Mar 7, 2024
Transitioning Toward Inclusivity and Excellence in Student Affairs
Student affairs professionals are essential to the fabric of higher education, guiding students through their transformational college journey while grappling with their own career advances. Dr. Anna Gonzalez, NASPA's incoming board chair, brings her extensive experience in higher education to the forefront in a recent episode of the Student Affairs Voices from the Field podcast. As a first-generation college student and Filipino immigrant, she not only shares the lessons of her personal history but also sets the stage for the future of student affairs.
Embracing Identity and Leading with Inclusion
A journey marked by immigration at a young age, the pursuit of education, and ultimately, a leadership role in NASPA, Dr. Gonzalez's story is one of overcoming barriers and bringing true diversity to student affairs. Her advocacy for first-generation students, her stride in higher education policy, and her commitment to fostering diversity enrich the conversation around transitions within the student affairs profession.
Pioneering Change Amidst Global Challenges
In these times of global connectivity and unforeseen challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Gonzalez's experience transitioning to a significant role at WashU and her decision to accept the position as NASPA chair are testaments to adaptability and resilience. The interview, spanning two continents, showcases the transformative power of leaders who embrace change and prioritize the well-being of their colleagues and students.
Fostering Well-Being and Job Satisfaction in Student Affairs
The podcast delves into the crucial role of mid-level professionals in student affairs and the specific, intentional support they require. Dr. Creighton and Dr. Gonzalez emphasize the importance of strong supervision and staff recognition, addressing job satisfaction, workforce diversity, and benefits to cultivate healthy work-life balance. The ongoing dialogue underscores the necessity of redefining expectations for salaried employees in higher education and promoting a culture that appreciates the indispensable contributions of student affairs professionals.
The Path Forward: Advocacy and Policy in Higher Education
The episode not only celebrates the trajectory of Dr. Gonzalez but also presents crucial touchpoints for the future of student affairs, including advocacy in higher education policy. It illuminates the structural changes needed to recognize the value of student affairs and its impact on students and the civic health of society at large. Dr. Gonzalez's presidency promises to bring these concerns to the forefront, ensuring that higher education remains a pillar of opportunity and empowerment for all students.
Conclusion: A Call to Action for Student Affairs Professionals
Dr. Anna Gonzalez's reflections offer a beacon of inspiration and a call to action for student affairs professionals to advocate for change, recognize their value, and create inclusive environments for learning and growth. Her leadership in NASPA champions these principles, urging educators and policymakers alike to consider the significant influence they have in shaping the future of higher education.
TRANSCRIPTS
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:00:01]:
Welcome to student affairs voices from the field, the podcast where
we share your student affairs stories from fresh perspectives to
seasoned experts. This is season 10, continuing our season 9 theme
of on transitions in student affairs. This podcast is brought to
you by NASPA, and I'm doctor Jill Creighton, she, her, hers, your
essay voices from the field host. Welcome back to essay voices from
the field where today we are thrilled to welcome NASPA's incoming
board chair, doctor Ana Gonzalez. Doctor Gonzalez leads successful
student affairs operations with a particular commitment to
fostering diversity and inclusion in all aspects of student life.
With 30 years of experience in higher education, she previously
held positions at the University of California Irvine, the
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and at Lewis and Clark
College where she was a founding faculty member and program
director for the master's program in student affairs administration
in the Graduate School of Counseling and Education. Doctor Gonzalez
most recently came from Harvey Mudd College, an institution within
the Claremont Colleges consortium where she served as the vice
president for student affairs as well as the program director and
faculty member at the Claremont Graduate University. Her research
interests are focused on first generation students, immigrant
students, equity and diversity, higher education policy and
governance, student affairs administration, and higher education
finance.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:01:23]:
A 1st generation college student who immigrated to the US at the
age of 10, doctor G graduated from Loyola Marymount University with
a bachelor's degree in international business. She earned her
master's in doctoral degrees, both in education, from Claremont
Graduate University. Anna, welcome to SA Voices.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:01:40]:
Hi. How are you doing, Jill?
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:01:42]:
I'm so glad to be speaking with you. We are spread wide apart on
the globe today with you calling in from Hawaii, and I am currently
sitting in Paris, France. So we appreciate the accommodation of the
time zone action.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:01:54]:
This is fantastic. This is how our world is now, actually. We are
global at all kinds of time zones, so it's fantastic.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:02:02]:
And I think fairly representative of how NASPA's growing too
anyway.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:02:06]:
I definitely believe so. I think so. We'll definitely see it at the
conference too.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:02:09]:
Well, we've made a tradition out of interviewing the incoming NASPA
board chair since Chris and I started collaborating on the show. So
I believe you are the 5th board chair that we've had the pleasure
of having on the show to talk about your transition, but this is
the 1st time that our season has been themed to transitions while
the board chair transition was happening. So we're we're right on
point today.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:02:33]:
That's great. And I love the theme. I think that's perfect in terms
of my life and my career, so I love it.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:02:39]:
We've had probably the most outpouring of support for this
particular theme. It's the 1st time we're ever doing a double
season on the theme because so many people relate to the stories of
transition that we've been sharing. And so I'm hoping yours will
also be one that people can relate to today. We always like to
start kind of with a big open question, though, which is, how did
you get to your current seat? And that could be either as board
chair or at WashU or both and or anywhere else in between.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:03:06]:
Well, I'll talk a little bit. I think about the WashU transition,
and then I'll actually go into my job I mean, my NASPA
chairmanship. The WASHI transition was something that happened. I
was not looking for a change. I was at Harvey Mudd, small college,
university, about 900 students in Southern California where I'm
from, and I graduated from the Claremont Colleges. And so I thought
I would stay there forever. The pandemic happened, which was a big
transition for all of us globally, and I was, one of the people in
charge of transitioning through the pandemic and afterwards. And I
think that really gave me pause and thought of as the as I learned
about the position at WashU, am I ready to go back to an in person
with in a small school, which I loved, or am I ready to think about
a bigger challenge in terms of the number of students in the middle
of the country where there were so many things happening where the
issue of my vote would matter.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:04:08]:
My my vote would matter in California, but I think my vote would
matter more in the middle of the country at a place like Missouri.
And I decided that I was ready for another transition. I survived.
At times, I even weirdly thrived during the pandemic, and so I
thought I had one more big oomph to give back to the higher
education community as well as my own passions for being engaged in
communities outside of higher ed, some were different, and so I
decided to take the plunge and transition to WashU. My transition
to NASH was so fascinating. I've been into organization active
since, I think, 1994 when I was a new professional. Never thought I
would be the NASPA chair. A lot of people say that.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:04:51]:
I never thought that. I never thought that's gonna be me, in large
part because the people who I saw who were chairs didn't look like
me. I think they were almost all male at that time and white. And
so that just was this didn't seem like a place for me. I also
worked at a cross cultural center. So I was in multicultural
affairs. Loved, loved, loved it and, again, never saw people like
me in those roles. And then people like Lori White, Doris Ching,
and others started taking on this role of leading our wonderful
organization.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:05:23]:
And that's when I thought, oh, it can happen. It can happen to
someone with similar experiences like me. And over time, I decided
to, I was nominated for different, leadership roles at NASPA. I
also volunteered for others and eventually transitioned to this
role.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:05:39]:
Would you mind sharing some of your identities since this is an
audio only podcast? And you mentioned not being able to see
yourself represented, it'd be great if you'd be willing to share
who you are in that space.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:05:49]:
Oh, thanks so much, Jill. Yes. I'm born in the Philippines, so
Filipino by birth. I always tell people culturally, my family, just
the way we grew up, was so much connected with both Filipino, East
Asian, and actually Chicano identities, being where I was in
Southern she, her. Grew up as 1st gen limited income and went
through college, really. 1st gen limited income through all that
went to a significant part. And then I immigrated, so an immigrant
to the United States as well.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:06:30]:
That's a lot of transitions. How have your transitions of identity
being in your country of birth for a little while and then coming
to the United States at kind of a younger age, how has that
experience and that transition impacted your worldview on higher
education?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:06:46]:
I first came to the United States, I told people and, oh, actually,
we were at that time, I guess, we were undocumented too and didn't
really have an understanding of that. Right? So as a child coming
to United States, they didn't wanna tell people why we were coming.
Right? That was a whole danger to that. So there had to be lots of
secrecy. And so we literally were told we're just gonna go on this
trip or a vacation to see the rest of our family again and be
reunited with my parents. And so we went on a plane, came as
immigrants, as young children, 10 and 6, my brother and I, and
didn't really know. We were made to feel safe by our immediate
family. We all lived together, my uncles and aunts.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:07:23]:
I think it was 17 people in a 3 bedroom house for a while even when
we first came. Yeah.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:07:29]:
That's crowded.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:07:30]:
It was kinda crowded, but, you know, it was kind of a big summer
party. Right? But, yes, it was crowded. I think the adults probably
felt it more than the children. And so it was wonderful to grow up
with cousins and my grandmother, in particular, who really took
care of us, and she made such a significant impact in my life. And
so went through that, and I remember not knowing. But I remember my
aunts and, like, would always say, don't tell people about how you
came here. Like, you just came, and we never talked about paper or
being legal. It was when I first wanted to work that they said you
can't get a job when I was in in my teens.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:08:02]:
Other people could start working, and they couldn't get a permit.
And I remember oh my gosh. And then there was the amnesty that both
Republicans and Democrats came together back in the day in 19
eighties, and they actually passed an amnesty for people like me
who were in the country for a significant period of time, who were
able to get to that whole transition of all of a sudden ruining the
shadows to, I have my paper. And what did that green that that
green card mean was hugely significant and transformative for my
family, but we were doing the same things. We were obeying the
laws. We were working. Everyone was working. Right? Paying taxes,
actually.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:08:38]:
Right? Some of them were working in offices. And then all of a
sudden, you get this green card and you get this sense of relief.
But, really, I thought that was just the weirdest thing. At at 15
and 16, I remember thinking, this is weird, that that somehow that
1 piece of paper by 1 act would change our whole life when we were
living and doing the same things. I
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:08:58]:
think that's such an important story within student affairs because
we talk so much about supporting our students through their journey
for documentation or journey for, you know, financial aid that
those stories are also amongst us in the profession.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:09:19]:
Yeah. And I didn't really know how to talk about it. I actually
learned a lot from students and staff who I work with who are
undocumented and or who are DACA, and they're so brave. And I
remember that they talk about it. They advocate for rights, and I
just honor that. I honor their experiences. It it's similar to
mine, but I didn't know how to voice it or talk about it until I
listened to their stories.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:09:43]:
Did you move towards citizenship after your green card?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:09:45]:
Yes. That took a while because I actually wasn't sure. So that one,
my family let us make the choice, which I love my dad and my mom,
and I I love my family for allowing us as children. Right? We were
still under 18 to make that choice for ourselves. But so I didn't
become a citizen until after I could vote until, gosh, I was
already a full time staff member. I really had to think about it
and what that would mean for me. And finally, it was about voting,
and I wanted to vote. It was important, and it was actually at a
time when a lot of propositions in California were trying to take
away rights, like affirmative action, like services to undocumented
peoples, and even really immigrants in California that was
happening.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:10:25]:
And so I thought, you know what? I need to become a citizen so I
can vote.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:10:29]:
Tell us about that transition from being a green cardholder to
being able to have that right to vote.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:10:34]:
Oh my gosh. You know, the privilege that you get as a citizen of
the United States, the the privilege to vote, it is a right and a
privilege, I have to say, but also like traveling. Many places that
I could go to I remember I worked for a semester at sea. I took 4
voyages, a semester at sea, and some people had to get visas and
other things. And I was like, oh, there's all these countries where
if you're a US citizen, you don't have to do any of that. I'm like,
oh my gosh. What's that mean? Or being asked questions showing
documentation. I could say, yes, I was not born in the United
States, but I could show them my passport, and it was like a big
easy check.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:11:06]:
And so there was definitely a lot of privilege that I felt that I
never take for granted because I used to not have that. And so I
always honor that, and I I try to be a good citizen, I think.
So
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:11:18]:
I think as American citizens, we often don't have the awareness
that, you know, we hold I think it's right now the 7th most
powerful passport in the world. There are quite a few ahead now,
but that has to do with, you know, being able to enter other
nations without applying for a visa or paying for a visa or simply
just being allowed access instead of being denied think, puts us in
an interesting position.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:11:46]:
Yes. It does. It really does. And I'm not sure we talk about this
as much as we should in terms of even in higher education or in
other places that we should talk about. Is what does that mean for
us, the great responsibility that we should think about having the
citizenship. There's the privilege, but also this great
responsibility that we need to, like, discuss and really engage in
and own, and we need to own it.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:12:09]:
Let's talk more about responsibility, which is your NASPA board
chairship. Every time we've had on a NASPA board chair, the one big
theme that I can draw a line through each of you is that you're
really occupying a space of stewardship for the organization rather
than driving a personal agenda forward. And I think that's a big
shift that happened when NASA shifted from electing a president to
electing a board chair. But I'm wondering if you can talk about
what you're hoping, the board you will lead will be able to achieve
across the next year.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:12:40]:
I think that's a great question. I've been thinking a lot. You
know, when I ran from NASPA board chair for the listeners, I'll
remind them that I ran on 3 things. I still am thinking about that.
But the first is, and it is not in any order, healthy excellence.
That means in terms of, like, what does well-being look like for
our profession and not just the students. Right? We love the
students, but this one is more us. This is more us as
practitioners.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:13:03]:
It's time for us to think about how do we thrive in our roles,
which I love, given all my work life in NASPA in term and student
affairs, right, in terms of this is my profession, has always just
been. I chose to be in it. But how do we thrive and be healthy, and
how do we think of well-being when we have events that we go to? I
mean, when you go to a national conference, it's like, oh, yay. 6
AM till, like, 2 AM. Right? Some people go that route. That is not
healthy. You know? And and what does that mean? What does that look
like? So even things like that. I really want us to engage in our
work, in what we do, both the organization and our profession.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:13:40]:
I think the second one is of the mid level. That is our largest as
a constituent single constituent. It is the largest membership of
our organization. And what does a mid level mean? What
competencies? And to break that group down further, right, into,
like a mid level could be someone 7 years and someone, like, 28
years in the profession. And I think that's a huge, big gap. And so
what does that look like, and how do we both break that down a
little bit, and how do we honor the mid level. Right? People are
wanna sometimes they're like, I'm happy where I'm at, but I wanna
gain different skills. I wanna continue having an amazing life in
the work that I do, but what does that mean? But some people in the
mid level wanna be like, I wanna become a vice president or I wanna
become president.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:14:24]:
Right? And what does that mean? Mid level also for me transitions.
Do I stay in the field? Do I leave the field? Right? I think that's
where we really have to engage our folks. So mid level for me is
huge. And then the 3rd piece is and it's so important now is why
higher education.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:14:38]:
Yeah. That's a big one for the US.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:14:40]:
It is. And the impact of higher education, the impact of student
affairs in the purpose of students' lives, in young people's lives,
and in countries in the civic health of our nation? And I think the
answer is higher education. And I think student affairs is actually
the the big the change agent and the why of higher ed. I think it's
what we do and what we, as professionals, teach our students. And
so those are my big three for NASPA.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:15:08]:
Let's touch back on that midlevel piece because I think a lot about
to the transitions that can feel very, very large in the midlevel
from assistant director to associate director to director to
perhaps senior executive director. Each of those levels within the
midlevel carry their own transitions, their own responsibility
differences, and their own growth. So we I think we tend to look at
the mid level as a little bit of a bigger monolith than perhaps it
actually is within student affairs. I think it's probably you know,
there's smaller pieces within it. But what are you hoping for those
mid level professionals
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:15:49]:
chunk, but we just call them 1 big, big level. Like, the mid level
institute. Okay. That gives literally anyone. I mean, what does
that actually mean? And so you I wanna make sure that we'd look at
the breakdown of what what that is. And what does that mean for
NASPA? I think it's being more intentional, not looking at the size
of an event, but saying, you know what? We're gonna have mid level
based on up to 10 years of experience, and that's gonna be a
smaller group, and that's okay. Right? And we're going to look at
the competencies that you need based on that versus, like, the
competencies that you need. If you were a director executive
director mid level, but only with with 12 years experience, but
that's completely different than the previous group.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:16:32]:
So it's gonna have to it's gonna have to be that our association,
our board, our regions, and even our divisions have to look
critically at what we're doing for the mid level because we have
lumped them too big, I think. And so it's just like, oh, the mid
level. And that's, like, kinda the catchall. It shouldn't be the
catchall.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:16:48]:
And some of our mid level professionals don't supervise other
professionals but supervise students. Some of our mid level
professionals supervise large teams, which can include
professionals, graduate students, and undergraduate students. It's
it's a wide band. And I think my one major complaint with our
development as professionals really throughout my entire career is
that there's really a lack of education on how to be a strong
supervisor. And if you wanna go find that work, you really have to
seek it for yourself, and I'd really love to see us develop more of
that for our professionals anyway.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:17:21]:
I agree. That's great. See, me too. I'm excited. Gonna jump on the
bandwagon. Let let's do this. I Let's go. Let's go.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:17:27]:
Let's go. I love it. I think it's if I could really leave anything
the mid level is the big question, and I just wanna make sure. I
walk around NASPA, and I'm like, you're a mid level. You're a mid
level. You're a mid level. And what does that mean?
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:17:41]:
Yeah. Absolutely. You also mentioned health and well-being as a
priority, for our profession. I think that I've been seeing a real
slide in terms of balance or integration with work life as of late.
We did okay for some, but not for others in the pandemic. And now
that we're coming out the other side, it feels like budgets are,
you know, constantly being squeezed. People are being asked to do
more with less or more people to jobs for the same amount of pay.
So how are you hoping to promote that well-being knowing that
there's a there you know, let's name it.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:18:15]:
There's been of a bit of a morale hit to the profession as of
late.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:18:19]:
Yes. No. I agree. It's I think it was already happening definitely
before the pandemic. I think it got exacerbated during the
pandemic, and it's still here. I told someone, it's not necessarily
the money that you throw at people in terms of making them
satisfied at their position. The way that things are, I I get it.
If you're an entry level, it's not you're not gonna get 6 figures
your 1st year.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:18:42]:
I mean, that's not and even for many, it's not gonna be that way
necessarily for for a while.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:18:47]:
Or possibly ever in this profession. Yeah.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:18:49]:
Right. Or possibly ever. Thank you. Like, thanks for saying that.
And at the end of the day, even if that were that's not necessarily
the only thing that's gonna give people job satisfaction. It is
being noted for the good work that we do. It doesn't help when you
turn on the news and the newspapers, and you're, like, working so
hard. You're a resident you're a RCD.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:19:13]:
You just stayed up all night helping save a student's life. You
know you made an impact, and then you turn on the news and you have
people say, let's close down colleges and universities. Like, okay.
No. Don't do that. Right? They just did something great. That
doesn't help either to work in a field where people are saying they
don't trust you. So one is, like, how do we honor and celebrate our
staff, our our fantastic staff members.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:19:36]:
Right? And we have fantastic staff members. I think too is how do
we engage it so that the work doesn't become routine? Because there
is a boredom factor to it. It's like the same old, same old. I'm
not saying necessarily we're gonna make up a new job for someone,
but how does it become exciting? How do we make sure that our staff
equitably get opportunities to serve, for example, on different
committees? So once it you know, so one day, it'll be your turn to
serve on a building project. How exciting is that to be the capital
projects? Not necessarily just people with titles. There's gonna be
opportunities for everyone in different ways. And, also, because
one day, they may wanna become director of housing, and you really
can't be director of housing without having some kind of capital
experience. Or how do we get a staff member to even rotationally
supervise other staff? Because we can't make up staff members.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:20:27]:
I get it. But instead of them supervising an undergrad, can we say,
hey. This year, you're the one that's gonna supervise the graduate
students to get more of that experience? Those are the things. And
then, also, what kind of benefits, childcare benefits can we give
our staff? Tuition benefits. Not every school does tuition
benefits. Partner benefits. You know? Kind of we gotta think
creatively to get people noted that these are difficult and
transformative jobs and that we need to invest in our people.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:20:55]:
Absolutely. I think one of the most radical things that I've seen
happen as of late is, you know, the the state of Washington has
their overtime laws that have gone into effect, which I'm very,
very pro. And those laws, even for salaried employees, have limits
on how many hours you can work per month, but it's requiring those
institutions to redefine what a salaried employee is expected to
do, and I think that's really good for the field.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:21:19]:
Yep. I agree. And, also, the other piece, it's on us too. How do we
allow ourselves? How do how do I, vice chancellor, like, just tell
people it's okay to not check email every day? Sometimes sometimes
I I'll talk for myself. I do that. Right? I check it constantly.
And one time, I got really sick, and and I did not check it at all
because I just couldn't. I couldn't physically check it.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:21:42]:
It would not have been good for me to check it. And then it was
fine. The job was fine. My students thrived. It was 2 or 3 days of
just really barely, like, looking at my email and barely were
really not working. And I realized, okay. Wait a second. It's gonna
be okay.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:21:56]:
So it's also teaching ourselves. Give ourselves grace, and we're
not gonna work we're not gonna make ourselves work and think work
20 4/7.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:22:03]:
And that really comes straight from the top. It has to start with
your president empowering your vice chancellor, vice president to
do that, and your vice chancellor, vice president really saying,
hey. This is the culture we're gonna set for the organization.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:22:15]:
I love it. Unless there's an absolute emergency, my boss does not
send this email. So, like, he came in to WashU, and he talked about
how he doesn't expect he's not going himself going to do, like,
email past a certain time. Like, I wasn't there when it happened,
but people talk about that. And it really shifted something, like,
past 5 or 6 or, you know, not on weekends. It's fantastic. And I
thought it was really sharing a vulnerability for him to talk about
the fact that he has a life, and he has a family, and that's
important.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:22:40]:
And now the 3rd priority you mentioned was really anchoring into
the value of higher education. And I think one of the most
important things that NASPA does is advocacy in Washington, DC. So
I'll give a shout out to the public policy division and also Diana
Ali, who is the policy person with one of the policy people,
anyway, within NASBA as well as Jill Dunlap. And they do some
incredible work to track all sorts of state policies that are
impacting higher education. We just saw a weird bill in Utah that
is kind of mirroring what had been going on in Florida, which is
also wild to me because I don't understand how it's not being
challenged as a violation of the First Amendment in more intense
ways right now, but that's a whole other conversation. But I'm
wondering, Anna, how you envision NASPA telling the story of higher
education or advocating for the value in your year as board
chair.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:23:31]:
No. I think that's great. I you know, I think for me, there's
several things that we need to do. The importance of the why of
college, one of the reasons why I went to college was to help
transform my family's future. Right? And, yes, it is about jobs and
careers. One of the big reasons that I went to college. I think if
I told my dad I was going to go to college, but not really sure
what that would mean, he would have been like, wait. We're gonna
pulling in all our money to have you go, see how you do so that the
rest of your cousins and your brother could go.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:23:57]:
And you're not really sure why your our time and our talent and
your time and your money is not gonna I'm like, it would have been
unfathomable for my family and for my my background. So I think the
why is one of them is the kinds of careers and opportunities for
people because of their college degree. When you graduate from
college versus when you don't, the wealth accumulation over time,
the opportunities is greater. I mean, that is one of the things.
But it's not about your major in terms of what your career is going
to be. It is about the things that student affairs also does.
Right? It's not just one thing. It's about the leadership training
that we give them, the empathy that we teach them through
experiential things, like being a club and organization president
is one way.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:24:42]:
Communication skills that we teach them. Right? We engage them to
think of differences, like what we have at WashU, dialogue across
differences. And what does that mean? To dialogue with someone is
something that we in student affairs engage and teach them to live
with someone from a completely different background and then to be
able to share. Sharing is caring. And then to think about your
well-being, right, in different ways. The things that we teach in
student affairs allows for an individual to go through college and
learn those skills and to be an amazing leader outside in the
world, to look at their careers in profound ways. Not just, I'm
just gonna work and get my pay, but I'm gonna work. I'm gonna
transform.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:25:24]:
I'm gonna be a leader. I'm gonna be engaged in community. And a lot
of that is because of the 4 years or so that we have taught them in
colleges, whether it's a 2 year college or a 4 year college or
even, you know, doctoral programs. Right? So I think that we hold
the key, and we don't talk about, we don't share those stories. I
think student affairs, we are so humble, and we make sure that we
lift up our students. But in doing so, I think we've forgotten to
lift up the profession itself and explain what we do. We need to
explain what we do. I don't think that we should celebrate the fact
that our own parents don't know what we do.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:26:00]:
My parents don't know what I do. Right? Right? And we and we, yeah,
and we laugh, and we celebrate it. Like, this is that career, and
it's like, no. That's not good. People know what other people do.
We should talk about what we do.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:26:10]:
And I think I'd be one of the very first to say that the degree is
important, but it doesn't define the future as much as some of the
soft skills do. I think I've shared on the show before, but my
bachelor's degree is in music performance, and it's not something
that I anchor into daily for the skills that I need in my job.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:26:27]:
I should have you sing for us, though. Yeah. I'll be sending.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:26:31]:
Well, I'll share kind of a secret. If you look hard enough, you can
find me singing on TikTok and YouTube. But you have to look really
hard, and it's not under my real name.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:26:41]:
It's kinda funny. I mean, I don't really use those 2 apps as much,
but okay. What is that?
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:26:47]:
What was your bachelor's in honor?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:26:49]:
International visits, actually. And I and I'd use those skills that
I learned today. I've always used it. I've learned so many things
about balance sheets and what matters. And it's funny because when
I say that, it's not necessarily that money matters. It's actually
what matters in terms of the values that you put into time and
treasure. And so that's what I learned. But so I utilize it a lot
in my in my daily work, but I'm not in a business career.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:27:15]:
Does that if that makes sense?
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:27:17]:
Are there any words of wisdom, wishes, or thoughts that you'd like
to share with the NASPA membership in general?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:27:24]:
Someone I learned this as a faculty member from a participant at
the last APIDA Leadership Institute. And I wanna say, I remember
this person said, and I wish I would I could know who it is, but I
wanna honor the person who who said this. She said someone told her
once to fall in love with her staff, and I've been thinking about
that a lot. And for me, for my words of wisdom would be fall in
love with the field. Remember why you chose it because we chose
this field, and fall in love with it. And if you're thinking that,
you know, I'm having a really hard time right now. I fell in love
with it once, but I'm thinking of a breakup or a break. That's
okay.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:28:05]:
But then find support and help about that and think through, do you
stay with it, which is fine. Do you leave it, which is also fine.
But if you're gonna stay with it, learn, and relearn how to fall in
love with it. Because for me, that's what helped me thrive every
day. For some of us, falling in love with it means really loving
our student. But for others, it really is the actual work, itself.
And so whatever it is, remember it and fall in love with it again
because that's ultimately what's gonna keep you engaged and
thriving in this profession.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:28:37]:
It's time to take a quick break and toss it over to producer Chris
to learn what's going on in the NASPA world.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:28:43]:
Thanks so much, Joe. Glad to be back in the NASPA world. And this
week, I wanna share a few policy updates that we've heard from our
policy division at NASPA. Many of you may have heard that president
Biden has issued another continuing resolution keeping the
government funded through March. And so at this point, Congress has
not reached a compromise to formalize a spending bill for the 2023
fiscal year. For the 2023 fiscal year, as funding expired at the
end of September, the Department of Education held negotiated
rulemaking sessions on federal Title IX program integrity, and
institutional quality and trio eligibility in the month of January.
During the subcommittee session on program funding funding
involving funding connected to student meal plans and including
books and supplies costs as a part of tuition and fees. Several
members of the trio subcommittee expressed reservations about
expanding eligibility for college prep trio programs to
undocumented students due to tenuous political climate due to the
tenuous political climate.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:29:58]:
NASPA believes that extending trio programs to undocumented
students is an important step in setting a federal precedent for
equitable college access. The Office of Postsecondary Education is
seeking comments from institutions on effective strategies for
college student mental health and substance use and substance use
disorders. This request includes how higher education institutions
have transformed campus cultures with inclusive support strategies,
how state agencies have supported behavioral health, identified
challenges in implementing solutions, and information to guide
future work of the Department of Education. Comments are due by
February 25th. The Department of Education has also issued a
request for information to assess sexual violence on campus. The
RFI seeks responses on best practices for sexual assault prevention
and response in education in educational institution in educational
institutions. Topics include forming response teams, providing
survivor resources, preventing and responding to sexual and dating
violence, developing sex education and staff training programs,
culturally responsive support approaches, engaging communities in
prevention efforts and federal support of these initiatives.
Comments are due by March 11th.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:31:18]:
Finally, the Biden administration has highlighted key topical
issues in relation to priorities for the 2024 presidential election
year. Earlier this month marked the 51st the 51st anniversary of
Roe v Wade in and the White House and the White House task force on
reproductive health care access released a fact sheet on new
actions to increase contraception care coverage. This includes a
continued stance that the administration will support the FDA the
FDA approval of medication abortion, which is currently which is
under current scrutiny by the Supreme Court. Every week, we're
going to be sharing some amazing things that are happening within
the association. So we are going to be able to try and keep you up
to date on everything that's happening and allow for you to be able
to get involved in different ways because the association is as
strong as its members. And for all of us, we have to find our place
within the association, whether it be getting involved with a
knowledge community, giving back within one of the the centers or
the divisions of the association. And as you're doing that, it's
important to be able to identify for yourself where do you fit,
where do you wanna give back. Each week, we're hoping that we will
share some things that might encourage you, might allow for you to
be able to get some ideas that will provide you with an opportunity
to be able to say, hey.
Dr.
Christopher Lewis [00:32:46]:
I see myself in that knowledge community. I see myself doing
something like that, Or encourage you in other ways that allow for
you to be able to think beyond what's available right now to offer
other things to the association, to bring your gifts, your talents
to the association, and to all of the members within the
association. Because through doing that, all of us are stronger and
the association is better. Tune in again next week as we find out
more about what is happening in NASPA.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:33:19]:
Chris, we always appreciate you sharing what's going on in and
around in NASPA. And, Anna, we have reached our lightning round, so
I have 7 questions for you in about 90 seconds. Are you ready to
roll?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:33:30]:
I'm ready.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:33:30]:
Alright. Question number 1. If you were a conference keynote
speaker, what would your entrance music be?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:33:36]:
Beyonce's new song.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:33:37]:
Number 2. When you were 5 years old, what did you wanna be when you
grew up?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:33:40]:
A doctor.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:33:41]:
Number 3, who's your most influential professional mentor?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:33:43]:
Doris Ching.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:33:45]:
Number 4, your essential student affairs read.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:33:47]:
Oh my gosh. It is Elizabeth Witt's The Tapestry, the Culture book
that I can't remember the actual title, but love, love, love
that.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:33:55]:
Number 5, the best TV show you binged during the pandemic?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:33:58]:
Oh my goodness. That is a good one. Is it awful to say Dexter?
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:34:03]:
Everyone had their thing. That was a that was a time in our lives.
Number 6, the podcast you've spent the most hours listening to in
the last year.
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:34:11]:
I think this one, actually. I did. I'm not a I have to say I'm not
a podcast person, but I was like, I'm gonna listen to this one
because this is my field.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:34:19]:
We appreciate that. And then finally, number seven, any shout outs
you'd like to give personal or professional?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:34:24]:
Oh, just saying hi to personal is my family. Thank you so much for
your support. I appreciate you. And then my professional, my chosen
NASPA family, you are all amazing. I love you all, and I can't wait
to see you at all the future events conferences, including my
speech when I take the gavel at NASPA in Seattle.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:34:42]:
Anna, we know you're gonna have an incredibly busy year ahead, but
if anyone in the membership would like to reach you personally, how
can they find you?
Dr. Anna
Gonzalez [00:34:49]:
Oh, sure. They can actually go into my social media, Instagram,
AKGonzales 327, and also my email, anna.gonzales, with a z at the
end, atwustl, w u s t l, dotedu.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:35:01]:
Anna, thank you so much for sharing your voice with us today. Thank
you. This has been an episode of Student Affairs Voices From the
Field, a podcast brought to you by NASPA. This show continues to be
possible because you choose to listen to us. We are so grateful for
your subscriptions and your downloads and your engagement with the
content. If you'd like to reach the show, please email us at essay
voices at NASPA .org or find me on LinkedIn by searching for doctor
Jill L. Creighton. We always welcome your feedback and your topic
and guest suggestions.
Dr. Jill
Creighton [00:35:34]:
We'd love it if you take a moment to tell a colleague about the
show and give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever
you're listening now. It really does help other student affairs
professionals find the show and helps raise the show's profile
within the larger podcasting community. This episode was produced
and and hosted by doctor Jill Creighton. That's me. Produced and
audio engineered by doctor Chris Lewis. Special thanks to the
University of Michigan Flint for your support support