Professional Development Commission Initial Survey
Introduction
Attached in this document are the findings and data associated with the Wisconsin College Personnel Associations’ (WCPA) Professional Development Commission’s Initial Survey.
This survey was sent to the entire WCPA Membership of approximately 325 members.
The response rate of this survey was approximately 33%.
Question #1:
“Please Indicate your age.”
| Answer | Response | % |
| 23-30 | 50 | 46% |
| 31-40 | 25 | 23% |
| 41-50 | 17 | 16% |
| 51-60 | 11 | 10% |
| Older and Wiser than 60 | 5 | 5% |
| Total | 108 | 100% |
The response of this survey, by age is listed and depicted above. The question also included an “18-22” category, however there were no responses submitted.
Question #2:
“Do you associate yourself with one of the generational archetypes (i.e. Silent, Baby Boomer, Gen X, Gen Y, Millennial, etc)?”
| Answer | Response | % |
| No | 31 | 32% |
| Boomer | 17 | 17.50% |
| Gen X | 22 | 22.70% |
| Gen Y | 5 | 5.15% |
| Millennial | 9 | 9% |
| Gen X and Boomer | 2 | 2% |
| Gen X and Gen Y | 2 | 2% |
| Millennial and Y | 5 | 5.15% |
| Gen X and Millennial | 3 | 3% |
| Yes | 1 | 1% |
| Total | 97 | 100% |
About one-third of the responses to question #2 were No. There was over a 12% response rate of people indicating they felt connected to more than one generational archetype.
Question #3:
“Please indicate the number of years you have been full-time in the Student Affairs Profession.”
| Answer | Response | % |
| 0-3 years | 32 | 30% |
| 3-7 years | 30 | 28% |
| 7-10 years | 14 | 13% |
| 11-15 years | 10 | 9% |
| 16-20 years | 4 | 4% |
| 21-25 years | 10 | 9% |
| 26-30 years | 4 | 4% |
| 30+ years | 4 | 4% |
| Total | 108 | 100% |
Question #4:
“What is your highest degree attained?”
| Answer | Response | % |
| Associates Degree | 1 | 1% |
| Bachelors Degree | 25 | 23% |
| Masters Degree- Non Student Affairs related field | 16 | 15% |
| Masters Degree- Student Affairs related field | 61 | 56% |
| Professional Degree (e.g. Law etc) | 1 | 1% |
| Doctoral Degree | 4 | 4% |
| Total | 108 | 100% |
Question #5:
“Are you currently enrolled in a degree seeking program?”
| Answer | Response | % |
| Yes | 30 | 28% |
| Plan to enroll within the next year | 6 | 6% |
| No | 71 | 66% |
| Total | 107 | 100% |
Question #6:
“What type of Institution do you currently work at?”
| Answer | Response | % |
| Public Institution 4 year | 74 | 69% |
| Private Institution 4 year | 19 | 18% |
| Technical College | 9 | 8% |
| Other | 5 | 5% |
| Total | 107 | 100% |
This question also included responses of both 2-year public and private institutions; however there were no responses to those categories.
Question #7:
“Do you plan to remain in Wisconsin, professionally?”
| Answer | Response | % |
| Yes | 96 | 90% |
| No | 11 | 10% |
| Total | 107 | 100% |
Question #8:
“What kinds of skills, experiences, or knowledge would help you in achieving your professional goals?”
As the responses for this question were in short answer form, some answers were combined with like-answers. Please see the addendum tables for the actual written answers.
Top 5 responses
| Answer | Response | % |
| Technology (social media, web, webinar, etc) | 10 | 7% |
| Job Market, Career Info, Advancement | 15 | 10.56% |
| Networking/Mentoring | 14 | 9.86% |
| New Innovations (Trends, theory, programming etc) | 13 | 9% |
| Training and Development (PD, Speakers, Leadership, Advising, Supervision) | 15 | 10.56% |
Top Second Tier Responses
| Judicial, Restorative Justice, Conduct | 6 | 4.22% |
| Mental Health Issues, At risk Students, First Gen | 7 | 5% |
| Diversity/Social Justice | 5 | 3.52% |
| Grant Writing | 5 | 3.52% |
| Assessment/Learning Outcomes | 9 | 6.30% |
Low Second Tier Responses
| Doctoral Programs in State/Region | 4 | 2.81% |
| Professional Writing/Publishing | 2 | 1.41% |
| Collaboration with Non S.A. Depts. | 2 | 1.41% |
| Best Practices at other Institutions | 3 | 2.11% |
| Personal Stories from other Professionals | 3 | 2.11% |
| Budget | 4 | 2.81% |
| Marketing Strategies | 2 | 1.41% |
| Strategic Planning | 2 | 1.41% |
| Fundraising | 2 | 1.41% |
| Legal Issues In Higher Ed. | 4 | 2.81% |
| Politics of Higher Ed. | 4 | 2.81% |
Lowest Responses
| Time Management | 1 | 0.70% |
| Co-Curricular Transcript Development | 1 | 0.70% |
| Threat Assessment | 1 | 0.70% |
| Personal Motivation | 1 | 0.70% |
| Teaching Experience | 1 | 0.70% |
| Group Facilitation | 1 | 0.70% |
| Recruitment Strategies (Volunteers) | 1 | 0.70% |
| Millennial Students | 1 | 0.70% |
| Non-traditional student Outreach | 1 | 0.70% |
| Public Speaking | 1 | 0.70% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 1 | 0.70% |
Question #9:
“Do you feel WCPA supports your professional development?”
| Answer | Response | % |
| Yes | 83 | 78% |
| No | 23 | 22% |
| Total | 106 | 100% |
Question #10:
“How could WCPA better support your professional goals?”
As the responses for this question were in short answer form, some answers were combined with like-answers. Please see the addendum tables for the actual written answers.
Top Tier Responses
| Answer | Response | % |
| Online Opportunities (Webinar, Listserv, Newsletter) | 10 | 15.38% |
| Doesn’t/Have Not Taken Advantage | 9 | 13.85% |
| More Drive-In Opportunities/Sessions in between conference | 7 | 10.77% |
| Networking/Mentor Placing | 6 | 9.23% |
| More Mid-Upper Level Info | 5 | 7.69% |
Middle Tier Responses
| Change Conference Time of Year | 4 | 6.15% |
| Less Res Life Focuses | 3 | 4.62% |
| Job Board/Info/Development | 3 | 4.62% |
| More resources for working with Grad Students | 2 | 3.08% |
| Cheaper Conference Fees | 2 | 3.08% |
| Collaboration with Other Professional Orgs | 2 | 3.08% |
Lowest Tier Responses
| Continuing Ed. Credits | 1 | 1.54% |
| Less Public Institution Focused | 1 | 1.54% |
| More Interactive Experiences | 1 | 1.54% |
| More Diverse Offerings | 1 | 1.54% |
| Functional Area Interest Groups | 1 | 1.54% |
| Student Networking | 1 | 1.54% |
| Position Relevance | 1 | 1.54% |
| Have More than 1 Conference a Year | 1 | 1.54% |
| More New Professional Information | 1 | 1.54% |
| Fundraising Workshops | 1 | 1.54% |
| More Rigorous Program Standards at Conference | 1 | 1.54% |
| Developmental Workshops | 1 | 1.54% |
Question #11:
“What types of professional development opportunities would you like to see from the WCPA Professional Development Committee (some current ideas include: a social networking site, an annual book club with discussions at the conference, and adopt-a-professional program)?”
As the responses for this question were in short answer form, some answers were combined with like-answers. Please see the addendum tables for the actual written answers.
Top Tier Responses
| Answer | Response | % |
| Adopt-a-Professional Program/mentor | 35 | 34.65% |
| Online Opportunities (Social Networking, Webinar, Blog) | 24 | 23.76% |
| Book Club | 25 | 24.75% |
| Learning about other S.A. Professions/Job | 3 | 2.97% |
| More 1-day workshops | 2 | 1.98% |
Lower Tier Responses
| Wider S.A. Focus | 1 | 0.99% |
| Reaching out to schools in state | 1 | 0.99% |
| Institutional Partnerships | 1 | 0.99% |
| Benchmarking | 1 | 0.99% |
| Trends | 1 | 0.99% |
| Advanced Assessment Workshops | 1 | 0.99% |
| Consistent Newsletter | 1 | 0.99% |
| Professional Opportunities by region | 1 | 0.99% |
| More Publicity on Commissions | 1 | 0.99% |
| Motivational Interviewing Strategies | 1 | 0.99% |
| Showcase Different Institution Types | 1 | 0.99% |
| Doctoral Program Info | 1 | 0.99% |
Question #12:
“Are there conditions that would make you more likely to participate in professional development opportunities within WCPA (i.e. location, cost, technology, etc)?”
As the responses for this question were in short answer form, some answers were combined with like-answers. Please see the addendum tables for the actual written answers.
Top Tier Responses
| Answer | Response | % |
| Cost | 41 | 32.00% |
| Location | 35 | 27.13% |
| Time of Year | 15 | 11.72% |
| Day, Drive-In, Evenings, Weekends | 10 | 7.81% |
| Subject Matter | 10 | 7.81% |
| Technology | 9 | 7.00% |
Lower Tier Responses
| Regional Sessions More Often | 3 | 2.32% |
| Credibility of Topics/Programs | 3 | 2.32% |
| Advanced Notice/Communication | 2 | 1.55% |
| Well Known Presenters | 1 | 0.08% |
| Affiliation with other Professional Orgs | 1 | 0.08% |
| Department Leadership Buy-In | 1 | 0.08% |
Relevant Results
Demographics
- About 70% of the respondents were under the age of 40 (ages 23-40)
- About 54% of the respondents identified with a generational archetype
- 32% do not identify with a generational archetype
- 12% indicated that they identify with more than one archetype
- About 71% of the respondents have held a full-time job in Student Affairs for 10 years or less
- About 76% of the respondents hold a Master’s Degree, or higher
- 61% of those hold a Master’s Degree in a Student Affairs field, or higher
- About 87% of respondents work at a 4-year institution (both public and private)
- 90% of respondents intend to remain in Wisconsin professionally
The top five topics in response to:*
“What kinds of skills, experiences, or knowledge would help you in achieving your professional goals?”
- Job market, Career Info, Advancement Info
- Training and Development Information (i.e. Professional Development, Leadership, Advising, and Supervision Development
- Networking/Adopt-a-Professional
- New Innovations (i.e. trends, theory, programs)
- Technology Use (i.e. social media, using the web, hosting a webinar).
Assessment and Learning Outcomes were at the second tier answers of this question, followed by mental health issues, judicial issues, grant writing, and social justice/diversity
Note: About 78% of respondents felt that WCPA supported their professional development. This statistic may be skewed when comparing it to the written responses of the survey, many of which indicate that the respondents hadn’t taken advantage of what WCPA had to offer and therefore had no knowledge about the professional development opportunities available to them.
“How could WCPA better support your professional goals?”
- Online Opportunities (webinar, listserv, newsletter)
- Doesn’t support or have not taken advantage of the opportunities
- Have more drive-in/sessions between annual conference
- Networking/Mentoring
- Have more Mid to Upper Level Professional Information
“What types of professional development opportunities would you like to see from the WCPA Professional Development Committee (some current ideas include: a social networking site, an annual book club with discussions at the conference, and adopt-a-professional program)”
- Adopt-a professional Program
- Online Opportunities (Social Networking, Webinar, Blog)
- Book Club
- Learning About Others Student Affairs Professions/Job Info
- More 1-day workshops
“Are there conditions that would make you more likely to participate in professional development opportunities within WCPA (i.e. location, cost, technology, etc)”
- Changing Cost (32%)
- Changing Location (27%)
- Changing the Time of Year (12%)
- More Day, Drive-In and Weekend Conferences (8%)
- Use of Technology (7%)
*Many responses included multiple answers. Data was interpreted on the number of topics in the response, not the total number of respondents.
Information the Professional Development Commission will be Using
While all of the information is useful, the Professional Development Commission currently plans to use the responses to questions #8, #10, and #11 to create an action plan. Previous to the distribution of this survey, the Professional Development Commission had brainstormed the adopt-a-professional mentor-type program, a social networking site, and an annual book club. This information will go back to the commission to begin conversations about creating these opportunities.
Other pieces of information from the survey will be passed on to the Wisconsin College Personnel Association commissions and executive board for their use in areas that may affect the member’s professional development.
| Text Response to Question #2
“Do you associate yourself with one of the generational archetypes (i.e. Silent, Baby Boomer, Gen X, Gen Y, Millennial, etc)? |
| By birth year (and geography) a baby boomer but on the cusp of Gen X. Don’t really relate to either entirely. |
| Millennial |
| Baby Boomer |
| Baby Boomer |
| Baby Boomers |
| Although I am considered a Millenial based on the year I was born, I tend to have more traits of Gen Y. |
| No |
| Gex X |
| Baby Boomer |
| No |
| No |
| I see my self as being on the edge of Millennial type behaviors. As the oldest child in the my family I share traits of both Gen X and Gen Y. |
| No. |
| Gen x |
| Gen X! |
| Baby Boomer |
| Boomer |
| Baby Boomer Generation. |
| Gen Y |
| boomer |
| I’m a cusp-er: between Gen X and Y. But I do not identify strongly that way. |
| Generation X |
| I fall between Gen X and Millennial and don’t identify strongly with either. |
| Millennial although a cusper |
| Yes – Gen X |
| Gen X |
| Not really. |
| Gen X |
| Technically I’m a millennial, but I see overlap between that and Gen Y |
| Millennial |
| I’m on the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y. |
| I am situated awkwardly between Gen X and Millennial (GenY. |
| Gen X if anything. |
| Very moderately Gen Y/Millennial |
| NO |
| not really |
| no–I’m on the cusp for boomer and gen x |
| Boomer |
| Do not necessarily associate myself with on particular generational archetypes, however, I would be considered “Gen X.” |
| Gen X |
| I seem to fit between Gen X and Baby Boomer! |
| Gen X |
| no |
| No |
| Gen Y I guess, I am not a Millennial. |
| no |
| Gen Y- I do NOT call myself a millennial, and do not associate myself with that generation whatsoever. |
| Gen X |
| Age-wise I would fall under the beginning of the Millenial Generation. However, I don’t feel that I fit into most of the generalizations that are given to Millenials. So, I don’t really I identify myself with a specific generational archetype |
| I am on the cusp of Gen Y and Millennial, so I can relate with aspects of both groups but do not feel that I mostly align with either group. |
| Millennial |
| Most closely with millenials, but also tied to gen x due to my older siblings influence. |
| no |
| Millennial |
| Baby Boomer |
| NO |
| Gen Y/Mellennial |
| Baby Boomer (but not strictly – IE – try to keep up with the latest technology) |
| gen x |
| GenX |
| no |
| Gen X |
| No, I fall directly between Gen X and the Millennials. |
| Baby Boomer |
| not really |
| very end of the baby boomer. |
| Not really. I kind of fall between two. |
| no |
| Yes, baby boomer. |
| Gen X |
| Gen X |
| baby boomer |
| Baby Boomer |
| Millenial |
| If anything, probably Generation X, though, I don’t often use this lens to view myself. |
| Gen X |
| no |
| No |
| I’m right on the line between Gen X and Millennial. |
| Gen Y / Millennial |
| baby Boomer |
| Gen Y |
| Technically, Gen X. |
| Millennial |
| Gen X |
| Gen X |
| Yes. |
| no |
| in between a Baby Boomer and Gen Xer. |
| Somewhat Millennial |
| Gen X |
| No |
| Gen X |
| Millennial |
| gen y |
| No |
| no |
| Text Response to Question #8
What kinds of skills, experiences, or knowledge would help you in achieving your professional goals? |
| Better use of technology specifically social media, web sites, etc. Understanding of labor market and how it affects students’/clients’ plans for the future. Helping students/clients connect with non-traditional careers. |
| What employers are looking for, societal changes and how they impact the field for the future |
| Better networking to learn about new institutions, and job openings. |
| New, cutting edge ideas, theories, programs, etc. |
| Opportunities to learn more adminstrative duties OTJ, thus opening doors to addvancement |
| Diversity/Social Justice |
| increase knowledge on computer programs grant writing skills public speaking |
| Presentations on new research or programs is always appreciated. I also enjoy networking with professionals across the state. |
| Changes in student development, legal issues in higher education, assessment of student learning, dealing with difficult people, navigating the political spectrum of higher education, comprehensive listing of recommended speakers and consultants for training and development, utilizing restorative justice in student development, social justice. |
| Understanding of application materials and financial aid in doctoral programs in the state. |
| The wide variety of exprience as an undergrad helped me to focus my goals as a professional. Involvement in an informal mentoring program at my current University has been helpful to my current development. Involvement in NACA and WiNAP have also been great networking tools. |
| New trends in students – vets, non-trads, guy land We many times know instinctively what it happening but I’d like an understanding about why these trends are taking place and also how we can better meet the needs of our students. |
| Things that can keep someone current even if they are currently not working in higher education because of other circumstances such as family. |
| Networking, time management, co-curricular transcript development |
| More workshops on mental health issues of college students Chances to network with other Student Affairs Systems from other universities or colleges |
| Threat Assessment |
| I would benefit from any education or work experience in working in the position of Director of all university food services. Experience and information dealing with the university setting and how I can tool my past experiences to work within that job setting. |
| Networking opportunities outside of the WCPA conference. |
| learn more about how to run a webinar for an association How to better prepare students and alums to use social networking especially LinkedIn. How to integrate videos into our web site in a useful way |
| Training and experience in leadership, being assertive, and developing an advising style. |
| Working with student groups on resolving issues involving policy violations Working with difficult or absent advisors |
| More management experience, grant writing, publishing professionally |
| How to move out of Student Affairs into other areas, academic affairs, etc. Basically what to do when your top goal isn’t to be director of housing. |
| At this point in my career my best opportunities and experiences are those that involve co-curricular collaboration with faculty and staff. In addition, finding opportunities to do research and publish would be helpful. |
| I would more professional development opportunties as it relates to student services for graduates. This is an area I feel is lacking in most conferences, literature, etc. and as it is the area in which I am serving and have a passion for, it is important to me to have the opportunity to keep up with trends in this area. |
| Best practices from other institution, hearing stories of how professionals I admire got to where they are, participating in research and conversation on hot topics |
| How to supervise professional staff members (making the leap from an entry-level job to a mid-level job), budgets, assessment in student affairs |
| I’d be interested in networking opportunities outside of the conference or even mentoring programs for younger professionals who could use a little of the wisdom of previous generations. It is very difficult to know how to navigate the job market thses days. |
| With a question so broad I wouldn’t know where to start. Continuing Education related directly to field, ie Management, Aquatics or Facilities Management. Having the opportunity to attend workshops or conferences. Right now we are “very” limited in attending anything that requires more travel than jumping in a car. |
| Internship or hands-on learning experiences that could take place outside of business hours (currently hold a full-time job in a non-higher ed field and am trying to change careers). |
| Continued work on learning outcomes measuring these outcomes and the work of student affairs |
| Budgetary |
| Learning more and fine tuning skills and abilities in supervision, marketing to today’s student, keeping pulse on how students are changing (and/or remaining the same), social networking, how to stay fresh in an old job |
| Knowledge base/skills: Grantwriting, assessment tools, data interpretation |
| Increased experience working with a wider array of cultures. Also, experience and knowledge in techniques for working with people of different ages (children, adolescents, young adults, adults, elderly, etc.) |
| Trends in working with graduate students. |
| Information helping to identify recent successful trends in student learning and support. |
| more higher educational experience |
| Networking with other across-the-state professionals in order to share the paths that lead them to their current positions, as well as where they thought they might be 10 years ago, as opposed to where they’ve actually ended up. |
| I am considering pursuing my Ph.D. as I miss the chance to connect with colleagues on a regular basis. I think that being enrolled in a course provides me with the motivation that I need to stay on top of the field (reading journal articles, responding to questions related to issues in student affairs, etc). |
| I am probably going to have to move over if I want to move up, so exposure to information about other opportunities within student affairs to help me determine what type of experiences I want to go after at my campus. |
| More supervision experience, advising experience, budgeting, netoworking. |
| Dealing with a range of Mental Health issues Strategic planning Political astuteness Legal Issues |
| I think that social media is around to stay and that I think workshops that are more in-depth (beyond “how-to” or “what is?”) would be helpful in creating relationships with students and other staff and Academic members of campus. |
| Within PD contexts, I often appreciate idea and resource sharing – answering the questions – what creative efforts have worked for your office/with your students lately? Taking these ideas, altering them to fit our campus and using the parts that work best saves a lot of time and offers fresh experiences for students. |
| Student conduct/disipline; advising |
| Skills related to colaborating with other staff on and off campus. Grant writing. Fundraising. Evaluating and assessing student affairs programs and services. |
| Right now I am looking for networking and job hunting skills. |
| Information related to changing student needs and skills, including technology. Current best practices in a number of areas Updates on legislative issues impacting our work |
| Working with At Risk Students as a total package from the dorm to advising to the professors. How to wake up students that college is a different experience and they need to start off on the right foot. |
| leadership, knowledge of how wisconsin higher ed system works (government, public/private institutions, etc.) |
| technology skills, knowlege about the job market, what employers (IE. businesses, organizations, government, schools, etc.) are looking for and what they want us to tell our students. |
| I would like to learn how to better advise students who do not want to hear what you have to say…they want to hear what they want to hear. |
| budget experience, networking |
| leadership experience and teaching experience |
| Computer skills training–I do just enough to get by |
| Technical. |
| I work primarily with conditionally admitted, first generation college students. I need to know multiple ways to help them meet their needs. |
| A workshop on fund raising. |
| Anything related to career development, MBTI, energizing students |
| Assessment and research, grant writting, program implementation. |
| group facilitation, marketing, recruiting volunteers |
| I teach a Career and Life Planning course at a two-year institution. any information on career development/exploration would be helpful. Also, information on working with at risk students or adult students would be great. |
| networking, learning outcomes |
| My focus right now is developing awareness, knowledge and skills around multicultural competence. Experiences that would complement that would be helpful. |
| I would like WCPA to continue it’s good work engaging graduate students and new professionals. |
| Advising, Supervising, Student Trends, Programming |
| Social networking knowledge |
| Learning from professionals currently in Higher Ed, and networking. |
| A comprehensive list of doctoral programs (higher education related) in Wisconsin, and an opportunity to learn about them in one location. |
| More information on assessment and how student affairs can connect with the UW-System goals and initiatives. |
| More insight on supervision—how other institutions allow their staff professional development opportunities with other departments/offices on campus, more knowledge of work with student conduct. |
| Information on relating to Millenial students and their needs; Information on negotiating the politics of the university environment; |
| managerial, administration, understanding of UW system policies, legal issues, updates on new student development theories/revisions of older s.d. theories, supervision |
| diversity outreach and international studies, as well as nontraditional student outreach |
| Upper level supervision skills, mental health responses, best practices for professional development models for new professionals. |
| An internship or volunteer position that could help me gain experience on nights and/or weekends (I work full-time 8:30-5 in a non student affairs career and do not have schedule flexibility.) |
| Networking opportunities with higher-level Student Affairs Adminstrators, for job-shadowing or mentoring opportunities to better understand how things work on a college-wide/state-wide level. Also, interactions with VPs of Academics/Provosts to better understand what they’re looking for from Student Affairs on their campuses. |
| What to do professionally when your end goal is not to be Director of Housing? |
| additional experience in conduct and assessment |
| A better understanding of how campus conduct systems work. |
| Text Response to Question #10
How could WCPA better support your professional development goals? |
| It is not associated with my area as much as I work with returning adults and community adults. |
| job board? |
| I haven’t taken advantage of what has been offered. |
| Seek to provide more program sessions geared toward seasoned professionals. Identify a culture,place for more seasoned professionals. The organizations image is really one catering to the needs of entry level, new professionals which is okay. It is an affordable conference for young professionals to attend. |
| Dcoumentable workshops on topics TBD. CEUs? |
| Online developmental opportunities, readings |
| The conference seems very Residence Life and public school focused. Finding a way to change this would be helpful. |
| NA |
| I do not feel connected to or knowledgeable about WCPA and what they have to offer. |
| Webinars might work since travel money is restricted now. Also list serves seems to be very helpful. |
| have specific, tangible, interactive experiences available |
| You do well–it is me that needs to avail myself of your support… |
| I am new to the organization, so am not familiar with what WCPA really does for professionals. |
| More diverse offerings Attracting more Senior level staff to be active and present |
| By continuing to offer the opportunity to use my talents, while expanding my horizons. |
| Webinars throughout the year with each being one hour or less on topics of interest to the membership |
| I’m unsure. |
| When I attended the WCPA conference, I found it to be too focused on housing and other auxiliary services to meet my professional development goals. |
| More drive in conferences – October is a really hard month for me to get away from work as that is the first “real” month with our students in the fall and we do a lot of leadership training, etc. during that time. I would be much easier for me to go to a day long workshop in July or in the spring. |
| More mid-level events at the annual conference |
| Creating opportunities to better connect with other professionals in the state throughout the year. |
| See above. More resources for those working in graduate student services |
| A weekly or monthly email with professional development opportunities or information articles would help. Also, creating interest groups for different functional areas that I could consult with questions and use as a resource (via email or in person at a conference) |
| My experience with the conference is that it has been a little basic. Personally I am looking for more specialized professional development. However, I think the conference is great for new professionals. |
| I would love more options for professional development opportunities in between conferences. |
| Basically networking beyond the conference, mentoring programs, and job hunting advice. |
| This is the first that I have heard of this organization. |
| See above |
| Not everyone can or does go to the conference–it’s a very busy time of year for many departments. For my job, the timing of the conference conflicts with higher priorities at work. Thus, more opportunities outside of the conference would potentially reach more people. |
| topic-specific webinars |
| More integrated system for students to network and find opportunities for placement after obtaining their degree or while accumulating their post-grad 3000 hours. |
| I work with a small population of graduate students. I feel like the annual conference has been more for those that work with the undergraduate population. Overall, more themes related to working with graduate students. |
| Not being one to two weeks before UMR ACUHO would help, but not sure there is anything that can be done about that. |
| Provide higher educational experience, opportunities, and jobs postings |
| Mentoring opportunities with higher level administrators. While learning from your own connections on your own campus is helpful, most of us will travel amongst numerous schools before retiring- the opportunity to gain insight from a broad spectrum of administrators before being thrown into a new position would be incredibly beneficial. |
| I just attended my first conference last fall and like the variety of the organization. |
| Programming more geared for Student Affairs Professionals rather than entry level Housing Professionals. |
| I enjoy attending WCPA and I know it isn’t easy to ensure that all sessions have direct relevance to all areas of student affairs but there have been times when I have found it difficult to find a session with direct relevance to my current position in residence life. |
| n/a |
| I answered yes to the question above, but wish that I could have answered with a NA comment. I have belonged to the WCPA as a member based on the free membership and the hope that I will be able to attend a conference in the future. Do date, I have not been able to participate in any of the PD offerings. |
| More than just a conference |
| I have been involved in WCPA since 1988 and I enjoy the relationships I have with individuals from a wide range of areas in student affairs as well as at different types of institutions. This, for me, is the greatest strength of WCPA. I have attended some great sessions over the years, but it has really been the opportunity to network and learn from others, outside of my day to day work, that has been the most impactful. |
| webinars, on-line articles, etc. |
| WCPA could provide more professional development workshops (one hour, two hours, four hours, etc.) at a low cost. |
| keep me informed about opportunities |
| More Drive in conferences/worshops |
| Offer both introductory and advanced professional development opportunities. I recently took a position that focuses more on assessment. I don’t need introductory opportunities regarding assessment, but I would appreciate more advanced opportunities for development in that area. |
| Offer professional development close to home and work |
| Continue to focus on skill developmetn of young professionals |
| Workshops on fund raising. |
| Offer workshops and conferences at a lower cost and find means to offer these opporunities to the WCPA community without the travel and stay costs (web, conference calls) |
| If they could negotiate discounts for conferences, workshops, etc. in our field that would be nice. Development of online workshops and resources so people would not need to schedule time away from work to get this information. |
| offering more opportunities for web-based programs, and more rigorous standards for programs at the conference |
| I haven’t necessarily sought out WCPA for support regarding my professional goals, so that is something I need to focus on. However, with that being said, it is helpful to me to hear more about opportunities that WCPA offers (via email). |
| anything from mentoring to book suggestions |
| I’m new to the organization so I am not sure what could be done better. I think more knowledge of WCPA would be helpful. |
| Have programs offered int he northern part of the state, e.g. Fox Valley or Green Bay |
| Other than the conference, I am not sure how to become more involved with WCPA because I would really like to! |
| Sessions, topics, etc. specifically for professionals who are beyond the entry-level. I also encourage WCPA to continue to collaborate with other professional organizations (state and national) to offer opportunities that are closer to home and affordable. |
| web-based or online training |
| Send out monthly/quarterly newsletter with topical information |
| The timing for WCPA is difficult because it is usually within a couple of weeks of my regional professional organization. This is likely the greatest barrier to my participation. |
| Make more internship/networking contact opportunities available online. |
| See comments above. |
| Be accessible – affordable programs, convenient locations (maybe podcast or webinar for those that can’t make it), pertinent research available on the web. |
| does a great job! |
| Provide more developmental workshops. |
| Text Response to Question #11
What types of professional development opportunities would you like to see from the WCPA Professional Development Commission (some current ideas include: a social networking site, an annual book club with discussions at the conference, an adopt-a-professional program)? |
| mentor/mentee program |
| More focus from WCPA on areas of Student Services other than Res Life and Student Life. Areas such as admissions, financial aid, etc. |
| No real thoughts on this at the moment. |
| mentoring opportunities, online opportunities |
| Finding ways to reach out to all schools in the state, not just those with large offices and budgets, would be helpful. |
| NA |
| I am not currently knowledgeable about WCPA and what they have to offer. |
| One-on-one mentor relationships might work with a seasoned professional being paired up at a conference with a new person. |
| book club discussions would be good |
| oh, I like the annual book club idea! annual partnership across institutions? a buddy system somehow? |
| Ideas listed are great |
| adopt-a-professional program ways to learn about other professions within student affairs (for example, currently I work in campus activities & orientation but am interested in learning about career services because I feel that could be a career interest of mine) so to not pigeon hole myself in one area |
| Benchmarking (e.g. salaries, staff) at specific type of institution (private vs public) |
| To be able to have the resources at hand to keep up with the current and long range trends, along with what will be needed to keep up to date and current. |
| Book club would be fun! |
| Adopt a professional or mentoring type program |
| More one day workshops around the state |
| I would like to see opportunities related to assessment (at an advanced rather than introductory level) and on working with professional students. |
| Adopt a professional program would be neat. |
| I would like to see a newsletter that comes out on a consistent basis (I seem to remember having one at one point) with book reviews, best practices, etc. |
| I like all your ideas above. Is it possible to create some professional development opportunities by region? I may not drive four hours to do something, but I would probably drive one (cut out cost of hotel, etc.) |
| I like all of the above. |
| A social networking site would be a good start. |
| A formal mentor program would be great. I’d also be interesting in reading/contributing to a blog that keeps me informed about what’s going on in student affairs at other campuses. |
| The book club would be fantastic (I hope I can personally commit myself to it). |
| All of the examples listed! |
| Again, networking beyond the conference, mentoring programs, and job hunting advice. |
| Not sure until I learn more about the WCPA |
| A social networking site would be great. Adopt a professional or some type of mentorship program would be interesting as well. |
| perhaps some webcast opportunities so that people can participate from their own campus. |
| Book Discussions |
| Social/professional networking site and adopt-a-professional program |
| Instituting the commissions was a great step in the right direction. Publicizing opportunites like this better would be a good step. |
| book club or suggested reading lists |
| job networking |
| I would be interested in an annual book club. Also, a mentoring program for new professionals would be a great way to connect new and seasoned professionals. |
| I like all of those ideas! |
| I would participate in the book club but not the other two suggestions. |
| Social media connections in general could be very helpful. I like the book club idea that’s given as a suggestion in the question. |
| The social networking and book club ideas sound very good. |
| Book club, mentoring program |
| A mentoring program (adopt-a-professional?) between an experienced S.A. professional and a recent grad/new professional may be nice. Casual conversations and advice about the field and starting out. |
| Mentoring |
| Social Networking |
| The annual book club is an excellent idea. Would be great if the keynote could be the author at our annual conference. |
| i like the book club idea! |
| social networking site, webinars, on-line articles, etc. |
| more regional drive-in’s - |
| adopt-a-[rpfessional program sound interesting |
| Mentoring programs would be helpful |
| A book club sounds good and computer savviness skills would be of help also |
| Mentoring program for new professionals |
| campus politicking/ relationships. worker rights. |
| Social networking may be interesting and helpful. |
| Opportunities to be mentored |
| Webinars? Listservs? Networking fairs? I wonder if some of the ideas might be better served as a virtual forum – Skype monthly book club or a distance adopt-a-professional program to continue the development outside of conference times. |
| list serv |
| A social networking site would be helpful. Listserves don’t work well if you are not interested in the information that is being e-mailed… |
| book club, networking groups at the conference |
| I love the current ideas! I’m quite interested in learning more about brief motivational interviewing strategies and techniques as a way to more fully engage students when we meet. |
| Social networking, mentoring program, book club |
| mentoring program or networking group |
| I would like WCPA to continue with conferences and one day drive in work shops. It also would be neat if they would coordinate showcasing different types of institutions. |
| a book club would be neat to see. And if people couldn’t attend the conference we could do a conference call for an hour or two. |
| Webinar offered on job prosoects for college grads in the coming several years from the Dept. of Workforce Development in Madison |
| N/A |
| See comment above re: doctoral programs. |
| A book club would be great. |
| I would second the social networking site—it would be really great to have a way to connect with other professionals from other institutions outside of conferences! |
| A social networking site would be great. As one of the younger professionals in my facility, I would find a place to network/commiserate/connect with colleagues at similar points in their careers to be very helpful. |
| a mentoring program between grad students and professionals would be a nice way to gain associates and network while having a source of supervision |
| Same comments re: job-shadowing, mentoring or adopt-a-professional. |
| Mentoring is always good |
| mentoring? |
| Networking opportunities. |
| Text Response to Question #12
Are there conditions that would make you more likely to participate in professional development opportunities within WCPA(i.e. location, cost, technology, etc)? |
| Cost and subject matter – lower cost, shorter sessions. Also subject matter that is more in line with my population. |
| Making the conference pertain to my position in Graduate Admissions, so that my supervisor would see the need for me to attend. |
| Location is key. Offering opportunities around the state would be helfpul |
| Location is always a concern–central location, such as UW-SP? |
| cost, location, time of year |
| The conference is also always during our fall break and that is a time that my colleagues and I have taken as personal time with our families. Perhaps trying the fall conference at a different time would be helpful. |
| Low cost registration and lodging |
| Location, cost, topical area, |
| Time is a huge issue. With a full time position, graduate school full time, NACA involvements and my personal life… I find it difficult to add something additional to my plate. |
| Location in Milwaukee Cost reasonable When it is offered. It seems they are offered during the busy times of year for post-secondary, which does not make sense. Why not have it during winter or summer break when most advisors and personnel are more available. |
| Cost is a factor since I would like my younger staff to have staff developmental opportunities before me. |
| applicability |
| Having something centrally located or closer to my home would be helpful |
| location cost |
| Subject matter is most important for me. |
| I really just need to identify what is available. While culling out the proper resources. |
| Lodging costs. |
| Have sessions in various regions of the state during the year. |
| Location and cost |
| Location |
| Location is the biggest factor in participating in professional development opportunities through WCPA. I am most likely to attend events in Madison. |
| Not really. |
| timing – I would like to see 2-3 drive in conferences a year with locations throughout the state. |
| Location, cost, presenters, topic (in that order) |
| All are a factor, and timing along with adequate notice. |
| Cost and location. Also, while I would LOVE to attend the Fall conference, it falls at my busiest travel time for my position, and I am not able to squeeze it in. I would LOVE there to be a spring conference instead (or every other year?) |
| Location matters. I’m not willing to drive more than 2-3 hours. I’m definitely willing to use technology to access distance-learning opportunities, though. Cost is kind of a factor, but I’m fortunate enough to have professional development funds that will cover most in-state opportunities. I also like to know who is sponsoring/facilitating the program – do they really know what they’re talking about? |
| The location is great. However, October is a very busy month so the timing has generally been bad for me. A summer conference might be better for scheduling. |
| I have zero dollars for professional development in my budget. I love the ideas of adopt-a-professional, book clubs, social networking, webinars, etc. because I’d like to receive some professional development but don’t have any funds! |
| Nope |
| Having an affiliation with NIRSA (National Intramural Recreational Sports Association) or WIRSA (Wisconsin Intramural Recreational Sports Association). |
| Evening/weekend/online professional development opportunities would be helpful for me. |
| location, cost |
| free or very low cost (we do not have money for professioanl development, so it comes out of my own pocket), central location, sessions done within the confines of the work day |
| location and subject areas covered |
| Cost, location |
| Location-I’m in Madison. Cost- I have a very limited professional development budget. |
| Mentioned above. |
| if events were in the evening or on the weekend. |
| Opportunities coordinated throughout the state (to allow for closer access for some, but also for more diverse interaction amongst others). |
| Cost is always a factor. Have you ever considered doing drive-in workshops where there is no cost for people to attend, other than transportation? Topics could be pre-determined, or it could be organized as a roundtable discussion about several topics. |
| I don’t get paid very much in my current position, so I really can’t afford to fund my own travel to conferences, which I feel is for me the most beneficial kind of professional development that I get out of this type of org membership (I like the personal contact and interactions). But that is outside of WCPA’s control. |
| None, but changing the location would make me LESS likely to participate. |
| I am involved in UMR and last year the conference was the week prior to UMR and I couldn’t attend. I know with a range of different Student Affairs area and conference to plan around finding a date fro everyone is difficult but when it is so close to another conference I am committed to attending, I can’t make both. |
| n/a |
| I am allowed to select one PD event per year. As a career services professional, it can sometimes be a challenge to choose between a general student affairs event and a more career services-specific offering. This choice has been the main factor preventing my participation through attendance so far. |
| Low-cost and not too much time commitment (half-day to 1-day workshops?) since not all positions have professional development funding and taking time off work or school can be difficult. |
| Right now cost is the prohibitive factor |
| Personally, I love the location of the Dells for the annual conference. As someone who needs to travel 3 hours annually to get to the conference, I like that it is in the same location every year. |
| Timing of the year |
| high quality speakers/content |
| location and cost |
| Location and cost are the primary conditions that influencem my participation. |
| location / travel time |
| local location, reasonable cost |
| I prefer in-person activities. I am never able to make it to the annual conference as October is a bad time of year for me in my department. I would like to see more day long workshops provided. |
| I am most likely to participate in workshops in the Madison or Appleton areas. I’m not a big fan of webinars, but do like to have resources available and organized on the web. |
| Closer to home and to work |
| location and cost |
| Cost is the main factor and then timing. I can’t leave work during peak busy times. |
| Perhaps technology. |
| If there were new programs offered by up and coming experts in the state |
| Cost is a large factor for me. |
| keep costs low |
| All of the above… |
| cost, varied locations and times of year |
| Cost is certainly a big one right now. Professional development funds on tight on camups right now and I personally don’t have the funds to devote to that right now, either. Also, location/time away from campus can be a barrier. |
| location and low-cost |
| cost |
| More funds available by my institution/department for training & development |
| cost, technology |
| Yes, location, cost and technology are all factors as well as time of year and time of day offered. |
| Better communication as to where and when these opportunities occur. |
| Cost and time of year are the two most important factors for me. |
| Online training |
| Location, the ability to get buy-in from leadership |
| For me it’s simply timing….if the dates do not conflict with other professional responsibilities, then I attend. I rarely make decision regarding WCPA on cost or location. |
| location and cost are important. central wisconsin is a convenient location, or having regional offerings of professional development opportunities and keeping the cost down as much as possible |
| See above |
| Anything that can be done at night/weekends or on my own time online would work best. |
| Mostly location. While worthwhile to travel to learn about more diverse methods being used, finding the additional time to travel to do so can be very difficult. |
Cost is #1 in this time of furloughs  |
| Location, cost, relevance to my position (academic advising), time commitment required |
| location, cost |
| location, cost |
| How well the opportunities work into my schedule. |