This blog series features different writers responding to the prompt, “What is one practice ResLife departments need to let go of?”
Ahh… a new month is upon us. I will let you in on a little secret, each month I rack my brain on topics to write about for this blog. Perhaps this process comes easier for some of the other bloggers but for me, ugh it can be a struggle. I mean, the posts get done but the process to get there can be rough. So, I was thankful when the opportunity for a proposed topic was shared as an option. So here I am still racking my brain, just in another way.
The prompt shared was: what is one practice residence life departments need to let go of? I don’t know about you but a few things come to mind immediately. For example, our departments need to let go of being everything to everyone on our campuses. Burnout is real. That’s the post. Burnout is very prevalent in our line of work considering Res Life pros wear more hats than I think people realize and that is on all levels of the department. Or perhaps we need to stop strictly enforcing policies and procedures and focus more on building the strongest, most vibrant residential communities possible. You know with the hope that all of our positive efforts will shift the atmosphere and our students will fall in line on their own. Or at least through self-governance, to keep the beautiful community they build intact. Or maybe we need to stop shying away from using the word curriculum. I have definitely worked at places where Res Life pros weren’t able to say curriculum because the faculty essentially had that word or the concept of it on lockdown. As if, curriculum or a curriculum approach can only be owned by a certain group of people. So yeah I imagine I could write an entire blog about any of these subject matters but I decided on something else.
The suspense is killing you isn’t it? What on earth did she decide to write on?!?
Drumroll please….I decided to write on master’s degrees. Did you see that coming? No, not so much? Yes, the practice that residence life departments need to let go of is requiring a master’s degree to do what we commonly refer to as entry-level work. Now don’t get me wrong, obtaining a master’s degree is and always will be important (so don’t stop… get it…get it…the degree that is, if you want it) but I am not sure if as an entry-level, live-in professional you should be required to have one. As a hiring manager/supervisor, I would rather see your desire and passion to engage with college students and your ability to handle the administrative portions of the work in the most efficient manner possible. While I want you to have an understanding that students are very much still developing especially while in college. I don’t, however, need you to specifically know what theory they are currently vectoring through.
To reiterate, yes knowing and understanding student development theory is important, just perhaps not in that type of role. The level of passion and energy that I am speaking of, could be held by someone whose highest education to date is an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. This person, without the formal master’s degree education, could desire to make a difference and working with college students is their outlet of choice. However, most of the posted positions on job boards require master’s degrees which automatically closes the door in the faces of those who do not possess one. Just so we don’t forget…our field is nearing a crisis. The pipeline from degree to work in our field is drying up. As a whole, we either need to embrace change on many different levels or brace for the impact that is soon coming. The work will remain but the people will not.
Goodness you didn’t come here for all of this doom and gloom but indulge me for a little longer. Let’s dig a little deeper and look at the intersection of master’s degrees and pay for roles in the entry-level realm. Pay is the big elephant in the room, that is always in the room because not much has changed. I would like to see our field place more financial value on the master’s degree. Every year it gets harder to keep asking newer or entry-level professionals to keep doing this work, especially when they want to see more appreciation in their paychecks and often we aren’t able to oblige. While this isn’t law, typically if the degree required for a position is a bachelor’s degree and the successful candidate holds a master’s degree this typically (don’t quote me) allows for some wiggle room with salary. So let’s rewrite those job descriptions and change the requirements! Does it solve all of our problems, no, not at all but it could be a step in the right direction.
So back to the title of this blog, give me a jack of all trades with passion and energy and a heart for the residential experience with an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree any day. We must break away from the old ways that hold our field back and fill more of our positions still with qualified people who can and will do the work. It’s time to break down the barriers and open our institutional gates to a more diverse and qualified workforce. Our students would absolutely benefit from this.
I would love to know how you would answer the question: what is one practice residence life departments need to let go of? I don’t think there is a wrong answer. We all see things about our field differently from our particular vantage point. So share your thoughts…if you had your way what practice would you free our field from?
Until next time!
Happy Holidays! Use your PTO! Take a break…take care of yourself! See you in 2025!
