Takeaways from the Early Career Professionals Course

NACA’s Early Career Professionals Course is perfect for higher education professionals who are new to Campus Activities. The course, led by Leah Eickhoff and Dr. Sarah Keeling, featured guest facilitators and a variety of leadership topics. Our names are Nicole Machovina and Josh Rowzee. Courtney James shared the opportunity to sign up for this course for professional development. After reflecting on the course, we’d like to focus this article on takeaways from the sessions focused on inclusive programming and the counseling approach of supervision.

Ensuring everyone feels included no matter the event.

In the workshop on Inclusive Programming with Deb Ekeke (Emory University), we started questioning how we program for DePaul and how we can ensure everyone feels included no matter the event. When thinking about events, she emphasized that we need to consider our own identities because everyone is different, and that awareness helps us better program for our students. Beyond just planning events, we need to ask ourselves: how are we making sure everyone feels included to the best of our ability? One step we’ve taken at DePaul is ensuring that we offer gluten-free and vegan options at every event so that all students have something to snack on, just like everyone else.

During the session, Deb talked about inclusive design and how we can incorporate these ideas into event planning. She encouraged us to share these concepts with our activities board so they can be more intentional when choosing what to program. Our activities board often provides a variety of options during our events. For example, we're hosting an event in April where the main attraction is roller skating. However, since not everyone can skate, we've added arcade games and other activities for students to enjoy. This session helped us understand different perspectives and the experiences of others who are just as passionate about students but want to make sure they’re being as inclusive as possible. Just from attending this session, we’ve already started making changes in how we engage with our board because we want them to feel just as included.

Clear communication and processes between you and your employees.

Later in the course, we learned about human resource management with Fred Tugas (Old Dominion University). One aspect we really appreciated during Fred’s session was learning about the stages of an employee's experience from their recruitment to their departure at the end of their term. A big takeaway we learned is that it's important to have clear communication and processes to set up both you and your employees for success. Beyond that, onboarding is the foundation that the rest of the year will be built around.

Another really helpful topic during Fred’s discussion was about how accountability begins with trust. One way to start off your working relationship on a positive note is by setting clear expectations, having consistent check-ins with your students, and being open to giving and receiving feedback. While accountability-focused conversations are difficult, it’s up to the supervisor to inform staff members on areas they can grow. We can’t expect students to change if we are not brave enough to tell them where they need to step up. By handling this process with care, we are nurturing positive communication and growth mindsets.

Next steps

As co-advisors to an activities board, we are currently preparing to onboard next year’s activities board. The topics covered throughout this course will be instrumental in setting up our next year for success. We are currently working on an improved onboarding process for the upcoming year, which will include more established supervisor expectations, more training in inclusive design, and a clear timeline for the year.