Developing a Cosmopolitan Outlook In Student Affairs Practice NYU Student Affairs Conference 2014
Topics We Will Cover Define “cosmopolitan” and “local” Benefits and challenges of both positions How balancing cosmopolitan & local positions can positively affect practice Outline & brainstorm ways to broaden the local paradigm
Differences (Gouldner, 1957) Local Highly committed to organization Emphasizes institutional knowledge Focus on immediately available resources More rules-bound Cosmo More committed to field Emphasizes global knowledge Values external resources and information More willing to experiment Influence
Challenges to Paradigm Balance Professional Development Task Orientation Assimilation
Cosmopolitan On 4 Levels FIELD SCHOOL OFFICE / SERVICE PERSON
Person: What Can I Do? Talk to strangers. Weekly briefings. Build a big net. Keep it working.
Office/Service: What Can We Do Innovate. But also… Go with what works. Share your results – with the world!
Institution: You work here too? ABC: Always. Be. Collaborating. Knock down the silo. Common problems; common solutions
Field: The Wide World of Education Find your orgs. Stay connected. Represent! (Yourself, your office, your school, your work). Remember the nerds!
Small-group Discussion
Take-Away Recommendations Try to read at least one Inside HigherEd or Chronicle or Journal article daily & share it if you find it applicable to your organization Organize some sort of informal gathering with colleagues to discuss ideas/experiences Engage with local, regional, and/or national professional organizations Consider specialized institutes based on function/interest (RCI, MMI, SSO, SJTI, etc.)
Remember: Balance Cosmopolitan Local
Questions? Marc A. Lo, PhD Student Benjamin S. Selznick, PhD Student Higher & Postsecondary Education Reference: Gouldner, A.W. (1957). Cosmopolitans and locals: Toward an analysis of latent social roles. Administrative Science Quarterly, 2(3),