About Those New Year's Resolutions...

I’ve never really been one for New Year’s resolutions. Living in Chicago, some days it is difficult to aspire to do anything in January other than stay under a warm blanket. My life has also always revolved around an academic calendar, so by January there are aspects of my schedule that have become so routine it is difficult to break the mold and try something new. Therefore, my versions of New Year’s resolutions are usually set in July or August at the start of a new academic year, and May and June are the months during which I try to look back on my progress.

As end of the year banquets began and I attended portfolio defenses for our soon-to-be new colleagues in the field, I started to reflect upon what I have both committed to and accomplished not only this year, but in my three years as a full-time professional. Frequently, there are moments built into my student affairs journey when I am able to write down goals, and many of these documents serve as a place where I identify my resolutions, hopes for the year, or even my mission as a professional.

In many higher education and student affairs graduate programs, there is a culminating experience to reflect upon and share what we have learned as budding professionals. As I listened to one of my former supervisees articulate his growth throughout his Master’s program and assistantship experience, I was called back to the promises I made to myself and others as I completed my degree. How often do we revisit the root of why we do what we do and what got us started in the field, and assess how that propels us toward the future? How are we recommitting to our own professional resolutions year after year?

As a graduate student, I wrote about education, relationships, diversity, equity, and challenge as my defining values as a new student affairs professional. My mission was to create a safe yet challenging learning environment where all students have the necessary support to discover who they are, to understand and interact with others, and to find a calling in life that also incorporates productive citizenship. I cannot say I have this mission statement hanging up anywhere in my office—it’s generally safely tucked away in a binder—but I think it still rings true in my work and actions on a regular basis. From supporting the development of affinity spaces for student staff in my department, to having difficult conversations with students about their decision-making, perspective on race in America, or challenges with their physical and mental wellbeing, I see these values being integral in my support of students. With every passing year, I strive to keep setting new resolutions to continue living out this mission.

In addition to this, last week my supervisor gave me a letter I wrote to myself during our student staff retreat in August. One of my nuggets of wisdom in that letter read, “Know that putting in the effort to lift people up ultimately lifts you as well.” An area of growth I have had as a supervisor has been recognition; I am someone with high expectations for myself and my staff, and I can get caught up in the pursuit of achieving outcomes. Consequently, I feel like I do not take enough time to acknowledge the amazing effort and accomplishments of the people with whom I work. Reading my letter last week was a refreshing reminder of how much I changed in this area this year. I had a wonderful staff that experienced a lot of difficult moments, but our final staff meeting showcased how much we had all been able to support and appreciate one another over the course of the year. Several of them were also recognized by our department during our closing banquet for their outstanding work after their peers and I nominated them for awards. A part of setting resolutions is being able to celebrate achieving them, and I have grown to appreciate the importance of honoring others as they achieve theirs.

I do not intend to oversimplify this whole resolution-setting and mission-focused concept or make it sound like it is easy. Compared to many other student affairs folks, I was slow to get on Twitter and Instagram; that was one of my goals this year, which I accomplished. Starting my own blog has been on my resolutions list for a few years now, and writing this post was a nudge from my fabulous supervisor to get going on achieving it. Those are just two of the simple goals I have had, which also tie to my mission in some way.

With that being said, I have never really put my aspirations out there for anyone to challenge me or cheer me on. I hope this post can serve as a catalyst to share your resolutions, accomplishments, and development or recommitment to your professional mission on Twitter or other spaces using #wisakc or #wisachat. As we approach the end of another academic year, I hope that we can find time to assess where we have been, take pride in what we have achieved, and set goals to further improve as higher education and student affairs professionals, both individually and collectively.

Jenn Kosciw is a Resident Director in the Department of Residence Life at Loyola University Chicago. She received her M.A. in Higher Education & Student Affairs from the University of Connecticut and completed a B.A. in Spanish and Intercultural Studies with minors in Religion & Service and Psychology at Elmhurst College. Jenn is from the Chicagoland area and is an introvert, runner, and avid concertgoer. Her professional interests include diversity and social justice education, student conduct, supervision, assessment, and housing and residence life. Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram at @jennkosciw.