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!

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

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

Graduate Assistantships

The CSP program connects you with assistantship opportunities in a wide range of student affairs and academic affairs offices throughout campus. With courses like CSP 597: Program Design and CSP 598: Assessment in Student Affairs, you'll see how your learning in the classroom supports you through your assistantship experience. 

Examples of graduate assistantship positions include:

• Academic Advisor in First Year Advising Center
• Assistant Complex Director in University Housing and Dining Services
• Greek Life Advisor in Office of Student Engagement
• Office of Admissions Graduate Assistant
• Multicultural Center Graduate Assistant
• New Student and Family Programs Graduate Assistant

Practicum Experience

The practicum offers you the opportunity to gain additional experience in a new area of student affairs or academic affairs, and takes place in the fall semester of the second year. During the practicum experience, you work an average of 5 hours per week in an area of student affairs unrelated to your assistantship either on-campus or at a nearby institution (Spoon River Community College, Knox College, Monmouth College, Carl Sandburg College), while enrolled in CSP 561: Practicum in Student Affairs.

Examples of practicum experiences include:

• Open House Coordinator with Undergraduate Admissions
• Advisor for University Union Board
• Advisor for Alternative Spring Break
• Teaching Assistant for CSP or Undergraduate Courses
• Assistant for Campus Recreation

Examples of Summer Internship Experiences

• Housing and Dining Services, Wayne State University (MI)
• Summer Camps and Conferences, Colorado Mesa University (CO)
• Upward Bound Program, Western Kentucky University (KY)
• Office of Student Leadership and Involvement, Suffolk University (MA)
• Pre-College Programs, Rhode Island School of Design (RI)
• Residential Life, Joffrey Academy of Dance (IL)
• Residence Life, California State- Saint Marcos (CA)
• Orientation, East Carolina University (SC)
• Residential Life - Marketing,Texas Tech University (TX)
• Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Miami University (OH)
• Residential Life, Oregon State University (OR)
• Orientation, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NY)
• Summer Bridge Program, University of Maryland Baltimore County (MD)
• Orientation, Rutgers University-New Brunswick (NJ)

First-Time Supervisor Experience

I had the opportunity to be a student affairs intern at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Go Vols!) working as an Assistant Conference Manager (a.k.a. Summer Hall Director). As a first-time supervisor, I worked with 16 undergraduate students that were a mix of first-time summer staff workers and folks who served in the same role last year. I started the summer co-supervising the staff with a Hall Director. About three weeks into the summer, there was a slight change in positions and I was given additional responsibilities including solely supervising the 16 staff members and four buildings. With these added responsibilities as a new member on the team, it was challenging to navigate. I was excited for the professional development I was about to embark on as well as nervous at the thought of doing it by myself. After talking with my supervisor about my additional responsibilities, the fear began to disappear as I was reminded of the support system I had in place.

As the summer went on, I began to develop my own supervisory style. I began learning what it meant to have boundaries with my staff. For example, my staff and I would often enjoy a round of milkshakes at a local restaurant but when conversations shifted from appropriate to inappropriate, I had to change the subjects and remind them that I was their supervisor. I also learned about handling personnel conflict. When it came to my staff members having conflict with each other, I spoke with each individual about the issue and then mediated a conversation between them. I was able to remain a neutral party and take on a mediator role – I felt like a true professional!

During my long ten hour drive back to Macomb, I reflected on my summer experience and what I had learned. I learned that I am competent; I want to find a professional balance of having boundaries with my students. Most importantly I was reminded that I love working in Student Affairs. Watching my students grow in a short three months and seeing the passion they had along with my co-interns and supervisors reminded me that I love this field.

Written by: Hayley Remmel '18