Fieldwork: Chapman University Cross Cultural Engagement
Description:
Students in the MSHE program at CSUF are required to
complete a total of 400 fieldwork hours in their second year of the program.
The 400 hours are divided into two semesters (200 hours per semester) in which
students work under the supervision of an experienced student affairs
professional. During Fall 2015, I completed my fieldwork at Chapman
University in the Cross Cultural Engagement department under the supervision of
Leticia Romo, Assistant Director of Cross Cultural Engagement. My
fieldwork experience at Chapman included the planning and implementation of the
institutions second annual "We Are Chapman" retreat centered on
leadership, identity, and social justice.
Date/Semester:
Spring 2016
Learning
Domains Addressed: Leadership, Education, Social
Justice & Advocacy, Assessment & Evaluation
Learning
Outcomes:
- Student will be able to develop and assess a series of workshop activities related to identity, diversity, and social justice
- Student will be able to apply knowledge and skills developed throughout the MSHE program during the implementation of workshops and training.
Assessment
Rubric:
Evidence:
Reflection:
For SLO #1 I have rated myself as falling between "Basic" or
“Competent.” While I did utilize theory and a needs assessment to design
workshops for "We Are Chapman" I must admit that I did not actively
and intentionally utilize the P-T-P model. The activities I developed were
theory informed and effectively connected themes of identity, diversity, social
justice, and leadership. While I did develop an assessment plan, I am unsure as
to whether this was implemented because I have restricted access to some of the
information as an "intern" at Chapman. This semester was challenging
as I felt more distracted and divided than my different obligations than ever
before. Studying for the comprehensive exam, working at CSUF, and completing
fieldwork at Chapman were competing for my attention which in this case may
have lead to my "cutting corners" when it came to utilizing P-T-P.
This experience has taught me that when you are pressed for time or under pressure
you may rely on habit more than theory and new knowledge and therefore I should
work to make utilizing theory, P-T-P, and other elements of the program part of
my habit or "professional judgement."
For SLO #2 I have rated myself as “Competent." As I worked to plan and
develop activities for the leadership retreat I was careful to draw from
knowledge of student characteristics and cultures and student development
theory. This included the above mentioned theory informed workshop activities
and the actual facilitation of these activities at the "We Are
Chapman" retreat. I led one section of the retreat and facilitated a small
group of eight students for the remainder of the program. As I engaged in
conversation with these students I felt myself connecting their words to
psychosocial and identity development theories. While I felt the knowledge I
have gained in the classroom supporting my work at Chapman, I found that when I
was challenged by a student I relied more on what I had seen modeled by my
supervisors, especially Dr. Joy Hoffman. This particular student did not
want to participate in the activities because he felt that a color-blind
approach would provide a more inclusive community and that leadership did not
in fact have anything to do with identity. I recalled conversations I had in
the past with Dr. Hoffman regarding these kinds of difficult conversations and
in the moment I acknowledged his opinion but also requested that this student
take into consideration what others in the group were sharing about their
identities and how they do in fact relate to their leadership style and
involvement. By not shaming this student I was able to call him into the
conversation and maintain the open space for dialogue about identity and
diversity.
