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Portfolio Learning Outcome Narrative-Areas for Growth Anna Renzetti Seattle University

LEARNING OUTCOME NARRATIVE-AREAS FOR GROWTH Portfolio Learning Outcome Narrative-Areas for Growth Integrative Theme (LO #3, #9, #7; Artifacts C1, D, E, H) Since beginning the SDA program, I have been in pursuit of discovering who I am as a leader. When I came to the program I didnt see myself as a leader, and I wasnt sure of how to begin leading as my authentic self. Through various courses and professional experiences, I was able to explore different leaderships styles and discover

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my own unique way of leading. I now feel that I am able to articulate my leadership style, however I feel that Organizational Leadership is the theme that represents my most prominent area for growth. Through organizational leadership, I can move beyond my theoretical knowledge of leadership and move into practice, specifically around organizational functions such as financial governance and evaluation. I hope to improve my knowledge and practice of these skills so that I can be a stronger overall leader. Learning Outcome Dimensions Leading From the Middle encompasses LO #3. This learning outcome focuses on exhibiting integrity and ethical leadership in professional practice. In EDAD 570 Leadership in Education I learned about the approach called Leading from the Middle, which involves two key concepts, mentoring and networking (Ebbers, Conover, & Samuels, 2010). In my graduate assistantship, I have observed my site supervisor, Megan Spaulding, being active in a middle manager position. She consistently works closely with her boss, our director, while also supervising and mentoring administrative staff. Artifact C1, my Law Case Analysis Paper, represents my competency of this learning outcome. This paper was written in SDAD 580 Higher Education Law, which shows my ability to conceptualize upper level decision-making as it relates to legal issues. In this

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paper, I recommended that the dean of students lead from the middle in order to the make the most ethical decision for the student in question and the campus community. In my pursuit of developing LO #3 I am committed to seeking out opportunities where I can collaborate with upper level administrators, while also supervising staff. In my own exploration of leadership, I am drawn to the Collective Leadership model, which relies on the strength of relationships and pushes toward inclusion and justice (Ruder, 2010). It will be important to me to build relationships with those I work with closely and be open to learning from them so I can grow as a leader. Also, to lead with integrity, my leadership for underserved student populations will come from a place of allyship and will work against the authoritative, White dominance that exists in many systems of higher education. Financial Governance is an important factor in organization leadership, however I dont feel I have been engaged in this type of leadership in this program. Financial governance is mentioned in LO #9, which speaks to the importance of understating budgeting and financial resources as a way to improve the student experience. In both my graduate assistantship and my internship experiences, I have observed administrators speak about their reliance on financial resources, which often dictates the improvement of their programs. Although I dont have an artifact that directly relates to this sub-theme, Artifact H, the NASPA/ACPA Competency Assessment, represents my foundational understanding of budgeting. Also, Artifact D, my presentation on Cascadia Community Colleges services for students with invisible disabilities, was an important lesson on understanding financial barriers to making large improvements or changes within student services.

LEARNING OUTCOME NARRATIVE-AREAS FOR GROWTH Intentional Evaluation exemplifies LO #7, which speaks to utilizing assessment

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and evaluation to improve practice. My experience with assessment and evaluation is still developing. Artifact E, my Networking: A Skill for Life presentation demonstrates my comprehension of this learning outcome. In order to create an effective and engaging lesson plan, I had to implement an assessment to learn about the students needs and level of understanding. During this presentation, I noticed that there were students who werent engaged or had a difficult time utilizing LinkedIn. It was very important for me to evaluate my workshop so I could learn how to improve as an instructor. AEDT 510, Course Design was monumental in helping me understand the value and importance of being intentional with evaluation as it relates to developing significant learning experiences for students. My professor encouraged me to be intentional about continual evaluation of ones course or programming, because only then are you meeting the current needs of your students. Demonstration of Development in Learning Outcomes Past Prior to entering the SDA program I had very little experience with organizational leadership. I was uncomfortable around these areas because of my lack of experience working in higher education settings. Although ethical leadership, financial governance, and evaluation are the more challenging aspects of student affairs, I believe they serve a vital role in the advancement of departments and institutions as a whole. Present In SDAD 570, I had various opportunities to reflect on my own leadership style. It was transformational for my growth to be exposed to behavioral leadership theories. As with behavioral theories, Sharon Daloz Parks (2005) states that leadership can be taught

LEARNING OUTCOME NARRATIVE-AREAS FOR GROWTH through active engagement in positive change. In my growth of this competency, I am continually working away from the notion that leaders are born, and trusting in my unique vision so I can effectively Lead from the Middle. Artifact H and D, demonstrate my foundational understanding of Financial Governance and its role in advancement of college programs. In order for me to continually meet the needs of specific student populations, Intentional Evaluation of current programming and student experience will be crucial. In my evaluations, I will turn to Finks (2013) Taxonomy of Significant Learning, which emphasizes the importance of evaluating courses for relevance, which contributes to lasting change in your students lives. Future In my pursuit of upper level administrative positions, I created my 5-year Professional Development Plan, Artifact I, which shows my commitment to develop competencies in organizational leadership. I look forward to my first position in higher education being a launching point to observe how professionals delegate financial resources, as well as implement evaluation. I hope to join committees and leadership boards where I can be involved in campus-wide decisions that involve these

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competencies. Most importantly, I look forward to leading in new ways that I havent had the opportunity to do so in this program. In particular, supervision is an area I look forward to developing, and utilizing my collective leadership framework to build relationships and motivate others.

LEARNING OUTCOME NARRATIVE-AREAS FOR GROWTH References Ebbers, L., Conover, K. S., & Samuels, A. (2010). Leading from the middle: Preparing leaders for new roles. New Directions For Community Colleges, 2010(149), 5964. doi:10.1002/cc.396

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Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. John Wiley & Sons. Parks, S. D. (2005). Leadership can be taught: A bold approach for a complex world. Harvard Business Review Press. Ruder, K. (2010). The collective leadership storybook: Weaving strong communities. The Center for Ethical Leadership.