SEAHO Report - Spring 2018 - 19

SEAHO Feature Articles
emotions about a staff member. If they are not, someone "just doing enough" could bypass the process by being
seen in high favor among the professional staff, or a staff member could be let go due to a bias or vendetta from
their supervisor. Finally, supervisors of student staff members should be trained extensively throughout the year
(as opposed to only in July/August training) on supervision of staff members so that lack of supervision or an
unwillingness to supervise a "challenging staff member" cannot be misconstrued with poor performance of the
student staff member.
Along with a proper rehiring system, the role that a returning staff member plays in the Housing organization
and how that is defined by the organization is just as important. Compensation increases for prolonged service
from a student staff member is one way to increase morale and drive from student staff, but it must be complemented by something else. Student staff must be shown that continuing in a role means that expectations
are higher and performance standards are raised. Determining if and how a student staff member is improving
year-to-year can be difficult to assess, given that student staff are much more than staff. Increased involvement
in coursework, campus organizations, and internships/practicums should be factored in when deciding to retain
staff members. All of us can name a student who was heavily involved yet maintained stellar performance in the
residence halls for 3-4 years. A rehire system should reward these individuals while also spotlighting those whose
promise of improving next year by dropping involvement and focusing more on their residents doesn't align with
their actions as a staff member over the year(s).
By maintaining below average student staff members and not implementing systems or cultures that challenge
that mentality, student staff members hold the authority in the rehire process. For every student staff member
who remains on staff for longer than they should, a potential new student staff member who could help perpetuate a culture of going above and beyond the call of duty for on-campus students is sacrificed. Over time, this can
have a significant effect on the culture of student staff members that can impact the types of candidates who apply for student staff positions in Housing. Furthermore, assessment data that reveals information about on-campus student satisfaction may be hindered by student staff members not performing their best but remaining in
student staff positions.
No student staff member is perfect, and one of the greatest benefits of student staff is that they have a network
of professionals who care about their development as students and individuals. When they fall short of expectations, supervisors are there to hold them accountable yet build them up and teach them about how to improve
next time. Supervisors want what's best for their student staff, and when evaluation and rehire meetings come
around, coaching staff members out of the staff position may be what's best for them. However, students may not
see it that way; it's up to supervisors of student staff to use their best objective judgment, guided by the procedures of the Housing organization, in determining the rehire decision of staff members. If Housing professionals
want to embody the mentality of doing what's best for on-campus students, then Housing organizations must
take appropriate measures to provide students with the best student staff possible and develop a student staff
culture of continuous improvement and exceeding expectations. Making difficult yet fair decisions about student
staff not returning to their positions can have a significant impact on the betterment of all individuals within the
Housing organization.

Getting it Right: Failing Forward in your Graduate Assistantship
By Christopher Gremillion, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

You will fail. I don't know you and yet I am sorry to tell you this but you will fail in your assistantship. You will
make mistakes. Know this, it's okay to fail, it's okay to make mistakes. As Student Affairs professionals, we understand the benefit of students being able to fail with less consequence than in a career, the same is true for gradu19

SEAHO Report Spring 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Spring 2018