By
Megan Reilly
@MReilly90
The
holiday season is my favorite. I love the smells, the sounds, the wonderful
mood that everyone is in, and especially the treats. I love how the campus
looks after it’s rained or snowed (although we haven’t had much snow yet) and
how hauntingly beautiful the trees are without all their leaves. I love
watching the faces of students walking out of lecture halls and seeing the
elation of the students who have just completed their last final exam. And most
of all, I love the feeling of accomplishment and nostalgia as the year winds
down and you reflect on all the joy it has given you. As the semester
winds down (and grad students finish their own finals – YAY!), the number of
students on campus starts to dwindle for the holidays.
For many departments,
the end of the year and fall semester means the first break time they have
enjoyed since before summer orientation! And I’m sure there are people who
aren’t too upset about that prospect. But what is working in a higher ed
setting like when the students all go home? Do you ever get asked what the
purpose of your work is during holiday breaks? Does anything drive you crazier
than a student’s surprise when you say you don’t get the same breaks that they
do? Probably.
But what about the
professionals whose jobs don’t relate directly to students? Do these professionals
question their role in the field all the time? I can’t speak for everyone, but
in my role, this is something I struggle with frequently. I see my colleagues
within my graduate cohort gaining experience in residence life, career
counseling, academic advising, and student activities. I made a choice to leave
my residence life position for personal, professional, and financial reasons
and I do not regret that decision. But there is rarely a day that I don’t miss
my interaction with students and the daily inspiration that comes with that
kind of role.
As
an aspiring student affairs professional in a slightly unconventional role, this
is the frustrating sacrifice I made. I know the work I do supports and makes certain
things possible for the students on my campus and I love the team I work with,
but that component of student interaction is still missing. Sometimes I am
blinded by that frustration and don’t appreciate the amazing institution I work
for, how lucky I am to be here, and all the opportunities I have been given.
They
say that raising a child takes a village. Every person in the child’s life
plays a different role, some minor and some major, but all that contribute
towards the child’s upbringing. Well, maybe getting a college student from
orientation to commencement also takes a village. Students think that just
their professors help them graduate. But all of those people I mentioned
before, the academic advisors and residence directors, all contribute to
student success in their own way. And so do the people who the students never
see, but who keep the school running. I mean the assistants who keep the deans
offices open and running, the payroll department who keep the employees coming
back to work each week, the campus operator who helps you figure out where to
direct your question, and the external relations offices who gain support for
the university in the local community, the development office who make
scholarships possible by bringing in donations, the IT department who keeps the
wireless on and working, the facilities staff who keep the res hall showers and
the busy classrooms clean, and all of the countless array of hard-working staff
who make the university a great place to work – even when the students go home.
Follow
Megan on Twitter at @MReilly90!
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