Examining How Student Affairs Practitioners Juggle Their Needs While Supporting At-Promise Students During COVID-19

• In Event: Exploring the Nuanced Impacts of COVID-19 on Stakeholders in Higher Education: Faculty, Staff, and Students

Abstract

The first group of presenters includes an assistant professor whose research focuses on issues of college access, equity, and student success; two research professors whose research focuses on the role of college transition, outreach, and interventions in promoting equitable outcomes and college success; and a PhD student whose research critically examines racism and whiteness in higher education.

Overview: Student affairs practitioners provide key support to at-promise students while navigating the impact of the pandemic on their own well-being. Understanding the challenges and opportunities created through this dual navigation is of critical importance because unsupported practitioners – particularly those with marginalized identities – are at high risk of stress and burnout (Bassett, 2020; Brewer & Clippard, 2002; Marshall et al., 2016; Quaye et al., 2020). In this paper, we examine how student affairs practitioners attend to their needs while supporting students during COVID-19. Our theoretical framework examines job crafting (Wresniewki & Dutton, 2001), in which individuals shape their jobs physically, cognitively, and relationally, in the context of the ideal worker norms that shape student affairs (Sallee, 2021). Through this combination, we examine how practitioners understand their ability to engage in job crafting in ways that support overall wellbeing.

This study is part of a longitudinal mixed-methods case study at three University of Nebraska campuses. Our data include 55 interviews with TSLC program staff during the 2020-2021 academic year. Initial findings demonstrated that staff faced numerous concerns about their health and safety that were directly shaped by their work environment. Minimizing COVID-19 exposure was a key priority, resulting in a blend of hybrid and virtual options for programming and meetings. Many staff described engagement with students as a major motivator for their work, challenging them to use virtual engagement, individualized meetings, and peer communities to facilitate connection. Through these findings, we offer insights into promoting staff success during times of crisis while balancing students’ evolving needs.

Authors

• Genia Bettencourt, The University of Memphis

• Lauren Nicole Irwin, The University of Iowa

• Joseph Kitchen, University of Southern California

• Zoe Corwin, University of Southern California