EHE News
British research boosts student affairs careers
Tammy Maltzan
Imagine, as a graduate student, being invited to conduct much-needed research for an esteemed British university.
Seven graduate students in the college's highly ranked Student Affairs Program* took part in this remarkable opportunity last summer. They devoted six labor-intensive weeks to research projects designed to meet policy and program needs for Lancaster University, our program partner in the U.K.
Visiting Assistant Professor Tammy Maltzan, School of Educational Policy and Leadership, explains the college's British Internship in Higher Education is the only internship program in the U.S. that, for 12 years, has provided cross-cultural research experiences for graduate students in Higher Education and Student Affairs.
"Before departing for England, our students select research projects from several critical needs outlined by university leaders at Lancaster," she says. "Once in England, they immerse themselves in the culture while conducting a full-blown, supervised research project, including a mini-thesis. Collectively, they contributed more than 1,260 hours of service to Lancaster University this summer."
More than 100 students apply every year for only 25 places in the Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program, which has a venerable history of more than 60 years. The international experience is an important draw. "Students who go to Lancaster develop cross-cultural skills that they can use in a highly globalized world," Maltzan says.
HESA Program students at the Lancaster University Business School prepare to greet President E. Gordon Gee, who was in England for meetings: (L-R) Travis Pentz, Doug Gill, Emily Lottes, Julie Hunt, Megan Witt, Audrey Rhodebeck, and Kristin Schrader.
Researching the role of the dean
"Lancaster challenged me in a fascinating, positive way," says Doug Gill, a second year PhD student in the HESA program. "I've had tough international experiences where I didn't feel welcomed as an American. At Lancaster, I felt welcomed."
When Gill decided to earn a PhD, he chose our HESA program. True, the Ashtabula, Ohio, native had a bit of a Buckeye bias, having earned a master's in our HESA program in 1985. But as a veteran student affairs leader with 10 plus years of increasing responsibility at Drexel, Temple, and Bentley universities, he had his choice of programs.
Because of his interest in how systems of higher education operate in other countries, Gill, along with his teammate, master's student Kristen Schrader, decided to study the training needs of deans at 40-year-old Lancaster University's multiple colleges. "Lancaster wanted a handbook on best practices so that each time a new dean starts, he or she wouldn't reinvent the wheel," Gill says.
At Lancaster University, students are assigned to colleges that serve as their residences. A dean is a full-time faculty member who devotes a small fraction of time to being what U.S. universities call a resident director.
Gill brought several strengths to the project. "Having years of experience with international students and scholars, I didn't assume a problem has identical solutions in different cultures. I asked questions in our many interviews with campus employees to determine the best solutions for this particular university."
All the students brought to their projects their knowledge of the Higher Education and Student Affairs curriculum, adds Maltzan, who was faculty advisor and resident supervisor for the students, along with their British supervisors. "This subject is not taught at British universities. We introduced Lancaster administrators to the perspective of student development theory."
Gill felt their final presentation received a positive reception. "Our handbook addressed a full range of things Lancaster deans need to manage, all in the context of British society," he says. "When student affairs staff heard the content, many said, 'That's exactly what we needed.'"
Strategies for expanding postgraduate student enrollment
While in England for the '08 internship, HESA alumna Erin Thomas ('09 MA) visited Cambridge University. She says, "The Lancaster program inspired my interest in comparative education and enabled me to navigate institutional cultures more fluidly." She is now an organization advisor at Texas A&M University, overseeing marketing and development efforts of the Student Government Association
Julie Hunt, from Geneva, Ill., said she heard about the high-quality HESA program at Ohio State while an undergraduate at Iowa State. "The Lancaster Program was definitely a huge part of my decision to come to Ohio State for my master's degree," she says.
She and her research partner, Audrey Rhodebeck, evaluated the student services required to attract more Postgraduate Research Students (PGRs) to Lancaster University in the coming years.
"I was eager to help Lancaster enhance its reputation as being welcoming to nontraditional and international PGRs," Hunt says. "Coming from a large U.S. university with centralized services, we brought our knowledge of student support services."
At the invitation of the vice chancellor, Hunt and Rhodebeck worked from existing student survey data to reveal the stories behind the numbers. They interviewed both students and administrators at Lancaster.
Based on their findings, they recommended that Lancaster create a graduate student services office as a one-stop shop. They also suggested a space for the many off-campus graduate students where they would have lockers, access to a kitchen to prepare food, and a quiet area to meet with advisors and fellow students.
"I'm proud of what we accomplished in so short a time," Hunt says. "Many of the students we interviewed came to the presentation and were very pleased with our recommendations. It was a wonderful experience available only through the HESA program."
* The College of Education and Human Ecology's Student Affairs Program at The Ohio State University is ranked sixth in the nation by U.S.News & World Report under Counseling/Personnel Services.
© 2009 The Ohio State University - College of Education and Human Ecology. All Rights Reserved.
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