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Carol Smith
competencies that I have developed during this time. My project, which focuses on the Role of
Race and Spirituality in the Identity Development of Black Women College Students, has
afforded me the opportunity to work closely with this population of students at Montclair State
University. By introducing my support program, “She Speaks Truth”, to the Office of Equity and
Diversity, I was able to develop six outcomes across two competency areas that were necessary
for my success in my capstone project. These outcomes range from intermediate to advanced and
The outcomes that I have developed as a result of my capstone experience, fall within the
Advising and Supporting, and the Student Learning and Development competency areas. The
Advising and Supporting competency, which “addresses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions
related to providing advising and support to individuals and groups through direction, feedback,
critique, referral, and guidance” is an area that I have developed intermediate outcomes (NASPA/
ACPA, 2015, p. 15). The first intermediate outcome includes my ability to “assess the
2015, p. 37). I will preface this outcome by stating that programming addressing the racial and
spiritual identity development of Black women students in higher education was limited. More
specifically, at the Office of Equity and Diversity, this kind of programming did not exist. Thus,
by inserting a program like “She Speaks Truth” into this space, I was able to address an
The second outcome that I have developed under the Advising and Supporting
counseling” (NASPA/ACPA, 2015, p.37). Serving as an advisor for the “She Speaks Truth”
program has not only been a rewarding experience, but has also allowed me to cultivate
meaningful relationships with the students who chose to participate. As their advisor, I facilitated
discussions that addressed their intersecting identities, as well as how trends in higher education
have effected these identities. The third outcome that I have developed under this competency
area, is the ability to “design programs and services to promote student learning and
2015, p.32). Similar to the previous outcomes, by establishing a program that filled the gaps in
research and programming at Montclair State University, “She Speaks Truth” provided Black
women students a new space to come together and learn about the broader implications of their
identities. The program, which utilizes the Black Feminist Thought framework (Hills-Collins,
2002), encourages these students to define themselves by interpreting their own experiences.
This learning objective is supported by my final outcome under the Advising and Supporting
competency, which is the ability to “justify using learning theory to create learning
The final outcome that I have developed during my capstone experience, can be found
under the Student Learning and Development competency area. In this area, I have developed the
ability to “translate theory to diverse audiences and use it effectively to enhance understanding of
the work of student affairs” (NASPA/ACPA, 2015, p. 32). Black women students from various
educational programs and levels, participated in the support program. Despite this diversity
COMPETENCY GOAL REVIEW !3
among attendees, students were able to garner a shared understanding of the material being
presented. This material included concepts such as the Black Feminist Thought framework,
Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1995), and more. The students who participated in the support
program expressed their understanding of the various frameworks by relating their life’s
The competency area that I have not been able to exclusively address in my capstone
experience, but know will be beneficial in my future career, is the Social Justice and Inclusion
competency area (NASPA/ACPA, 2015, p. 30). This competency area, which is “defined as both
a process and a goal that includes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to create
learning environments that foster equitable participation of all groups and seeks to address issues
of oppression, privilege, and power”, is one in which I aspire to develop intermediate and
advanced outcomes. Some of these include: “effectively facilitat[ing] dialogue about issues of
social justice, inclusion, power, privilege, and oppression in one’s practice”, and promoting an
"institutional culture that supports the free and open expression of ideas, identities, and beliefs,
and where individuals have the capacity to negotiate different standpoints” (NASPA/ACPA,
2015, p. 31). As I transition into my new role as an Assistant Director of Program Execution at
COMPETENCY GOAL REVIEW !4
References
ACPA: College Student Educators International & NASPA − Student Affairs Administrators in
Collins, P. H. (2002). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of
empowerment. Routledge.
Crenshaw, K. (1995). Critical race theory: The key writings that formed the movement. The New
Press.