Finding a Professional Home: Functional Area Networking in Student Affairs
Almost seven years ago, a valued friend and colleague within my functional area informed me of a job opening on her campus. I naturally assumed this position was in Residence Life, a functional area I worked in during graduate school and for a little over six years after earning my master’s degree. I asked my friend, who was a Director of Residence Life, if she created a new Assistant Director position and was that the job opening. I can still remember the surprise I felt when she told me no, that the opening was a director position in Student Life. Over my career in Residence Life, I worked directly with leadership programs, advised student organizations, implemented diversity programs, and managed large scale events. All of these functions relate directly to what we do in Student Life, but for some reason I never imagined leaving Residence Life. I probably felt that way for a number of reasons, including the fact that I was “brought up” in Student Aff...
