The Scholar-Practitioner: Applying Research to Practice, Promoting Scholarly Writing, and Increasing Academic Partnerships and Campus Collaborations Laura Page, Ashli Grabau, Grant McClintock University of Missouri Monday, March 13th, 2017 225 B Convention Center

Presenters Laura Page Doctoral Candidate University of Missouri 15 years in SA Ashli Grabau Student Affairs Assessment & Planning Coordinator University of Missouri 18 years in SA Grant McClintock Doctoral Student University of Missouri 8 years in SA

Learning Outcomes Participants will… Understand the motivations & benefits for becoming a scholarly practitioner Evaluate various opportunities for showcasing student affairs best practices through scholarly publications and presentations Evaluate various opportunities for incorporating a scholarly approach to their student affairs practice Gain a higher level of understanding the application of research to practice Laura LP

Scholar-practitioner Bridge the gap between scholarship and practice (Kupo, 2014) Makes contributions to the field through reflection and research, values data, and ability to reflect on and assess the impact of their work (Jablonski, Mena, Manning, Carpenter, & Siko, 2006; Milem & Inkelas, 2009) Adopting this paradigm helps professionals to effectively learn to recognize problems examine them, and search for productive solutions (Benham, 1996) Directly contribute to the institutional mission, justify their need for resources, and remain engaged in a larger dialogue in the field Laura LP

Scholarly Writing & Publications Encourage practitioners to publish in appropriate journals/outlets Consider the difference in research journals vs. practitioner journals Blogs, newsletters, even webinars are a safe place to start Benefits of taking methods or writing classes Non-degree seeking courses on your home campus Does your campus offer tuition support or discounted fees? Research online options Collaborate with faculty/colleagues Group writing projects can be a great way to ease into the process Showcase best practices or lessons learned Home campus partnerships to do actual research Partner with another campus to show different perspectives Laura LP

Applying Research to Practice Making data-driven and informed decisions - it’s a culture thing Culture of Assessment (Henning & Roberts, 2016): “as set of pervasive actions and behaviors by staff across an organization (e.g., unit, division) focusing on the use of data in decision making regarding the accountability and improvement of programs an services” (Henning & Roberts, 2016, p. 263) On-going Multiple stakeholders and doers Multiple data methods Results are communicated and acted upon – close the loop! Leads to more intentional programs, policies and services (Culp & Dungy, 2012) Multiple data methods – to get the full picture of the program and service AG

Applying Research to Practice Out-comes based (operational, program, and learning) Identifying mission-based key performance indicators to show impact data and inform improvement What do you do? What would this campus be like without your program? How do you measure what you do? What are your baseline key performance indicators? Student learning Why doing a program, and how is the student changed? Framework to guide practice Alignment to division and university plans and priorities (mission driven and grounded in goals) Assessment plans Annual reports KPIS: Informed survey development – to be intentional about what asking AG

Alignment Example AG Division Priorities Department KPIs Office/ Program/ Service KPIs Mizzou Mission & Values Mizzou Core Learning Objectives Mizzou Strategic Plan Student Affairs Mission Planning/ Improveme nt Maximize the Mizzou Student Experience Columns of Student Learning & Development Department Student Learning Outcomes Program/ Service Level SLOs AG

Culture of Assessment AG

Applying Research to Practice How do you make what’s happening in the larger context relevant to the current practice? What questions to ask? What mechanisms are in place to support scholarly practitioners Capacity building Collaborative process Annual requirements Supported by the VCSA Recognition (share with Chancellor)  It’s collaborative work- research and practitioner partnership to make change in the field Ashli Questions to consider: What does current research tell us about our students (e.g. different identities such as veterans, transgender students, etc.)? How to bridge national data or research with campus data? What are the trends or topics being studied? Need example - e.g. student employment and integrated learning (Barber, 2012) Mechanisms: Capacity building Collaborative (e.g. assessment champions - cohorts, etc.) Annual requirements (e.g. annual assessment plans - student learning) Annual reports supported with data Supported by upper administration - a division and department priority time to work on it Opportunities to share what learn Recognition (share with Chancellor) E.g Assessment champions at Mizzou It’s collaborative work- research and practitioner partnership to make change in the field What might this look like? partnerships with higher education graduate programs Coffee chats Ex. VCSA does article talks twice a year AG

Barriers Siloed academic and student affairs departments May not align with mission of the student affairs division Lack of time and resources Assessment may be understaffed or not prioritized in institutional budget Supervisors may not find it essential to conduct assessment or for practitioners to be engaged in scholarship Fear of failure - may lack experience and familiarity with scholarly research May lack experience and familiarity with scholarly research The tendency for departments and staff members to continue with the status quo of current practice Grant GM

Next Steps Identify current staff members with skill sets/experience that may be a positive contribution Invest time, money, and resources into staff training Utilize workshops put on by departments or libraries on the use of research analysis software Incorporate a data-driven perspective into the mission, vision, and goals of the division Encourage and incentivize such action among your staff and colleagues Grant lead, but all contribute GM

Next Steps Being a good consumer of research Make a habit each day of taking a small amount of time a small amount of time to dedicate to reading or writing Monthly brown-bag events for staff to discuss current research; or weekly designated times to talk about new research, relevant article in Chronicle, work being done on your actual campus (why aren’t ELPA faculty and Student Affairs practitioners working together more...do we even know one another?) Strategic partnerships with faculty across campus to elevate research If possible, take research design or methods courses to familiarize yourself with levels and types of analysis Initiate research projects Ashli lead, but all contribute AG

Next Steps Attend faculty research presentations Assists in forging partnerships and provide opportunities for staff and students that may be interested in those same areas Use your own personal and professional experiences to bring your unique perspective to research studies The same is true for students, who can help divisions better adapt to changing student populations at institutions of higher learning Use current presentations as groundwork for future publications Grant lead, but all contribute GM

Next Steps Assess current programs and practices to align with current research - always remain critical of what you are currently doing (shortcomings may be linked to something in the larger body of research Make a concerted effort to implement consistent, effective assessment models and share your findings with academic and non-academic campus units.  They may also have results that could benefit you Be proactive in creating a space that fosters scholarly development Grant lead, but all contribute GM

References Benham, M. K. P. (1996).  The practitioner-scholars’ view of social changes.  A case-based approach to teaching and learning.  Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(2), 119-135. Bishop, J. D. (2010).  Becoming a scholar-practitioner:  The road less traveled.  ACPA Developments, 8(3).   Retrieved from http://www.myacpa.org/article/becoming-scholar- practitioner-road-less-traveled Culp, M. M., and Dungy, G. J. (2012). Building a culture of evidence in student affairs: A guide for leaders and practitioners. Washington D.C.: NASPA. Henning, G. W., and Roberts, D. (2016). Student affairs assessment: Theory to practice. Sterling, VA: Stylus. Jablonski, M. A., Mena, S. B., Manning, K., Carpenter, S., & Siko, K. L. (2006).  Scholarship in student affairs revisited:  The summit on scholarship, March 2006.  NASPA Journal, 43(4), 182-200. Kupo, V. L. (2014).  Becoming a scholar-practitioner in student affairs.  New Directions for Students Services. 147, 89-98. Milem, J., & Inkelas, K. K. (2004, November).  Celebrating the mentor and mentee relationship.  Presidential panel session at the Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.  Retrieved from http://www.ashe.ws/images/ASHE%20Prez%20Session%20mentor%20&%20mentee%2 0reflections.pdf

Laura Page laurapage@mail.missouri.edu Ashli Grabau grabauash@missouri.edu Grant McClintock gdm994@mail.missouri.edu

Thank you for joining us today! Please remember to complete your customized online evaluation following the conference. See you in Philly in 2018!