SEAHO Report - Winter 2018 - 48

SEAHO Features
Understanding the pedagogy of the experience and balancing the internship with other curriculum components
and student lives are two areas where current graduate employees can provide additional support and assistance
to an intern from a different perspective than the supervisor. The current supervisor will be able to discuss
the pedagogy as it relates to their previous coursework, but the graduate employee will be able to discuss the
pedagogy as it relates to class topics and experiences in the graduate employees encounters. An intern may be
able to gain more understanding of applying theory to practice when discussions are had with both the seasoned
and experienced supervisor as well as a graduate employee. The graduate employee will typically have a
better understanding of what is necessary to balance employment in the host department with other academic
commitments and student involvements. A graduate employee's current position gives them the ability to draw
and relate current tasks to the intern's experience in a different manner than that of the supervisor.
Janosik et al. (2015) discuss the role of different personnel, such as the supervisor and support staff, as a
resource to conduct the internship. However, coworkers and graduate employees are not mentioned. The role of
a graduate employee can vary greatly from institution to institution, but each position has a specific description
and tasks assigned. Often times, a current graduate employee can play a key role in helping the intern learn
about the department and institution.
Implications on Practice
Current institutions that employ both interns and graduate employees at the same time need to look at how these
two positions work together and relate. Even in situations where the job descriptions do not provide formal
interactions, the informal interactions can prove to be extremely beneficial to both the intern and the graduate
employee. As discussed earlier, the graduate employee can assist in several components of the internship
structure. Janosik et al. (2015) argue the importance of a supervised practice, including graduate employment
and internships, as a part of a graduate student's training to become a professional in the student affairs
field. A dedicated student affairs professional looking to increase the ability and competency levels of future
professionals needs to consider the roles every member of a department can have in this formation: in particular,
graduate employees.
In a 2015 study, Karanikia-Murray, Duncan, Pontes, and Griffiths found that employees with a strong and
positive bond within the organization are more engaged, dedicated, and energized in their work, which leads to
higher satisfaction with the job. Creating intentional interactions between a graduate employee and a summer
intern will help to increase the connectedness of the intern to the host institution and lead to higher dedication
and engagement from the intern to the host institution.
References
Janosik, S, M., Cooper, D. L., Saunders, S. A., & Hirt, J. B. (2015). Learning through supervised practice in
student affairs (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Karanikia-Murray, M., Duncan, N., Pontes, H. M., and Griffiths, M. D. (2015). Organizational identification,
work engagement, and job satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30(8), 1019-1033.

SEAHO Report Winter 2018

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