Running head: SKILLS ANALYSIS AND ACTION PLAN

Skills Analysis and Professional Development Action Plan

Alison L. Reimel
Loyola University Chicago

SKILLS ANALYSIS AND ACTION PLAN

Over the course of my graduate school experience, through course work, a graduate
assistantship, and a graduate internship, I have gained the skills and developed the competencies
necessary for successful and impactful professional work in higher education. The Association
of College Personnel Administrators (ACPA) identifies ten competency areas that professionals
should develop within as a member of the field. During my time in graduate school, I have made
strides in all areas and excel in many.
ACPA identifies advising and helping, ethical decision-making, leadership, assessment
and evaluation, equity and inclusion, history and philosophy, law and governance, human and
organizational resources, student learning and development, and personal foundations as the ten
competency areas for higher education professionals. In my role as a graduate assistant the
Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (OSCCR), I have practiced one on one and
group coaching and advising. I have honed in on my active listening, problem solving, and goal
setting skills. This role also allowed me to further develop my ethical decision-making and
confidentiality. I had the opportunity to collaborate with campus partners in conduct sanctioning
based on student needs and developmental goals. I incorporated identity reflection into the
Student Community Board training and also built in more intentional and inclusive recruitment
methods when recruiting and selecting student members. Currently, I am carrying out an
evaluation on the three student conduct boards that I proposed as part of a class assignment
earlier in the year. This year, I had the experience of sitting on the search committee and being
involved in hiring process, which allowed me a better sense of the human resources aspect of
higher education. I also developed an understanding of the history and philosophy or higher
education, as well as the law and governance competency through coursework specifically on
these topics. Most notably, outside of classes and my graduate assistantship, the relationships I

SKILLS ANALYSIS AND ACTION PLAN

built and reflection I engaged in allowed me to become expert in me, in other words, developing
my personal foundation.
Continuing to build and seek out relationships with others in the field is a priority as a
move forward in my career. It is through relationships and mentoring that I feel challenged and
encouraged to continue to learn and grow as a professional. For me, relationships serve as a
catalyst for professional development. I could tell you that I will attend conferences and utilize
professional developments hosted by my home campus in order to continue growing and
learning as a professional, but for me it is more than that. Other people motivate and encourage
my learning. Role models and mentors keep me striving to become a better friend, confidant,
partner, and most of all professional. I will continue to nurture the relationships I have built here
at Loyola and seek out new one that will continue to energize and push me to become the best
version of myself.