De-centering the Ideal Worker in Student Affairs: An Interactive Live Briefing Series

This interactive live briefing will consider the ways in which ideal worker norms, or the expectation that employees should always be working and have no personal responsibilities in the home, shape student affairs work. It will identify the forces both on campus and across society that perpetuate ideal worker norms and equip participants with tools and strategies to challenge those norms. Participants will engage in a modified SWOT analysis to identify the ways that student affairs work both supports and exacerbates ideal worker norms and generate opportunities that they can take on an individual and collective level to resist ideal worker norms.

Session I Speakers:

- Sonja Ardoin, Assistant Professor, Appalachian State University

- Carrie Kortegast, Associate Professor of Higher Education & Student Affairs, Northern Illinois University

- Jason Lynch, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Appalachian State University

- Margaret Sallee, Associate Professor, SUNY University at Buffalo

- Benjamin B. Stubbs, Director of Student Engagement, University of West Florida

- Lisa Wolf- Wendel, Professor, University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences- Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

The purpose of this interactive live briefing is to explore how parents and others with caregiving responsibilities working in student affairs are impacted by ideal worker norms, especially during COVID-19. In particular, the session will identify the ways that ideal worker norms impact both the individual and the institution. Particular attention will be paid to the ways that these norms play out differently based on type of caregiving responsibilities. Additionally, separate breakout rooms will be offered for supervisors of staff with caregiving responsibilities to discuss how to support this population. Finally, in a unique contribution, this session will offer a breakout room to engage children of attendees.

Session II Speakers:

- Anne M. Hornak, Professor, Central Michigan University

- Sarah Marshall, Associate Professor, Central Michigan University

- Rosemary J. Perez, Associate Professor, University of Michigan

- Margaret Sallee, Associate Professor, SUNY University at Buffalo

- Lisa Wolf- Wendel, Professor, University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences- Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

This interactive live briefing is designed to introduce graduate students and new professionals to the concept of ideal worker norms and offer them tools to challenge those norms in their daily practice. The workshop will contain an overview of ideal worker norms followed by a panel of graduate students and new professionals who will discuss how they have navigated such norms in their own work. Using case studies as a tool, we will also discuss how to confront difficult issues in the workplace and the degree to which organizational culture shapes how ideal worker norms play out. Finally, the session will conclude by offering participants a list of strategies that they can use to confront ideal worker norms in their personal and professional lives.

Session III Speakers & Panelists:

- Sonja Ardoin, Assistant Professor, Appalachian State University

- Alexa Erb, Program Coordinator for Student Involvement, Bentley University

- Megan Karbley, Assistant Dean of Students, UNC Greensboro

- Melanie Lee, Associate Director for Education Support, & Assessment, Office of Student Success & Empowerment, University of Utah

- Jason Lynch, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, Appalacian State University

- Libia Marqueza Castro, Student Government Coordinator, Associated Students of Sonoma State University

- Christopher Ndiritu, Area Coordinator, Davidson College

- Rosemary J. Perez, Associate Professor, University of Michigan

- Ali Raza, Assistant Director for Involvement, Colorado State University

- Margaret Sallee, Associate Professor, SUNY University at Buffalo

- Shannon Staten, Executive Director of University Housing, Florida State University

- Benjamin B. Stubbs, Director of Student Engagement, University of West Florida

NASPA individual members and Voting Delegates have access to member pricing for all NASPA events. If you are not a NASPA individual member, please visit our membership section to learn more about membership types and benefits. In many cases, an annual NASPA membership plus the event member registration fee are still less than the event non-member registration fee. We hope you’ll consider joining today!