Abstract
This case study examines the experiences of two supervisors following a collective-trauma event. More specifically, this case study explores supervisor responsibility related to community support, and the post-event impact on supervisors when things “return to normal”.
Keywords: Collective trauma, supervision, mental health, well-being, advocacy
Primary Characters
Brittany (she/her/hers) is the Director of Student Services for the College of Arts & Sciences at North Mountain University. In her position, she oversees eight professional staff members and one graduate assistant. She is responsible for the strategic planning and operations for her unit and their support of students. Personally, Brittany recently lost a parent to a heart attack.
Jayne (she/her/hers) serves as the Director of Advising for the College of Social Work at North Mountain University. In her position, she oversees all academic advising practices for the College. She supervises four professional staff members and one graduate assistant. Jayne is a recent survivor of sexual assault. She filed a police report against her assailant but did not have enough evidence to pursue the case in court.
Taylor (she/her/hers) is a staff member in Brittany’s office. She is the recruiter for the College of Arts and Sciences. Taylor has been at the institution for five years but is new to the College of Arts and Sciences.
Jake (he/him/his) is a staff member in Brittany’s office. He is the engagement coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences. Jake graduated from North Mountain University ten years ago and has been working at the institution since graduation.
Context
North Mountain University (NMU) is a large public research university in North Carolina. NMU is located in a rural area in the north-western part of North Carolina. The University serves 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The local community is centered around the University and there is no other major industry in the area.
The Case
Brittany and Jayne work as Directors of their offices at North Mountain University. Brittany has deeps roots in her local community. She attended NMU for her undergraduate degree and is born and raised in North Carolina. She moved to another part of the state to complete her master’s degree but came back to NMU to serve as the Director of Student Services immediately after graduation. She has been in this role for three years. Brittany has a passion for people. She cares deeply about her staff and strives to create a culture of well-being in her office.
Jayne moved to NMU from Georgia. She grew up in Austin, Texas and attended the University of Texas for her undergraduate degree. Jayne served as an academic advisor in Georgia for a year before moving to North Mountain University to serve as the Advising Center Director.
Recently, the North Mountain University campus and the surrounding areas were hit by a devastating tornado. Many students, faculty, and staff were without power, cell service, or internet. Some people lost their homes or were not able to communicate with family members outside of the area. North Mountain University was closed for four days but reopened quickly since their infrastructure did not suffer much damage.
Brittany’s home had no power, and her neighborhood was blocked by trees. Even though she could not physically get to work, her cell service still worked. Brittany communicated and supported her staff as much as possible. She worked tirelessly to ensure that her staff had the resources needed to survive in the immediate aftermath and in the days that followed coordinate efforts to support students with her team.
Jayne’s home had a tree fall on her roof causing her home to become unhabitable. She had no power, Wi-Fi, or phone service in her neighborhood for eight days. Even though her house was unhabitable, Jayne was able to get out of the neighborhood without much issue. Jayne reached out to all the local hotels to find a temporary place to live. No where had any space available. Thankfully, a friend of hers had a spare bedroom. Her friend had no power, but the house was accessible to all major roads and highways. She was able to physically get to campus from her friend’s house. Even though the university was closed, they had power, cell service, and internet. Jayne went to campus daily where she worked on emails and coordinated support efforts to help her staff reach campus. She also helped coordinate a supply-drive for students, faculty, and staff while on campus as well.
In the immediate aftermath of the devastation in the community, NMU leadership issued the following statement:
North Mountain University’s main campus will reopen Tuesday, April 8. The local government offices will be open, and, per university policy and procedure, we must follow their operations. The NMU campus has power and internet, and is safe for the return of faculty, staff, and students. Classes are scheduled to resume, and faculty and staff should report to work if possible. Many students, faculty, and staff are still without power, so we encourage everyone to provide flexibility and grace through the aftermath of this event. All faculty and staff should work with their supervisors to submit leave if they are not able to work. Additional guidance will be provided by Human Resources and Payroll.
Following the university statement, Brittany received a call from one of her staff members, Taylor. Taylor could not access roads outside of her neighborhood and her power was still out. She felt that it was unfair for NMU to ask her to use leave since she could not make it to campus and could not work from home. Another staff member, Jake, also reached out. He was concerned about his ability to perform his job duties when he still had not heard from his parents and he could not access their house. Jayne started received emails from students that they were concerned about how the lack of internet or power may impact their courses. Many students had online homework, quizzes, or tests due, but they could not access the learning management platform to submit the work. Jayne also heard from her staff members that they were feeling overwhelmed with the requests for student support and meetings when the staff members themselves were still trying to have their basic needs met.
Once campus returned to normal operations and the cleanup had mostly subsided, Brittany and Jayne began struggling with their own mental health and well-being. Brittany was tired and only wanted to sleep. She could not focus on daily tasks. Her exhaustion and distraction were beginning to take a toll on her job performance. Jayne was angry at the institution for the perceived lack of support they provided her and her team. She felt like she was beginning to burn out and did not trust anyone at the institution other than her team to support her.
Discussion Questions
- What institutional resources could each of the characters utilize to support themselves in this situation?
- How might Jayne and Brittany’s personal experience with trauma intersect with the professional experience?
- What additional support could the university provide Brittany and Jayne?
- How did the university’s response to the event impact Brittany and Jayne’s experience?
Author Bio
Julia Dingle Robinson (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Director of Student Services for the College of Arts and Humanities at Clemson University. She is also a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership program at Clemson University. As a scholar, Julia is interested in studying how trauma impacts women supervisors under the age of 35. As a practitioner, Julia is passionate about supporting her staff and ensuring their well-being.