In education, field experiences are important ways to discover what one is and is not interested in within the field. Graduate students try various field experiences to determine where to search for positions and what types of roles or institutions would best suit them. As student affairs professionals, we must ensure that graduate students are set up for success in their field experience. While an experience can shift in a positive or negative way depending on personal life, supervisor, events on campus or in the community, and other factors, giving students the tools they need to succeed in the beginning allows them to both challenge themselves and navigate external challenges. Student affairs professionals must give graduate students the proper tools to complete their tasks, but also to be available or have contingency plans for when things go awry. This case study examines an issue in which a graduate student is left to fend for themself when they are not set up for success and are unsure where to turn.

Key Words: Supervision, Communication, Field Experience, Feeling of Isolation

Functional Area: Career Services

Broader Issues: Communication, Supervision, Course Requirements, Professionalism

Characters and Descriptions:

Lexie (she, her, hers) – Lexie is a first-year graduate student at Stanley University receiving her master’s degree in Student Affairs. She is currently completing her 125-hour internship at the Career Center on campus. She is an out-of-state student and the first in her immediate family to go to graduate school. She is one of very few graduate students in her program with a 12-month assistantship and does not have a lot of friends currently on campus in the summer. The only class she is currently taking this summer is her internship course.

Dr. Christopher (he, him, his) – Dr. Christopher is Lexie’s internship supervisor at the Career Center at Stanley University, and an alumnus of Lexie’s program. He is a highly recognized and accomplished member of the field and has been in his role as Director of Career Development for the past 10 years. He is often being pulled for conferences, presentations, and important meetings due to his extensive experience and knowledge.

Adjunct Professor (they, them) – Lexie’s internship professor had to take an unexpected medical leave, leaving Lexie and her classmates in the hands of the adjunct professor. The adjunct professor had to add this course on to an already packed schedule, as they are not typically a professor for this program and are teaching other courses in the department.

Context

Stanley University is a large public university on the outskirts of a major city in the northeastern portion of the United States. Due to its distance to the city being about a 35-minute drive, many students live on campus or in nearby surrounding neighborhoods. There are bus routes that take students into the city and back, but most students choose to bring their cars to campus. Most events and experiences tend to happen on-campus as a result, which allows for a thriving and connected campus culture. The next nearest university or community college is a 45 minute drive either direction.

Out of a student population of 62,311 students, only 8,023 are graduate students. Within Lexie’s Master of Student Affairs Program, there are about 48 students total, split evenly between two cohorts. All 48 of these graduate students hold assistantships or full-time roles, though very few are 12-month positions. Out of the 24 students in Lexie’s cohort, only eight have 12-month positions and they are required to complete a 125 hour internship over the summer in addition to their assistantship hours and additional volunteer opportunities (other students complete both of their internships during the academic year). This program prides itself on service, both in and around the student affairs field, and therefore requires two, 125-hour field experiences in addition to 50 service hours per year. To track their internship requirement, they must attend a course during the semester they are completing the internship and complete a detailed tracking form on their hours. To track community service, students must submit their hours through a form at the end of the year that is signed off from the supervisor in charge of the volunteer sites they worked in.

Case

Lexie is required to complete a 125 hour internship over the summer during her time in her graduate program at Stanley University. She met Dr. Christopher when he came to give a presentation entitled Career Services: Improving One’s Resume to her academic program of which he is an alumnus. Interested in the work that Dr. Christopher does at the Career Center, Lexie connected with Dr. Christopher and asked if she could complete her internship through the Career Center with him as her supervisor. He agreed, and they began working together at the beginning of the summer in late May. The internship requirement goes along with a course she takes over the summer, where she is required to submit a detailed account of her hours to the professor. The professor is currently on medical leave, being temporarily replaced by an adjunct professor who is not as familiar with the program and its requirements.

It is now early July, and Lexie is struggling with her internship. The experience started off great. She was given training in late May on how to complete appointment types such as resume/CV and cover letter reviews and was given her own appointment block for one of the two days where she spends 10 hours a week at the Career Center over the summer. She does all of this in addition to her graduate assistantship (for 28 hours a week). The other day she spends in the Career Center is left open to be used for various tasks that may need completing at the Center. Throughout June, Lexie used time on her additional day in the office to shadow a few of Dr. Christopher’s resume/CV and cover letter appointments until she felt comfortable on her own. She also shadowed him with other appointments and meetings so that she could learn about the other services that Career Center offers. In addition to her time with Dr. Christopher, Lexie also used some of her time getting to know other members of the Career Center staff.

However, it is now early July and student appointments on solely resumes/CVs and cover letters have begun to slow as summer courses take a break. Additionally, Dr. Christopher has been called upon what seems like every other day to attend conferences, give presentations, and do additional networking for the Career Center. As he is out of town more often than not, he is difficult to get a hold of, and Lexie only feels comfortable using his email to contact him because she feels it is unprofessional to text him. Dr. Christopher told her in June that he would come up with more tasks for her and would help officially train her on more types of student meetings and appointments, but due to Dr. Christopher’s schedule, this never happened.

Lexie has tried to connect with the adjunct professor via email but has not succeeded so far. The class only meets in person once at the beginning of the summer semester, and once at the end. The faculty members that Lexie is closest to are 9-month faculty who are not on contract over the summer. She is hesitant to contact them as she is unsure that they will answer. She also feels guilty for asking them to work outside their contracted hours. Additionally, Lexie has struggled with making friends within her cohort and program. Being one of the only students in her program who is a first-generation master’s student and being an out of state student has her feeling different from those around her. Lexie is at a loss for what to do and is anxious she will not have enough productive hours completed by the time they are due in early August and will therefore fail the class.

Discussion questions:

1. Should Lexie contact a 9-month faculty member? If so, what should she say and why?
2. What are Lexie’s next steps to ensure that she is able to complete enough productive hours for her internship?
3. How should communication between Lexie, Dr. Christopher, and the adjunct professor be addressed?
4. What are some ways that Lexie can reach out to her classmates to determine if anyone else is having similar issues?
5. What are ways that can help prevent or provide clarification if a situation such as this arises again, whether that be for Lexie or another future member of this program?

Author Biography

Ashley Sanfacon (she, her, hers) is a second-year graduate student at Clemson University earning her Masters of Education in Student Affairs. She serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Employer Relations and Events team at the Center for Career and Professional Development, as well as the Presidential Scholar Intern for the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA).