College of Education & Human Services

Experiential Learning

The CSP program is grounded in our belief that people and organizations grow through an experiential process that is mutually shaped, socially constructed, and historically situated.

  • In small cohort-based classes, you will discuss, question, experiment, research, wrestle with, and debate the issues, and the roots of those issues, that face student affairs and higher education professionals.
  • Faculty and student affairs professionals across campus, as well as our network of alumni and colleagues, will partner with you in this process.
  • Your cohort, joining you with a wide range of student affairs experience, locations, and backgrounds, adds another layer of learning and growth during your time in the program.

The CSP program emphasizes the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators in the classroom and practical experiences, and meets the standards established by the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) for Master's Level Student Affairs Professional Preparation Programs. Providing quality education in student affairs, as well as a sound background for individuals interested in pursuing future doctoral degrees in higher education is at the forefront of what we do.

Classroom Projects

Institutional Site Visit

CSP 553: Organization and Administration of Student Affairs provides a macro view of colleges and universities including governing boards, organizational structure, institutional leadership, and how student affairs as a field fits into organizational structures. (Being able to analyze organizational structures and institutional leadership helps you advocate for students and funding in your future professional roles!) To help diversify your perspective of structural options, increase your awareness of the impact on student affairs functions, and refine your analytical skills, you and your classmates select, visit, and interview professionals at a college or university of your choice including the Chief Student Affairs Officer. Past institutions groups have visited include the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the University of Missouri, and the University of Iowa!

Classroom Projects
What Students Say About Site Visits

Our site visit was a great experience all around, and we really enjoyed the practitioners and students we met and conversed with. During our visit to the University of Kansas, we learned a lot about the operations of their campus, ranging from their advising center procedures to their unique student Code of Conduct. We met with three different functional areas and the Vice President of Student Affairs. It gave me a broader perspective of how varying student affairs can be on a certain campus and I appreciated going through this experience with my group.

- Laura Casey ‘20

My site visit group chose to attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison! Only having significant administrative experience working at Western, a mid-sized school, it was so interesting to see how a Big 10 school ran things. Our group also met up with all of the CSP alumni currently working at UW Madison and we had an amazing lunch connecting over CSP, Western, and our experiences in Macomb. Overall it was a great experience!

- Erin Childers ‘21

Video Helping Session

A highlight during the first semester is CSP 555: Advising & Helping Skills where you gain an understanding of basic counseling skills in the college student setting. Listening, asking questions, and attending behavior are three important skills for student affairs educators. In the video helping session, you have dedicated helping sessions with another person. You submit a recorded video and receive commentary about the degree to which you incorporated course materials and your own experiences into the sessions.

With this assignment, you get the opportunity to help a classmate with a challenge they're facing by practicing and enhancing your counseling skills.

- Dr. Julie Brines ‘08, Assistant Professor

Examples of
Theory to Practice

With knowledge gained through the CSP program:

  • Apply theories like Chickering’s Seven Vectors to design developmental programs that support students' growth through their college years.
  • Use crisis management theories to develop and implement protocols for handling emergencies or student crises.
  • Implement transformational leadership theories to inspire and motivate student leaders in campus organizations.

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Benefits to a
Theory to Practice Approach

  • By applying theory to real-world problems, you develop better problem-solving skills and are able to respond more creatively and effectively.
  • Gaining practical experience helps you become more sophisticated in your career and promotes a professional disposition for advancing to higher-level roles.
  • Understanding and applying conceptual frameworks and theories allows you to make informed decisions based on evidence and best practices, improving your effectiveness in professional positions.