A Reflective Learning Journal

My professional life includes working with student affairs professionals and cross-campus partners to ensure that we are 1) supporting students to develop their own definition of success while studying at university, 2) creating the conditions on campus for students to thrive academically and socially, and 3) ensuring that the student experience is holistic, safe and seamless where barriers are diminished and pathways are clear. Any Student Life/Affairs professional will tell you that this is not a small task. Post-secondary life is a complex time of student development and identity shifting all set within an organizational context that does not change easily. Did I mention that I love it? Well, I do! The challenge of this work is an honour as campus life can be transformative for an individual as well as those who work within it.

As I settle into my new role, I am engaging with the literature about what makes for a strong Student Life & Success (SLS) Framework and there is much to read. Over the next year, my goal is to break-down the research and contribute an emerging framework of my own in this public forum. I am open to hearing from you about your thoughts so please feel free to connect on LinkedIn with me. This is the first splat of my personal, SLS framework. This will shift and change as I read, consult with students and peers, and begin to envision the whole in a new way. So, take this SPLAT for what it is… a place to get started.

I will explore each domain here at Together Wise and attempt to connect the research that underlies it all. At the heart, I am a transformative leader with a transformative world view that has been inspired and shaped by Paulo Freire (more to follow on this as well over time!). I look forward to hearing your ideas as we go.