Career Paths of Educational Administrators: Influence of Exploring Institutional Types
Location
PARB 128 (First Floor)
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
As students pursue careers as college administrators, they are often inclined to seek jobs at schools similar to their undergraduate and/or graduate institutions. While there is comfort and security in working in a familiar environment, this also narrows their career path and limits opportunities for professional growth. The researchers posited that exposure to different institutional types might lead students in one higher education administration graduate preparation program to reconsider their job search parameters.
In an effort to explore this idea further, twelve graduate students were invited to participate in a two-day field trip to explore a community college, a women’s college, a historically Black college and university (HBCU), and a private university. Visits at each school included a campus tour and meeting with various administrators in student affairs, faculty members, and students.
Via focus groups and interview data taken before and after the trip, findings from this qualitative study affirmed that exposing students to unfamiliar institutional types generated career interest in pursuing future administrative positions at these colleges and universities.
Keywords
professional preparation, college administration, career path, educational administrator, academic administration
Professional Bio
Steven Tolman, Ed.D. is an Associate Professor of Higher Education Administration at Georgia Southern University. His previous roles included serving as a Higher Education Administration program director and 12 years as a student affairs administrator in Residence Life, Student Conduct, and Student Life. He holds a Doctorate from Rutgers University, Master’s from Texas Tech University, and Bachelor’s from Central Michigan University. The two streams of his scholarly agenda are 1) The profession of student affairs and 2) The residential and co-curricular experience of college students. Daniel W. Calhoun, Ph.D. is a Professor of Higher Education Administration at Georgia Southern University. He previously served over 10 years as a Higher Education Administrator, primarily within Residence Life. He holds a Ph.D. from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Master’s from Western Illinois University, and Bachelor’s from SUNY College at Geneseo. His research focuses on the preparation, development, and support of graduate students and educational leaders, particularly in the areas of mentorship, technology, supervision and gender.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Tolman, Steven; Calhoun, Daniel; and Patel, Nikheal, "Career Paths of Educational Administrators: Influence of Exploring Institutional Types" (2022). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 10.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2022/2022/10
Career Paths of Educational Administrators: Influence of Exploring Institutional Types
PARB 128 (First Floor)
As students pursue careers as college administrators, they are often inclined to seek jobs at schools similar to their undergraduate and/or graduate institutions. While there is comfort and security in working in a familiar environment, this also narrows their career path and limits opportunities for professional growth. The researchers posited that exposure to different institutional types might lead students in one higher education administration graduate preparation program to reconsider their job search parameters.
In an effort to explore this idea further, twelve graduate students were invited to participate in a two-day field trip to explore a community college, a women’s college, a historically Black college and university (HBCU), and a private university. Visits at each school included a campus tour and meeting with various administrators in student affairs, faculty members, and students.
Via focus groups and interview data taken before and after the trip, findings from this qualitative study affirmed that exposing students to unfamiliar institutional types generated career interest in pursuing future administrative positions at these colleges and universities.
