KNOWLEDGE COMPETENCIES
I. Applied Foundational Knowledge
- Demonstrate an understanding of individual, group and organizational and leadership theories and their relevance to student affairs practice.
- Demonstrate a working understanding of assessment and evaluation, methodology, and interpretation as it applies to student affairs practice.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of legal, contractual, and liability issues involved in college student affairs practice.
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of cross-cultural and diversity related issues within the context of higher education.
- Demonstrate understanding of higher education systems, its history, and how student affairs roles, responsibilities and systems are infused into the larger educational picture.
II. Professional Knowledge
- Demonstrate an understanding of how student development and learning theory and research are relevant to student learning and personal development.
- Demonstrate an understanding of student characteristics, demographics and attributes and how they influence students' education and development.
- Demonstrate an understanding of student affairs functions along with roles and responsibilities of practitioners within the context of higher education.
- Demonstrate an understanding of student affairs standards of practice and professional ethical standards.
- Demonstrate a working understanding of current issues and practices in the student affairs profession.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE COMPETENCIES
III. Developmental Work with Students
- Demonstrate ability to advise student groups and organizations.
- Demonstrate ability to apply student learning and developmental theory to student affairs practice in a specific context.
IV. Administrative Functions and Processes
- Demonstrate ability to perform administration functions and services in selected student affairs functional areas (at least two distinct areas).
- Demonstrate ability to develop, implement and evaluate educational and student service based programs
- Demonstrate ability to utilize various forms of technology for data collection, analysis, communication and presentation of information.
- Demonstrate the ability to formulate goals, implement strategies for achieving goals through efficient and effective use of resources and evaluation of goal attainment.
- Demonstrate ability to meet deadlines and produce quality results.
V. Managing Self
- Demonstrate adherence to and value for professional ethical standards through ethical practice.
- Consistently exhibit personal and professional values with a strong commitment to the profession and its future.
- Demonstrate personal and professional confidence.
- Demonstrate inquisitive, self-motivated commitment to learning and self-development.
- Demonstrate ability to make appropriate modifications to behavior based on self-monitoring and constructive feedback.
VI. Communication
- Demonstrate ability to teach and model a respect for shared community values, including establishing and maintaining an inclusive community promoting civic education.
- Demonstrate a willingness to engage in sustained dialogue in order to reach an understanding of the issues presented.
- Demonstrate the ability to use sound, effective written and oral communication techniques and strategies within student affairs practice.
VII. Managing People and Tasks
- Demonstrate the ability to relate effectively to a wide range of people and appreciate individual differences, with cultural sensitivity.
- Demonstrate ability to build rapport, show compassion and understanding for others, and establish and maintain mutually satisfying relationships.
- Demonstrate ability to supervise and train student affairs staff, students and/or professionals.
- Demonstrate ability to work with others within a team context.
VIII. Mobilizing Innovation and Change
- Demonstrate ability to engage in systematic inquiry, research, analysis and interpretation.
- Demonstrate ability to develop creative solutions to complex problems and see opportunities where others see obstacles.
- Demonstrate the ability to engage in the process of change instead of defend against it.
- Demonstrate the belief that personal actions can make a difference.


