SEAHO Report - Winter 2018 - 41

SEAHO Features

or seminar versus for a career search. Money allocated by SGA is meant for development that would benefit
the university as a whole, not an individual person. Reinhardt University's Student Government Association
(2013) explains this well in its Student Organization Handbook. The bylaws explain that funding will not be
available unless the activity "[w]ill enrich the Reinhardt University community." If student government is not
an option, outside scholarships may help. Several national conferences offer travel or registration scholarships
based on essays and letters of recommendation. These allocations or scholarships may not cover the entire cost
of attendance, but they can certainly make it more affordable. Should the university committee and allocation of
funds be sufficient, creating a new opportunity may be an option.
Constructing a professional development experience from nothing can be difficult, but worth it. Take into
consideration readily available resources, such as those within the department and utilize them. The challenge
will be creating the departmental buy - in. Perhaps the housing department has never hosted its own conference
and is open to doing so. This is the avenue to securing departmental funds to create and host a new and unique
conference. Assemble a planning committee and seek other resources, such as the Residence Hall Association.
Their contribution would decrease the amount requested from the department and further the successful
execution of the conference. Bring in other campus partners, such as catering, publications, and student
activities. If possible, inviting other schools in the area would generate a larger and more diverse attendance.
This option not only provides conference experience, but it also demonstrates the graduate professional's ability
to create, implement, execute, and evaluate an idea from beginning to end.
Pursuing higher education as a career path is rewarding, especially because of the opportunity to give back to
the college experience that changed us for the better. However, the market seems to be increasingly competitive
as a bottleneck occurs after graduate school (McClellan, 2010). Our career mentors stress how important
professional development opportunities are and how they put us ahead of the curve, but that requires graduate
students to be resourceful with limited funding. Scivicque (2011) perfectly explains "professional development
is not the responsibility of anyone but you. Not your [department], not your boss, not even your [university].
Just you." Through the utilization of committees, university resources and outside scholarships, and the creation
of our own opportunities, we can ensure our professional development does not cease when funds are not
immediately available due to budgetary concerns or legislative pieces.
References
Berkeley City College. (2017). Charge of the Committee: Professional Development. Retrieved September
13, 2017, from http://www.berkeleycitycollege.edu/wp/staff-dev/committee-responsibilities/charge-of-thecommittee/
Gore, L. (2017, June 26). California bans travel to Alabama, 7 other states, but Crimson Tide game with Fresno
State still on. Retrieved July 31, 2017, from http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/06/california_bans_
travel_to_alab.html
Leland, D., & Moore, J. (2007). Strategic Focusing: Securing Competitive Advantage. Public Purpose
Magazine.
McClellan, G. S. (2010, November 17). Getting a Start in Student Affairs. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/getting-a-start-in-student/125391
Reinhardt University Student Government Association. (2013, November 4). Student Organization Handbook.
Reinhardt University.
Scivicque, C. (2011, June 21). Creating Your Professional Development Plan: 3 Surprising Truths.
Retrieved September 13, 2017, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2011/06/21/creatingyour- professional-development-plan-3-surprising-truths/#75783a134fdb

SEAHO Report Winter 2018

http://www.berkeleycitycollege.edu/wp/staff-dev/committee-responsibilities/charge-of-the-committee http://www.berkeleycitycollege.edu/wp/staff-dev/committee-responsibilities/charge-of-the-committee http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/06/california_bans_travel_to_alab.html http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/06/california_bans_travel_to_alab.html https://www.chronicle.com/article/getting-a-start-in-student/125391 https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2011/06/21/creating-your-professional-development-plan-3-surprising-truths/#75783a134fdb https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2011/06/21/creating-your-professional-development-plan-3-surprising-truths/#75783a134fdb

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Winter 2018