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1hls quallLauve sLudy examlnes Lhe responses of new sLudenL aalrs professlonals as Lhey reecL
upon Lhelr experlences as graduaLe hall dlrecLors. 1he researchers employed seml-sLrucLured
lnLervlews ln order Lo ascerLaln whaL skllls Lhe paruclpanLs belleved Lhey dld or dld noL obLaln
fromLhelr graduaLe asslsLanLshlps. Among Lhese skllls were work/llfe balance, ume
managemenL, supervlslon, advlslng, conlcL and crlsls managemenL, culLural compeLence,
assessmenL, evaluauon, and research, organlzauonal pollucs, budgeung, and Lechnologlcal skllls.
1he skllls LhaL Lhe paruclpanLs ldenued are grouped lnLo Lhree caLegorles: lnLrapersonal,
lnLerpersonal, and rofesslonal. 8ased on Lhe ndlngs, Lhe auLhors provlde suggesuons for
graduaLe sLudenLs, Lhelr supervlsors, and sLudenL aalrs graduaLe programs Lo lncrease Lhe
Lransferable skllls LhaL sLudenLs develop.
WhaL skllls dld new masLer's level, full-ume sLudenL aalrs professlonals galn and are Lhey
mlsslng LhaL are necessary for Lhelr rsL professlonal [ob?
Pow do masLers level sLudenL aalrs preparaLory programasslsLanLshlps prepare sLudenLs for
Lhe demands of Lhelr rsL professlonal sLudenL aalrs [ob?
F+-5#7
CuallLauve, seml-sLrucLured lnLervlews.
Cur paruclpanLs were elghL 2011 graduaLes of a sLudenL aalrs masLer's program.
CuL of Lhese elghL paruclpanLs, ve are currenLly worklng ln resldence llfe as 8esldence
ulrecLors, 8esldence Pall ulrecLor, and 8esldence Llfe CoordlnaLors. 1he oLhers hold posluons as
a CoordlnaLor of SLudenL Acuvlues, SLudenL Llfe CoordlnaLor, and an Academlc Advlsor.
Cur paruclpanLs graduaLed froma large, publlc research lnsuLuuon LhaL adheres Lo Lhe Councll
for Lhe AdvancemenL of SLandards ln Plgher Lducauon (2006) for Lhe foundauons of lLs
currlculum. 1he Lypes of lnsuLuuons aL whlch our paruclpanLs currenLly work vary conslderably.
lnsuLuuon Lypes lnclude an urban prlvaLe lnsuLuuon, an urban research unlverslLy, a prlvaLe
rellglously amllaLed lnsuLuuon, a polyLechnlc lnsuLuuon, a publlc llberal arLs college, and a publlc
sLaLe unlverslLy. Addluonally, Lhe paruclpanLs supervlse a varleLy of sLa slzes ranglng fromzero
Lo 23 undergraduaLe sLudenLs, and one paruclpanL supervlses a graduaLe sLudenL as well.
1he lnLervlews were conducLed ln-person, Lhrough Skype, and on Lhe phone, and Lhey were
audlo recorded. We used seml-sLrucLured lnLervlews wlLh a locally developed lnLervlew proLocol
conslsung of 13 quesuons and follow up prompLs.
We used a comblnauon of open and focused codlng. We Lranscrlbed Lhe lnLervlews, and senL
Lhe Lranscrlpuons Lo Lhe respecuve lnLervlewee ln order for Lhe paruclpanLs Lo check Lhemfor
accuracy, glve feedback, or provlde clarlcauon.
Aer compleung Lhe open codlng process, we organlzed Lhe lnformauon, compared and
conLrasLed our ndlngs, and deLermlned Lhemes LhaL emerged fromLhe lnLervlews.
K1-"'9+"0#1'( 0L*((0 relaLe Lo a person's LhoughLs and ablllLy Lo make meanlng of slLuauons.
1hese skllls can be rened Lhrough personal growLh and learned Lhrough experlences.
1hese skllls are lnherenL ln how a person llves Lhelr llfe, buL Lhey can be learned and
developed.
K1-+"9+"0#1'( 0L*((0 lnvolve Lhe ablllLy Lo eecuvely lnLeracL and communlcaLe wlLh oLhers.
1hese skllls can be learned ln academlc semngs or developed Lhrough pracuce and
reecuon on pasL and currenL lnLeracuons wlLh oLhers.
."#/+00*#1'( 0L*((0 can be applled Lo cerLaln [obs and adapLed dlerenLly ln every posluon.
1hese skllls can be learned concepLually, buL Lhey musL be puL lnLo pracuce ln a speclc [ob.
K1-+">*+M ."#-#,#(
1. WhaL dlvlslon of sLudenL aalrs were you mosL lnLeresLed ln pursulng upon
graduauon and why?
2. WhaL ls your currenL [ob uLle and Lo whaL deparLmenL do you reporL?
3. WhaL are your currenL [ob responslblllues?
4. uescrlbes your lnsuLuuonal Lype?
3. WhaL are Lhree or four of Lhe sLrongesL skllls you belleve you learned as a hall
dlrecLor aL 8uLgers LhaL have helped you wlLh your currenL posluon?
6. WhaL do you feel you learned ln Lhe classroomLhaL helped you wlLh your currenL
[ob?
7. uo you have any commluee or advlsory responslblllues such as sLudenL
organlzauons?
8. Pave you auended a nauonal, reglonal, or sLaLe-wlde meeung or conference?
9. Pave you recelved any awards or recognluon fromLhe unlverslLy, sLudenLs, or
ouLslde groups?
10. uo you feel you had Lhe Lechnlcal skllls necessary Lo do your currenL [ob?
11. Was Lhere any speclal Lralnlng LhaL you recelved ln your currenL [ob LhaL you dld
noL recelve aL 8uLgers?
12. uo you feel LhaL your posluon as a hall dlrecLor aL 8uLgers adequaLely prepared
you Lo deal wlLh crlsls managemenL, conlcL managemenL, and medlauon skllls?
13. uo you feel LhaL Lhe dlverslLy of Lhe sLudenL populauon aL 8uLgers helps you
navlgaLe dlverslLy lssues or muluculLural lssues LhaL arlse ln your currenL [ob?
14. Pave you deslgned any research sLudles or conducLed any research ln your
currenL posluon?
13. ls Lhere anyLhlng you would llke Lo add before we conclude Lhls lnLervlew?
LlmlLauons:
aruclpanLs were all ln Lhe same graduaLe program
1wo lnLervlews were conducLed ln person (oLhers held on Lhe phone or on Skype)
Soclal deslrablllLy blas
Slnce graduaLe sLudenLs lnherenLly do noL have Lhe same amounL of responslblllLy as full
ume professlonal sLa members, Lhere are remedles LhaL can supplemenL Lhelr
experlences.
Cur paruclpanLs also ldenued a lack of auLonomy as a leadlng facLor for Lhelr lack of
developmenL of cerLaln skllls.
3,=#10 -5'- A89+">*0#"0 B'1 N'L+
Supervlsors can Lake several sLeps Lo supporL Lhemln Lhelr [ourney Lo becomlng
new professlonals lncludlng evaluaung Lhe skllls sLudenLs are lacklng and how such
skllls can be developed ln Lhelr currenL asslsLanLshlps.
AnoLher sLep LhaL supervlsors can lmplemenL ls Lo explaln Lhe organlzauonal culLure
of Lhe lnsuLuuon.
Supervlsors can also explaln eecuve meLhods of communlcaung wlLhln Lhe
deparLmenL and how Lo relay concerns.
3,=#10 -5'- 6"'78'-+ A-87+1-0 B'1 N'L+
lL can be exLremely helpful for graduaLe sLudenLs Lo nd a menLor who can help
Lhempursue opporLunlues and advance Lhelr career.
AnoLher concreLe sLep LhaL graduaLe sLudenLs can Lake ls Lo auend conferences
boLh wlLhln and ouLslde of Lhe funcuonal area of Lhelr asslsLanLshlps
CraduaLe sLudenLs can also neLwork on an lndlvldual basls by semng up meeungs
wlLh sLudenL aalrs professlonals.
3,=#10 6"'78'-+ ."#4"'$0 B'1 N'L+
ln order Lo lmprove Lhe graduaLe sLudenL experlence, we belleve LhaL sLudenL
aalrs preparaLory programs can encourage graduaLe sLudenLs Lo lncorporaLe
addluonal lnLernshlp and professlonal developmenL experlences.
rograms can also provlde adequaLe exlblllLy for sLudenLs Lo Lake advanLage of
such opporLunlues.
We belleve LhaL lL ls vlLal for graduaLe programs Lo allgn Lhelr mlsslon and goals
wlLh 1he Councll for Lhe AdvancemenL of SLandards ln Plgher Lducauon (2006) ln
order Lo ensure LhaL graduaLe sLudenLs develop Lhe compeLencles and skllls
necessary Lo excel professlonally.
AbsLracL
8esearch Cuesuons
MeLhod
LlmlLauons
lnLervlew roLocol
ulscusslon and lmpllcauons
llndlngs K1-"'9+"0#1'( AL*((0 K1-+"9+"0#1'( AL*((0 ."#/+00*#1'( AL*((0
Work/Llfe 8alance Supervlslon
AssessmenL, Lvaluauon,
and 8esearch
1lme ManagemenL Advlslng Crganlzauonal ollucs
ConlcL and Crlsls
ManagemenL
8udgeung
CulLural CompeLence 1echnologlcal Skllls