One Way to Publish as a Practitioner: Blogging!
Orientation, Transition and Retention Graduate Mid-Level New Professional
January 21, 2020
A couple of months ago, I had the privilege of attending the NASPA IV East Regional Conference in Des Moine, IA. This was my first NASPA conference ever so I was very excited about attending. I can say without a doubt that the conference did not disappoint! Outside of the fact that I bumped into Corey Booker (New Jersey Senator and 2020 Presidential candidate) and his partner Rosario Dawson (Celebrity and Actress) at the airport when I arrived in Des Moines, I had the opportunity to connect with colleagues and attend some amazing sessions. One session that stood out to me in particular was titled “How to Get Published as a Practitioner” and was presented by Dr. Steven McCullar, an Associate Professor in the Higher Education Administration Department at St. Cloud State University.
In the session, Dr. McCullar outlined the many ways that student affairs practitioners can work to contribute to the higher education and student affairs literature and landscape. Outside of submitting articles to academic journals such as the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice and the Journal of College Student Development, practitioners can also contribute to other publications such as the NASPA Leadership Exchange and NASPA Knowledge Community Publications as well. Most notably, he also talked in great detail about the value of contributing to blogs!
Blog posts are excellent ways to contribute to contribute to the field of higher education and student affairs. While some may try to discredit the value of blogging and blog posts, they most definitely provide opportunities to share compelling stories, discuss relevant issues, raise important questions and distribute pertinent information. Contributing to a blog is a great way for you to share best practices and to build your professional portfolio. Since blogs are typically less dense reading material, they are great for sharing on your social media channels!
Consider contributing to the area of Orientation, Transition and Retention through a blog post. Blogs are shared monthly and we welcome an array of different types of posts. If you are interested in contributing to a blog post please contact me at ololadebanks@gmail.com.
Lola Banks
Orientation, Transition and Retention Blog Coordinator