The supervision landscape for new and established housing professionals is complex and demanding. The current context has been shaped by critical changes in student success in postsecondary settings that include enhancing or de-enhancing gender-expansive campus environments, demands to boost college retention and requirements regarding improving academic performance (Bowman et al., 2019; Burke, 2019; Nicolazzo et al., 2018). Despite their significant impact, housing professionals navigate considerable challenges, including adapting to the evolving needs of residential students and sustaining a skilled workforce (Belch et al., 2009; Blattner et al., 2013; Hodge, 2016; Wilson, 2008). The gap becomes even more pronounced in the era of dismantling diversity equity and inclusion initiatives in colleges across the United States (Fox & Shanahan, 2023; March 2022).
Although the literature provides insight into the work environment and job culture’s effects on housing professionals’ experiences (Duran et al., 2020; Ellett et al., 2020; Lee, 2018), researchers have concentrated mainly on the housing professional’s service to the student, often overlooking the well-being needs of the professionals themselves. This oversight is particularly critical due to state underfunding trends in higher education, bringing unprecedented challenges to student affairs practitioners tasked with supporting students (Broćić & Miles, 2021). Thus, there is a need to explore supervisory practices that affect housing professionals’ well-being.
This practice-focused piece was an exploration of how supervisory methods influence housing professionals’ well-being. Through a review of the literature on supervision and well-being, we sought to highlight the need for enhanced wellness support within the framework of housing supervision. By identifying and advocating for evidence-based interventions, we aim to bolster housing professionals’ well-being, thereby fostering healthier work environments that benefit the employees and the broader college community they support.
Positionality of the Authors
The authors, all Black women working in higher education—two faculty members and one administrator—share a commitment to fostering student success. Although scholars and institutions define student success in various ways, we were inspired by bell hooks’ (2003) perspective. We believe that fostering student success necessitates critically examining and challenging the existing beliefs about who is considered capable of achieving success and how educators, or, in this case, student affairs practitioners, can provide support. This perspective is underpinned by an understanding of the critical role that researchers’ positionality plays in shaping the interpretation and analysis of qualitative research, as highlighted by Guba and Lincoln (2005).
Building on this foundation, we hope to educate, develop, and nurture the next generation of practitioners in student services and, more broadly, higher education. We are particularly focused on professionals who are new or recently entered the workforce as student services personnel. Our analysis spans a broad spectrum, encompassing mentoring graduate students, teaching counselor education students, and providing professional training within the higher education sector.
We developed a commitment to teach, research, and serve when we first connected as doctoral students at a Research 1 postsecondary institution in Florida. In many cases, we had to be secondary structures within our learning system to support ourselves. Some examples include sharing professional development/conference opportunities, scheduling time to work on our respective dissertations, and providing invaluable support while on the job market. As the architects of our agency and as educators, we wondered how graduate students and new professionals’ experiences could benefit from integrated innovative perspectives centered on practical application. Our goal, therefore, is to aid practitioners in the broader systemic transformations within higher education. In alignment with hook’s (2003) framework, we recognize the need to view support through the lens of systemic change. By adopting this perspective, we hope to empower students to become active architects of a higher education system that prioritizes collective student success.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Well-Being
In the pre-pandemic landscape, supervising housing professionals within collegiate environments was complex. These professionals’ responsibilities were diverse, including overseeing student curricula, addressing the economic considerations of housing, managing community health concerns, and safeguarding residents’ rights. The discrepancy between the broad scope of these duties and the diverse expertise expected of housing professionals frequently culminated in job ambiguity (Foste & Johnson, 2021). Further questions arise from the supervisory dynamics in the field, where roles extend beyond oversight to include shared accountability for their subordinates’ professional efficacy (Scheuermann, 2011).
Critical factors such as work-life balance, remuneration, institutional ethos, and the availability of support mechanisms are pivotal to the perception of success and well-being among housing staff. A deficit in these areas could precipitate outcomes such as burnout and suboptimal job performance, indicating a pressing need for continued exploration into the well-being of housing professionals (Toutain, 2022). Efforts to enhance the recruitment and retention of housing staff have shown the significance of well-being, with opportunities for augmentation through professional development initiatives (Wilson, 2008). Brewster et al. (2022) identified links between staff well-being and formal institutional policies, training interventions, workplace culture, and compassion and community. The researchers advocated for a holistic, institution-wide strategy to foster staff well-being, recognizing its crucial role in sustaining a conducive work environment. The COVID-19 pandemic increased existing challenges, necessitating a profound transformation of the work environment, and altering prevailing wellness expectations.
The pandemic showed the indispensable role of housing professionals in ensuring continuity and support amid unprecedented uncertainty, intensifying the imperative for a focused examination of the supervisors’ well-being. In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic placed unprecedented burdens on university housing staff, who faced unique challenges due to their essential on-site roles. While research has begun to shed light on the disruptions and stressors experienced by these professionals, particularly in terms of altered responsibilities, strained student relationships, and overall job performance, a critical gap remains in understanding the pandemic’s impact on their well-being. The “perfect storm” described by Martin and Dabic (2022) and the workplace trauma identified by Lynch and Gilbert (2023) underscore the urgent need for further investigation into the long-term effects on housing staff wellness. As Amaya and Melnyk (2020), emphasize, prioritizing wellness is paramount to creating sustainable and supportive working conditions within university housing services. Future research must address this gap by exploring comprehensive strategies and interventions that promote the well-being of these essential personnel, both during and beyond the pandemic.
Needs and Wants of New Professionals
Empirical research shows the pivotal role of housing professionals in student affairs. There are links between these professionals’ efforts and critical aspects of campus life, such as promoting gender-expansive environments (Nicolazzo et al., 2018), boosting college retention (Burke, 2019), and enhancing academic performance (Bowman et al., 2019). Notably, extensive data over several decades indicate the challenges housing professionals face in meeting the evolving demands of residents while attracting, supporting, and retaining highly skilled staff (Belch et al., 2009; Blattner et al., 2013; Hodge, 2016; Wilson, 2008).
The application of development theories such as the sense of belonging, attraction, and selection–attrition theories, which focus on the role of job culture and work environment provide valuable insights into the work experiences of housing professionals (Duran et al., 2016; Ellett et al., 2020; Lee, 2018). These theories have been instrumental in addressing the frustrations faced by housing professionals, especially during challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. However, researchers often limit the theoretical application to student experiences, overlooking supervisors’ significant influence on housing professionals’ well-being.
Given the essential role of effective supervision in fostering the well-being of housing professionals, further exploration of how supervision practices impact new staff members is critical. College and university leaders’ ability to develop supervision strategies that promote positive employee outcomes and are mutually beneficial to supervisors and supervisees remains a pressing issue. Through a comprehensive literature review, we aimed to clarify the relationship between supervision and well-being, providing a basis for transformative interventions to support new housing professionals. This investigation was a means to inform evidence-based practices that enhance the well-being of staff and align supervision strategies with the needs of new professionals in student affairs.
Recommendations for Supervisors
Supervisors have an opportunity to actively support employee well-being by frequently engaging in needs assessment to evaluate appropriate support, including investing in their supervisees’ training, creating supportive structures, and nurturing trusting relationships. Supervisors can positively impact the lives of the individuals they lead. Wilson (2008) provided strategies to assist supervisors in recruiting and retaining housing employees by emphasizing their well-being via professional development techniques. Similarly, Brewster et al. (2022) reported on the intrinsic interdependence among staff well-being, the significance of formal institutional policies in supporting or impeding staff well-being, the availability of training interventions to support staff well-being, the impact of workplace culture, and the centrality of compassion and community. However, postsecondary educational institution leaders must understand the significance of staff well-being and implement a comprehensive whole-university approach. Scholars have examined mental health to define staff well-being, finding that supervisors need to attend to housing professionals’ well-being. Vereen (2020) raised questions as to whether the openness with which young professionals discuss their well-being aligns with institutional and general professional standards for coping with emotional trauma.
Administrators should implement adaptive strategies that resonate with the altered dynamics of supervisory roles and the institutional standards for addressing emotional trauma and stress. Accordingly, the exigency for targeted support tailored to the unique needs of new housing professionals, particularly in the context of the pandemic, becomes apparent. Support entails fostering an open discourse on mental health issues and ensuring that professional development initiatives and institutional policies are responsive to the challenges engendered by the pandemic. By addressing these considerations, higher education institution leaders could more effectively support the well-being of early career housing supervisors, facilitating an environment conducive to their professional and personal flourishing amid ongoing adversities.
Additionally, the development of these professional competence areas in student affairs education resulted from the combined efforts of a diverse group of experienced professionals. The competence categories discussed in this study are several domains from the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators (ACPA/NASPA, 2015). Researchers have used the competence categories as a structured framework to facilitate the professional growth of student affairs employees. Reb et al. (2015) found that organization leaders who reduce stressful circumstances for staff ultimately help individuals maintain optimism increase self-efficacy and positively influence individual and corporate well-being.
When organization leaders’ intentions are seen as favorable, the staff perceive them as an indicator that the organization cares (Rhoades et al., 2001). Thus, deploying supervisors as an intervention to maintain the organization’s support intentions is critical. Supervisors continue to be a positive indicator of retention; therefore, organizational support could be crucial to fulfill socio-emotional needs, role status in staff social identity, and greater staff commitment to the organization. With a better understanding of staff needs and a well-being framework, practitioners, supervisors, and national organization leaders may be better equipped to cultivate strong supervisor and supervisory interventions for housing professionals. With these evidence-based recommendations in mind, we offer supervisors reflection questions to consider.
Reflection Questions for Supervisors
Considering the transformative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on practices and policies within higher education, there is evidence housing supervisors in collegiate environments should reassess and adapt their practices (Crocker, 2020; Russell Krebs et al., 2023). This pivotal time demands a sharp pivot toward introspection and strategic innovation focusing on elevating wellness within their teams. Therefore, we introduce a series of incisive questions designed to spark critical self-assessment and reflective thinking among housing supervisors.
Figure 1 presents various essential topics housing supervisors should contemplate as they consider incorporating wellness strategies into their practices. Additionally, we further explore these topics by providing corresponding explanatory statements. The questions serve as tools for reflection, fostering a deeper understanding of how to integrate wellness into supervisory practices. Our goal is to encourage thoughtful reflection, practical application, and transformative change.
Figure 1
Housing Supervisors’ Wellness
- Understanding Complex Responsibilities: How do you navigate the complexity of your responsibilities, particularly in student curricula, housing maintenance, and residents’ rights, to minimize job ambiguity and ensure clarity in your role and the roles of your subordinates?
- Bridging Knowledge Gaps: In what ways do you bridge the gap between the diverse expertise expected of your team and the actual skills and knowledge they possess, especially in the context of evolving resident needs?
- Promoting Work–Life Equilibrium: Reflect on the strategies you currently employ to support your team’s work–life balance. How effective are these strategies, and what additional measures could be implemented to enhance employee well-being?
- Assessing Institutional Support Mechanisms: Evaluate the adequacy of support mechanisms provided by your institution for housing staff. How do these mechanisms address the challenges of burnout, job ambiguity, and suboptimal job performance?
- Professional Development for Wellness: Considering the significance of professional development in enhancing staff well-being, what initiatives or programs have you found most beneficial? How can these be expanded or improved to meet the unique needs of new housing professionals?
- Cultivating a Culture of Compassion and Community: Reflect on the current workplace culture in your housing department. How do you foster a sense of compassion and community among your team, and in what ways can this culture be strengthened to support staff well-being more effectively?
- Engaging in Open Dialogue About Mental Health: How do you encourage open dialogue in your team about mental health issues? What barriers to such discussions exist, and how can they be overcome?
- Evaluating Supervisory Support: How do you assess the level of supervisory support provided to your staff, and how do they perceive this support? What strategies have you found effective in enhancing supervisory support and, consequently, staff well-being and job satisfaction?
- Integrating Well-Being Into Organizational Strategies: Lastly, how can your insights from reflecting on these questions inform broader organizational strategies to support the well-being of housing professionals? What role can you play in advocating for these changes at the institutional level?
By contemplating these questions, housing supervisors can gain a deeper understanding of their current practices’ strengths and areas for improvement. This reflective process is crucial for developing and implementing strategies that address the immediate needs of housing professionals and contribute to the long-term well-being and success of the entire housing department.
Conclusion
Effective supervision can affect housing professionals’ well-being. In this paper, we explored how supervisory practices influenced new housing professionals’ well-being. Through a review of the literature, we highlighted the need for enhanced wellness support. We aimed to bolster housing professionals’ wellness by advocating for evidence-based interventions to foster healthier work environments, closing the gap between the work, and advocating for a healthier environment in the broader college community they support.
Author Biographies
Lynell Hodge (she, her), HR Learning and Organizational Effectiveness, University of Central Florida
Dr. Lynell Hodge is a practitioner-scholar with two decades of student services experience. Her research focus includes stress, vicarious/secondary trauma, and culturally responsive pedagogical practices. Dr. Hodge has published several peer-reviewed articles, and book chapters, and presents at conferences regularly. Dr. Hodge is a Training Specialist at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Amanda Wilkerson (she, her), College of Community Innovation and Education, University of Central Florida
Dr. Amanda Wilkerson is an Assistant Professor in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida and is a proud graduate of Florida A&M University. Dr. Wilkerson has written educational materials and coordinated forums on significant social, educational, and community matters. As a part of her passion for higher education, Dr. Wilkerson is enhancing how students seize the promise of post-secondary learning through the development of instructional leaders who practice equity-based pedagogy.
Hannah Acquaye (she, her), Counseling Program, Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon.
Dr. Hannah E. Acquaye is a graduate of the University of Central Florida’s doctorate in counselor education and supervision. She has expertise in training students in the art and style of doing therapy with both adults and children. Dr. Acquaye is a Managing Partner for Nexus Integrate Ltd, a company focused on using empirically supported treatments to support corporate and faith-based organizations, families, and individuals towards intra and interpersonal wholeness.
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