website under Links.

Back in October, I presented the “New Advisor Workshop” at the CA Community College Student Affairs Association Student Leadership Conference at the Doubletree in Sacramento.  I always have a blast giving this workshop. It is a great way to meet the new advisors in the field and share our experiences. The following is the handout I gave to the workshop participants.

20 Fun, Helpful and often Truthful Student Affairs Advisor Survival Tips
for the New and Maybe Not So New Advisor.

1. Always give thanks!
2. Network! Become a member of Student Affairs Professional Groups such as CCCSAA and NASPA.
3. You know the campus pulse-communicate that with your Dean, Chief Student Services Officer/Vice President of Student Services or the College President. They want to know what is happening with the students.
4. Put your staff’s needs first. In the end, you will realize, they are the backbone to your department. Take care of them!
5. Know your student government’s constitution and by-laws like the back of your hand.
6. Know your student government and department’s budget, budget process, including signatures and history. I say, re due a form if you need to. Also, keep your own “balance, check book”.
7. Find and review College/District Policy related to student government
8. Learn the Ed Code (76060+) and Title 5 Regulations (51023.7). Key concepts “Student Representation Fees, Shared Governance, G.P.A. and Unit Enrollment”
9. Know thy Brown Act, Roberts Rules of Order and Parliamentary Procedure. (Don’t hide it; I know you love having agendas as much as student government.) You will be surprised, before you know it other departments committees will come to you’re for help on running an effective meeting.
10. Take time to understand the Student Senate…it will make a huge difference down the road.
11. Know and form a first name bases relationships with your business office, risk management, facilities, media center, public relations, print show, cafeteria, etc.before you know, you will realize how important that you know everyone on your campus.
12. Find your favorite Leadership Training Tool, Assessment, or Personality Test. A hot new one is Strengths Based Advising.
13. Email or Call on a colleague, which is what the CA Community College Student Affairs Association is all about! List Serve address is:  CCCSAA@LISTSERVE.CCCNEXT.NET
14. Have food available at as many meetings or events as possible.
15. Schedule weekly meetings with your student government president. Trust us on this one!
16. Keep developing yourself professionally!
17. Find your own personal way to leave work at work.
18. Create boundaries now. Students will think it is okay to call you after work. Keep it at work.
19. Accept your students Facebook invite AFTER they have left the college.
20. Follow your own advice once in awhile :>)

By Victoria Worch, Napa Valley College. This list has been adapted from Doug Barr, Saddleback College, 1997. He originally was part of developing these advisor suggestions for a workshop lead by Marilyn Kaeche, Mt. San Antonio; Joe Hudson, Canada College and Steve Robinson, College of San Mateo for the fall 1997 CCCSAA Student Leadership Conference, Sacramento. As we say in student affairs, add your own tips and suggestions to the list. If you can, try not to develop the wheel. There are plenty of us out there to help you.

Lately at work, my maternity leave is constantly on my mind.  It is is hard to stay in the moment at work. In the back of my mind I keep thinking about what I will need to train my replacement in, all while wanting to enjoy the time I have with my students and this great work we all do. This maternity leave will be my first break from student affairs work in 8 years.  I know it will be really good for me. I imagine this break could bring me some new insight in the field and into myself.

A few weeks ago, Time Magazine printed a great cover story about the future of work. They pretty much shared the hard truths generation x will be facing now that the baby boomers are retiring. I’ve started to look at it as this huge amount of people, (my parents and their friends), leaving the workforce for my generation (a small but very educated and smart group of people) to step up. Think about it, the one postive thing to the baby boomers retiring is there will be jobs to fill but there also will be jobs not filled and that is okay. We have to remember, the baby boomers were a huge generation! Many came from large families. When I was in high school, there were very few families who had more then 2 kids. For now, we might be okay.

Now, imagine 10 years down the road (I will be 42). Here are highlights from Time’s cover story and what they predict work will be like:
1. Job growth will happen in places like Texas, New Mexico, Georgia.
2. The top jobs predicted to grow the most by 2016 will be retail salespersons, registered nurses, post secondary teachers (yeah for me!) and personal-home care aides.
3. MBA graduates will be more honest and have integrity in business.
4. Benefits, what benefits? Time reported that “57% employers who say they have stopped offering a traditional pension plan-or are considering it.” Colleges might want to seriously looking to add Personal Financial Management courses as part of their General Education.
5. Flexible work schedules! Time reported that “80% segment of employees who would want to work flexibility if it didn’t harm their careers.”
6. Some baby boomers might still be working. Time addressed the fact that large amounts of retirement money was in U.S. Savings (which are down), and many thought they saved enough, but they didn’t. So, for those us ready to move up the career later..we will have to wait a few more years.
7. Women will be leading. Time reported that in 10 years, there will be an 8% of growth of women in the workforce.
8. Going green will save the planet and for many us, save our careers. Time found that 2.5 million estimated jobs will be green jobs.
9. Are you ready to work for yourself? Time preditcts 40% of the workforce will be Indendant Contractors. Wow, that is a large number.
10. Ohh, while you are working for yourself, you will most likely be telecommunting.
-Time Magazine, May 25, 2009. Cover Story, The Future of Work. Click here to read the complete article.

At the end of each school year, I have my student government officers complete an online survey asking them to share what they learned and what advice they would give to the next board. Out of 23 students, 11responded. Here is the results of 2 of the questions:

What did you learn while being part of ASB
1     everyone has something to offer
2     how to be more involved in shared governance.
3     leadership
4     I learned about Robert’s Rules and the structure of formal meetings. I also learned the effectively of students in creating a government for other fellow students.
5     That sometimes good work get’s interrupted by bad behavior
6     I learned how to work better as a group, how to use your resources, and how to help others other.
7     that there is more i can do for the students i represented
8     Once we can set aside all of the differences, ASB can be a great team and we help the community and look out for the students.
9     Being a leader requires a lot of patience and understanding not only on my part but also the entire board as a whole.
10     That I have a greater potential. College student government has a purpose. People can be too emotional about politics
11     I learned what it takes to hold a successful event on campus.

What advice would you give to the incoming board?
1     give thanks as often as you can
2     To keep emotion out of the board room and to approach this with a business like attitude.
3     listening to each other
4     Be respectful. Always listen to what others have to say and give them a chance to speak.
5     keep up the good work and always put students first before personal adgendas
6     Use ASB to it’s fullest potential, use the resources, the friendships, and the time you have in the office and working with the people and the students to better benefit yourself as well as others around you and on campus.
7     i wish them luck i think they will need it. they have alot going against this year lossing so many key members that many respected.
8     Learn to communicate to one another. Don’t have a secret agenda. Live life. It’s not me against you, we are all here for the same reason, representing the students.
9     Be open to the advice your fellow board members have no matter how much you agree. Hear everyone out and dont jump to conclusions. Make your decisions not solely on your own ideals but also based on the students you represent. Do not follow people on making decisions just because everyone agrees, but make your own decision based on what you believe is right. Be bold, be truthful, and most of all remember you aren’t just representing yourself, but your representing the campus.
10     Learn about procedure early on. Enjoy what you do,but do your job
11     Remember your duty is to represent the students and not to represent your own interests.