Kinard Week One-Community Service Center UA

Activities: This week I contacted my on-site supervisor to gather information regarding exactly what I will be doing while I am there. This helped me create my learning contract.  My supervisor is very supportive and nice.  I am excited to be working with her.

Reflection: Her description of the types of activities I will be doing, got me even more excited.  First, I will be planning and implementing a service project for summer students on campus.  As well as planning several large events for the fall semester.  Secondly, I will help work the Bama Bound orientation table discussing the Community Service Center and its opportunities.  Thirdly, I will  have the opportunity to meet with several student affairs administrators across campus, of my choice, to discuss their duties, department structure, and their experience.  I will also have an opportunity to shadow a student affairs practitioner, of my choice, for a day.  I am very excited to have the opportunity to network at UA through these activities.  I will be determining these individuals in the next week and submitting a list to my supervisor for her to arrange.  Lastly, during my practicum, I will have the opportunity to examine the assessment the center uses for its alternative break program.  I am hoping my assessment knowledge will come in handy here!

I cannot believe that I will be accomplishing so much in such a short time. It is going to be a wonderful experience and one that I feel I will learn a great deal from.  I am blessed to have such a supportive supervisor or genuinely interested in giving experience.  During the creation of the learning contract, the section that enjoyed most was creating my own personal objectives and goals.  I had to think about the areas I lack experience and how I could go about getting more.  Luckly, a great deal of what I will be doing will give me additional needed experience.  I also enjoyed the section determining what I expected from a supervisor.  I feel my supervisor will greatly exceed my expectations, but I tried to be clear about what I really truly need to do my best work.  I always love self-assessment, and this activity allowed me to really think about what I need and don't need from my supervisor.

I informed my supervisor that between now and July, when I get to Alabama, she can send me assignments to work on.  She said she would create a small to-do list for and let me know next week.  I am so excited for July to be here!