Query
Template: /var/www/farcry/projects/fandango/www/action/sherlockFunctions.cfm
Execution Time: 4.25 ms
Record Count: 1
Cached: Yes
Cache Type: timespan
Lazy: No
SQL:
SELECT top 1 objectid,'cmCTAPromos' as objecttype
FROM cmCTAPromos
WHERE status = 'approved'
AND ctaType = 'moreinfo'
objectidobjecttype
11BD6E890-EC62-11E9-807B0242AC100103cmCTAPromos

Critical development for SA pros moving into VPSA roles

July 27, 2016 Amy Hecht Florida State University

I accepted my first vice presidency and started my new position in January 2014. I felt prepared going into my role, having spent years reading books on the VPSA role and discussing the benefits and challenges with mentors in this position. However, no matter how prepared I thought I was, there were many challenges in this role I had not anticipated. 

For many considering attending the 2016 NASPA Institute for New Vice Presidents for Student Affairs, you may be thinking that you can’t possibly steal away from campus in October. I thought the same thing. However, campus survived without me. In fact, being away from campus during that time allowed me to get out of the weeds and empower my executive team.  

The Institute made me a better VPSA. There were times during the Institute I thought, “Oh gosh, we need to have that discussion back on campus, too” or “I need to pay attention to that area more” or “I wonder if we have that policy; I need to confirm with my team.” It also increased my confidence. I was moving the institution in the right direction and it reconfirmed the importance of the priorities I set for my organization. It was well worth juggling my calendar during a traditionally busy time of year in student affairs.   

I had experienced a number of NASPA’s professional development programs so I was confident that if I attended, I would gain valuable insights. However, this experience far exceeded my expectations. Before arriving at the Institute, I received an email from Shannon Ellis, one of the Institute Faculty members, who had read my submission materials. 

I had indicated that I wanted to learn more to better utilize my Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees. While that topic was not in the curriculum, Shannon informed me that she would bring me a publication she had authored for AGB on that very topic. It was that type of personalized attention and desire to help each participant walk away with what they needed that exceeded any expectations I had for the Institute, and I had not even arrived yet!

At the start of the Institute, the opening session involved the standard introductions and a brief description of what each person hoped to learn. It was a telling exercise and one that reinforced that we had many commonalities regardless of institution size or type. 

During each session, I took lots of notes and even started a list of things to do, people to contact, issues to consider, and publications to read. After one year post-Institute, I was still referring back to that list and my notes from the Institute.  After over two years in the vice president position, I realized that I am still using those lessons learned and working to implement the changes in my organization that I identified at the Institute.  

NASPA’s Institute for New Vice Presidents for Student Affairs is definitely on my list as a “must” for anyone transitioning into this role.

Amy Hecht currently serves as the vice president for student affairs at Florida State University.