March 24, 2017

School of Education colleagues:

It is with great sincerity and excitement I submit this letter of promise on behalf of Emma
Hindman for consideration of graduation from the Masters in Higher Education program. As a
graduate of the program and current supervisor to Emma in her graduate assistantship in
Residence Life, I confidentially believe she will become an impactful practitioner in the field of
Student Affairs and below have highlighted ways I have seen her successfully incorporate the
programs learning outcomes into her work and how this would transfer effectively into her future
professional role.

During my time working with Emma, I have seen her demonstrate how important reflection
is to her understanding of who she is as a leader. The opportunity to work as an Assistant
Resident Director in the Department of Residence Life on Loyolas campus has provided her much
space to critically consider who she is as a person and professional. As her supervisor, I can attest
to the ways she has brought her scholarly learning from the classroom into her work. Emma has
been able to reflect holistically on her experience in a weekly format that then guides the
supervisory conversations we have. She has not shied away from being critical of her own
leadership abilities and has identified ways to refine her approach in her work with students. In
the supervision of student staff, she has empowered them to lead by example, and to reflect on
values-based decisions. Reflection has also played an important role in her work as she identifies
the places where she is able to find joy in this calling. This has often come in spaces where she is
able to educate herself and others on concepts of leadership. During her internship with Student
Leadership and Development on the Lakeshore campus, Emma worked to further provide spaces
for undergraduate students to also critically reflect on how they as leaders are developed, show
up in a space and to guide them towards a common purpose.

In these conversations and through other areas of work, Emma has shown the commitment
to social justice expected of a graduate of the higher education program. Her commitment to
social justice aligns with both her personal and professional narrative as she has been able to
analyze the ways identity and justice have contributed to her own experiences and the
experiences of the students with whom she works. Emma has worked with students from diverse
perspectives, cultures, lifestyles, and ways of knowing to guide them on the discovery of who they
are and how society shapes their experience as evidenced in her supervision on undergraduate
RAs, working with Orientation Students Leaders to introduce these concepts to incoming Ramblers,
and in supporting her co-ARD in Residence Life as his story at Loyola unfolds. Additional
examples of her work with social justice include her time mentoring students in the Emerging
Leaders program, providing staff support on the Search retreat through Campus Ministry in which
students reflected on their personal life direction, and meeting with students to discuss the impact
of racially charged actions in a residence hall setting. In these examples, and more, Emma has
shown a commitment to serving others to increase awareness and justice on campus in an
analytical way.

It is this analytical approach learned in the graduate program that has also allowed
Emma to demonstrate competency in the various structures, policies and skills one needs to master
as a professional. Emma has used the knowledge gained in the Student Affairs Professional
course as the grounding framework for her own understanding of the role of Student Affairs on a
college campus. By using the validation this course provides in regards to the holistic nature of the
work we do, Emma has been able to positively influence the education of her peers in the
classroom and the experiences of the students with whom she has interacted. Student Development
Theory gave her a personal reference point to understand the ways in which she has developed
but also to interpret interactions with students in a way for her to both support them and
challenge them in their own growth. The Critical Social Theory has been of particular importance
this academic year in providing Emma space to methodically examine how current and historical
societal events and trends contribute to the ways students make meaning of their experiences.
Given the current charged environment, this course has better allowed Emma to support students
whose stories and experiences have been influenced by forces outside of their control. Her
mastery in these areas have contributed to her using her knowledge to address the personal and
administrative shortcomings inherent in any organization in a theory grounded approach.

In looking to how Emma has addressed some of these challenges, her work is grounded in
assessing how we do our work, the value added by the experiences we provide, and ways we
can remain student-centered in our approaches. I have seen Emma use these methodological and
assessment skills to make change within her current work. In collaboration with her evaluation
course, Emma has implemented assessment exploring the leadership skills gained by students in a
residential learning community. She has contributed her voice and perspective to various
processes in an effort to streamline communication and better the student experience.

The last outcome of the higher education program, communication skills, is another area
Emma has excelled in through her current work. The ability to effectively communicate a decision,
message, or purpose is critical in working with students to maintain an equitable experience for
everyone. In her work, Emma has been responsible for crafting written communication to students
on a variety of topics from conduct rationales, desk policy enforcement, outreach following a
student concern and response to general inquiries. Her ability to communicate in a caring, concise
and informative matter has ensured that the students within our hall obtain a consistent
experience. Emma has also shown mastery of oral communication by leading departmental
training sessions, challenging peers in the classroom setting, and facilitating staff meeting
conversations.

Having seen Emmas work in all of these areas over the past two years, I am confident in
her ability to remain an impactful and intentional student affairs educator. The skills and
experiences she has gained in both the higher education program and her assistantship have all
contributed to her work and formation as a professional in the field. I am excited by the great
potential for her to continue combining her passions for student learning, student leadership and
the student experience as she moves forward to her next position.

I know Emma will succeed in her next steps post-graduation and am grateful to have the
pleasure of working with her during my time at Loyola. Please do not hesitate to further contact
me if you have any additional comments regarding Emma Hindmans status as an applicant for
graduation from the Loyola University Chicago Higher Education program.

Sincerely,

Tim Griffin
Resident Director, Loyola University Chicago
Tgriffin3@luc.edu
773-508-3740