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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 Â鶹Éç, 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, Â鶹Éç, 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 assistantship and practicum experiences align with the theory-to-practice value philosophy of the College Student Personnel (CSP) program. While holding an assistantship each semester and participating in one semester-long practicum is the requirement, you will have the opportunity and support to engage in 5 professional work experiences with 1,500+ hours of training including: 2 year-long graduate assistantship placements, two practica experience, and a summer internship. These opportunities enable you to fully engage in the learning process. You will apply theories and concepts gained in the classroom to real-life student affairs work on a daily basis. By participating in graduate assistantships and practica experiences, you gain professional skills, concepts, and knowledge to become outstanding student affairs practitioners who possess the knowledge and skills to facilitate the learning and development of students.

Look below for a full listing of graduate assistantships with position descriptions and a listing of practicum experiences typically completed by CSP students.

Graduate Assistantships

The CSP program offers assistantship opportunities in a wide range of student affairs and academic affairs offices throughout campus. During the second year of the program, you enroll in CSP 597 Theory to Practice I and CSP 598 Theory to Practice II. These academic courses support you through the assistantship experience and provide an academic curriculum to enhance the learning and professional work experience tackling subjects such as program/event development and program assessment.ÌýÌý(

As a full-time assistant, you work 20 hours per week and receive a monthly stipend and waiver of tuition. As of July 2024, the graduate assistant stipend is $1,224 per month or $9,792 per academic year (pre-tax). Graduate assistantships in University Housing and Dining Services additionally offer room and board benefits.

Examples of graduate assistantship opportunities:

• Academic Advisor in First Year Advising Center
• Centennial Honors College Graduate Assistant
• 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

Click here to see all graduate assistantship opportunities typically held by CSP students and the related position descriptions.

Click here to see the School of Graduate Studies graduate assistantship policies and information.

Practica Experiences

Practica experiences are an opportunity for you to gain additional experience in a new area of student affairs or academic affairs, and take place in the Spring semester of the first year and the Fall semester of the second year. During the first practicum experience, you work an average of 10 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 CSP 561 Practicum in Student Affairs. During the optional second practicum experience, you design your own experience to reflect your personal goals and interests. ÌýÌý(

Examples of practicum experiences:

• Open House Coordinator with Undergraduate Admissions
• Advisor for University Union Advisory Board
• Advisor for Alternative Spring Break
• Teaching Assistant for CSP or Undergraduate Courses
• Coordinator of testing services in Disability Resource Center
• Hearing officer with Judicial Programs
• TRIO Advisor

Summer Internship Experiences

• Housing and Dining Services, Wayne State University (MI)
• Summer Camps and Conferences, Colorado Mesa University (CO)
• Upward Bound Program, Â鶹Éç 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)

Being a First Time Supervisor

This past summer I had the opportunity to be a student affairs intern at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Go Vols!) working as an Assistant Conference Manager (a.k.a. Summer Hall Director). As a first-time supervisor, I worked with 16 undergraduate students that were a mix of first-time summer staff workers and folks who served in the same role last year. I started the summer co-supervising the staff with a Hall Director. About three weeks into the summer, there was a slight change in positions and I was given additional responsibilities including solely supervising the 16 staff members and four buildings. With these added responsibilities as a new member on the team, it was challenging to navigate. I was excited for the professional development I was about to embark on as well as nervous at the thought of doing it by myself. After talking with my supervisor about my additional responsibilities, the fear began to disappear as I was reminded of the support system I had in place.

As the summer went on, I began to develop my own supervisory style. I began learning what it meant to have boundaries with my staff. For example, my staff and I would often enjoy a round of milkshakes at a local restaurant but when conversations shifted from appropriate to inappropriate, I had to change the subjects and remind them that I was their supervisor. I also learned about handling personnel conflict. When it came to my staff members having conflict with each other, I spoke with each individual about the issue and then mediated a conversation between them. I was able to remain a neutral party and take on a mediator role – I felt like a true professional!

During my long ten hour drive back to Macomb, I reflected on my summer experience and what I had learned. I learned that I am competent; I want to find a professional balance of having boundaries with my students. Most importantly I was reminded that I love working in Student Affairs. Watching my students grow in a short three months and seeing the passion they had along with my co-interns and supervisors reminded me that I love this field.

Written by: Hayley Remmel