Life as a Student Affairs Professional

Much of the work that we do in student affairs is reflected in the lives we lead as students, parents, leaders, administrators and human beings. The influence our  individual lives play in our work is vital to the power and effectiveness in our daily work with students.

The impact of being engaged in our profession can be told by the faces of the students who start as first years and journey through to graduation and beyond.  Their stories are glanced with challenge and drama, brushed with laughter and joy, success and failure, but through it all, we as student affairs professionals get to participate in a journey of wonder and see the paintings of the lives of our students. What a joy and a responsibility. 

My Life at College

As with any college experience, mine was influenced by the university I attended, my personal goals, and the opportunities I participated in while attending, which made the difference in the career I pursued.  As with many of my era, I had no idea that Student Affairs was a career choice. My path in Student Affairs began as a “Deskie” in Hashinger Hall at the University of Kansas.  While at KU, I was exposed to a cadre of talented administrators across campus who had great hearts and shared their enthusiasm and love for working with students by creating environments where all students could be successful. 

During my time at KU, my major changed multiple times. I began in pre-med to be an anesthesiologist and started taking chemistry; that was the end of that major. But, how fortunate was I to have met a professor who could memorize names of every student in his course (over 700) and know your name. Amazing!  I was great in biology and psychology, and pondered Child Psychology, but was intrigued by Journalism. I became a Broadcast News Major, worked at the student-run radio station, writing news before any students were ever up in the morning. My favorite radio story I wrote was on the poet Langston Hughes – I wrote it to commemorate the celebration the University hosted on his birthday.  While I achieved that degree, I was empowered by the Emily Taylor Center for Women (title at that time) and I engaged as a Women’s History major, which brought me to working on a task force related to violence against women.  I continued my advocacy for women in each of the institutions that followed.  I served as a volunteer for the Rape Crisis Center and served on a variety of tasks forces to support women. 

After having a taste of higher education, I then pursued a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kansas.  I worked in Scholarship Hall, housing 50 women who shared chores and cooking responsiblities.  I was responsible for the meals on Sundays and remembered cooking a variety of foods for the students.  The resource, Food for 50 by Mary Molt, was one of my most used books. I graduated from KU, traveled to North Carolina, and worked at North Carolina State University. Then I went off to University of North Carolina at Wilmington where I continued working in the area of Housing. This is not all my history, but the beginning of a full and valued journey.  I have held a variety of positions over the years, but have found that serving in the role of the Associate Director of Housing and Residential Life, currently at South Dakota State University, provides me with the opportunity to touch the lives of students in a variety of ways – the ways that each student needs for a strong foundation.

Lessons learned

Life as a Student Affairs professional, and certainly one in housing, is full of opportunities. The unique venue of working in housing lets us see students at their best and at their worst. 

Be sure to take care of yourself – remember empathy and compassion for yourself, without it, one may burn out and that can be a tragedy.

Manage your emotions—research indicates individuals with strong emotional intelligence are more successful in their work environments. 

Get on the bus, or get off the bus.  The choice is yours (reference to Good to Great, by Jim Collins).

Maintain perspective.  Be sure to take the opportunity to get away from your work so that you can maintain a balanced perspective and nothing gets “out-of-whack”.  I would talk with my staff and state that, “If small children were not going to die, then it is not THAT important.”

Read, read, read.  Read your professional organization journals. Read books on topics related to your work. READ!

Do NOT shame people. Everyone is trying to do their best. Sometimes they do not know how to do it.  Help them. Do not shame them.

Establish healthy boundaries (reference to Charles L. Whitfield’s book—see list below).

Be grateful.  Always have a healthy recognition that you are not alone and that others support you, help you and assist you.  Thankfulness is always important to success.

Utilize your heart.  As Simon Senek says, know your why, what is your purpose and then act on your purpose.

Embrace diversity. Understanding others, and understanding yourself is very powerful and the ability to more successfully work with students, peers, colleagues, and administration.  A new children’s book that I love is Barack Obama: Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters illustrated by Loren Long; published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York.

Write, write, write.  Write for you. Write for a blog, or a journal or do a review of a book for your campus.  Practice the art of writing as it is a critical piece for success.

Be involved in your profession.  Join your state, regional or national organization.  I have been fortunate to be involved in NASPA IV-WEST. I attended the Mid-level Institute, then helped host it. I have found that this organization (or any other professional organization) can create a network of colleagues and friends that help you do your job on campus even better.  Take advantage of the opportunity.

Know YOUR strengths, whether that is using Strenghts Finder or combining with Myers Briggs, but understanding yourself and being able to understand others is essential for success as a person and a professional.

Be Mindful. Be present and breathe.  When you breathe you are more likely to stay focused and be able to be your best.

Set goals. Activate them and accomplish them.

Take vacations – international, if at all possible, but certainly enjoy the beauty that exists around you, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Prioritize. Understand your values. Understand the values of your University or Institution.  Act on them.

Ask for help. This is a skill that I continue to improve, but asking for assistance is not a failure, it is a recognition that work shared can be done quicker, and sometimes more effectively. 

Take care of your health. Keep annual appointments. Go to the doctor, but most of all, be sure that you are in charge of your health and not handing your health over to a doctor. How are YOU taking care of you?

Exercise. Even if it is taking a 10 minute walk, take time to break away from the computer and exercise in nature – when you can.  Not good in 40 below temperatures.

Be of service to others. It is so important to give back to our world and to be sure that we are advocating for those who may not feel they have a voice or the ability to express it.  We have the opportunity to raise up others and a responsibility to make it happen.

Some books I recommend that everyone have some familiarity:

Alberti, R.,  & Emmons, M. (1995). Your Perfect Right: A Guide to Assertive Living. San Luis Obispo, CA. Impact Publishers.

Stone, D., Patton, B., & Heen, S. (1999). Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. New York, NY. Penguin Group.

Bolman, L.G., & Deal, T.E., (1995) Leading with Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit. San Francisco. Jossey-Bass.

Bolman, L.G., & Deal, T.E. (1997) Reframing Organizations. San Francisco. Jossey-Bass.

Bridges, William. (2009). Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Philadelpha, PA. Perseus Books Group.

Myers, P., & Nance, D. (1986) The Upset Book: A Guide for Dealing with Upset People. Notre Dame, Indiana. Academic Publications.

Whitfield, C. L. (2010). Boundaries and Relationships: Knowing, Protecting, and Enjoying the Self. Deerfield Beach, FL. Health Communications, Inc.

Thank you for this opportunity to share ideas with you and I invite you to let me know the books you have on your shelf that are important to you.  

Christina Kaberline is the Associate Director for the Department of Housing and Residential Life at South Dakota State University and serves as the South Dakota Membership Representative for NASPA IV-W.  Chris can be reached at [email protected].