Embracing the Power of Programming

Student Affairs as a profession didn't always exist.  Before there were full time professionals living in the residence halls and staff serving as conduct officers, career and mental health counselors, orientation staff, and student engagement people faculty tended to all the needs of students.  In 1905, an academic leader in our nation came along with a different vision for the future of higher education:

Then in 1930's, a group of leaders in higher education put some more structure to what William Rainey Harper called, "the scientific study of the student himself".

Student Affairs became the people "appointed especially for the purpose" of creating structured interactions implemented outside the confines of the classroom that would contribute positively to the student experience.  These structured interactions still exist in our current understanding of the role of Student Affairs in higher education.  I call them programs.

Student Affairs shouldn't run away from our programming roots.  My experience in this profession has shown me that some (not all) view programming as something for new professionals or something that is a lower priority than other functions that dominate our days.  I understand the pull of dealing with the crisis of the day and the tangible problems that fly into our faces, but aren't we more than reactionaries?  Wasn't our profession defined by the need for structured interactions with students for the purposes of increased success?  The need for that intentional interaction has never been more important than it is today.

In an effort to synthesize this down, I have just 3 points that need to be discussed broadly in our profession to put programming back in it's rightful place at the heart of our work.

1.  Programming is more than events:
I define programs as any structured interactions designed to meet certain outcomes.  Some examples of programs that are not events include (but are not limited to)

• Conduct meetings:  We could just fine students for violation of policy, but most institutions have a structured process for helping students learn from their experiences and better understand their role and responsibility in a community.
• Roommate agreements and community standards:  We could have student staff in the residence halls just talk to roommates and floors about the rules, but many institutions have created a structured process that assists students in having sometimes difficult conversations about their needs, working through differences, and expectations for themselves and others.
• Academic Advising:  We could let students sign up for whatever they want to take, but most institutions require students to consult with an academic advisor before signing up for classes each semester.  These structured interactions keep students on track toward clarifying and accomplishing their goals.

There are countless more examples, but hopefully the three I've provided make the point.  Programming is any structured interaction designed to meet certain outcomes.  Campus events and other engagement opportunities should be viewed as just as important as the examples above.  We are all programmers because we create and implement structured interactions designed to meet specific outcomes.

2.  Programming is theory to practice
All of these structured interactions Student Affairs professionals create are often (and should always be in my humble opinion) rooted in student development theory.  The Student Personnel Point of View listed a set of outcomes our profession attempts to address through the development of structured interactions.  Taking a student development theory or philosophical framework and turning it into a student engagement experience designed to meet certain outcomes is what enables us to achieve the vision set forth by the founders of our profession.  Sometimes programming can be viewed as "just for fun", but professionals in our field should embrace the idea there is much more to these structured interactions than entertainment value.  It's our job to remember that and make that obvious to others.

3.  Programming is about student success
No matter what our specific job responsibilities are on a college campus, we should all do what we can to help our students succeed.  Student engagement in educationally purposeful experiences that address holistic needs contribute significantly to the chances of keeping students through graduation.  The skills and experiences gained as a result this engagement contribute significantly to individual self-efficacy and students' ability to distinguish themselves in a competitive job market post graduation.  The structured interactions created by Student Affairs professionals increase student success both in college and after graduation.  There are any number of studies that could be cited to demonstrate the connection between student engagement and success.  Let's make this research known on our campuses and bring it alive in our work.

I would love to hear thoughts about this from others in our profession across the nation.  Is this something you're seeing?  Are you concerned that if you are in a role primarily associated with programming you won't be able to progress to senior level positions?  Do you feel like programming is unintentionally devalued because of its nebulous nature?

I want to be a part of a conversation about renewing our understanding of what programming is so we own it and take it to the next level instead of viewing it as something for others to do.  We need to strengthen the connection between our programs and the academic mission of our institutions through increased assessment and universal recognition that all of us in Student Affairs create and implement structured interactions - making us programmers.

Programming is the clarion call of our profession.  It's our history and our future.  I hope we can all work together to strengthen our efforts to create structured interactions that connect directly to holistic student development and success.  Oh and by the way...these structured interactions...I call them programs.