2018 Transforming Lives - Developing Translational Research and Transformational Leaders

Dr. Bailey said helping SAAHE students develop the
knowledge, skills and self-awareness to provide inclusivity
on campus is a theme seen throughout all the classes in
the program.
A recent graduate, Metzmaker references the cohort
structure as a major deciding factor for choosing Texas
A&M.
“A lot of the background of our profession is in social justice
and social equity. We have to make sure every student is
receiving the same services,” Frazier said.
In his assistantship, Frazier provides academic coaching,
advises two student organizations and manages learning
communities. His assistantship helps him understand the
full scope of student affairs.
“My assistantship is more representative of what student
affairs actually is,” Frazier said. “When you generally
think about student affairs, you think student activities,
multicultural affairs and resident life and things like that
where you are more focused on campus engagement.”
His work at the Byrne Center allows him to focus on these
areas while also helping students succeed academically.
“To be able to sit down with a student and say, ‘Hey, I’m
focused on you. Let’s figure out what you need to make
this experience better for you.’ That’s where most of the
fulfillment comes,” Frazier said.
Dr. Louis Ponjuan meets with SAAHE students on campus.
“Looking at different graduate programs, I felt that Texas
A&M would offer a lot of opportunities due to how big the
school is. Within the SAAHE program, I felt that I would
feel more at home because it is a small cohort setting,”
Metzmaker explained.
“Through the cohort model, we take courses together
and have transition meetings once a month,’ Metzmaker
said. “[During these meetings], we share what issues we
are dealing with, how to best support each other in those
situations and what we can do to be our best selves.”
“WE ASK STUDENTS TO CHALLENGE THEMSELVES,
TO THINK DIFFERENTLY, TO PUT THEMSELVES IN
PLACES OF DISCOMFORT, AND LEAN INTO THAT
SO THEY CAN LEARN MORE. WE WANT THEM TO
LEAVE DIFFERENT THAN WHEN THEY CAME.”
Dr. Krista Bailey, SAAHE Director
COLLABORATION IN A COMMUNITY
Every year, 14-18 students come in as a cohort and go
through the program together. The group takes the same
classes and graduates at the same time. Frazier described
the cohort as a family, a network of support that turns a
campus of 68,000 into a campus of 18.
“We do a lot of group work and a lot of collaboration in
the first semester. It helps us get to know each other. It
reinforces the idea that student affairs is a profession of
collaboration,” Frazier said.
Steven Metzmaker came to Texas A&M from Minnesota. He
spent his undergrad at Loyola University in Chicago and,
after traveling abroad, spent two summers at Columbia
University in New York.
FELLOWSHIP WITH FACULTY
The faculty become a part of the cohort while also leading the
learning and support of the students. Each faculty member
has some prior experience as a student affairs practitioner.
They pull from experiences in the field and incorporate it
into their lesson plans, using real world examples to bring
understanding to theory.
As director, Dr. Bailey forms a special mentoring relationship
with each student. She often meets one-on-one each
semester to hear an update on the student’s progress. She
said these meetings help her tailor the program to meet the
needs of the students.
“We ask students to challenge themselves, to think
differently, to put themselves in places of discomfort, and
lean into that so they can learn more,” Dr. Bailey said. “We
want them to leave different than when they came.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
STUDENT AFFAIRS ADMINISTRATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION
GRADUATE PROGRAM VISIT SAAHE.TAMU.EDU
18