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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal How to Encourage Students of Color to Pursue Careers in Student Affairs Administration Dantrayl Smith, University of South Carolina Editor's note: This is the third in a series of articles written by students who were enrolled in Jennifer Bloom's spring 2008 graduate course in the higher education and student affairs program at the University of South Carolina. As part of her course syllabus, Dr. Bloom required each student in her class to submit an article to The Mentor or other publications for consideration. Unfortunately, there are not many people of color enrolled in graduate degree programs in higher education and student affairs administration or working as student affairs professionals on college campuses. As the demographics of this country change, it will become increasingly important to have more people of color working in the student affairs profession. Thus, the purpose of this article is to provide information to both undergraduate and graduate advisers about how to encourage underrepresented minority students to pursue graduate degrees and careers in this important field. Tips for Undergraduate Advisers Many student affairs professionals “fall into” the field of student affairs administration through happenstance; however, there are proactive steps that academic advisers can take to increase the number of undergraduate minority students who purposefully pursue careers in student affairs. Help Students Select a Major There are no specific undergraduate degrees in the field of student affairs administration. Instead, people enter this field from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Therefore, students should be advised to pursue undergraduate majors in areas for which they have a great deal of passion. I also recommend urging students to take a wide variety of courses to fulfill their general education and electives requirements. This will expose them to a number of academic disciplines that will help them later in their careers as they interact with students. Encourage Students to Get Involved One of the many ways student affairs professionals develop an interest in their profession is through their involvement in leadership opportunities on campus. Many student affairs professionals speak of their involvement in different types of programs as personal pathways into the field. Advisers should pay particular attention to students who seem energized by and engaged in leadership roles both on and off campus and then inform them about career opportunities in student affairs. Advisers can also help students draw connections between the things they enjoy about their leadership activities and the opportunities available in the field of student affairs. Students who are leaders and who also need to work in order to fund their educations may wish to pursue work-study job opportunities in campus student affairs offices. This will expose them to professionals in the field who can serve as mentors. In addition, the work would give them first-hand opportunities to gain experience in the field. Ideally, these students would be able to work in a variety of student affairs offices and, thus, become aware of the wide range of opportunities within the profession. Finally, advisers may want to motivate students to attend student leadership and other professional conferences and get involved by presenting workshops, networking, and volunteering. These experiences would expose the students to a level of professionalism that could help prepare them for future success. Encourage Students to Apply for the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) offers an exciting program called the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP), described online at http://www.naspa.org/programs/nufp/index.cfm. The purpose of this program is to give students who are underrepresented in the student affairs profession an opportunity to spend a summer working in the field, attending student affairs conferences, learning from a student affairs mentor, and completing a summer leadership institute. Advisers should notify underrepresented students about the fellowship program and encourage them to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Advisers should also recommend that students identify appropriate mentors on campus who are familiar with NUFP, so that they have a support system prior to entering the field. Help Students Apply to and Prepare for Graduate School As students prepare for their senior year of college, advisers should urge them to begin investigating student affairs graduate programs. These students should speak with advisers and mentors about programs that are most appropriate, given the students' values, career goals, and location preferences. If a student affairs graduate program exists on campus, it would be helpful for the student to visit with the faculty there and ask questions about the application process. Other student affairs professionals on campus who have completed graduate programs are also good sources of information. Tips for the Graduate Adviser Once a student has enrolled in a graduate program in higher education and student affairs administration, the graduate adviser plays an important role in the student's development. Students entering these graduate programs begin to learn about different theories, which they can then apply when they help students in the future. Graduate school is also a place where students can obtain more and varied experiences in specific student affairs departments. The following are tips to help minority students optimize their graduate school experiences. Encourage Students to Obtain Assistantship/Practicum Experiences Many student affairs graduate programs require students to complete assistantships, through which they work in specific student affairs units. If a graduate program offers practicum opportunities in different offices, graduate advisers should prompt students to take advantage of these occasions, as they allow students to build networks with people in other departments and expose them to other career possibilities. Graduate advisers should remind students to take their assistantship and practicum responsibilities seriously, because they are building reputations that will follow them the rest of their careers. Students also will need to secure letters of recommendation from their supervisors to support future job applications. Motivate Students to Pursue Summer Internships Another great means by which students can gain experience in student affairs is through summer internships that involve working at different universities. This kind of experience exposes students to different institutional cultures and other departments and expands their professional and personal networks. Advisers should encourage students to work at different types of institutions. For example, if a student currently attends a public institution, he or she should consider seeking an internship at a private institution. If students hope to move to a different region of the country after graduating from the program, advisers should suggest that they pursue internship opportunities in that geographical vicinity. Such internships will diversify students' perspectives and make them more marketable candidates for future employment. Listed below are sample internship programs for graduate students:
Encourage Students to Conduct Research Conducting research is another aspect that enriches students' personal and professional development. Many graduate degree programs include an option for students to write a thesis or work with a professor on a research project of interest. Students should be urged to do so, because the work will give them a marketable skill and credibility in the field. Conducting research may also lead to a publication and/or may help to convince the student to pursue a doctorate. Help Students Develop a Job Search Plan The final stage of graduate school is the job search process. As students begin to look for jobs in student affairs, advisers should counsel them to do their homework by making sure prospective institutions share their values. Alumni can be paired with students to assist them through the process. Also, if there is a specific area of the country in which the student wishes to live, encourage her or him to attend conferences in that vicinity in order to network with student affairs professionals there. Furthermore, there are often job placement activities at these conferences. Conclusion As the country's population continues to diversify, it is becoming increasingly important for college campuses to hire people from diverse backgrounds. As demonstrated in this article, both undergraduate and graduate academic advisers can play key roles in encouraging underrepresented minority students to pursue careers in student affairs. Undergraduate advisers can assist by informing student leaders about this career option, helping them to apply to graduate programs, and notifying them about undergraduate fellowship programs. Graduate mentors can urge students to diversify their work experiences through graduate assistantships, practica, and summer internships. In these ways, academic advisers can help to diversify the student affairs profession. About the Author Dantrayl LeShun Brady Smith is a graduate student in the higher education and student affairs program at the University of South Carolina. He can be reached at smithd22@mailbox.sc.edu. Published in The Mentor on June 25, 2008, by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved
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