Artificial Goods: Credentialism and Student Affairs Professional Development

Because of ongoing pessimism and frustration with the increased work expectations that do not correlate with increased financial compensation, student affairs professionals are left wondering what the future of student affairs is (21st Century Task Force, 2020). Graduate preparation programs and professional associations that have maintained their position as significant socialization agents for the field (Duran & Allen, 2020; Perez, 2016) are also wrestling with this question. Many student affairs professionals spend several years in graduate school being socialized into ways of being, thinking, and doing that often perpetuate whiteness. This socialization shows up in the classroom where faculty position graduate Students of Color as the experts on race-related issues (Harris & Linder, 2018) while failing to encourage racial identity development among white graduate students (Briscoe & Jones, 2022). This socialization continues as educators become enmeshed in their institution’s culture. When these graduate students transition into full-time employment, the positioning of particular groups of people as experts on certain issues will follow them. The presumption of expertise on certain topics (e.g., anything diversity related) carries over into the availability of professional development opportunities. In recent years, opportunities for student affairs educators to pursue professional development have increased. These opportunities include pursuing additional degrees (e.g., a master’s or doctoral degree or certificates) or learning experiences sponsored by professional associations (e.g., conferences, C.E.Us., or certificates). However, these opportunities come with physical and financial costs that need to be collectively assessed and evaluated by professionals and faculty compared to their effectiveness in enhancing student affairs practice and improving the quality of life for student affairs educators. Graduate preparation programs and professional associations have pushed practitioners and faculty to think about the role of credentialism in perpetuating whiteness, neoliberalism, and labor inequity that fuel our current evolution.