My Professional Advising Leadership
Program — Spring 2005
Ruby Lee Cochran–Simms
How exciting to have been selected to participate in the PAL Program!!!! I tried to read everything I could to find out what the program was about. Professional Advising Leadership… what is that, what does it mean.
It is just so hard to put into words ALL that PAL means. Summarizing it means much learning, professional growth and then affirmative action.
Now I realize that my PAL experience began when I had to write my proposal. I had to discover what I wanted to research and justify why I wanted to know more about this topic. At the time I didn’t realize how much of a learning experience this was. The research topic requires very careful planning. Undoubtedly this is a primary part of the experience because it determines the outcome of the project.
PAL participants received regular group messages from College Board that gave us details about the program and topics to think about. We had questionnaires to answer and decisions to make. We also had to do the Self-Directed Orientation Modules that gave us information and tasks to complete. The Modules kept me focused on factors that would be extremely useful in achieving my goals. These communications forced me to reflect on just what I hoped to accomplish and how I was going to use that information afterwards. It was a time for reflecting. This was a definite learning process.
Financial aid is an age-old topic but it seems we cannot get enough information about it. So I chose this theme for research, having in mind specific academic areas that Argentine students are interested in. When I say financial aid I mean scholarships/fellowships, different types of assistantships, and work-study possibilities. What factors are considered when granting this financial assistance to international students. My primary interest was, of course, Argentine students but I wanted to obtain information that would be applicable to other international students as well. This information would then be shared with my colleague in the educationUSA network. My objective is to prepare a helpful hints booklet on financial aid for our use. I also plan to take advantage of local and regional conferences to give presentations on the subject of financial aid.
Finally came the actual participation in the program. We were 11 PAL Fellows. We came from different regions and had different goals and expectations. Yet, I am amazed at how we interacted, shared information and became a team. One of the most important aspects of PAL is the networking with our PAL colleagues. We come to the program almost strangers and leave as friends. After the program we have a sense of having accomplished something of having a purpose. We realize we can capitalize on our colleagues’ experiences.
In our week in Washington, D.C. we attended practical workshops. We discussed Leadership, what it is and what it isn’t. Among the highlights of the week was taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. This allowed me to better understand myself, my motivations and see my potential growth areas. One of the most rewarding experiences was in learning about how to give presentations. Besides the practical explanations of “How To…” we were individually videotaped doing an impromptu presentation and then our instructor as well as our colleagues critiqued our performance. It was difficult, it was fun and, most of all, it was beneficial. We also had a timely Marketing/Public Relations session on Marketing Strategies. This session was extremely enlightening as we learned about key factors that need to be taken into consideration when we plan to market our offices and services. I intend to share information from this session by writing an article for our Regional Newsletter.
PAL teaches the adviser to be independent, to make his/her own decisions. In the institutional visits, the PAL fellow is pretty much on his/her own. This gives one the opportunity to see things from different perspectives: as an adviser, as a student and as a professional. For my own program I tried to select different types of institutions, that are relatively unknown by international students. I wanted to get firsthand information about institutions that are not well marketed internationally. I find prospective international students have a very limited knowledge about the number of colleges and universities in the U.S. I wanted to obtain information that would help them expand their options. Consequently, I visited educational institutions in Chicago, Illinois and Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota that included Rotary International Headquarters, the Institute of International Education’s Midwest Office, Columbia College, Illinois Institute of Technology, De Paul University, Loyola University, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, The MAST Program, Macalister College, St. Catherine College, and Metropolitan State University. Each offers something unique for international students and has financial aid available for international students. One of my future projects is a handout listing the unique features of these institutions for international students. The handout will be used in my office and shared with my colleagues through our Listserv. I was surprised at how little is known about educationUSA educational advisers and our network in American universities, so I took the opportunity to inform my institutional hosts about our work. My hosts went out of their way to make me feel welcome, organizing meetings with department heads, admissions officers, financial aid officers, and Argentine students. I visited campus facilities and university bookstores. I was very pleased with my university visits and I feel I made the right decisions about the institutions to visit.
The 3rd week I participated in the NAFSA Conference in Seattle, Washington. I had volunteered to be a Registrar so I had the opportunity to attend two Professional Development Workshops related to my work. The first, “Effective Management of EducationUSA Advising Centers” gave me tools and strategies for a more effective organization of my advising center including management of human and material resources. The second, “Learn to Lead — Skills and Strategies” helped me to understand different types of leaders and evaluate leadership styles. NAFSA is a fantastic place for networking. I met old friends and made new ones. I was able to make contacts that are beneficial to my Center. I work in a Binational Center and our institution is the logical place for students to inquire about different types of cultural and educational experiences in the United States. So I was able to make contacts with different organizations for our Institution to represent a summer work travel program and a youth exchange program. I am prepared to coordinate workshops for our staff on topics such as leadership and teamwork.
After my PAL experience, it is my objective to integrate my theoretical knowledge into practical experience by doing. I want to be a resource person for those who can benefit from my experience through our Listserv, through the USBT/PAL Alumni Association and as a presenter in local and regional workshops.
I have discovered that PAL has a beginning but no ending. My program didn’t end when I returned to Argentina. I am different. I have additional skills. I have more confidence in myself as an adviser. I have another perspective. I know my research has only begun but I now have new resources. I belong to a wider advising network. I have more motivation. I continue to study and learn. I have also discovered that PAL is a continual learning process as well as a very personal professional experience.
Ruby Lee Cochran–Simms
Educational Adviser — ARICANA