Reflections on a Career in Higher Education Administration (FSU MA 2021)

I grew up in Reims, France and moved to the United States to attend college at Brigham Young University where I graduated with a B.A. in history in 2016. During my time there, I worked with Dr. Karen Carter, an 18th-century French historian, which allowed me to travel abroad to do archival research for the book she was working on at the time.

In 2017, I was accepted into Villanova University’s master’s program in History, where I worked with Dr. Rebecca Winer, primarily on gender studies in early modern Europe. There I had the opportunity to serve as an editor for the student-published journal Concept, and my published article received a prize. I was also able to present my research at multiple conferences held at Villanova.

I applied and was admitted to FSU’s history Ph.D. program in fall 2019 to the Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution. I worked under the supervision of Dr. Cathy McClive on gender and medicine in 18th-century France. After two years of coursework in the program, I decided that working in academia was no longer the career path that I wanted to pursue and decided to leave the FSU History department with a master’s degree and start a career.

Even though I no longer wished to teach and do research, I was still passionate about higher education as a whole and facilitating students’ access to education and supporting them throughout their academic journey. I also loved my time at FSU and wanted to stay at the school that had been really good to me. After applying to several positions in academic affairs, I was hired by the Physics Department at FSU as their new Graduate Coordinator (official position title: Graduate Academic Program Specialist). In this position, I supported students through the whole cycle of their Ph.D. program, from admissions to graduation. I participated in the marketing and recruitment effort to the Ph.D. program, processed all graduate applications and sent out decision letters, prepared and processed paperwork related to students’ admission to candidacy and graduation clearances, advised students on their progress in the program and assisted them with course registration…

After two years working with a department, I was ready for a new challenge and applied for a position to work in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, as the assistant director for Graduate Academic Affairs.

What do you do? What made your current position interesting to you?

I currently serve as the assistant director for Graduate Academic Affairs in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. I work in the Academic Dean’s office and provide support to all nine departments and students and staff in our nine master’s programs and six doctoral programs (about 1,000 students total). I am responsible for developing and implementing strategic plans and management processes to recruit, retain, and graduate a diverse graduate student population. I also support, execute, and evaluate graduate student academic affairs throughout the College, including admissions, advising, and other related activities. I support the Academic Affairs team with undergraduate student emails, notably drops and withdrawals.

What does a typical day look like?

As for every position in Academic Affairs, the work is cyclical based on the time of the semester. Everyday consists of answering a significant number of emails from students, staff, and faculty on all matters related to graduate education, procedures, and policies. I hold regular meetings with the Academic Dean, graduate program directors, and graduate department staff regarding student issues, or newly implemented policies or procedures. This type of support and communication takes up most of my work time.

I also support the Academic Dean by answering undergraduate student (about 4,000 students) inquiries in our generic inboxes. I am responsible for all drop and withdrawal requests from students, which I review and make decisions on daily.

Depending on the time of the semester, I could also be working on a variety of larger projects such as certifying our graduate teaching assistants, certifying doctoral committees, collecting data for other units on campus, attending graduate recruitment events, creating and implementing new processes to streamline and increase effectiveness for the whole College, or entering graduation decisions.

What is your favorite part of the job?

My favorite part of my job are the instances where I help students, both grad and undergrad, recover their academic standing. We have a large student population and many of them are faced every day with incredible difficulties in their personal lives, which affect their academic performance. Being part of the drops and withdrawals committee for our College, I work alongside Case Management and the Victim Advocate’s Program to provide students with the help and support that they need, and based on their circumstances, I approve or deny their requests to drop classes or withdraw from an entire semester. These decisions often save students from probation or reverse academic dismissals, which gives students another chance to succeed in their academic careers. Students are human beings who do not exist within a vacuum, and we cannot stop outside circumstances from derailing their academic performance. Therefore, it is crucial to have a clear process to help alleviate the effect of the outside circumstances, which are often unforeseen and outside of the student’s control.

What was a major challenge you had to overcome?

I think the biggest challenge with working with a large group/ team of people is to account for everyone’s opinions and personalities, and in academia, there are a lot of strong opinions and personalities. Unfortunately, a not-so-fun part of my position is to uphold and enforce university and graduate school policies. There are times when students, faculty, and staff try to find a loophole, or another way to keep a student in a program for an additional semester, or to bypass a particular policy. It is never enjoyable to have to tell a student that they have used their last chance and that there is nothing that we can do for them because we must protect the school’s academic integrity. As mentioned above, we go to lengths to support students and have processes in place for extenuating circumstances, however, it sometimes comes to a point when we need to hold students accountable for their academic progress.

How did the skills you acquired in the History department help you in your career?

The skills helped me in my career in both subtle and overt ways. Being a graduate student in the History department, I was immersed in the life of a department and became familiar with the different dynamics between students, faculty, and staff, which made it so much easier to navigate the new department and then College that I joined. I was already familiar with many of FSU’s academic policies and procedures, and the general sense of what it is to be a graduate student at this university. I also learned what etiquette and communication style was acceptable within a university system.

On the more technical side, graduate school helped me develop several skills that I use daily in my work. As a graduate teaching assistant, I worked with and mentored students one-on-one to assist them with their own research projects, as well as in large groups for review sessions and class discussions. Student interaction and mentoring is an essential part of the work that I do today.

As a graduate student, I was always juggling multiple research projects, papers, and reading assignments, which helped me develop the strong multitasking skills that are crucial for my work. I learned how to prioritize to-do items and manage my time so that I can balance the different needs of the multiple programs I work with.

Finally, the History department helped me to cultivate critical thinking skills, which allows me to approach projects with a more nuanced understanding of what is needed. The research and writing skills which I acquired while doing research are invaluable in the work that I do today, as I often need to compile data, analyze it, and write reports for the dean or the graduate school.

What advice would you give to others who are interested in pursuing a similar career?

My main advice would be to just do it! I had never given much thought to working in Academic Affairs while being a graduate student because I thought that the only meaningful way to impact a student’s academic career was through teaching. However, now I could not recommend this career path enough to students who are passionate about education and looking for an alternate way to be a part of a student’s success.

At FSU, all Academic Program Specialist positions are considered entry-level and are therefore accessible to a wide category of applicants. The best applicants are the ones who can demonstrate strong communication skills, problem solving skills, the ability to learn quickly, and preferably familiarity with working in a university environment.

I would also recommend cultivating interpersonal skills. Working in Academic Affairs requires a lot of face-to-face interaction with the different stakeholders of the university. Being able to effectively communicate, interact, and get along with faculty, staff, and students is crucial to perform well in this type of position. Making connections in different offices within the university can be invaluable when it comes to getting involved in different projects or simply sharing knowledge.

What advice would you give yourself now (if you could go back in time)?

I would tell myself to get more involved within the university and make more connections. My first position in Academic Affairs was within a department which was fairly isolated. I did not find enough opportunities to go out and meet my peers and learn from them. Now working at the college level, I have daily interactions with the graduate school, the registrar’s office, Department of Student Support and Transition, Financial Aid… There is so much knowledge at this university that I wish I had taken advantage of earlier to make my work and my students’ lives easier.