ERIC Number: EJ1385062
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2330-7277
EISSN: EISSN-2330-7269
"I Alone Can't Stop the Spread": Mid-Level Conduct Professionals Sensemaking through COVID-19
Selznick, Benjamin S.; Heishman, Cover
Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs, v39 n1 p47-68 2023
The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how mid-level student conduct professionals (SCPs) made meaning of their professional and mid-level leadership experiences during their institutions' immediate responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study draws on sensemaking as a theoretical lens and literature related to mid-level professionals and student conduct practice to ground its inquiry. Interview data was collected and analyzed from four senior-level student conduct professionals within a single State within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation region. Findings center on three key themes voiced by the participants: the importance of maintaining operational processes, feelings of middleness, and reflections on student and personal wellbeing. Discussion and implications for professionals and postsecondary organizations confronting the short- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are offered. Here, we highlight the valuable roles student conduct professionals play within postsecondary organizational life and the need for greater attention to these practitioners in both research and practice.
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Student Personnel Workers, Leadership, Well Being, Employee Attitudes, Higher Education, Middle Management, Public Colleges, Private Colleges
Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. Digital Commons Office, Zach S. Henderson Library, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458. e-mail: digitalcommons@georgiasouthern.edu; Web site: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gcpa/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A