Joint Task Force oN Professional Competencies

August 2010

Dear Colleagues:

In 2009, ACPA and NASPA created a Joint Task Force on Professional Competencies and Standards to develop a set of professional competency areas that would be endorsed by both associations.  The task force has concluded its work and both association's governing bodies accepted and endorsed the document on July 24, 2010.

This set of Professional Competency Areas is intended to define the broad professional knowledge, skills, and for some competencies, attitudes expected of student affairs professionals working in the U.S., regardless of their area of specialization or positional role within the field. All student affairs professionals should be able to demonstrate their ability to meet the basic list of outcomes under each competency area regardless of how they entered the profession. Thus, this document is intended to inform the design of professional development opportunities for student affairs professionals by providing outcomes that can be incorporated into the design of specific curriculum and training opportunities. Additionally, if student affairs professionals desire to grow in a particular competency area, they can examine expected learning and skills in the intermediate and advanced level. Such examination allows individual practitioners to use this document to help guide their own choices about professional development opportunities afforded to them.

Click here to download the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas document.