Developing and Supporting Student Affairs and Services Professionals New Directions for Community Colleges, Number 166 J–B CC Single Issue Community Colleges Series

• Excellence in preparing and developing professionals at multiple stages in their careers
• Creating and using professional standards and competencies
• Understanding the role of accreditation in professional practice.

EDITORS’ NOTES 1
C. Casey Ozaki, Anne M. Hornak, Christina J. Lunceford

1. Excellence in Community College Student Affairs 5
Ashley Knight

Achieving excellence in student affairs surpasses the baseline of the standards and competencies in the field, and employs right actions in leadership, staff development, and communication to improve the educational
outcomes for students.

2. It Takes a Village: The Role of the Individual, Organization, and Profession in Preparing New Professionals 13
Christina J. Lunceford

Variance in background and preparation of new student affairs professionals at community colleges heighten the importance of effective orientation, training, and ongoing professional development strategies.

3. Construction of the Mid-Level Management Position 21
Steve Tyrell

This chapter explores the construction and evolution of the mid-level manager identity in relation to forms of organizational behaviors enacted to exert managerial control.

4. The Role of the Executive-Level Student Services Officer Within a Community College Organizational Structure 33
John Hernandez, Ignacio Hernandez

The authors outline the various pathways to an executive-level position as a student services officer in a community college and offer reflective insight from the field.

5. An Overview of CAS Standards: The Role in Self-Assessment and Evaluation 41
Anne M. Hornak

This chapter provides an overview of the CAS standards and presents information about conducting a self-study using the self-assessment guides (SAGs). Additionally, an overview of how the data can be used for program development and revisioning is offered.

6. Professional Competencies for Student Affairs Practice 47
Patty Munsch, Lori Cortez

TheNASPA/ACPA competencies define knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of student affairs professionals, but are rarely explored in relation to community college settings. This chapter applies and examines the utility of the competencies in this context.

7. Using Professional Standards for Higher Education to Improve Student Affairs 55
Renay M. Scott

This chapter examines the use of accreditation and CAS standards resources to evaluate student services programming. The chapter provides an overview of the standards and contains examples to illustrate their use for improvement.

8. Creating and Implementing Practices That Promote and Support Quality Student Affairs Professionals 63
Steve Tyrell

This chapter explores challenges and issues facing student affairs professionals as they work to create supportive and quality educational environments for community college students. Suggestions for practice
are discussed.

9. Excellence Within Student Affairs: Understanding the Practice of Integrating Academic and Student Affairs 79
C. Casey Ozaki, Anne M. Hornak

In this final chapter, the authors argue that excellence in community college student affairs is an academic endeavor. In order for student affairs practitioners and units to be responsive to the needs of a wide range of students, the work must involve an academic orientation and collaboration between student and academic affairs.

INDEX 85

ANNE M. HORNAK is an associate professor of educational leadership at Central Michigan University.

CHRISTINA J. LUNCEFORD is an assistant professor of higher education and student affairs at Bowling Green State University.