It's Been a Ride
August 17, 2008. I arrived at Florida State to pursue a Masters Degree in Higher Education. I attended the Higher Education Program's Orientation and began my journey as an academic.
August 18, 2008. I showed up for my first official day on the job as a graduate assistant with the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. Despite a few introductions the day before, I officially met the various staff who were a part of the Dean of Students Department and met the crew who would serve as my introduction to student affairs practice at Florida State.
Nearly ten years ago.
I've contemplated how I would approach this post. I know I've wanted to express my thoughts for awhile now, and I've wanted the perfect piece to demonstrate where I've been, where I am, and where I hope to go. I've thought about emphasizing certain aspects of my experience over others, and I've allowed myself to freeze up over just what to say.
Yet as I begin typing this up on what will be my truly final day working for the Dean of Students Department at Florida State University, I feel the sense of finality. Last Thursday, I knew I wasn't done, and I knew I had a few more things I needed to complete or at least move the ball forward. While June 7, 2018, was supposed to be the final day, I couldn't quit SRR. Not yet.
Earlier today I had a flashback to my final days as Engaged Living Fellow with University Housing at Furman University back in June 2008. I remembered some wise guidance I received from Dr. Jason Cassidy when he told me I couldn't fix everything for the department and I had to let go. He knew it then, and I know it now that it's not my modus operandi to leave my work incomplete. Yet Dr. Cassidy knew there would always be work for me to accomplish. He knew I would need to let go if I were to truly take the next step I needed in my development. I'm thankful to have had people like Dr. Cassidy who have given that advice at various stages in my life, and I'm thankful to be mindful of such advice now.
My time in the Dean of Students Department has allowed for me to grow as a student conduct professional. I was gifted with great supervisors and mentors who worked within the department who educated me on the broader scope of student conduct and allowed me to flourish through the fantastic professional development experiences I received. I will miss my ASCA friends at the annual conference and engaging with them on various trends affecting our student population and administrators' ability to provide fundamentally fair processes in a safe learning environment for our campus communities. I will particularly miss my ASCA Florida people for whom I've relied on as a support system and for whom I hope I have made proud for them to call me a colleague. It's been a pleasure learning from them, and I want the best for them.
The on- and off-campus colleagues who had a significant impact on my day-to-day work also affected my development as a student conduct professional. Regardless of whether they were present at the end of my journey or not, their counsel, their philosophical insight into our work, and their willingness to challenge me to be a better professional were significant in how I built relationships to better serve our students. These same individuals helped me develop my professional identity in providing a face for student conduct that was engaging and fair. I also enjoyed the opportunities to teach peers and stakeholders the value of the student conduct process at Florida State University, and I hope that education carries on beyond my time in the area.
My time in the Dean of Students Department has also allowed for me to grow as a student affairs professional. Whether through my opportunities to collaborate with peers across the division (e.g., Center for Health Advocacy & Wellness), provide programs or presentations on behalf of my office or department (e.g., CARE Academic Honor Policy presentations), support leadership initiatives (e.g., LeaderShape, Greek Leadership Summit), or serve our students through campus-based governance (e.g., Union Board), I've been incredibly proud to engage with incredible students passionate about how they serve Florida State and how I as a staff member could contribute to their endeavors.
Particularly, a lot of my growth as a student affairs professional came through the interactions I had with students in my office: both as an advisor to Conduct Board (student & Greek) and as a hearing officer. I truly love the moments I've had with Conduct Board members over the years: from my first board and the first opportunity I had to recruit and select new members to the board to graduating the latest batch of conduct board members who truly found value in the time they had with us and how the Conduct Board experience has developed them as conscientious members of the Florida State community. The growth and development our students experienced through their time with Conduct Board has jettisoned them to unimaginable opportunities beyond their time at Florida State. I am proud to hear of the accomplishments of former Chiefs who are educating the minds of tomorrow, contributing to the science that will support a healthier future, and those who are the future litigators, financiers, and politicians whose time at Florida State challenged them to consider the ethics of their decisions and recognize their impact on the world around them. I can even appreciate the board members who thought they knew it all when they first came on board and grew with their peers and with our staff. I'm appreciative of their trust. They believed for some crazy reason that we could help them in their path toward having the best Florida State student experience possible. I'm hopeful their trust was well-placed and worth it.
My time as a hearing officer was guided by our educational mission, our commitment to student development, and our assertion that a fair and impartial process was due to all. At the close of my tenure as a staff member in this office, I heard a lot of cases. A LOT. Many hearings provided the opportunity to meet with a new face, review a moment of crisis to determine the concerns, and decide what next steps were best in moving forward. I've had the chance to speak with many students who may not have identified as student leaders or felt as if their engagement in the collegiate experience did not matter as much as others. Yet, I remember the transformative conversations that were had in those hearings. I remember the follow up conversations while sanctions were being completed and even after to just check-in. I respected the moments of vulnerability shared and the chance to "do right" by these students through the element of accountability. Whether it may have been working with a chapter to challenge their ethics in how they operate, speaking with a parent who valued the conversation I had with their student, or giving an individual a chance to be appreciated and recognize why accountability is a reflection of the University's acknowledgement that the student can do better. Each of those moments or experiences has required strength and stamina, and I have never regretted a moment.
I'll end my reflection spree on the roles themselves: Rod as graduate assistant, Rod as Associate Director, and Rod as Director. Those roles provided experiences that have felt like they lasted a lifetime. I often measure my time in this office by the lifespan of a grad. When I consider I've had nearly ten years of such experiences, I feel like I've some how cheated life. I fondly remember my formative years as a graduate assistant with Nicollete, Mark, & Mellissa. I remember my first steps into supervision with Mellissa, Chad, and Jeff. I remember when Rachel felt like it was her and the boys when we had Chad, Jeff, and Anil. I remember beginning to appreciate people who received undergraduate degrees from the University of Florida when Anil provided exceptional leadership when we on-boarded Karina and Sachet. In their own right, Karina and Sachet showed Freddy the ropes and let him know was the SRR office was all about. Freddy was a quick learner and was elevated to full-time status to support Rachel & I. This gave the office a chance to work with Aaron in his second year and open up opportunities to work with Aura & Matthew (better known as Dish). Dish and I saw a lot of people leave the office and a lot of new people enter. My ability to lean on him as well as new staff in David (pro), Erin (grad), and Scott (grad) were essential their initial year with the office. Devin (pro) arrived in a summer that gave us a full office with Aubrey as our newest grad. As we transitioned into another academic year, we also brought in more friends with Tricia (pro), Jordyn (grad), and Jacob (grad).
For the individuals whose names are mentioned in the previous paragraph, I simply hope I didn't contribute to a lesser experience than what they received here. I hope conversations I had with them, whether I was "summoning" them to my office, exploring their philosophy on why our work with students matter, or just sharing words or thoughts that they would transform into something spectacular because they are spectacular people. Thanks for giving me a chance to watch from the sidelines.
More reflection to come later on the shift and what could happen next.
August 18, 2008. I showed up for my first official day on the job as a graduate assistant with the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. Despite a few introductions the day before, I officially met the various staff who were a part of the Dean of Students Department and met the crew who would serve as my introduction to student affairs practice at Florida State.
Nearly ten years ago.
I've contemplated how I would approach this post. I know I've wanted to express my thoughts for awhile now, and I've wanted the perfect piece to demonstrate where I've been, where I am, and where I hope to go. I've thought about emphasizing certain aspects of my experience over others, and I've allowed myself to freeze up over just what to say.
Yet as I begin typing this up on what will be my truly final day working for the Dean of Students Department at Florida State University, I feel the sense of finality. Last Thursday, I knew I wasn't done, and I knew I had a few more things I needed to complete or at least move the ball forward. While June 7, 2018, was supposed to be the final day, I couldn't quit SRR. Not yet.
Earlier today I had a flashback to my final days as Engaged Living Fellow with University Housing at Furman University back in June 2008. I remembered some wise guidance I received from Dr. Jason Cassidy when he told me I couldn't fix everything for the department and I had to let go. He knew it then, and I know it now that it's not my modus operandi to leave my work incomplete. Yet Dr. Cassidy knew there would always be work for me to accomplish. He knew I would need to let go if I were to truly take the next step I needed in my development. I'm thankful to have had people like Dr. Cassidy who have given that advice at various stages in my life, and I'm thankful to be mindful of such advice now.
My time in the Dean of Students Department has allowed for me to grow as a student conduct professional. I was gifted with great supervisors and mentors who worked within the department who educated me on the broader scope of student conduct and allowed me to flourish through the fantastic professional development experiences I received. I will miss my ASCA friends at the annual conference and engaging with them on various trends affecting our student population and administrators' ability to provide fundamentally fair processes in a safe learning environment for our campus communities. I will particularly miss my ASCA Florida people for whom I've relied on as a support system and for whom I hope I have made proud for them to call me a colleague. It's been a pleasure learning from them, and I want the best for them.
The on- and off-campus colleagues who had a significant impact on my day-to-day work also affected my development as a student conduct professional. Regardless of whether they were present at the end of my journey or not, their counsel, their philosophical insight into our work, and their willingness to challenge me to be a better professional were significant in how I built relationships to better serve our students. These same individuals helped me develop my professional identity in providing a face for student conduct that was engaging and fair. I also enjoyed the opportunities to teach peers and stakeholders the value of the student conduct process at Florida State University, and I hope that education carries on beyond my time in the area.
My time in the Dean of Students Department has also allowed for me to grow as a student affairs professional. Whether through my opportunities to collaborate with peers across the division (e.g., Center for Health Advocacy & Wellness), provide programs or presentations on behalf of my office or department (e.g., CARE Academic Honor Policy presentations), support leadership initiatives (e.g., LeaderShape, Greek Leadership Summit), or serve our students through campus-based governance (e.g., Union Board), I've been incredibly proud to engage with incredible students passionate about how they serve Florida State and how I as a staff member could contribute to their endeavors.
Particularly, a lot of my growth as a student affairs professional came through the interactions I had with students in my office: both as an advisor to Conduct Board (student & Greek) and as a hearing officer. I truly love the moments I've had with Conduct Board members over the years: from my first board and the first opportunity I had to recruit and select new members to the board to graduating the latest batch of conduct board members who truly found value in the time they had with us and how the Conduct Board experience has developed them as conscientious members of the Florida State community. The growth and development our students experienced through their time with Conduct Board has jettisoned them to unimaginable opportunities beyond their time at Florida State. I am proud to hear of the accomplishments of former Chiefs who are educating the minds of tomorrow, contributing to the science that will support a healthier future, and those who are the future litigators, financiers, and politicians whose time at Florida State challenged them to consider the ethics of their decisions and recognize their impact on the world around them. I can even appreciate the board members who thought they knew it all when they first came on board and grew with their peers and with our staff. I'm appreciative of their trust. They believed for some crazy reason that we could help them in their path toward having the best Florida State student experience possible. I'm hopeful their trust was well-placed and worth it.
My time as a hearing officer was guided by our educational mission, our commitment to student development, and our assertion that a fair and impartial process was due to all. At the close of my tenure as a staff member in this office, I heard a lot of cases. A LOT. Many hearings provided the opportunity to meet with a new face, review a moment of crisis to determine the concerns, and decide what next steps were best in moving forward. I've had the chance to speak with many students who may not have identified as student leaders or felt as if their engagement in the collegiate experience did not matter as much as others. Yet, I remember the transformative conversations that were had in those hearings. I remember the follow up conversations while sanctions were being completed and even after to just check-in. I respected the moments of vulnerability shared and the chance to "do right" by these students through the element of accountability. Whether it may have been working with a chapter to challenge their ethics in how they operate, speaking with a parent who valued the conversation I had with their student, or giving an individual a chance to be appreciated and recognize why accountability is a reflection of the University's acknowledgement that the student can do better. Each of those moments or experiences has required strength and stamina, and I have never regretted a moment.
I'll end my reflection spree on the roles themselves: Rod as graduate assistant, Rod as Associate Director, and Rod as Director. Those roles provided experiences that have felt like they lasted a lifetime. I often measure my time in this office by the lifespan of a grad. When I consider I've had nearly ten years of such experiences, I feel like I've some how cheated life. I fondly remember my formative years as a graduate assistant with Nicollete, Mark, & Mellissa. I remember my first steps into supervision with Mellissa, Chad, and Jeff. I remember when Rachel felt like it was her and the boys when we had Chad, Jeff, and Anil. I remember beginning to appreciate people who received undergraduate degrees from the University of Florida when Anil provided exceptional leadership when we on-boarded Karina and Sachet. In their own right, Karina and Sachet showed Freddy the ropes and let him know was the SRR office was all about. Freddy was a quick learner and was elevated to full-time status to support Rachel & I. This gave the office a chance to work with Aaron in his second year and open up opportunities to work with Aura & Matthew (better known as Dish). Dish and I saw a lot of people leave the office and a lot of new people enter. My ability to lean on him as well as new staff in David (pro), Erin (grad), and Scott (grad) were essential their initial year with the office. Devin (pro) arrived in a summer that gave us a full office with Aubrey as our newest grad. As we transitioned into another academic year, we also brought in more friends with Tricia (pro), Jordyn (grad), and Jacob (grad).
For the individuals whose names are mentioned in the previous paragraph, I simply hope I didn't contribute to a lesser experience than what they received here. I hope conversations I had with them, whether I was "summoning" them to my office, exploring their philosophy on why our work with students matter, or just sharing words or thoughts that they would transform into something spectacular because they are spectacular people. Thanks for giving me a chance to watch from the sidelines.
More reflection to come later on the shift and what could happen next.
Comments
Post a Comment