Tough Choices: Challenges of Working In A One Person DSS Office

Tough Choices:Challenges of Working In AOne Person DSS Office Andy Christensen Carleton College

Genesis of Topic • Conversation at AHEAD 2010 with fellow member • Very few presentations aimed at solo practitioners • What would I want to learn about being a solo practitioner at a conference presentation?

Essential Questions: • For those of us working alone, except for office support staff and student workers, which duties must we do ourselves, and which can we delegate? • Each of us makes this decision again and again in isolation by ourselves. Purpose of presentation is to aggregate and confirm our thinking on this question

Questions and Input • Data are meant as a springboard for discussion • Provides context for your own thinking and procedures on your campus

Background Data • Subjects: DSS Professionals working in one-person offices • Method: Online survey • Participants: Recruited through DSSHE-L and other listservs

Survey Questions • Likert scale rating (1 to 5) of various DSS duties and appropriateness of delegating to others v. handling personally • 1: Most Likely To Delegate • 2: Somewhat Likely To Delegate • 3: About Average • 4: Somewhat Important To Do Personally • 5: Most Important To Do Personally

Sample Size • N = 31 • Not bad for week of July 4 • Many professionals at small schools are released in the summer

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Evaluating Disability Documentation • mean=4.96. All but one respondent indicated this was the most important for them to do personally. • Thank goodness.

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Notifying Professors of Student Accommodations • mean=3.10. Kind of all over the place. • 1: n=6; 2: n=4; 3: n=6; 4: n=7; 5: n=6

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Obtaining Accessible Course Materials • mean=3.48. Surprisingly high—no confidentiality at risk • 1: n=2; 2: n=5; 3: n=6; 4: n=6; 5: n=8

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Proctoring student exams • mean=1.74 • 1: n=18; 2: n=3; 3: n=3; 4: n=1; 5: n=2 • Has a lot to do with campus culture around exams

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Returning completed exams to professors • mean=1.68 • 1: n=18; 2: n=3; 3: n=3; 4: n=1; 5: n=2

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Meeting with prospective students and families • mean=4.81 • 1: n=0; 2: n=1; 3: n=0; 4: n=2; 5: n=23

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Making sure campus is physically accessible • mean=3.43 • 1: n=2; 2: n=5; 3: n=7; 4: n=10; 5: n=6 • Pretty close to a Bell curve

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Supervising student workers • mean=3.30 • 1: n=3; 2: n=5; 3: n=5; 4: n=9; 5: n=5

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Serving as campus expert on universal design • mean=3.59 • 1: n=3; 2: n=0; 3: n=10; 4: n=9; 5: n=7

Survey Findings(1=least important to do personally;5=most important to do personally) • Overseeing residence life and meal plan accommodations • mean=2.19 • 1: n=11; 2: n=9; 3: n=2; 4: n=1; 5: n=4

The Big Picture • Documentation Evaluation (4.96) • Notifying Professors (3.10) • Obtaining Course Materials (3.48) • Proctoring (1.74) • Returning Exams (1.68) • Meeting Prospectives (4.81) • Physical Access (3.43) • Student Workers (3.30) • Universal Design (3.59) • Res. Life & Meals (2.19)

Questions and Comments Andy Christensen anchrist@carleton.edu

Tough Choices: Challenges of Working In A One Person DSS Office