1. From Student Affairs Officer to Scholar-Practitioner Increasing Engagement through the Scholar-Practitioner Research Lab

2. Contact Info
Whitney Brown, MS Assistant Director Assessment, Research, & Staff Training University of Maryland, Baltimore

3. Session Format Research and the Scholar-Practitioner A Starting Point
Case Example: UMB Scholar-Practitioner Research Lab
Taking the Next Step
Questions, Comments, and Reflection

4. Today’s Outcomes
As a result of attending today’s session, you will be able to …
Identify at least one way research differs from assessment.
Define in your own words what it means to be a Scholar-Practitioner.
Plan at least one clear next step you can take to get involved in research and scholarship.

5. Why is this important?
As we push ourselves to engage in the process of continuous learning and sharing what we have learned through research and scholarship, it will in turn benefit our students, our colleagues, and ultimately our field.

6. Quick Baseline Check Go to Socrative.com Click Student Login
Enter room name CLSASSESSMENT
to participate in a quick assessment!

7. Quick Refresher!

8. Research
Research guides theory and tests concepts, and has broader implications for higher education.
(Erwin, 1991)

9. Assessment
Assessment guides good practice and typically has implications for only one institution.
(Erwin, 1991)

10. How Does Research Differ From Assessment?
Extensive time, resources, and expertise
Often utilizes control groups and controls for variables in a closed environment
Intended to investigate or provide evidence towards a theory or hypotheses
Can be applied broadly
Limited time and resources
Takes a snapshot of your target audience
Helps professionals make better decisions for their students
Does not seek to generalize to all students
Assessment and research are also similar in many ways, both involve:
asking the right questions
collecting data – both qualitative and quantitative
analyzing results
using the results to provide evidence and/or make decisions

11. Scholar-Practitioner Defined“
A scholar-practitioner understands the importance of practice and research informing each other and the need to ground work in theory and evidence and create measurements that demonstrate impact as well as explore phenomena.
(Kupo, 2014, p. 96)

12. Where do I start? Reflect: What are you already doing?
Determine your baseline knowledge
Identify the resources and support you have, as well as those that you need
Read and read, and then read a bit more
Think small to start

13. Activity Break: AER Competency
5 minutes
Work individually or in small groups
Use ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies AER Rubric handout as a guide

14. Case Example: Scholar-Practitioner Research Lab (SPRL)
SPRL website

15. SPRL: The Why
“Student Affairs professionals have valuable things to say” (Hatfield & Wise, 2015, p. 1)
Foster a culture that supports involvement in research and scholarship
Provide opportunity for growth and development of our team
Contribute to the field of Student Affairs
Priority of our leadership

16. SPRL: By the Numbers Total Members: 17
Depts. and Schools Represented: 10
Project Data
Manuscripts accepted for publication: 1
Manuscripts submitted: 3
Manuscripts in progress: 2
Poster presentations: 1
Conference presentations: 4 (est.)
Other projects in progress: 9 (est.)

17. SPRL: Projects Research for publication Dissertations Masters theses
White papers
Book reviews
Poster sessions
Conference presentations 
Requested projects
Data review

18. SPRL: Lessons Learned
Start small – in size of group and in choice of projects
Everyone needs to know the basics
Buy in from leadership is ideal but not required
Breakdown silos by collaborating with departments across campus
Someone must take the lead and keep projects moving forward

19. SPRL: The Future Graduate Research Assistantships
Writing Accountability Groups (WAGs)
Grant funding opportunities
Varied forms of scholarship
Shared responsibility among members
Collaboration with the Writing Center
Formal skill development

20. Activity Break: What are your next steps?
5-8 minutes
Work individually or in small groups
Use Taking Your Next Step worksheet as a guide
Questions adapted from Kupo’s 2014 article titled Becoming a Scholar-Practitioner in Student Affairs. (In New Directions for Student Services)

21. Thank you for attending!
Please go to Go to Socrative.com
Click Student Login
Enter room name CLSASSESSMENT
to share your one word reflection on today's session.
Contact Information
Whitney Brown

22. Similar Sessions at NASPA
MONDAY
The Scholar-Practitioner: Applying Research to Practice, Promoting Scholarly Writing, and Increasing Academic Partnerships and Campus Collaborations
3:40-4:30 PM; 225 B - Convention Center
TUESDAY
Publishing in NASPA's Scholarly Journals
10:00-10:50 AM; Republic AB - Grand Hyatt

23. Similar Sessions at NASPA
TUESDAY  
From Practice to Research: How to Engage in and Publish Your Scholarship While Working in the Field
11:05-11:55 AM; 206 B - Convention Center
Making Theory Real: Practitioners and Scholars Apply Student Development Theory
11:05-11:55 AM; Texas B – Grand Hyatt

24. Similar Sessions at NASPA
TUESDAY  
Scholar-Practitioner Workshop
12:10-1:00 PM; Grand Ballroom Salon A - Marriott Rivercenter
Scholarship is Leadership: Advancing a Research and Publication Initiative in Student Affairs
3:40-4:30 PM; Presidio AB - Grand Hyatt

25. Resources Research Competency
ACPA/NASPA Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners
Consider online research methods courses through Coursera, EdX, Lynda, etc. 
Managing References
RefWorks
EndNote
Zotero
Writing
UMB Writing Center
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Johns Hopkins Writing Accountability Groups
UMB School of Medicine Scientific Writing Accountability Groups
Annotated Bibliography
Data Analysis
How to Choose the Right Analysis
Consider online basic statistics courses through Coursera, EdX, Lynda, etc.
Journals
Higher Education (general)
NASPA
ACPA
Journal Finder

26. References
ACPA & NASPA, Joint Task Force on Professional Competencies and Standards. (2016). Professional competency areas for student affairs educators rubrics. Washington, DC: Authors.
Campus Labs. (n.d.). The difference between assessment and research. Retrieved from
Carpenter, S. (2001). Student affairs scholarship (re)considered: Toward a scholarship of practice. Journal of College Student Development, 42(4),
Erwin, T. D. (1991). Assessing student learning and development: A guide to principles, goals, and methods of determining college outcomes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Furr, S. (2015, March 18). Being a scholar-practitioner [Web log post]. Retrieved from
Kidder, R. (2010, Spring). Part 1: The scholar practitioner: Administrators engaging in the research process. Developments. Retrieved from
Kupo, V. L. (2014). Becoming a scholar-practitioner in student affairs. New Directions for Student Services, doi: /ss.20103
Hatfield, L. J., Wise, V. L. (2015). A guide to becoming a scholarly practitioner in student affairs. Stylus Publishing, LLC. Sterling, VA.
Hoffman, J. L., & Bresciani, M. J. (2010). Assessment work: Examining the prevalence and nature of learning assessment competencies and skills in student affairs job postings. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 47(4),
Roper, L., & Newhart, D. (2016). Nuts and bolts of publishing [PDF document]. Retrieved from:
Sriram, R., & Oster, M. (2012). Reclaiming the “scholar" in scholar-practitioner. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 49(4),