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“So you want to be a principal?” Explaining Student Affairs To Friends and my Cuban Family

July 14, 2016 Nicole Diaz

Many student affairs professionals will understand the special kind of frustration that comes from explaining what they do for a living. When speaking to those who have heard of student affairs or student affairs professionals, it might be an easy conversation. You can begin to list some of the functional areas to give them an idea of what you’re talking about, “You know, the Career Center, Residence Life professionals, Leadership offices, Multicultural Centers- the people who work there!” For the others, it’s usually lengthy and includes many, “It’s almost like…” or, “Have you heard of….” After all of that explanation, the other person might respond, “Oh wow, that’s interesting.” But it’s likely their next response will be something like, “So you’re a principal?” And then round two begins.

A quick Google search asking what student affairs is will produce the following, “Student affairs, student support, or student services is the department or division of services and support for students at institutions of higher education to enhance student growth and development in the United States and abroad.” This seems simple enough, but for students who are still deciding their career paths and are considering student affairs, it can be hard to find support in their professional journey when it seems no one understands their goals. Personally, trying to explain to family members that I was not going to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer was challenging enough. There were times I gave up and just told people I was studying Psychology.

This is why I’m encouraging all professionals in the field to actually have these lengthy conversations to explain what we do. The more others know and understand the profession, the more easily they can encourage someone struggling in college to reach out to a student affairs professional for help. The more we talk about what we do, the more people will realize the plethora of services and support we offer, and the incredible amounts of learning and transformation that can happen outside of the classroom. And, the more we talk to people about student affairs, the easier it will be for the undergraduate student who is considering the field to feel understood, validated, and realize they’re entering an incredible career path that makes an impact.

Explaining student affairs infographic. Full text at bottom of post.

Use this handy infographic to help explain student affairs to your friends and family. Using a screenreader? Please consult the text version at the bottom of this post.

In my personal experience with my Cuban family, not only did I have to explain what student affairs was, but I also had to explain in Spanish. To depict the full complexity of the situation, it’s important to note that there is no perfect translation for “student affairs,” in Spanish. Also, the United States is a global leader in the relatively young field of student affairs, so for my family, many of whom are immigrants to this country or did not attend college, I have had to get creative to help them understand. To save others time, I’ll share what I’ve found.

Three different translations of student affairs are: “Administración de la Universidad,” “Servicios para Estudiantes,” or, “División de Asuntos Estudiantiles.” If none of those titles are helpful in your explanations, I found that a well-known point of reference to help start the conversation was to ask if they know what a Dean of Students is. The translation for a Dean of Students in Spanish is, “Decano de Estudiantes.” From there, I explained that student affairs professionals were like deans of students, and also specialized in many different areas to help students grow outside the classroom. I then began to list functional areas. Is it possible that some of my family members still think I want to be a principal? I won’t rule it out. I still get texts from my abuela (grandmother) asking for the exact title of what I’m studying in graduate school. She just wants to make sure she doesn’t get it wrong when she’s talking to her friends in the Miami bakery she goes to every morning. It’s a process, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is that they know I’m doing something I love- since they’ve mostly accepted I’m not going to be a lawyer.

Do you have your student affairs elevator pitch down to a science? Share it in the comments section!

  • Full infographic text

    Ask if they know what student affairs is

    If yes, share the specifics of your role and how you support your students, and then you made it!

    If no, explain that student affairs professionals work in a college and support student success outside the classroom. Do they know what you mean?

    If yes, share the specifics of your role and how you support students, and then you made it!

    If no, ask if they have been to college.

    If no, compare the position to high school roles like a guidance counselor. Explain they are specialized and discuss different functional areas as examples. Did that help?

    If yes, share the specifics of your role and how you support students. Then, you made it! If no, keep at it and try discussing our purpose, goals, and different examples of departments. They’ll get it soon!

    If yes, they’ve been to college, give some reference points like Deans of Students, Residence Hall Directors, and Academic Advisors. Did that help?

    If no, keep at it and try discussions our purpose, goals, and different examples of departments. They’ll get it soon! If yes, compare the position to high school roles like a guidance counselor. Explain they are specialized and discuss different functional areas as examples. Did that help?

    If no, keep at it and try discussing our purpose, goals, and different examples of departments. They’ll get it soon! If yes, share the specifics of your role and how you support students, and then you made it!

    For more information on student affairs, visit bit.ly/NASPAstudent

    NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education