RUNNING HEAD: PHILOSOPHY

Personal Philosophy

Nicholas S. DeGraw

Northern Illinois University

 2
PHILOSOPHY
Approximately two and a half years ago, I made the decision to pursue a career in student

affairs. Student affairs falls within the realm of Adult and Higher Education. This decision came

from three years as an adult college student who became involved as a student leader on my

campus. I found great joy in being a resource and point of support for students that I worked with

and was able to really help these students. This rewarding experience is what sold me on my

decision, and helps shape my philosophy to my career aspirations today. I wanted to pursue a

Masters degree to become more educated and well-prepared so that I could best serve my

students. I began to find applications and comparisons between my own experience and the

theories and knowledge I gained in the classroom. To open up on my own personal philosophy, I

believe that at the core of Adult and Higher Education, is found in our ability to support and

build our students up to success. This philosophy aligns very closely with the Humanistic

Theory, outlined in great detail in Elias and Merriams Philosophical Foundations of Adult

Education (12).

To begin, we can look at several of the questions Elias and Merriam address in

formulating a philosopher as a profession in student affairs (6). We can take a glance first at the

purpose of education. Many people may give different answers- to ensure a good career, to

educate, to create highly contributing members to society. I believe that it is a culmination of a

variety of these things. Education provided for everyone is granted to children up to age 18.

This provides everyone with necessary skills that they may use to contribute to society. All

students will have a different experience, but teachers should be making it their effort to bring

each of their children up through their class so that they are as well-educated as possible. As we

move into higher education, the responsibility gradually moves into the responsibility of the

learner. Education should be an opportunity for students to receive attention and resources that
 3
PHILOSOPHY
they need to achieve their goals. In alignment with humanistic philosophy, there are several

resources that are provided to students in higher education that not everyone takes advantage of.

As those of us working in the field are hopefully there to provide support to our students, we

should be taking it upon ourselves to reach out to these students. Within our respective offices,

we will be faced day to day with students facing a varying degree of obstacles. College students

can often feel alone, and as part of my philosophy I would want to ensure that we are doing

everything in our power to help students feel supported and prepared.

This transitions nicely into what exactly the role of the educator. First off, educators can

come in a variety of different capacities. When we think about administrators in adult education,

we typically think of just faculty, professors, and instructors. However, in the college and

university setting alone there is a myriad of different roles and positions who serve students as

educators. These educators include such positions such as academic advisors,

resident/community advisors, deans of students, multicultural office directors, orientation leaders

and directors, student conduct offers, and many other various positions. Their specific roles may

vary within each capacity, but the overall goal is the same. We have all been trained within our

specific department and title to provide students with the necessary information they need to

succeed. I feel that we are doing our students a great disservice if all we do is take our

information and give it to the students as is. The role of the administrator is to make it personal

and find ways to make it resonate with students so that they can use and apply what we have to

offer. In the classroom, professors should not view their role as just a job. A good professor is

one who knows all their students by name, spends time out of the classroom meeting with and

contacting their students to make themselves available, and finding fun and innovative ways to

educate their students. Administrators serving as educators from their various offices have a
 4
PHILOSOPHY
responsibility to get to know the students and their needs and cater needs to them. Community

advisors may have significantly less experience than a professor, but they have a very important

role in the education of these adults. They have the opportunity to interact with and get to know

students on a much more personal level. Their training in handling crisis situations and conflict

are there to help these students learn valuable real world lessons. All students are not going to

learn the same way, so understanding these students and their needs is crucial to their

development and the mission of the institution. Aligning with the humanistic philosophy,

humanistic educators place emphasis on a good human relationship between the teacher and the

student (115).

The next question on the list asks about the role of students or adult learners in the

classroom (6). As stated previously, once learners become adult much of the responsibility for

their own education gets placed on them. While I think educators should take an active role in

helping their transition, I believe that students should be taking it upon themselves to seek out

resources they need. Students should also be taking advantage of the opportunity that they have,

as many are not even able to have adult learning experiences. This aspect of my philosophy may

stray slightly from the humanistic approach, as I feel as though adult learners do not need to

necessarily be babied throughout their time. That may be a successful approach for students in

K-12, but adult learners have so many resources provided to them that they are doing themselves

a disservice to not take advantage of. I have sat through many classes with some phenomenal

instructors, and there will always be those students who either sit in the back texting and talking,

not paying attention, as well as students who dont even show up to class. To have a professor

dedicate their time and efforts toward a students success can only go so far as the student is

willing to receive it. This is why we do not hand out As to everyone. Some students are in
 5
PHILOSOPHY
higher education for the wrong reasons, and will only be receptive to learning once they are

willing.

Next on the list is how I conceptualize difference among adult learners (6). There are so

many different ways to view this question. First off, while many define adults very differently, I

define an adult as anyone who is of eighteen years of age. Regardless of a persons level of

maturity or independence, I do not believe a sixteen your old is an adult. On the other end, it

works the same. I would not call a thirty-year old a child, regardless of their behavior. Everyone

experiences life differently and at a different pace, but once we are eighteen we register

knowledge differently. At the institutional level, we are going to interact with students from

across the board. One of the biggest factors that affect adult students different is the varying

economic situations and backgrounds they come from. There may be more at stake for a student

who is using every bit of money they have to pursue an education, versus someone whose

parents have the means to pay for the entirety of their education. Students from each background

will seek out and receive information differently. There is also a difference between an adult

learner in their first year out of high school and a learner who has been working for twenty years

who just decided to go back for their degree. The latter is likely to be vastly more independent in

seeking out information on their own than the former. Non-traditional students may also be

facing many variables and other responsibilities while trying to pursue their degree, so it is

important that we are giving proper attention and resources to those who may have children or

other jobs. I realize that there are requirements, but instructors who hold their guidelines for the

class so strict and do not offer options for students with struggles is unfair and does not account

for everyone. Eighteen year old students may not have much excuse for missing a class or

deadline, but it is not the same for everyone. Single parents, first generation college students,
 6
PHILOSOPHY
and students from low socioeconomic students face unique trials that may impact their levels of

stress of ability to devote to their classes.

The last question is a great culmination of how apply each of these questions to my own

philosophy of adult education, and that is my worldview, or primary lens, that I use to analyze

the needs of students (6). While I believe the humanistic lens is the view from which I most

closely identify, I think that my personal philosophy lends itself to a myriad of philosophies that

come together to reflect my view of things. I am a firm believer in feminist theory and feminist

views, and that really impacts how I actually view everything around me. Because of this, I

believe that it is on us as educators to provide equitable resources to all regardless of gender or

culture, and being cognizant of those identities which may create unique obstacles for our

students. Humanistic philosophy is very student-centered, and that is something that I strive to

make a priority within my work as well. We must acknowledge that we do not always know

what is best for our students, and being able to trust in them and their experiences. As teachers

we are there as support in whatever capacity they need, but we should not be ordering them

around like they are our inferiors. A gentle, respectful view should be taken to lift our students

up, rather than tear them down. I come from a family and a culture with a firm belief in

discipline and negative feedback, and I always felt like that did more damage to me than positive

reinforcement would have.

In conclusion, my philosophy contains a strong focus on ensuring the well-being and

success of students within adult and higher education. This lends itself to similar philosophies

such as humanistic and feminist beliefs. While the ultimate responsibility falls upon our students

to complete their requirements and put in the effort, all educators must make it their priority to
 7
PHILOSOPHY
not let our students down. Be it professors, instructors, advisors, student leaders, or conduct

officers, it is on us to create the opportunities for students to succeed.

 8
PHILOSOPHY
References

Elias, J. L., & Merriam, S. B. (2005). Philosophical foundations of adult education (3rd ed).
Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishers.