“People are Messy”: Complex Narratives of Supervising New Professionals in Student Affairs

Exploring Evolving Notions of Supervision in Student Affairs

“…There is a growing subsection of research on the interconnections between problems of fit and those of diversity, wellness, and equity. This includes recent explorations of stress and burnout (Marshall et al., 2016; Mullen et al., 2018), health implications of racial exclusion (Allen et al., 2019), the impact of racial battle fatigue in employee wellness and retention (Husband, 2016; Smith, 2015), and the complexities of supervising new professionals (Davis & Cooper, 2017). We find that researchers and practitioners alike have increased calls for inclusive (Shupp et al., 2018) and identity‐conscious supervision (Brown et al., 2019) practices and strategies to address, and hopefully redress, some of our equity problems.…”

Supervision, leadership, and management: Distinct, yet complementary

“…Elements of effective supervision include investing in the success of staff, two-way communication, accountability, evaluation, and the approachability of supervisors (Arminio & Creamer, 2001). Supervisors spend considerable time building relationships with their staffs (Davis & Cooper, 2017;Holmes, 2019). As indicated by Winston and Creamer (1997), this investment by supervisors involves understanding team members' work ethic, motivation, productivity, and connections with other members of the organization.…”

“…The ACPA & NASPA competencies recommends that supervisors work collaboratively with supervisees to "design a professional development plan that assesses one's current strengths and weaknesses, and establishes action items for fostering an appropriate pace of growth" (ACPA & NASPA, p. 24). At the foundational and intermediate levels, student affairs professionals should develop a professional development plan for themselves in partnership with supervisors to provide consistent evaluation and feedback and setting expectations (Davis & Cooper, 2017;Kuk, 2009).…”

Editors’ notes

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Although researchers struggle to adequately track the hiring, promotion, and movement of student affairs professionals within the field (Baker, 2013;Tull, 2009;Williams, 2019), attrition rates as high as 60% have been reported in student affairs workplaces (Davis, 2013;Marshall et al, 2016). As practitioners, we have often heard the adage, "people don't leave jobs, they leave supervisors."

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“…As practitioners, we have often heard the adage, "people don't leave jobs, they leave supervisors." Thus, if we hold these numbers as relatively true alongside high levels of employee turnover and low job satisfaction and morale that are well documented in the literature (Davis & Cooper, 2017;Marshall et al, 2016;Williams, 2019Williams, , 2021, then there is an urgent need to examine supervision training, practices, and norms in student affairs and higher education (Davis & Cooper, 2017;Williams, 2019). Supervision is integral to any professionalized field, yet it is still considered ancillary or additive for many in student affairs.…”