I started college with no clear idea of what I wanted to major in or what I wanted to do when I graduated. All the way through high school I'd planned to study journalism and be a newspaper reporter, but finally getting on the staff of the school paper my senior year cured me of that desire. For the first year or two of college I changed my goals monthly, but I never actually declared a major because I knew I wasn't really serious about any of them.
Then, in the spring of my sophomore year, I got hired to be a New Student Orientation Advisor. I'd never had a job I liked so much. I also found out that my boss, the Director of Orientation, had a master's degree in College Student Personnel and had actually chosen what she was doing as a career path. The light began to go on: I could do this, too. It was the first thing I'd found that I could happily imagine myself doing for the rest of my life.
So I started working on building a record that would get me into a good graduate program in Student Personnel. Because I didn't need any particular bachelor's degree, I majored in Social Ecology, which let me take a lot of behavioral sciences and women's studies classes and gave me time to do other things on campus (Social Ecology had a rep as the easiest major on campus, and most people in the program hated that, because they didn't choose it for that reason and they weren't taking the easy route through it. But I have to be honest: I had other priorities, so I did, and I was.) U.C. Irvine offered a lot of opportunities for students to get involved and take leadership roles on campus, and I took full advantage of them. I got a job as Coordinator of a Peer Academic Advising program, and another as an Administrative Intern in the Women's Resource Center. I did a lot of work with the Gay and Lesbian Students group, planning activities, speaking on panels, and general rabble-rousing.
I applied to graduate programs all over the midwest, the south, and the northeast (now there are a few more decent programs on the west coast, but then, there was practically nothing). I ended up with a few viable choices, and eventually I settled on Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. I was happy enough with the program, but the less said about the rest of my two years in lovely Carbondale, the better. But in the end I graduated with my master's degree and headed west (the U-Haul was in the driveway, packed and ready, the day of graduation) to find out if this was really what I wanted to be when I grew up.
My first job was at Cogswell College, a tiny little private technical college in San Francisco. It was a very strange and wonderful place, and in many ways an ideal first job. My title was Student Services Coordinator, which meant I got to do a little bit of everything. In the process I discovered that I liked the work even better than I'd hoped I would. Since then, I've worked at Woodbury University in Los Angeles, U.C. Santa Barbara, South Seattle Community College, Seattle Central Community College, and the late, lamented Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
I'm currently the Associate Director of the Master of Public Administration program at The Evergreen State College. It's a good job, and a good school. Evergreen suits me--with the geoduck for a mascot, a Latin motto like Omnia Extares ("Let It All Hang Out"), and a fight song like this, how could it not? This is a better place and a better job than most. My previous jobs have had their ups and downs, but mostly I've enjoyed them, too. I've done some good work and created programs and events that people were happy with. I've worked with some wonderful colleagues and some great students--and I know I've made a difference in some of their lives. I made the right choice in going into this profession.
I'm also presently a student in the doctoral program in Educational Leadership at Seattle University. It's a lot of work, but the coursework is stimulating and worthwhile, and my faculty and classmates are good, dedicated, and wise people, and I'm determined to keep at it until I'm done. I've already told Tony that when it's all over he can call me Dr. Mary--it will be Dr. McGhee to everyone else, at least for a week or two!
Here are some links to resources for and about people working in student affairs:
General Student Affairs ResourcesStudentAffairs.com all kinds of resources--professional associations, graduate programs, career and job search links, listservs, college and university web sites, and much more
University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Student Affairs Research
DRAGON: A Collection Of Student Affairs Resources
The Chronicle of Higher Education
In the summer of 2004 I participated in a two-week study tour sponsored by Clemson University's. We visited half a dozen English colleges and universities and learned how they structure and deliver student services. For two weeks I learned and debated and talked shop endlessly with other student development geeks; saw amazing, historic, beautiful places; walked blisters on my feet, and kept on walking; shopped 'til I dropped; drank much good beer and ate a surprising amount of good food (English food has gotten a LOT better than it used to be); and generally had a fabulous time. I stayed an extra week in London and touristed and shopped some more, saw some shows, and visited St. Mary's College in Twickenham, where I did my junior year abroad twenty-five years ago. Clemson is making these tours an annual thing, and I can't recommend it enough. Here are some of my photos from the trip.
Resources on Specific TopicsNational Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs
I've put together a page of Tools for Organizers, Activists, Educators, and Other Hell-Raisers that has a lot of great resources for organizational development and leadership education. These materials were written for a variety of organizations--labor unions, environmental groups, businesses, as well as student organizations--but they contain a wealth of advice and guidelines that can help just about any group be more successful.
DiversityWeb links Colleges and Universities that are working to engage the diversity of United States society in educational mission, campus climate, curriculum focus and connections with the larger society.
I've done several "Bisexuality 101" workshops over the years, and I've developed or borrowed some good resource materials and handouts to use as part of them. Here are a few that you might find useful in your own work. If you need it, you can download the free Adobe Reader program required to read the files here.This is a handout on the Klein Sexual Orientation Grid, based on the work of Dr. Fritz Klein.
This is set of suggested guidelines for working with bisexual students and l/g/b student groups. I developed this for a workshop I did at ACPA several years ago.
This is an exercise on exploring the power of labels, developed by Dr. David Barnett and myself.
This is a guided fantasy on gender and sexual orientation, developed by Dr. David Barnett.
I've also done some presentations on body image and size acceptance. Here are some good resources on the subject that I've uncovered in the process, and some handouts I've developed or borrowed:Elizabeth Fisher has put together School's In!, a terrific website featuring resources and information for students all sizes of large (and the staff and faculty who work with them). She covers everything from accessible classroom seating, to scholarships for young fat activists, to graduation gowns to fit supersized scholars!
The Society for Nutrition Education has a resource list for both healthcare professionals and consumers, favoring the non-dieting, fit-at-any-size approach (follow the "Resources and Relationships" link and look under "Weight Realities Resources"). Coming from a credible source and prepared by credentialed professionals, these materials could be very useful if you're trying to make size-positive changes in a company's or school's wellness program.
National Eating Disorders Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the awareness and prevention of eating disorders. Their approach is generally very size-positive. They offer some very good educational and promotional materials--posters, buttons, books, etc.
Largesse's International No-Diet Day site is meant to provide tools and ideas for folks who want to organize events and educational outreach.
National On-Campus Report did a story in 1996 on SCCC's International No-Diet Days programs.
Money to Burn is a fun, attention-getting, and informative activity for an event like International No Diet Day. It illustrates how much money Americans waste on often-futile weight-loss products and gimmicks--and it gives them the chance to just cut to the chase and burn their personal share! You can download the reproducible Money to Burn flyer, the Diet Dollars master, and a Money to Burn ReadMe file that tells you what to do with them. If you need it, you can download the free Adobe Reader program required to read the files here.
Largesse offers a wealth of great resource materials, including t-shirts, buttons, pamphlets, and more. Their Size Diversity Empowerment Kit is packed with non-diet and size activist resources to educate, enlighten and empower people of size and those who support them.
The National Organization for Women Foundation sponsors an annual Love Your Body Day
, and offers ideas for activities, promotional items, e-cards, and other resources.
Body Positive has "Body Disparagement-Free Zone" door hangers to provoke discussion in your home, residence hall, or workplace.
Assessing Your Attitudes About Weight and Size Acceptance is a tool that lets educators and counselors examine how their own feelings, beliefs and behavior may be impacting their students and clients. It was developed by Susan Kano and this version comes from NAAFA's brochure "Supporting the Physical and Emotional Health of Fat People through Personal and Social Change." You can download it here as an Adobe .pdf file. If you need it, you can download the free Adobe Reader program required to read the file here.
Supporting Size Acceptance describes how professionals can be a more effective allies and role models around body image and size acceptance issues. It was developed by Dr. Cheri K. Erdman. You can download it here as an Adobe .pdf file. If you need it, you can download the free Adobe Reader program required to read the file here.
I researched and developed this list of sources for t-shirts in larger sizes because we're such a t-shirt-mad business, and I'd heard one too many times "Gee, we only have them up to an XL...but you can wear that, can't you?"
You'll find lots more resources like these on my Fat Acceptance Stuff--Tools for Educators, Organizers, and Activists page.
And for a somewhat lighter view of the profession, and preparing for it:
Reasons For Going Into College Student Personnel Work
You Know You're Working in Student Affairs When...
If you ever need help talking with some of your faculty and students, the Postmodernism Generator will help you sling it with the best of them.
Piled Higher and Deeper is a graduate student comic strip
Eleven Reasons Why Writing a Dissertation is Harder Than Having a Baby
Top Ten Things to Say When Asked When You'll Finish Your Dissertation
Seventy-Seven Things Not to Do at Your Thesis Defense
...or, if actually doing the work is too much trouble, you can always Create Your Own College Diploma from a wide variety of the finest fake colleges, fake institutes and fake universities.
PhinisheD is a discussion and support group for graduate students who are struggling toward a goal: a completed thesis or dissertation
The Academic Ladder
These are some resources that may be helpful to anyone doing a job search in student affairs:
Chronicle of Higher Education' Career Network
StudentAffairs.com's Position Listings
Relocation Salary Calculator Can you afford to take their offer?
Haven't you been tempted at least once to send a letter like this?
One of the things that has been most rewarding for me about working in this field is getting involved in professional associations. I joined the American College Personnel Association as a grad student. The year I graduated I more or less stumbled into helping get a lesbian/gay/bisexual caucus started in the organization. After a couple of years, when we got it off the ground, I was elected chair of the group. I had all kinds of fun playing politics and getting the group established and incorporated into the association. I met some people in the process who are still some of my favorite folks in the universe. After my term was up on the Standing Committee for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Awareness, I served on the Directorate of the Standing Committee for Women, and then the Host Committee for the 1992 conference in San Francisco, and then as a Member-at-Large on ACPA's Executive Council. I've presented a lot of programs at ACPA conferences, served on some committees, and stolen a lot of my best ideas there. I depend on it to recharge and reconnect and remind myself what I'm really doing this for.
