UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Averill, Leslie
Dept./Program:
College of Education and Social Services
Year:
2012
Degree:
Ed. D.
Abstract:
Many new professionals in the higher education student affairs profession choose to leave the field after a few short years. "Attrition rates have been found to range from 32% within the first five years of work in the field to 61% within six years."¹ This dissertaion explored the topic of student affairs attrition by asking the question, "Why do student affairs professionals stay, or persist in the field?", rather than asking the more common question, "Why do student affairs professionals leave, or opt out of the field?"
This dissertation was written using Scholarly Personal Narrative as the primary method of discovery, therefore; I was able to look into my own narrative and ask the following question: 1) Why did I decide to stay in student affairs administration when opting out seemed like the best decision?
By looking deep into my past, present, and future leadership narrative I was able to make sense of the challenges I experienced in my student affairs work. When l looked into my past I discovered a life perspective I constructed as a child helped me successfully climb the proverbial corporate ladder; however, I also discovered that the same lens could not sustain me in my student affairs leadership role. By exploring present day challenges in my student affairs work I realized the tension I felt was a result of having to navigate an institution made up ofvarious generations, specifically Baby Boomers, GenXers and Millennials. By envisioning my future student affairs leadership role, I was able to recreate a leadership narrative that met the diverse needs of the institution, the student affairs team, and that also had potential to sustain me in my leadership role, therefore retaining me in the field of student affairs. However, the most significant result of engaging in Scholarly Personal Narrative resulted from exploring the ultimate existential question -- what is the meaning of life? Through my research process, I realized the power I had to construct my own answer to this question and was therefore empowered to rewrite my leadership narrative in an attempt to make my work meaningfilled.
This dissertation builds off the foundational research on student affairs practitioner attrition rates and suggests managers and leaders in student affairs consider two new factors when working to retain.new student affairs professionals. The first factor invites managers and leaders to include meaning making opportunities at work, specifically to include the practice of writing Scholarly Personal Narrative as a meaning making and retention tool with the workplace. The second factor calls on managers and leaders to provide professional development specific to the differences between multiple generations working together in higher education student affairs. This research is relevant because there are thousands of ambitious and highly skilled individuals in higher education student affairs administration who are undoubtedly struggling with the decision to "persist in" or "opt out" of the field, as demonstrated by the high attrition rate in student affairs.
In an attempt to support the use of Scholarly Personal Narrative as a meaning making tool as well as a method to retain new student affairs professionals in the field my research included: personal philosophical analysis; narrative writing; review of relevant literature; and conversation with professionals who work in higher education student affairs.
This dissertation was written using Scholarly Personal Narrative as the primary method of discovery, therefore; I was able to look into my own narrative and ask the following question: 1) Why did I decide to stay in student affairs administration when opting out seemed like the best decision?
By looking deep into my past, present, and future leadership narrative I was able to make sense of the challenges I experienced in my student affairs work. When l looked into my past I discovered a life perspective I constructed as a child helped me successfully climb the proverbial corporate ladder; however, I also discovered that the same lens could not sustain me in my student affairs leadership role. By exploring present day challenges in my student affairs work I realized the tension I felt was a result of having to navigate an institution made up ofvarious generations, specifically Baby Boomers, GenXers and Millennials. By envisioning my future student affairs leadership role, I was able to recreate a leadership narrative that met the diverse needs of the institution, the student affairs team, and that also had potential to sustain me in my leadership role, therefore retaining me in the field of student affairs. However, the most significant result of engaging in Scholarly Personal Narrative resulted from exploring the ultimate existential question -- what is the meaning of life? Through my research process, I realized the power I had to construct my own answer to this question and was therefore empowered to rewrite my leadership narrative in an attempt to make my work meaningfilled.
This dissertation builds off the foundational research on student affairs practitioner attrition rates and suggests managers and leaders in student affairs consider two new factors when working to retain.new student affairs professionals. The first factor invites managers and leaders to include meaning making opportunities at work, specifically to include the practice of writing Scholarly Personal Narrative as a meaning making and retention tool with the workplace. The second factor calls on managers and leaders to provide professional development specific to the differences between multiple generations working together in higher education student affairs. This research is relevant because there are thousands of ambitious and highly skilled individuals in higher education student affairs administration who are undoubtedly struggling with the decision to "persist in" or "opt out" of the field, as demonstrated by the high attrition rate in student affairs.
In an attempt to support the use of Scholarly Personal Narrative as a meaning making tool as well as a method to retain new student affairs professionals in the field my research included: personal philosophical analysis; narrative writing; review of relevant literature; and conversation with professionals who work in higher education student affairs.