MS in LDPS Student Affairs Concentration: Portfolio Requirements
The portfolio is to be based on the compilation of objectives in the student's program of studies and the program competencies delineated in the Portfolio Matrix.
Portfolio Planning
In planning the portfolio, students should:
- Meet with program advisor to review portfolio contents.
- Meet with program advisor to review portfolio in progress.
- Submit completed portfolio to advisor.
- Prior to the committee receiving the link to your portfolio, your committee chair must review and approve the content. Please give your chair adequate time for this review process. Once approved, the portfolio must be submitted to the committee at least two weeks prior to your defense date.
- Meet with program advisor to determine dates for your defense.
- You should be prepared to defend your portfolio around mid-term of the semester you plan to graduate (fall or spring semesters).
- Email announcement of portfolio defense to all HIAD faculty members on your committee.
- Defend approved portfolio at meeting of faculty committee. Students outside Memphis may conduct their portfolio defense via video conference.
Items to include in Portfolio
Examples of items that could be included in the portfolio are:
- Evidence of classroom experience (e.g., papers, projects, summaries of activities, annotated bibliography); and
- Applications of program learning in a work-related experience (e.g., curriculum/training materials, workshops planned and/or attended, programs planned, committee work).
Items that must appear in every portfolio
- An up-to-date resume
- An approved program of studies
- Table (matrix) that indicates the courses and competencies
- An artifact (paper, project report, video, photograph) documenting each competency. If possible, use the graded paper (including faculty comments). If you have a revised or updated version, you may include both.
Additional Portfolio Requirements
- Each item included in your portfolio must be dated.
- If the item submitted as evidence is course related, the course number must be included and the graded version must be submitted.
- Time, place, and nature of the activity from which the artifact derives must be clear
- Submit the artifact that is best evidence. For example, a committee report listing you as a member is better than an internship log page claiming participation.
- A written reflection should be prepared to accompany each artifact.
- The student must show in the reflection the relationship that exists between the artifact and the competency.
- In the reflection, you may give examples from up to three courses to demonstrate you have met the competency.
- In the reflection, compare and contrast your experience with theories you studied in your masters classes.
- At your portfolio defense, prepare to talk about the following:
- Look back across the materials in your portfolio and reflect on the process and progress
you have made towards becoming a competent educational leader. Take a holistic look
at your growth.
- What successes can you describe?
- Where improvements could be made?
- What did you learn?
- How has your experience resulted in the improvement of your leadership skills as a college student affairs administrator?
- During the final presentation of your portfolio to the faculty, you will be asked to reflect on your professional growth. Focus on what you have accomplished and how you have expanded your abilities in the competency areas. Be prepared to discuss how you will continue to hone your college student affairs skills.
- Look back across the materials in your portfolio and reflect on the process and progress
you have made towards becoming a competent educational leader. Take a holistic look
at your growth.
Electronic Portfolio Guide/Tutorial
The portfolio must be submitted in an electronic format. We recommend a program called Weebly. This is a free website builder that can be accessed with your browser at http://www.weebly.com/. Additionally, the links below provide a tutorial to assist in developing your portfolio. Within the tutorial you will find a sample portfolio from a former student who used Weebly.