Advice for a Rookie Staff Member

By Gary DeCoker

As a faculty member, I never realized just how many young people were employed by my college in entry-level administrative jobs. I saw them around the campus and learned a few of their names, but I gave little thought to what they actually did on a daily basis. I had my students and my classes and those young staff members had their . . . whatever it was they did.

Now, as an administrator as well as a professor, I am in contact with more of those twentysomethings -- watching them as they start professional lives in their offices with the same enthusiasm and trepidation that I began my career in the classroom.

Conversations with older faculty colleagues helped me settle into my teaching career, so recently I have been trying to have similar conversations with the new members of our administrative staff. The following is a distillation of those discussions, written with the hope that this list might initiate some fruitful conversations elsewhere.

You're not a student this time. Students will be coming to you for information, policy interpretations, and advice from an authoritative viewpoint. You may feel closer in age to them than to the faculty members and administrative colleagues around you, but to the students there is little difference between you in your mid-20's and someone in her late 50's. To them, we're all old and, on occasion, even wise.

So act the part by keeping your relationships with students professional. They have their social lives and you should have yours. A casual gathering, a movie, whatever the situation, if you are there with students, like it or not, you are representing the college. Of course you are entitled to a personal life, but, whenever a student is present, your position at the college defines you.

Your online life is a bit harder to characterize but requires similar discretion. If you bring your work life into your blog or social-network pages, be careful not to infringe on the privacy of your students and colleagues or post items about yourself that would undermine your professional credibility.

Find a mentor. Envision the professional you want to become. Then look for someone on the campus who represents that image and try to figure out what makes that person successful. If you can engage that person in professional conversations, all the better.

Get used to a cluttered desk. Multitasking is the way of the administrator. Because something always needs your attention, you will never have the satisfaction of finishing all of your work, turning off the lights, and going home.

Experienced administrators know that some tasks demand immediate attention, others can be started now and then put aside for a while, and still others can remain on the back burner. It's always tempting to focus on the easy tasks: You can get them done and check them off your list with great satisfaction. But don't let them keep you from work that needs immediate attention.

Changing the world. Most people begin working in higher education with a vague goal about "making the world a better place," but over time many of us learn that we can make the most profound change at a personal level. Being a positive influence on people around you can, indeed, change the world.

The changes you create may seem small at first, but gradually, as you accept more professional responsibility, the number of people whom you reach will grow, and so will your influence. Not everyone can run the zoo, so make a difference where you can.

Think before you hit "send." A list of e-mail do's and don'ts could turn into a book. The following six examples make the point.

• Be careful what you say. E-mail messages have the feel of a personal conversation or perhaps a phone call, but they have a legal implication closer to a contract. Always think about how others could interpret what you write. If you say you are going to do something or promise that the college will provide something, make sure you follow through. In response to a student's e-mail about a perceived danger, you may casually write that you will look into it. Your failure to keep that promise could put you and the college in jeopardy.

• Most messages are scanned, not read. A succinct, clear, and organized e-mail message has a better chance of communicating your point. Try to be as personable as you would be in a phone conversation, but don't waste the reader's time by showing off. And if you must include a favorite quote after your signature, remember that there, too, you are representing the college. Inspirational quotations go over better than overtly political ones, especially with people who may disagree with your politics.

• Some e-mails are written for a large audience; others, to you personally. If the content is at all sensitive, don't forward or make copies of an e-mail message without the writer's permission.

• Try to keep typos and grammatical errors to a minimum. Word processors have better proofreading functions than e-mail software, so you may want to write important e-mail messages in a program such as Microsoft Word. Then you can cut and paste them into the body of your message or send them as attachments.

• Before you click the "send" button, double-check the address list. It is all too easy to inadvertently send a messaage to the wrong recipient(s). Most of us have done that. If it happens to you, a brief apology is all that is necessary. Everyone knows that you feel stupid; there is no need to publicly berate yourself.

• When it takes a lot longer to write an e-mail message than to say something orally, pick up the phone. Or, better yet, walk over to your colleague's office for a conversation.

Ask the experts. Colleges are full of experts. Federal privacy laws, financial-aid regulations, counseling, study abroad, community service -- whatever the issue, if you or a student needs some information, give the appropriate office a call.

Counseling offices are especially appreciative of referrals. If you are working with a student who seems to need to talk with a counselor, you might even move the conversation to the point where you can call the counseling-appointment secretary and hand the phone to the student.

Professional organizations are another good source of information. Check their Web sites for guidelines, handbooks, and bibliographies.

Whatever is worth doing well is worth doing. You can't do everything at the highest-level possible. There just isn't enough time. So you need to identify the truly worthy tasks that require more of your effort and attention. Other tasks require less. The key is to know which is which.

Make the most of each interaction with a student. Take the time each situation requires, no matter how busy you may be. And when a phone call comes while someone is in your office, let it ring, or answer and tell the person you will call back. It takes effort to walk to your office, so give the person in front of you all of your attention.

Students typically will bring with them a specific question or request, but sometimes the real reason for a visit may not become clear without your engaging in a bit more conversation than may seem necessary. "Here's the document you wanted" should be followed by a more engaging comment -- a reference to a previous conversation, a query about a class, a compliment on a performance, project, or activity. Administrators are the eyes and ears of the campus, and you can accomplish a lot in a brief conversation.

Money matters -- yours and the college's. If your job entails a lot of travel, the college probably will give you a credit card. Keep careful records of your expenses and stay within your budget. Don't use -- or joke about using -- your college credit card to pay for personal expenses.

When you travel on business, you may have a choice between driving a college vehicle or your own. Using your car may get you a nice mileage reimbursement, but if you have an accident, the responsibility will probably fall to your personal automobile-insurance policy. If you drive a college car, the college policy will likely prevail. Check into those details before you start the car.

Hold that thought. You are bringing a lot of experience, theories, and ideas with you from graduate school, and you would like to put them to use, but beware of sentences that start with, "When I was in graduate school . . . ."

You were hired because of your experience and graduate training with the expectation that you would make important contributions. The first step, however, is to get to know your job and the campus culture. A great deal of time and effort has gone into forming the policies and procedures of your office and the college. Your contributions will be more valued once you begin to master your job and gain the trust of your colleagues. For the first few months, keep your suggestions and critiques to yourself. Then gradually begin to make your mark.

Make us look good. At times you'll be unhappy with some part of your job, but keep it to yourself. Grumbling about work reflects poorly on your supervisor, your colleagues, your college, and, most important, you.

As for the things about your job that you find annoying and even counterproductive, change them through the sheer force of your positive energy. When your department looks good, you look good. Of course, sometimes problems persist. When they do, you should talk with your immediate supervisor, being careful to follow the chain of command. If you are unsure how to proceed, find an older, trusted colleague and ask for advice.

Make the job your own. Colleges are educational institutions, and you, too, should be able to continue your education. After about a year on the job, volunteer for a committee, enroll in a class, sign up as a sponsor of a student club, or start a new initiative of interest to you. If you're motivated by professional advancement, keep your résumé in mind as you make choices. Of course, your job is your first priority, but hard work should be rewarded by some flexibility in your schedule as long as it does not burden a colleague.

Things get messy. Most college offices are independent entities that interact with individuals, other offices, committees, organizations, and constituencies within and outside of the college. It is an exciting atmosphere, but on occasion misunderstandings will emerge. Tension will rise and tempers may flare. At such times, keep telling yourself that in your office you take in chaos and give back lucidity.