·
Review documentation provided by Mr.
McRae
·
Search out new grant opportunities and
detail possibilities
This week has been focused on pouring over some information that Mr. McRae provided me with. The information pertains to some of the grant possibilities that the office is looking into. Mr. McRae discussed all of the opportunities that are currently on the table and he went into further detail regarding the projects that are currently in the works. We discussed ways in which we can fit some of our projects into the scope of some of the grants and in what areas we may look for others. In addition to looking over the information that Mr. McRae provided me, I have begun to search out the different grant opportunities which exist that the center may fit the requirements of.
Our text discusses
organizational and political realities in chapter two and I think that this is
an appropriate discussion for my experiences thus far. Mr. McRae has really enlightened me as to what
a veteran office is capable of accomplishing on a college campus. Some of the ways in which he has had to
obtain funds involve thinking which is way out of the traditional box. In chapter two, the authors discuss strategy
and explain that talk and action are two very different things (Amey & Reesor, 2009). Essentially, the authors go on to say that upon
arriving at your first positions you shouldn’t bemoan the issues of your
institution and you should instead focus on learning the way in which things
are accomplished there (Amey & Reesor,
2009). This is something that I have learned while
working with Mr. McRae.
Reflection
on Theory - Competencies
My discussions with Mr.
McRae have really gone a long way to help me understand the professional
competency areas for NASPA and ACPA. I
find it hard to place my experiences in any one competency at this point, but I
feel that thus far I have had a little experience in at least a few of
them. In our conversations regarding
current projects we have discussed some of the research that has taken place or
needs to take place to push those projects forward. (Assessment, Evaluation,
and Research). We have also discussed
some of the leadership issues that each of the projects face and some of the
many offices with which the center is working with to complete these projects (Human
and Organizational Resources). We also
had a brief discussion of some of the laws and policies that the center needs to
adhere to as part of the university (Law, Policy, and Governance). This experience has been really good so far
and I feel that I haven’t even gotten my feet wet at this point.
References
Amey,
M. J., & Reesor, L. M. (2009). Beginning
your journey: A guide for new professional in student affairs. Washington,
D.C.: NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
ACPA & NASPA (2010). Professional competency areas for student affairs practitioners.
Retrieved from: https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/Professional_Competencies.pdf.
Ryan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience. It's interesting to note that your office is wanting to seek additional grants for projects, as I was under the assumption the office is funded through student fees and other government funding. Moving forward, I think something to maybe ask or think about throughout your practicum is to consider whether or not the funding is a financial necessity, or if it is to attract and garner the attention of student affairs professionals across the nation to see that the Center for America's Veterans is a leader when it comes to providing resources for its veteran students.
I never really though about veteran affairs in any type of capacity and how they operated until I read your post, so thank you for sharing your insight and experience.