Philosophy of Student Affairs

In writing The Other America , Michael Harrington suggested that the arrival of freeways allowed privileged Americans to live in the suburbs, work downtown, and all the while never truly see the city and those citizens who did not share their privilege. Recent work by Jonathan Kozol, among others, suggests that little has changed in America 's cities during the 40 years since Harrington's seminal work. Yet, Western ideas of the city dating back to Aristotle connect the prominence of cities to the well being of their citizens. On this basis, one might argue that contemporary American society has marginalized the potential greatness of its cities. If freeways and suburbs render the city invisible, then it is my philosophy that a college of its city must be the cornerstone of creating presence, a necessary first step toward recreating the greatness of the city. Nowhere is the presence of a college more evident than in its students.

My personal philosophy is marked by servant leadership, a profound commitment to supporting individual dignity while building communities of difference, and a personal allegiance to the sunrise. Through each of these, my work is that of an educator focused on student learning. I believe this philosophy is an ideal fit with the leadership requirements of a college of its city.

Servant Leadership

A Chinese proverb attributed to Lao-Tzu states that, “Of the best leader, the people will say ‘We did it ourselves!'” Contemporary writers ranging from Robert Greenleaf to Peter Senge have termed this approach servant leadership . Among the core tenets of this approach to leadership is the concept that one should not test the effectiveness of a leader by examining her or his accomplishments, but by examining the accomplishments of those whom the leader serves. I have experienced this on two levels. First, I am proud of the successes of the members of my staff. They developed highly effective and nationally recognized programs, earned awards from professional associations, completed advanced degrees, and, when they left, they did so because they were advancing in their careers. Second, and more importantly, I am proud of the successes of my students. They have completed their degrees at a higher rate than ever before and, in the process, they reported greater satisfaction with their experiences with leadership, student voice, and cultural programming among others. During my tenure as a dean of students, student leaders took initiative and formed committees, conducted surveys and focus groups, and then demanded higher standards of academic rigor from the faculty. Finally, six of the students with whom I have worked, five of whom were students of color, have advanced to graduate preparation programs in student affairs. In all this, the campus and surrounding communities have experienced the presence of students engaged in learning and social activism—my work, as well as the work of my staff, has occurred behind the scenes, and it ensured that students were successful in their endeavors.

Some may argue that servant leadership is soft. These individuals obviously have not spent much time with servants. The best of servants are not soft, timid, weak, or enablers. To the contrary, they are quick with a smile and a laugh, yet equally ready to get into someone's face when necessarily. And once the moment has passed, they transition smoothly and quickly back to the smile and the laugher. I believe this is a mark of deep leadership. While serving as a dean of students, my most valuable allies were often members of the maintenance staff. What's more, in a recent trip to my alma mater, I was most honored not when remembered by faculty (though this was a wonderful gift), but when remembered by Dimitri, the custodian for my residence hall during my senior year of college.

Dignity and Community

In a recent Change article, Robert Sternberg of Yale University asked, “How ably can a leader lead if he or she has only limited acquaintance with the diverse group of people he or she is supposed to lead?” This is a powerful question for me, since I grew up in rural Iowa and completed my undergraduate education at a small, predominantly white university in Nebraska . During the commencement ceremony, I was honored as the top graduate in both business and education. I soon found myself in an informal mentoring program designed to prepare future college presidents for the Concordia University System. With this experience, I gained admission to the highly selective doctoral program at the University of Minnesota . I thought that I was ideally positioned for future leadership success.

The next three years were the most challenging and productive of my life. While much of this was due to coursework and continued leadership experience, the greatest share was the result of living and working in a highly diverse, urban community. I learned that the best of educational experiences are mediocre if they do not critically engage students in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing a diverse society such as our own. I may not personally provide the voice of the underprivileged and oppressed, but I can teach those who are privileged to listen. Words hold limited meaning when they fall upon the deaf ears of those in power. I will add the perspective of someone who has acknowledged and embraced his privilege, and who has learned to use that privilege to engage a society that too often perpetuates the invisibility and silence of the oppressed.

The Sunrise

When Maya Angelou wrote the poem, On the Pulse of Morning , for the inauguration of Bill Clinton in January, 1993, she included the following words:

There is a true yearning to respond to the singing River and the wise Rock. So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew…the Catholic, the Muslim…the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheik, the Gay, the Straight, the Preacher, the privileged, the homeless, the Teacher….

Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need for this bright morning dawning for you. History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.

Lift up your eyes upon this day breaking for you. Give birth again to the dream.

I believe that college is a sunrise. College students face many mornings as they select a major, and later a career; as they build friendships and relationships; and as they find and define their identities. Through each of these, students learn from mistakes and accomplishments. The work of student affairs is to challenge and support students through intentionally designed learning programs and activities, and in one-on-one mentoring. The work of the senior student affairs officer is to lead the process, to stimulate collaboration between students, staff, and faculty, and to create a culture of evidence and accountability in which learning is documented and celebrated.

A College of its City

Aristotle argued that the greatness of the city is measured in the well being of its citizens. In the highly individualistic culture of American society, I suggest that the greatness of individual citizens be measured in the well being of their cities. As a leader in the student affairs profession, I am excited about the future of cities precisely because of my work with students. I have dedicated my career to serving tomorrow's leaders, engaging them in dialogue about issues of diversity and social justice, and assisting them as they work with others to create a better tomorrow. As students learn to lead, to serve, and to build community on campus, they prepare to create the cities of the future.