Personal and Ethical Foundations
“The Personal and Ethical Foundations competency area involves the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to develop and maintain integrity in one’s life and work; this includes thoughtful development, critique, and adherence to a holistic and comprehensive standard of ethics and commitment to one’s own wellness and growth. Personal and ethical foundations are aligned because integrity has an internal locus informed by a combination of external ethical guidelines, an internal voice of care, and our own lived experiences. Our personal and ethical foundations grow through a process of curiosity, reflection, and self-authorship” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 16).
College Student Personnel 6050 – Personal Statement of Mission and Professional Knowledge Development Plan Papers
Throughout my time in College Student Personnel (CSP) 6050, I have been asked to consider my own values, beliefs, and goals as a person and a professional. This happened first in the Personal Statement of Mission assignment. In this paper I detailed my personal and professional values, as well as my overarching professional mission. Thus, I was able to “articulate key elements of [my] set of personal beliefs and commitments (e.g., values, morals, goals, desires, self-definitions), as well as the source of each (e.g., self, peers, family, or one or more larger communities)” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 16). Furthermore, within the assignment I discussed how my values were developed and the implications of these values for my professional practice. For example, my personal value of love and professional value of belonging interact to inform my mission of fostering a sense of belonging and value within individual students. Therefore, I was able to “identify the present and future meaningfulness of key elements in [my] set of personal beliefs and commitments” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 17).
In the same course I was also asked to assess my professional knowledge and create a plan for development. Although I have informally done so before, this was my first formal assessment. Throughout the paper I acknowledged areas in which I have grown in the past by attending conferences, participating in trainings, and more. Additionally, I identified areas for growth and related development opportunities, such as specific conferences, webinars, readings, and more. By implementing and adjusting this plan, I will continue to “attend to areas of growth relating to [my] anticipated career trajectory” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 17). Overall, both aforementioned assignments have formally continued my reflection on and solidifying of my personal and ethical foundations.
College Student Personnel 6890 – Monthly Reflections
In College Student Personnel (CSP) 6890: Supervised Field Experience in College Student Personnel, I wrote and submitted a reflection every month. Each focused on some aspect of my personal or professional experience. After completing a reflection, I implemented my thoughts into my work the following month. For example, one month I reflected on struggling to motivate staff who were accustomed to their previous supervisors. Through that reflection, I was able to identify more effective ways and find success in motivating those staff members. Although just one example, this allowed me to “transfer thoughtful reflection into positive future action” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 17). Additionally, in each reflection I identified positive and challenging aspects of my experience throughout that month. I was eventually able to identify aspects of my internship that were and were not fulfilling. For instance, earlier this year I noted that I was being assigned an overabundance of administrative tasks that were infringing upon my ability to interact with and support student staff. After reflecting on this, I developed a plan to talk with my supervisor and identify my own needs as well as the needs of our department.
After advocating for myself, I felt a better balance of work and a greater level of fulfillment. This example specifically showcases my ability to “identify sources of dissonance and fulfillment in [my] life and take appropriate steps in response” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 17). Although CSP 6890 has ended, my process of reflecting continues. It is an essential part of my personal and professional wellbeing, growth, and development. Overall, I now “recognize the importance of reflection in [my] personal, professional, and ethical development.” (ACPA & NASPA, 2015, p. 16).
American College Personnel Association & National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. (2015). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners. Washington, DC: Authors. Retrieved from http://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/ACPA_NASPA_Professional_Competencies_FINAL.pdf