Diane Swenson

Hey there, fellow Higher Ed enthusiasts! So, I recently hit my five-year mark in the world of academia (thanks, LinkedIn), and let me tell you, it’s been a rollercoaster of experiences. But there’s one thing that’s been bugging me, and I can’t help but share my thoughts with you. You see, I’ve been asked a question countless times in interviews, and it’s one that never fails to raise my eyebrow – “How would you supervise professional staff versus student staff?”

Now, don’t get me wrong; I understand the need for differentiating tasks based on experience and expertise. But why should we treat student staff any differently than professionals when it comes to supervision? After all, if college is a student’s full-time job (and trust me, it is!), shouldn’t we expect them to handle their student jobs professionally too?

Think about it; the whole point of Higher Ed is to create work-force ready individuals, right? So, wouldn’t we be doing our students a disservice by “babying” them and treating them with kid gloves? I, for one, supervise my students the same as professional staff members. If someone’s falling behind on their work, my first question would be, “How can I help?” – regardless of their status. We all need a little support sometimes, don’t we?

And let’s talk about making mistakes – it happens to the best of us! Should we really berate professional staff members when we’d offer understanding and guidance to a student? Let’s give everyone some grace, shall we? After all, we’re all human, and perfection is overrated!

Now, some might argue that there should be a distinction in the complexity of tasks, and I get that. But hey, I’ve had students who were more than eager to take on challenging assignments just to gain valuable experience for their resumes. And guess what? They nailed it! Meanwhile, I’ve also seen the flip side – professional staff members who struggled with the same tasks. So, why should we assume that one group is inherently better than the other?

But here’s where the real magic lies – conversations and respect. My student workers look up to me as a professional role model, and they will mirror the way I treat others. If they see me extending grace and understanding to my co-workers, they’ll learn to do the same. It’s about building a culture of respect and empathy – something that will benefit us all in the long run.

In the world outside Higher Ed, this distinction doesn’t even matter. Supervision is supervision; you give feedback, do evaluations, and support your team regardless of their classification. So why not embrace this equitable approach in Higher Ed too?

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Higher Ed and its noble mission. But sometimes, I wish we could inject a little more of that corporate efficiency into our bureaucratic ways. Let’s focus on building each other up and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and supported.