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CSP 553: Organization and Administration of Student Affairs provides a macro view of colleges and universities including governing boards, organizational structure, institutional leadership, and how student affairs as a field fits into organizational structures. (Being able to analyze organizational structures and institutional leadership helps you advocate for students and funding in your future professional roles!) To help diversify your perspective of structural options, increase your awareness of the impact on student affairs functions, and refine your analytical skills, you and your classmates select, visit, and interview professionals at a college or university of your choice including the Chief Student Affairs Officer. Past institutions groups have visited include the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the University of Missouri, and the University of Iowa!

Our site visit was a great experience all around, and we really enjoyed the practitioners and students we met and conversed with. During our visit to the University of Kansas, we learned a lot about the operations of their campus, ranging from their advising center procedures to their unique student Code of Conduct. We met with three different functional areas and the Vice President of Student Affairs. It gave me a broader perspective of how varying student affairs can be on a certain campus and I appreciated going through this experience with my group.

- Laura Casey ‘20

My site visit group chose to attend the University of Wisconsin at Madison! Only having significant administrative experience working at Western, a mid-sized school, it was so interesting to see how a Big 10 school ran things. Our group also met up with all of the CSP alumni currently working at UW Madison and we had an amazing lunch connecting over CSP, Western, and our experiences in Macomb. Overall it was a great experience!

- Erin Childers ‘21

A highlight during the first semester is CSP 555: Advising & Helping Skills where you gain an understanding of basic counseling skills in the college student setting. Listening, asking questions, and attending behavior are three important skills for student affairs educators. In the video helping session, you have dedicated helping sessions with another person. You submit a recorded video and receive commentary about the degree to which you incorporated course materials and your own experiences into the sessions.

With this assignment, you get the opportunity to help a classmate with a challenge they're facing by practicing and enhancing your counseling skills.

- Dr. Julie Brines ‘08, Assistant Professor

Graduate Assistantships

The CSP program connects you with assistantship opportunities in a wide range of student affairs and academic affairs offices throughout campus. With courses like , you'll see how your learning in the classroom supports you through your assistantship experience.Ìý

Examples of graduate assistantship positions include:

• Academic Advisor in First Year Advising Center
• Assistant Complex Director in University Housing and Dining Services
• Greek Life Advisor in Office of Student Engagement
• Office of Admissions Graduate Assistant
• Multicultural Center Graduate Assistant
• New Student and Family Programs Graduate Assistant

Practicum Experience

The practicum offers you the opportunity to gain additional experience in a new area of student affairs or academic affairs, and takes place in the fall semester of the second year. During the practicum experience, you work an average of 5 hours per week in an area of student affairs unrelated to your assistantship either on-campus or at a nearby institution (Spoon River Community College, Knox College, Monmouth College, Carl Sandburg College), while enrolled in .

Examples of practicum experiences include:

• Open House Coordinator with Undergraduate Admissions
• Advisor for University Union Board
• Advisor for Alternative Spring Break
• Teaching Assistant for CSP or Undergraduate Courses
• Assistant for Campus Recreation

Examples of Summer Internship Experiences

• Housing and Dining Services, Wayne State University (MI)
• Summer Camps and Conferences, Colorado Mesa University (CO)
• Upward Bound Program, Western Kentucky University (KY)
• Office of Student Leadership and Involvement, Suffolk University (MA)
• Pre-College Programs, Rhode Island School of Design (RI)
• Residential Life, Joffrey Academy of Dance (IL)
• Residence Life, California State- Saint Marcos (CA)
• Orientation, East Carolina University (SC)
• Residential Life - Marketing,Texas Tech University (TX)
• Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life, Miami University (OH)
• Residential Life, Oregon State University (OR)
• Orientation, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (NY)
• Summer Bridge Program, University of Maryland Baltimore County (MD)
• Orientation, Rutgers University-New Brunswick (NJ)

Summer 2024 Internship Experience

I had the opportunity to be a Summer Housing and Conferences intern at Portland State University (PSU). My decision to choose PSU was influenced by the institution’s size, its location, and its unique culture. I sought an experience distinctly different from my current one at °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼ (°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÀúÊ·¼Ç¼) and was eager to explore how student affairs operated in the Pacific Northwest compared to the Midwest.

During my internship, I was responsible for hiring and supervising 15 student staff members. My duties included training them for the conference season, managing and creating their schedules, approving their timesheets, and resolving conflicts, among other tasks. Additionally, I had the opportunity to work closely with my supervisor, who provided daily guidance and support.

I also had the chance to meet with various members of the student affairs staff, interview the Director of International Student Services, and work with the orientation team. My supervisor offered extensive advice on navigating the job search and recommended several schools that would be ideal for an international graduate like myself.

A significant highlight of my internship was participating in multiple interview panels for Assistant Director positions. I contributed meaningful feedback and posed questions to the candidates, which was a valuable experience.

Overall, this internship was exceptional. I highly recommend that every CSP student pursue an internship. Embrace the opportunity to gain experience that will benefit you in the future. Although I arrived in Portland without knowing anyone, I left with valuable references, wonderful memories, and lasting friendships. The preparation and skills gained from the CSP program were instrumental in making this experience a success.

Written by: Henissa Charles '25