They’re Not Just Students, and It’s Not Just a Job

1. They’re Not Just Students, and It’s Not Just a Job Strategies for Managing Change and Developing Leaders Presented by Nikole Williams June 2011

2. Agenda • Organization • Professional development • Daily effective management with a vision • Challenges

3. Who are we? • Barnard College • Liberal arts, undergraduate, women’s college affiliated with Columbia University in NYC • Nearly 2,400 students • Barnard College Information Technology (BCIT)

4. Student Computing services • Staff • Services

5. Professional Development

6. Senior aces • Responsibilities • Monthly meeting • Co-facilitate interviews and evaluations • Conduct training with Senior ACEs-in-Training • Provide backup support • Specialized tasks • Schedule Moderator • Webmaster • Wiki Moderator • Lead Trainer • Events Coordinator

7. Recruitment • Student submits an application online • Interview and simulation • Hired? • Meet with Senior ACEs and Director • Student Computing: has interpersonal and technical skills to work independently

8. Training & evaluations • How do you view your staff? • What interests them? • How can we help them improve? • Formal training twice a year • Mid-semester evaluation and meeting

9. Career Development • How do student employees get promoted? • Management focus vs. technical focus • Graduate Assistant & Student Computing Coordinator • Career development events in technology

10. benefits • Simulate real-world environment • Positive reinforcement • Work well in teams and independently • Increases visibility of dept. and college • Invest in them, and they will invest in you • Decision-making: the “Collective Best”

12. The collective best • Student staff->valuable insight as individuals,students, and technicians • Incorporate their opinions into your decision-making • Converse and collaborate • Be open and specific without crossing boundaries • Acknowledge each opinion & welcome diversity • Must still demonstrate decisiveness

13. Daily effective management… • Balance technical and administrative duties • Helps staff troubleshoot but shield them from stressful situations • Delegate effectively and allow independent work • Clearly set, convey, and reinforce protocols • Teach during training • Easy access to updates and reminders afterwards

14. With a vision • Be open to learning while having a vision: • High-quality services • Training and evaluations • Professional development • Academics + work experience • Welcoming environment • Listen and care

15. Questions so far?

16. How are we doing • Mostly positive feedback • Challenges • Missed shifts during midterms and finals • Evaluation of Graduate Assistants • Professional Development of Student Computing Coordinator • Managing Change

17. Scheduling • How do ACEs schedule office hours? • Google Calendar; schedule 5-10 hours/week • Email schedule moderator possible work hours • Permanent schedule determined: 2 ACEs/shift • Share schedule with Student Computing calendar • Schedule moderator • Drafts tentative schedule • Email: missed shifts, policy and holiday reminders

18. Fairness & flexibility • Reinforce protocol • ACE requests coverage, optimally shift swap • 72 hours or more in advance • Not penalized • No response? Send a reminder • Notice in less than 72 hours • 1st and 2nd time: Excused • 3rd: Meeting, 4th: Penalties

19. Graduate assistants • Challenge: Hard to supervise because they work nights and weekends • During my mid-semester check in with each ACE, will ask how its going during their night and weekend

20. Student computing coordinator • Challenges • Part-time: delegation, schedule • Professional Development • Solutions • Flexibility • Assess how he/she can develop professionally and supply projects

21. Recent Changes intechnology & services

22. BCIT Recent Changes in organization

23. Leadership in student computing • 2008: hired as Manager of Student Computing • Worked with and for predecessor • Former Graduate Assistant and ACE • Previous manager: well-liked and respected by ACEs • Graduating seniors interested in taking position

24. Leading through change • 4 concepts to help you navigate change

25. 1. Change can be traumatic • Mixed Expectations & Reactions • Fear and vulnerability • How do my peers feel? • Acknowledge the degree of change

26. 2. Take your time • Look at the big picture • Don’t take it personally • Have changes outside of your department program also affected students? • Make changes that extinguish fires, but wait to make programmatic changes

27. 3. Establish continuity and credibility • If you knew the staff member • Communicate respect for their years of service • Recount positive experiences • If you served in a similar capacity • Relate this situation to whatother experiences • Pay attention to differences

28. 4. Open and compassionate communication • Communicate with staff to discover… • Relationship that predecessor had with staff • What protocols need to be improved? • Daily Effective Management with a Vision • Particularly important during period of change • Be a Mentor

29. Questions?

30. THANK YOU! Fill out an evaluation http://www.resnetsymposium.org/rspm/evaluation