Angie Dreessen, Director of Enrollment Services & Student Life, Illinois Central College

Cindy Henderson, Executive Director of Career Services, Northern Illinois University

Mary Tosch, Director of Hobson Memorial Union, Bemidji State University

Jumping the Chasm: Becoming a Director

Audience Survey

Steps needed to advance through the Journey

1. How long do you think it will take you to achieve the Director position in years?

1 2 3 4

33%

6%

15%

46%1. 0-3 years2. 3-5 years3. 5-8 years4. More than 8 years

2. Do you feel like you have an understanding of what a Director does?

1 2

33%

67%1. Yes2. No

3. Do you feel like you have developed a list of the competencies required to be a successful

Director?

1 2

61%

39%

1. Yes2. No

4. To what extent do you feel Directors have autonomy to make decisions about their

departments?

1 2 3 4

2%6%

75%

17%

1. Very High2. High3. Moderate4. Low

5. What is the likelihood that the impact of what a Director does reaches beyond departmental

programs or services?

1 2 3 4

29%

0%6%

65%1. Very likely2. Somewhat likely3. Not likely4. No impact beyond

department

Our paths to becoming Directors

• Angie • Mary • Cindy

Path

• Jobs within desired area• Cross functionality– Positions– Training– Adjunct Faculty

• Education• Professional Development– Faculty Advising– Mentor and Mentee

• Networking

It’s A Journey

• Work Experience– Politics– Assessment– Global (implications for university, division, and department)

Perspective– Revenue Generation

• Skills Acquisition– Interpersonal Skills– Conflict Resolution– Decision Making– Reports and Documentation

Knowledge Base Leading to Competency Development

Division• Core Values, Vision• Environment, Trends• Crisis Management• Collaborations• Theoretical Framework• Professional Organizational

Leadership Role

Departmental• Vision• Budget• Strategic Planning• Relationship Building• Supervision• Communication Skills -

LISTENING

All of the Above demonstrate LEADERSHIP

Suggested Competencies

• NASPA/ACPA Professional competency areasfor Student Affairs practitioners

• Standards such as CAS, NACE, APA, etc., that are applicable to departmental functions

Angela Dreessen Director of Enrollment Services & Student Life, angela.dreessen@icc.edu

Cindy Henderson Executive Director of Career Services, chenderson@niu.edu

Mary Tosch Director of Hobson Memorial Union, mtosch@bemidjistate.edu

Conclusion & Questions

References• Arnold, K. (1982). Career development for the experienced student affairs

professional. NASPA Journal, 20(2), 3-8.• Austin, A. E. (1985). Factors contributing to job satisfactions of university

mid-level administrators. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), Chicago, IL.

• Benke, M., & Disque, C. S. (1990). Moving in, out, up, or nowhere? The mobility of mid-managers. In The invisible leaders; student affairs mid-mangers, Washington, D.C.: National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

• Blimling, G. S. (2002). Reflections on career development among student affairs leaders. New Directions for Student Services, 98, 27-36.

• Carpenter, D. S., Guido-DiBrito, F., & Kelly, J. P. (1987). Transferability of student affairs skills and competencies: Light at the end of the bottleneck. NASPA Journal, 24(3), 5-14.

References• Cuyjet, M. J., Longwell-Grice, R., & Molina, E. (2009). Perceptions of new

Student Affairs professionals and their supervisors regarding the application of competencies learned in preparation programs. Journal of College Student Development, 50 (1), 104-119.

• Fey, C. J., & Carpenter, D. S. (1996). Mid-level student affairs administrators: Management skills and professional development needs. NASPA Journal, 33, 218-231.

• Freiberg, M., Zbikowski, J., & Ganser, T. (1997). Promoting mid-career growth through mentoring. Journal of Staff Development, 18(2), 52-54.

• Gordon, S. E., Strode-Border, C. & Mann, B. A. (1993). The mid-manager in student affairs: What are CSAOs looking for? NASPA Journal, 30(4), 13-16.

• Hondyshell, M. E. (2007) In the middle: How the experience defines mid-career for Student Affairs professionals. ERIC document; ED507561.

References• Howard-Hamilton, M. (2004). Considering the doctorate. In K.A. Renn & C.

Hughes (Eds.), Roads Taken: Women in Student Affairs at Mid-Career, Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

• Johnsrud, L. K., Heck, R. H., & Rosser, V. J. (2000). Morale matters: Midlevel administrators and their intent to leave. The Journal of Higher Education, 71(1), 34-59.

• Rosser, V. J. (2004). A national study on midlevel leaders in higher education: The unsung professionals in the academy. Higher Education: The International Journal of Higher Education, 48, 317-337.

• Tull, A., & Miller, M. T. (2009). Highways and byways: The career paths of Senior Student Affairs officers, ERIC document; ED505887.

• Volkwein, J. F., & Parmley, K. (2000). Comparing administrative satisfaction in public and private universities. Research in Higher Education, 41(1), 95-116.