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Running head: LAW, POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMPETENCY

Law, Policy and Governance Competency

Howard McKee

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

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LAW, POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMPETENCY
The Law, Policy and Governance competency focuses on how legal constructs and policy

development influence the field of student affairs. The first section of the competency is “Law

and Legal Systems.” I would place myself in the foundational level of this section. I can

“describe how country and state/provincial constitutions and laws influence the constituents

within a college community and affect their professional practice” (ACPA & NASPA, pg. 17). I

have done this by explaining the Fair Housing Act and how institutions need to structure their

emotional support animal (ESA) policies. During my master’s program, I have also learned to

“identify and explain emerging law and policy trends” (ACPA & NASPA, pg. 17).

The second section of the competency is “Governance.” I would place myself in the pre-

foundational level of this section. I would like to be able to “explain concepts of risk

management, reasonable accommodation and enact liability reduction strategies” (ACPA &

NASPA, pg. 17). This is an area I would like to grow in to learn how to handle risk management

cases, because during my internship it seems only to have been discussed by upper-level

administration.

The third section of the competency is “Ethical Inclusive Application of Policy.” I would

place myself in the foundational level of this competency. I have been able to “describe how

policy is developed and implemented in one’s department and institution, as well as at all levels

of external governance” (ACPA & NASPA, pg. 18). In the first semester of my work on my

master’s degree, I focused on how the Fair Housing Act worked with the Americans with

Disabilities Act to allow ESAs within the residence halls. This was a focus the Department of

Residence Life had worked on with Ability Services to make sure students followed proper

procedures and were given their full rights to have an ESA, if one is needed.
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LAW, POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMPETENCY
The fourth section of the competency is “Civic Engagement.” This section focuses on

how student affairs professionals are using laws and policies to enhance their work. I would

place myself in the pre-foundational level of this competency. I would like to “encourage and

advocate participation in electoral processes at all levels of government” (ACPA & NASPA, pg.

18). Since I have been focused on my education and my internship, I have not allowed time to

examine governance. This is something I would like to change, once I have moved into my first

entry-level position.

In the Law course of my master’s program, I worked on a policy critique which was my

first artifact. This went into detail to describe how the University of Wisconsin System (UWS)

should update its Equal Employment Opportunities Policy to match the federal government’s.

Through this process, I learned I should also be reviewing institutional policies to see who they

may be excluding, and how the policies can be changed, if necessary. In regard to the “Ethical

Inclusive Application of Policy” part of the competency, I knew the current UWS policy needed

to be updated except for its sexual orientation and mental disability coverage. My second artifact

was an updated rubric for use in our interviews with Resident Assistant candidates. I was part of

a team which looked at the questions we were asking to make sure they made sense and were

updated. Our team added a diversity question to reduce liability and decided to provide the

department’s new diversity statement to all candidates.

Overall through my Law course, I felt I moved more into the foundational level of the

competency. Starting in my first full-time position, I would like to be able to “explain legal

theories related to tort liability, negligence, the exercise and limits of free speech, discrimination,

and contract law and how these theories affect professional practice” (ACPA & NASPA, pg. 17).

I feel I learned a great deal about this in our course but know I need to continue to educate
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myself as it keeps evolving. Since student affairs is focused on social justice, I know I will need

to be able to “use data appropriately to guide the analysis and creation of programs, policy, and

procedures that meet the legal, compliance and policy mandates for the institution” (ACPA &

NASPA, pg. 18). This will always be an area of the competency I will need to grow in and focus

on. I will need to be fair in understanding the atmosphere of the department I move into but also

to make sure they are using assessment and data to drive their programs, policies and procedures.
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LAW, POLICY AND GOVERNANCE COMPETENCY

References

ACPA: College Student Educators International & NASPA:  Student Affairs Administrators in 

Higher Education. (2016). ACPA/NASPA professional competencies rubrics.  Retrieved 

from 

https://www.naspa.org/images/uploads/main/ACPA_NASPA_Professional_Competency

_Rubrics_Full.pdf