Translating Professional Development for Campus Activities into Higher Education Scholarship - JCAPS Vol. 3 Issue 1

Professional development provides an opportunity to expand individual knowledge, network with colleagues, and share stories about how our students experience higher education. Magolda and Carnaghi (2017) point out that professional development needs to “recognize the value of knowing and acting” to link the learning an individual professional engages in with the students that they serve (p. 537). Komives (1998) described a “practitioner-scholar” (p. 179) as an individual who is both involved in the applied work of the profession and understands the research and literature that informs professional practice. Involvement in professional development can be the first step to identifying a topical area that would contribute to the advancement of professional practice if translated to a scholarly article. Student affairs has many documents that guide thinking about what specific knowledge is needed to work in higher education settings (e.g., Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators). Most professional associations provide blueprints for how knowledge acquisition can be shared with colleagues looking to gain similar skills and outcomes (e.g., conferences, webinars, mentoring programs, etc.). The engagement of professionals within professional development environments offers the opportunity to share stories about how our work impacts those we serve on campus and enhances how we understand the function of our roles as administrators and educators.

The Journal of Campus Activities Practice and Scholarship offers campus activities professionals a space to embrace the idea of being a practitioner-scholar. The remainder of this article provides a framework for how campus activities professionals can translate professional development events and activities into a scholarly article. We begin with the current state and importance of professional development in student affairs. That is followed by a framework for how to consider translating a professional development event or experience into a format that contributes to the scholarship of campus activities. We conclude with how the types of professional development opportunities available can contribute to the development of a scholarly article.