USU launches professional development training series for campus leaders across the state

Utah State University is launching a professional development training series for Statewide Campus Directors and others. The pilot program is a training series designed to explore common professional competency areas for student affairs professionals and leaders.

“We are very excited about this pilot series,” said James Y. Taylor, vice president for Statewide Campuses. “USU is always looking for ways to develop our people, and this series will allow our statewide leaders to do just that. We hope this series will be a success and can eventually be expanded to help more and more people as we seek to develop and retain leaders.”

The 10-month program began in June and runs through March. Participants meet monthly. The program is led by Andrea Hunt, assistant vice president for Statewide Campuses, along with Priscilla Arungwa, director of student services at USU Blanding.

“This continuing education series is focused on student success,” Hunt said. “We have outstanding professionals dedicated to student service in every unit of the Logan institution and on every campus across the state. When you bring professionals together in a community of practice, you create a meaningful experience based on the sharing of ideas, self-reflection and collaboration, allowing individuals to amplify their impact throughout the institution.”

The series, titled “Directors’ Professional Competencies Series,” will also feature guest speakers who will join the conversation. Participants will explore the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and Student administration in higher education (They can learn about NASPA’s professional competencies, review current events and case studies in higher education, and meet with colleagues to deepen their understanding of the value the competencies add to their daily work.

This series is designed to:

• Raise awareness of ACPA and NASPA professional competency areas for educators in student affairs, including law, policy and administration, leadership, student learning and development, assessment, evaluation and research, and others, and the value of the competencies to one’s role.
• Identify areas of strengths and weaknesses within your role and develop ways to address them.
• Increase connections to internal and external support and resource networks within the community.

“Professional competencies anchor us in the value and meaning of our role as higher education professionals,” Hunt said. “They are a guide that defines the knowledge, skills and abilities we strive to master throughout our professional lives, and they are a marker of a commitment to a continuous process of learning and practice.”

The series began on June 12, 2024, with a presentation by Karnell McConnell-Black, vice president for student life at Reed College. The series will continue through March 2025.

For more information about the series and to participate, contact Priscilla Arungwa ([email protected]).