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Magolda Self Authorship

Decent Essays

1. Is it possible to be successful as a student affairs practitioner without relevant knowledge of theories that inform your work. If so, what are the limitations? Feel free to disagree with a cogent argument.
I personally don’t think it is possible to be successful as a student affairs practitioner without relevant knowledge of theories that inform your work. While reading, I found it interesting that there has been some contention in the field about the value of theory. One example I found stated that, “their argument was not about whether theory is good or bad; instead, they argued that student development theory had limited utility in it’s application to the daily practice” (p. 44).
While I agree that student affairs theories can sometimes …show more content…

Knowledge is power, and I’m sure that personal experience and theory makes a good combination.
2. What does Magolda(s) notion of "self-authorship" mean to you?
The reading this week did a good job of building off the basic knowledge I had about Magolda’s notion of self-authorship that we discussed in theory last year. To me, self-authorship means that one has the ability to learn about multiple prospectives, use knowledge and past experiences to figure out what to do, as well as the ability to reflect on personal values as one continues to grow and change.
The authors state that, “prior to developing self-authorship capacities, educators rely uncritically on authorities for knowledge” (pg. 11). I’ve found this true in my own life, as well as in working with …show more content…

What are the unique areas expertise that student affairs practitioners bring to the learning enterprise in the academy? Draw from your own experience.
I think the beauty of student affairs is that each individual practitioner brings their own experiences. During my time at Appalachian as an undergraduate student I was involved in Greek life and the Honors College. I wasn’t even aware that student affairs was a field until six months before I graduated. Even though the Honors College doesn’t appear to directly link, I was able to learn about different advising styles without realizing it. I never went to a general advisor, which makes my experience different from many other students here.
Additionally, student affairs practitioners often bring expertise from practice. I don’t know of many other graduate programs that gives you as many opportunities for hands on learning as ours does. In my opinion, this gives us a leg up because we’ve been practicing for two years in addition to learning in a

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