One of the many exciting components of my work is my ability to
work with students who are in all different academic levels at college.
However, the population that I have found most exciting and that
continues to push me to grow professionally are seniors in college. At a
small liberal arts institution, many Davidson seniors appear to have life
figured out; some of them solidified in their post-undergraduate pursuits,
others on the cusp of determining their new life path, and many
enjoying the last months of their collegiate careers. With so much both on the
line for these students in addition to their many responsibilities, the
question then is, what are we doing to provide support for our students?
In working with
upperclass students, a majority of who are seniors I inherited an environment
where students do not value/desire programs or the help of student staff as
they feel they already know all of the information that they need. My
student staff members, despite being a remarkable set of seniors with a
significantly diverse array of experiences and expertise, were unable to find
ways to meaningfully connect to students. I realized that a new model was
needed to not only find ways to support them, but to also show off how
incredible of a resource their student staff members could serve them as a
resource and be as direct in meeting students needs as possible. This
resulted in the following programmatic model:
Building
Relationships: A core feature of a liberal arts
residential experience. These programs allow for student staff to see
many residents at the same time (something that based on the physical layout of
our apartments is very challenging). While this principle is basic, I challenged
my student staff to shift the perspective in how they frame these
programs. In the fall semester it is important to have these early
on to help student staff establish their role with their residents. In
the spring semester the goal of this is different and should be to help not
only socialize with residents but to help recognize their achievement as they
complete their undergraduate academic pursuits. Programmatically finding
fun and engaging ways to get students talking about their experiences through
scrap booking, bonfires, etc.
Interpersonal/Personal Development: In an increasingly digital age,
employers, staff (particularly Career Services staff members), faculty, and
even students themselves would agree that students struggle in their ability to
communicate with others. Additionally, there are many ways in which we
can help students develop personal skills that will set them up for success in
life. This developmental focus is broad enough to also allow student
staff the ability to focus on areas of their personal development, enabling
them to feel more invested in their experience. Also, the breadth of this
programmatic component can cover important personal identity development issues
facing students (racial identity development, sexual identity development,
religious identity development, etc.) Some examples of these programs
that student staff developed are as follows:
Cooking classes
Auto maintenance and repair
Landlord
tenant information (how to sign and find a lease, managing challenging
landlords, etc.)
Enhancing communication skills
Multicultural programming
Addressing the “isms”
Understanding spirituality
Understanding how to develop a
spiritual life after college
Professional Development: As students approach graduation
status it is important to acknowledge that students are about to enter an
entirely new chapter of your life. Understanding how to develop a
professional identity is important as students will need to understand how to
develop and build a brand in order to remain competitive and effective in the
workforce. How do we help students learn about the realities of social
justice issues in the workforce as responsible and civically engaged members of
society? In what ways can we help equip our students with important
knowledge about professional decisions they are about to make? By framing
this area in the context of profesional growth, we are also able to include
departments on our campus that are not being utilized for student programming
like Human Resources and Legal Counsel. This provides not only our students
with new perspectives, it also enables our department to foster new
relationships with more offices.
Understanding multiculturalism in
the work place
Sexism in the workplace/issues of
the glass ceiling
Demystifying Title 9 & Equal
Opportunity Employment
How to negotiate a contract/salary
Understanding retirement plans
What does it mean to have
benefits?
How
can we help our students effectively market a liberal arts education or an
education in the humanities?
Networking – both personally
& via social media
Making social media work for you
Managing conflict in the
workplace
Financial Development: Financial development is very much so tied into the
development of a student's professional identity as well as a crucial life
skill that is an important life skill. It is important to consider the
financial implications of any career a student may have and the implications it
can therefore create for their future. Often times students in a variety
of majors (humanities, sciences, etc.) are not taking courses where they will
be taught important fiscal life skills and knowledge. This is crucial as
so many students are leaving higher education with thousands in debt and
challenging employment markets. Understanding how to develop and build a
strong understanding of finances is essential to both their current and future
success. While this all seems basic, the question is, if it is so easy,
why do so many people struggle? This question while hugely philosophical
has very real world implications that student staff can help impact through
effective education. This component of the model also allows students to
connect with experts in business services, auxiliary services, and
other offices that have great experiences and expertise to impart to students
that they may not know otherwise. Examples of these programs are as
follows:
How to develop credit (credit
scores, etc.)
Understanding/demystifying the
stock market and investments
Developing a budget
How to file taxes
How to manage debt/student loans
How to negotiate a contract/salary
Understanding retirement plans
Psychological Development: How often have you worked with or
known a student to struggle with an issue involving mental health? Mental
health challenges are very much so a reality of our society and with an
increasingly psychologically challenged student body, it is more crucial than
ever for colleges to find ways to positively educate and reach students who are
struggling. But how are we equipping our graduates to manage these issues
and challenges? In talking with my student staff, one of the original
challenging ideas was how to engage students in these issues, when many may
feel that there is a negative stigma attached to a program that addresses
psychological challenges on a broader scale. However, by framing the
programs as a way to help their peers overcome challenges, it changes the
ability for students to feel comfortable in attending programs and also helps
empower individuals in tackling these challenges. Examples of these
programs are as follows:
Understanding transition
How to effectively manage stress
How to help a friend who is being
challenged with anxiety
How to recognize if your friend
has a problem with substance abuse
How to support a friend who is
struggling with body image issues
While this model is still new, it has been well received by a
variety of campus partners and students alike. How are you engaging your
seniors in intentional programs? In what ways is your department
contributing to an effective, meaningful, and memorable senior experience?
How can we better serve these students? I look forward to continue
challenging my students to find new ways of supporting their peers and
enhancing their experience so that they can be as ready for graduation as
possible.
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