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Communicate and Advocate: Working with the IRB, by Jennie Ofstein, 2007 alumna

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So, you’ve got this great assistantship working with your favorite rockstar-professor and you are doing research with them. Heck Yes!

So, you decided to write a Master’s thesis and this is your first time working on your own research. Well, that’s pretty awesome!

So, you’ve passed your proposal defense and need to take the next steps, and the very next step is working with the IRB…. Well, I CAN’T WAIT to read about what you’re gonna study!

There are all sorts of reasons (pretty cool ones too) that you may get to work with the IRB office here at NC State and I am pretty excited about it. My name is Jennie. I am a graduate of the Higher Ed Masters program and I have worked as a Student Affairs professional at NC State and at UNC-Chapel Hill. Since then, I have come back to State to get my PhD and am now in the proposal stage in our department (Here’s to persistence! – Think Steve Martin in The Three Amigos, “Gonna make it, Gonna make it, Gonna make it… I digress).

So, you may now be asking yourself “Jennie! You study Ed Research and Policy! How’d ‘you working with the IRB’ happen?” <- That’s a longer story for ya (a good one though). But for now, my simple answer is that through my education in our department, my research agenda and my positions in student affairs, I heavily identify as a social justice educator and practical ethicist. This lead to me advocating for folks who need advocating for.

I tell you all this to let you know, that I get you. I get your experience in the program and I will get your research and what you want to do with it. But also. I tell you this so that I can help you understand how education and practical research ethics align quite nicely.

When I give IRB presentations in class, the very first thing I ask is “What are you researching and WHY are you researching it?” After the typical academic spiel most students are trained to give, I ask “Why is that important?” and then I repeat the question several times, pushing you to get to your ultimate answer of something like “Fundamentally, I care about these people and want them to be able to do this… Or have access to that… or be better prepared for this… but mostly, I care about these people.”

This care, is the foundation of the IRB and should remain the foundation of your research and how you do your research. Everything from your immersion in the literature, to your study design and implementation, should have the target group in mind. And throughout the research process, this group should be treated with the care, respect, and the dignity they deserve. That’s where the IRB and the practical ethics of your research come in.

Over the years, researchers have done some pretty terrible things in the name of science and research participants have been taken advantage of in many ways. As a result, our government puts some checks and balances in place so that all research with human subjects is ethical in practice. We (the IRB) are here to make sure that your research is implemented ethically. We are trained to read through research with an eye focusing on risks/benefits, welfare of participants, and general practicalities of the study implementation. We kinda help you (and your advisor) “dot your i’s” and “cross your t’s” when it comes to implementing your research agenda.

As you think about your study and propose your study design to the IRB, we expect you to think about the implementation of your research. By “we,” I mean me, Jennie. Hi. I am the person who reads your proposal, yes… all of it. All of the pages.

What this means is, instead of thinking about your research from the researcher only lens, we want you to think about your research from the lay-person lens. What are you actually doing? What is actually going to happen? Sure, you are doing a focus group, but you need to implement it and describe that implementation process to us. This means describing:

  • How you are getting the participants? (flyers? – we need to see those)
  • How do the participants sign up? (via email? – we need to see the scripts of communication)
  • Where do participants arrive for the group? (is it private/public – we need that described)
  • What are you going to say to them and ask them in the group? (we need to see the protocol)
  • What is the consent process like? (we need to see the forms etc.)
  • How long will it take? Are there snacks there? Is there compensation?
  • Are they doing an activity while there? (if so – we need to see the components of the activity)

You: “But Jennie…. I’ve heard ALL THE THINGS about the IRB.”

Jennie: “I know, sometimes IRBs get a bad rep, but just like you and your research, our IRB is a special snowflake. We are here to help you accomplish your research goals and the best way for you to work with the IRB is to work with the IRB by communicating and advocating”

You: “But Jennie, the application is online and it’s scary.”

Jennie: “Oh, I get this. I am a Gen-Xer through and through and technology is tough. That’s why I have made you an incredibly detailed annotated PDF tutorial about the eIRB application system.”

You: “Well, earlier you said I’m a snowflake, I know I am special and so is my research, so I have a lot of very specific questions.”

Jennie: “You are a snowflake and so is your research, but chances are, you have all of the tools you need to resolve the issues you are having. Why you ask? Because I made you some pretty great educational materials. You can find them here: http://research.ncsu.edu/sparcs/compliance/irb/submission-guidance/. This site has information for you on what to consider throughout your research process so that you know what the IRB is going to ask about.”

You: “JENNIE. I was raised in HEA, of course I have used all my resources and my advisor, I still have a question or I am having some technical difficulties…”

Jennie: “My B! You are right, what was I thinking. Just call me! 919.515.8754 or send me an e-mail at irb-coordinator@ncsu.edu and I can help you navigate your questions. I really love talking about research, especially Ed research, and I love making research stronger (and may even have some cool ideas about yours) so call away!”

 Jennie Ofstein is 2007 alumna of the Higher Education Administration master’s program. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis at NC State University. She serves as the IRB Coordinator at NC State and is the Director for Organizational Development and Community Engagement at CrossFit Chapel Hill.

Community College: A Legislatorial DMV Retail Library, by Deanna Knighton, 2014 alumna

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So, what’s it like to work at a community college (CC)? I enjoy talking about work, so I am happy to answer this question. However, I never would have guessed I would answer this question so often when I started working at a CC last fall, and it is the frequency of this question that serves as the inspiration for this blog post. I hope you’ll enjoy these metaphors as I attempt to paint a picture of work at a community college.

It is like working at the DMV. Before you run away in terror at the thought of the DMV, allow me to explain. All visitors to the DMV take a number. Everyone takes a number. Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, gender, ability, country of origin, and other identity components do not factor into the number selection. DMV patrons walk in, take a number, and are seen accordingly. And, so it is with community college. All persons are accepted, and everyone is permitted to take classes and receive the services of a community college. There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare, and community colleges truly serve all members of the community.

It is like working in retail or serving at a restaurant. Community colleges provide an education to many students, whether 18-year-old high school seniors or 65-year-old senior citizens. Just as in many service sector jobs, such as retail or restaurant wait staff, the clientele can vary widely, even more so than at other public educational institutions. No two community college students are alike. My students are studying everything from Accounting to Welding, including Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, and Medical Office Administration. Some want to transfer to a university, and some want to get a(nother or better) job with as little education as possible. Some barely know how to turn on a computer, and some are programming and building computers. The students are all so different, which is my favorite part of working at a CC, and this fact cannot be overemphasized.

It is like working for the legislature. In comparison with working at a community college, I never heard so much reference made to the regulations of the state government and legislature at the large public universities for which I worked and certainly not at the private institution where I worked. Of all the types of higher education institutions, community colleges have the strongest ties to law-making bodies of their respective states. And, with the current emphasis on job preparation as the purpose of college by state and local governments around this nation, it is prime time to be working in a community college. This also means that accountability is high as well, so CC student affairs educators may find themselves empathizing with their K-12 counterparts in regard to the record-keeping requirements of a community college.

It is like working at a library. Librarians are knowledgeable in a variety of subject areas. Similarly, community college employees can be expected to help students, who are possibly the college students shortest on time and money, by, as the overused saying goes, “wearing many hats”. As a community college student affairs educator, I’m even required to complete a series of cross-trainings dedicated specifically to this purpose. In this cross-training series, I get to learn about all of the different areas of the college, including Financial Aid and Registration and Records. So, if you’re interested in being more of a student affairs generalist, then come and learn at a community college.

There you have it. If working in a legislatorial DMV retail library-esque environment appeals to you, come join me in the wide world of community college and see for yourself what it’s like to work at a CC. You’ll be glad you did.

Deanna Knighton is a 2014 alumna of the Higher Education Administration master’s program at NC State University. She currently works as a Career Specialist at Wake Technical Community College. You can contact her at deanna.knighton@gmail.com.

After the Interview, by Samara Reynolds, 2009 alumna

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You are walking out of your interview, be it a first-round screening conversation at ACPA or NASPA or an on-campus visit for your final round interview. Ideally you feel confident and reflective and excited, but most likely you are simply relieved for it to be over. However, just because your interview is complete doesn’t mean your work is done. Here is some advice for putting your mind and candidacy in the best possible position after the interview:

Take Notes. As soon as you step away from your interview site, it is a good idea to jot down some notes for yourself. This may include interesting questions you were asked by particular interviewers, helpful answers you were given to your own questions, fun facts about the people you met, and your own observations and gut reactions. It’s best to get your thoughts out on paper while they are fresh on your mind. These timely notes will be especially helpful during the next stage of this process…

Send Notes. Writing thank you notes to your interviewers within 24 hours of your departure is my #1 most important post-interview tip. The instinct to write thank you notes has been engrained in me since childhood (thanks Mom), but you would be surprised at how few people actually take the time to send them. From your perspective, it’s a great way to follow up on your experience in a classy, professional way, and to make sure your final impression is a good one. From your interviewers’ point of view, it might sound strange, but the one thing folks on the other side of the table don’t know at the end of your interview is whether or not you still want the job. Now, you might say, I just interviewed and I’m job seeking, so of course I want the job?! But they really can never be sure (unless you tell them) if your conversation made you feel more or less interested in having them as supervisors/colleagues, or how you feel about this role compared to the others you are vying for. Thank you notes also give you the chance to reiterate key points from your interview, briefly say anything you didn’t get a chance to during your chat, and tell your interviewers directly that you are even more interested in the opportunity after your conversation (if that’s indeed the case).

I can go either way on email vs. handwritten these days, but if you know the turnaround time on their decision is going to be longer than a week or two, or you have the chance to physically drop a note in their on-site mailbox at ACPA or NASPA, a thank you card is best (can be typed and printed out on stationary, instead, if your handwriting isn’t stellar). However, if you know they are making decisions within the week, or that the person you’re talking with doesn’t often check their office mailbox, a well-worded email is preferable. Just make sure you keep the tone more formal than your average virtual communication, as you would if you were hand-writing.

Prepare for the Best. Let’s assume they decide you are the best candidate for the job (congrats!). Are you ready for an offer? That is to say, are you prepared to talk about salary, start date, your other requests and deal-breakers, and to decide if you want to say yes or no if they say yes to everything you ask for? Be sure to think about these items ahead of time, reevaluating if anything has changed since you interviewed, so that if a positive phone call or email comes your way, you are ready to handle it. Know that salary negotiation is absolutely reasonable in higher education, but that you will need to have some facts, figures, and reasoning behind your ask for greater compensation. And most offices are willing to wait for the right person in regards to start date, but be sure to think about what a delay on your part might mean for their team and students. Think about any vacations or conferences you’ve committed to that would fall within your first 90 days (when paid time off isn’t typically allowed, so you’d need to negotiate this ahead of time), professional development funding or other growth points you want to talk about, and any final questions you know you need answered about the role, the office, the institution, the location, your supervisor, etc. before you could feel confident saying yes.

Prepare for the Worst. And of course, it’s a good idea to reflect upon how you will respond and move forward if this job doesn’t turn out to be a match. I remember hanging up the phone and bawling when I didn’t get an offer from the first position I interviewed on-campus for my second year in the HEA program. Even though it wasn’t my dream job – which I later got, albeit two months after graduation! Oh the joys of 20/20 hindsight – it hurt to get a “no.” I had to figure out how to not let this emotional setback ruin my confidence for the search ahead. If you don’t already have a good self-care plan and support system, now is the time to get people and plans in place so that you can heal relatively quickly from any negative news, and project positivity as you seek out the right fit. Remember that you can only say yes to ONE job, so you don’t need every offer, and that you want to be on a team that can’t imagine not hiring you, even if it takes a bit more time to find that perfect match.

Follow-Up. Lastly, some advice for the waiting game. If you were able to get some insight into when you would hear back from your interviewers, awesome, mark that info down in your calendar or job search tracker and plan to follow up with a quick call or email if that date passes without word. Remember that no news can definitely still be good news, especially with how SLOW and strict many university HR processes are. The hiring manager may know you are THE ONE right away, but before they fill out the right paperwork in and get things squared away on the HR side, they can’t necessarily tell you that. However, even if you don’t get a clear timeline for next steps in their process, if it’s been at least two weeks since your interview, it is reasonable to reach out to check in. Just let them know that you are still interested and wanted to see if there was any new information they could share on your candidacy. Keep your message short and sweet, and ideally they will respond with useful insight, one way or the other. In both of my full-time positions, I called to follow-up on my candidacy weeks after my final round interviews. Each time my call is what spurred the hiring manager to ask for final approval from HR to provide a verbal offer – who knows how long I would have been waiting or assuming the worst otherwise? While your search is certainly at the top of YOUR mind, it might not be the #1 thing on your future boss’s to-do list, or on HR’s for that matter, so it’s critical to be proactive and polite in your follow-up efforts. You may just get the good news, or if nothing else the closure, that you need to proceed.

Though getting from Applicant to Interviewee can seem like the toughest part of the search process, there is a lot you can do to move yourself from Interviewee to New Hire in the homestretch. I encourage each of you to spend time after each interview reflecting, showing gratitude, preparing yourself for all possible outcomes, and following-up when necessary. Each of these things will give you additional perspective, ownership, and control in an often nebulous phase of the job search process. Best of luck, and wishing you one or more excellent offers in the interview season ahead!

Samara Reynolds is a 2009 graduate of the Higher Education Administration master’s program. She is a career development professional, currently working at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can reach out to Samara with any questions at samara.reynolds@gmail.com.

Conference Prep 101: Engage, Share, Learn & Enjoy! By Amanda Williams, Ph.D., 2013 alumna

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Attending professional conferences is one of my favorite things about working in the field of student affairs. It is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues across the street, state, or country on topics and issues of interest, to share similar experiences, and to build new skills to develop ourselves and our students.

My first professional position out of graduate school was as the Internship Coordinator for University Career Services at UNC Chapel Hill. While I was one of many career counselors on the team, I was the only person at the time that was specifically focused on internships. A few months after I started, my supervisor told me I was going to attend a conference called the National Society of Experiential Education… an association and conference I had never heard of before. I was a bit skeptical at first but I quickly found myself surrounded by people who ALL worked with internships! It was exciting to meet new colleagues, share experiences, and leave with a new understanding and appreciation of the work I did every day. Ten years later, those folks I met are still some of my ‘go-to’ people on issues related to internships and experiential learning.

I share that story to say that there are so many different professional association and conference options available in student affairs and higher education. Explore different opportunities and don’t be afraid to branch out and try things outside of the ordinary! Regardless of where in the field you end up, you will find an association ‘home’ that is a great fit.

With the NASPA and ACPA conference and job search season quickly approaching, I wanted to share a few pieces of advice that may help you be more prepared, more engaged, and more excited about heading to New Orleans or Tampa in a few weeks!

Step outside of your comfort zone. This obviously means different things to different people, and only you can decide how to approach it… but I highly encourage you to do it! Attend a reception, introduce yourself to someone who works at an institution you’re applying to, or simply ask a question during a session. Sure, putting yourself out there can be scary, but you’re attending the conference for a reason, right?!

Learn something… One of the most valuable aspects of conference attendance is all of the great sessions, workshops, posters, and roundtable discussions that are on the program schedule. Attend some sessions that are practical and will be helpful in your current assistantship/internship/job. Also make sure to go to a couple of sessions that are related to topics you are interested in but don’t get to explore as often, or are related to the type of work you hope to be doing in the future.

…And teach something! If you submitted a proposal and were accepted to present at a conference – congratulations! It is a wonderful opportunity to share information about your research, a new program, assessment results, etc. with others in the field. Even if you are not on the official program schedule, there are still many ways to share your knowledge with other conference participants. Ask questions, share your opinion, join conversations, start a new discussion, and engage in social media dialogue. Every single person at the conference has information and experience to share… start now!

Connect, connect, connect. Since our field is so mobile, it is nice to have an annual excuse built in to catch up with old classmates, faculty, and colleagues. Grab coffee, meet at sessions, and definitely plan ahead with some of those hard to reach people! Make sure you take time to meet some new people too. The person sitting next to you in a session might end up as a future coworker or research collaborator. You might even bump in to your future best friend.

And finally… dress the part and practice your “elevator speech”: it is possible you might actually end up in the elevator with someone new! Sign up to volunteer for a shift or two. Attend the social functions that are planned. Explore the city. And most of all, have fun!

Dr. Amanda Williams is a 2013 graduate of the Educational Research and Policy Analysis doctoral program. She currently serves as the Director of Career and Academic Advising in the College of Design at NC State University.

Finish Strong: Making Your Final Semester as a Graduate Assistant/Intern Count, by Samara Reynolds, 2009 alumna

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As you move towards graduation, a full-time job, or even just the end of your last semester in your current internship or assistantship before starting a new one this summer or fall, it can be all too easy to default to coasting along before fading into the sunset. If you’ve been with the same office since the beginning of the academic year or longer, you likely feel like an expert in your day-to-day responsibilities, and mentally ready to move on to the next challenge. However, it is in your best interest to put some thought into how you want to wrap up your time with that team. In the spirit of fitness goals and challenges that accompany both the new year and increasing days of sunshine in the spring, here are some strategies for “finishing strong:”

Choose a Capstone Project. Though it may be easy to keep going through the motions at the tail-end of your experience, pick one last thing that you’d like to accomplish and put your energy into doing it well. This could be as simple as making a handbook/guide for the next person who does your job, so that they can keep your progress going and not have to recreate the wheel. It can also mean thinking about something that your supervisor or students have talked about wanting to do for a while, but nobody has taken charge of making it happen yet. You may even see an improvement or program you want to add as your legacy. Regardless, this will be an awesome opportunity for you to show you care about your office and quality of work, and one more win to be able to highlight in future interviews and application materials.

Create a Portfolio. One of the most valuable exercises my second-year graduate assistantship supervisor had me complete was putting together a professional portfolio. Even though I had helped start and improve programs at each of my student affairs jobs since undergrad, I hadn’t yet put together evidence of that success in one place. My portfolio is a binder that I still maintain, where I keep examples of my work from various positions – training manuals I created for student leaders, flyers for new events, papers from graduate school that I’m particularly proud of. I would suggest, in whatever format suits you, pulling together items that represent your points of pride (this can be hard-copy or virtual, these days). You can bring this binder to job and informational interviews, if it suits you. If nothing else, it is certainly a great confidence booster to see so many of your accomplishments in one place – flipping through it before an interview may be all you need to remind yourself of your contributions in this job and others.

Add To Your Network. If there are people in your current division or department that you’ve been meaning to connect with or get to know better, this semester is a great time to start or solidify those relationships – while you still have a very legitimate reason to reach out. Think about some of the leaders around you, as well as those you think could be helpful in your future professional development efforts, and see if you can set up coffee, lunch, or a visit to their office for an informational interview/relationship building conversation. You can fill these individuals in on your efforts with your current office thus far, the goals you have set for your “capstone project,” and get both advice and buy-in on your career goals and direction moving forward.

Request an Exit Interview. If your supervisor doesn’t set one up for you, I would suggest requesting an “exit interview” – essentially a final review – during your last week or two in the office. That way, you can acquire some positive feedback and constructive criticism to use moving forward, ideally offer your own suggestions for your supervisor and the next person in your role, and have a chance to say thank you and close things down in a structured, professional manner before the all too quick slide into the end of the semester or graduation.

Ensure Future References. Part of your exit interview can be asking your boss if they would be willing to serve as a good reference for you during your upcoming and future job searches. Two key words here: willing and good. Typically this request will not be a tough or awkward one, if you have a positive relationship with your supervisor, but you don’t want to make any assumptions. This request gives them an out if they don’t feel they can provide that for you (and then you won’t be scrambling or wishing you picked someone else for your list). And if they say yes, this provides a heads up that their name may appear on your reference list, so it’s not a surprise when they get future phone calls or emails about you. Of course, your list of references can and should extend beyond your current supervisor, so use this time to ask coworkers, peer mentors, friends you’ve cultivated in your current department, and even students if they’d be willing to put in a good word for you if needed as you move forward with your career.

Give Proper Thanks. Of all the places I think a handwritten thank you note is a nice touch, at the end of your internship or assistantship experience may be the #1 most appropriate. Unlike some other professional thank you note circumstances, there are no time-sensitive deadlines involved, and expressing your gratitude in writing will likely be easier and longer-lasting than getting it out in person. And a card someone can save or tack on their wall is much sweeter than receiving the same sentiments in an email. Think about who you’d like to write thank you notes to, again considering both who you feel grateful to AND who you want to continue a professional relationship with in the years ahead. You can either hand-deliver these in your final days, or send them in the mail just after your leave.

Update Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile. While the experience is fresh on your mind, be sure to update your resume, including this position and related accomplishment statements as bullet points. Updating your LinkedIn profile to include this position and your contribution there is a smart idea. Additionally, you can select relevant skills based on this position that folks can endorse on your page, upload presentations and other virtual evidence of your success, and/or ask for recommendations from staff and students that will tag on to this position and stay on your profile in the long-term.

Stay In Touch. Lastly, as alluded to throughout this post, in the weeks and months and even years that follow, be sure to stay in touch with key individuals you met through this position. The end of semesters, the start of a new calendar year, their birthday(s), after conferences or other interesting professional experiences, and/or after reading an article they might find interesting…these are all simple and more natural times to check in with colleagues. Let them know what you’ve been up to, ask about them, and depending on the relationship, find a time to meet up for lunch or coffee or have a phone conversation every once in a while. Use a spreadsheet, calendar reminder, or other contact management system to remind you of how and how often you’d like to reach out to individuals in your network.  This will help keep you close, and it’s always neat for past supervisors, colleagues, and students to see you grow and change with each new career move.

I hope this post gives you some concrete ideas of how to make the most of your final weeks in your current job as a graduate assistant or intern. Best of luck in whatever new professional adventure is next on your journey!

Samara Reynolds is a 2009 graduate of the HEA master’s program. She is a career development professional, currently working at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can reach out to Samara with any questions at samara.reynolds@gmail.com.