Supervised Practice: Connecting Professional Competency Areas to Professional Development in Student Affairs

Supervised practice has become a hallmark of how the field of higher education and student affairs prepares future professionals. This book explores how to create the conditions necessary for supervised practice and the graduate academic curriculum to be a seamless learning experience. With a focus on the ACPA and NASPA professional competency areas as the bedrock for enhancing proficiency in the field, this book is designed to introduce the competency areas, as they relate to supervised practice, in graduate preparation programs. Chapters examine how to design experiences for students in the workplace that align with the ACPA and NASPA professional competency areas; create conditions for graduate students to understand the application of theory within the workplace; establish an environment that promotes an understanding of the supervisory role as it relates to socializing and retaining new professionals in student affairs; create learning partnerships that focus on the intersection of individual development and the acquisition of knowledge and skills for administrative practice; develop a professional philosophy of practice in the digital age; and assess the professional competency areas within the graduate practicum and employee experiences to ensure learning and development.