Runninghead:FACULTYPERSPECTIVESINTERVIEWANDANALYSISPAPER 1

FacultyPerspectivesInterviewandAnalysisPaper
MischelayRoberts
WesternMichiganUniversity

FACULTYPERSPECTIVESINTERVIEWANDANALYSISPAPER

FacultyPerspectivesInterviewandAnalysisPaper
IntroductiontoFacultyMember
Dr.LarryBirdisafulltimeprofessorinthePhysicsDepartmentatWestern
MichiganUniversitywithaspecialtyinAtomicandMolecularPhysics.Heearneda
BachelorofScienceinPhysicsin1983fromtheUniversityofMassachusettsandthen
earnedaDoctorofPhilosophyalsoinPhysicsin1990fromtheUniversityofColorado.
Sincethen,hehashadagreatdealofprofessionalexperiencebeforebeginninghis
variousteachingrolesatWesternMichiganUniversityin1995.Thisgoesontoincludea
ResearchAssistantattheNationalOceanicandAtmosphericAdministrationinBoulder,
Coloradoin1984,aTeachingAssistantintheDepartmentofPhysicsattheUniversityof
Coloradofrom19831985,aResearchAssistantattheJointInstituteforLaboratory
AstrophysicsalsoattheUniversityofColoradofrom19851990,andaDepartmentof
PostdoctoralResearchFellowintheDepartmentofPhysicsatAuburnUniversityfrom
19921995.Thechoicetointerviewthisfacultymembercamefromasuggestionofa
classmateandtheopportunitytomeetafacultymemberthat,asagraduatestudent,I
wouldhavenevercameacross.
ImpressionsofFacultyMembersUniversityRolesandResponsibilities
Takenfromtheinterviewthatwastheuniversityisresearchinstitutionandthatis
thereasonwhymanyofthefacultyinthePhysicsdepartmentchoosetotakeona
positionatWestern.ThecultureofthePhysicsdepartmentisonethatisfocusedon
studentretention,especiallythoseinthemajor.LarryBirdmadeitknownthathelikes
thedepartmenttobeautonomous.Asforthestudent,thefacultyandstaffdonotwant

FACULTYPERSPECTIVESINTERVIEWANDANALYSISPAPER

themtofeelanytypeofalienation,sotheyhavestartedthingssuchasastudyloungein
Roodhallwheregroupscangettogetherandhelpeachother,freetutoringinphysics
beforeselectingthemajorandalsoworkingwiththeMathDepartmentoffertutoring
sincemathisanimportantaspectofphysics.
Asforthefacultymember,hismaingoalistoteachandconductresearch,asyou
cangatherfromhislistofprofessionalexperience.Althoughhefeelsthatthecultureof
hisdepartmenthasgottenfriendlyastimeshasprogressed,overheardcommentsby
studentsandstaffwouldmakethatstatementuntrue.LarryBirdmadeitclearthatwith
thedepartmentsmaingoalistogetpeopletojointhemajor,retainthem,andgraduate
them.Thetypesofactivitiestopreventthealienationthatthedepartmentdoesnotwant
arethingsthatareprovidedorputonbythedepartmentthatonlygivesphysicsstudents
theopportunitytointeractwithotherphysicsstudents,whichinmyopinion,isalienating
themfromtherestoftheuniversity.
InformedImpressionsofFacultyRoleandCompatibilitywithStudentAffairs
Culture
LookingatLarryBirdandthePhysicsDepartment,themainpointsthatcame
acrossverystrongwerethattheyliketobeautonomousandthattheydonotwanttohave
tojumpthroughhoopsforanyoneelseordothingsthatdonotfollowtheirdepartmental
mission,whichishowLarryBirdfeltifhehadtodothingsforpeopleinareasofstudent
affairs.InthechapterbyElizabethJ.Whitt(2011),itsaidpartnershipsarenot
virtuous,forexample,whenstudentandacademicaffairsdonotviewthemselvesas
equallyvitaltostudentlearning,(p.486).ThisstatementtieddirectlyintowhatItook

FACULTYPERSPECTIVESINTERVIEWANDANALYSISPAPER

frommyinterview.LarryBirdmadeitveryclearthatheisreluctanttoformanytypesof
partnershipswithstudentaffairsprofessionals,eventhoughwhenasked,heknewvery
littleofwhatstudentaffairswas,statingthathethoughtitwaseventsthatwereheldin
thestudentcenteroncampusthatheencourageshissontoattend.Thereluctancecomes
fromtheperceptionthatstudentaffairsprofessionalsorderprofessorsaroundwiththeir
requests,suchaswhendisabilitysupportservicesrequestsaspecialexamorextended
examtimeforastudent.Inthisaspect,itismadeclearthatLarryBirdviewswhatstudent
affairsprofessionalsaredoingasnotequaltowhatheisdoing,althoughbothhavea
commonfocusofstudents.
Thechapterwentontomentionthegoodpracticesforacademicandstudent
affairs.ThefirstgoodpracticewastheGoodPracticeforPartnershipProgramsReflects
andAdvancestheInstitutionsMission,whichstates,effectivepartnershipprogramsare
groundedinandextendtheinstitutionsmissionintheirpurpose,design,implementation,
andassessment,(Whitt,2011,p.489).Whatacademicandstudentaffairsprofessionals
aredoingshouldreflectthesamegoalasthemissionoftheuniversity.Ifcertain
departmentsoncampuswillfocussolelyonthemselvesandtheirmissionthentheyitis
obviousthattheyarenotinthemindsetofformingpartnerships.LarryBirddidalso
makeitclearthattheonlytypeofpartnershipshewasawareofbetweenstudentand
academicaffairswaswhenacademicaffairsdepartmentsweresolicitedtoparticipatein
events.
ReflectionsonHowStudentAffairsProfessionalsCanWorkEffectivelywith
Faculty

FACULTYPERSPECTIVESINTERVIEWANDANALYSISPAPER

Whitt(2011)mentions,tobeeffectiveandmeaningful,then,collaborations
betweenacademicandstudentaffairsshouldbeapproachedcautiously,purposefully,
andhonestly(Magolda,2005,p.21),(p.492).Thisstatementremindsmethatthe
futurepartnershipsbetweenstudentandacademicaffairsareencouragedandshouldbe
approachedwithhonestlyandwithallintentionspresentedfromthebeginning.Fromthe
interview,thereseemstobesomenegativeviewsofwhatstudentaffairsprofessionalsdo
byfaculty.LarryBirdsimpressionofstudentaffairsprofessionalsisthattheyareonly
theretobossfacultyprofessionalsaround.Thiscreatesabumpintheroadfuture
relationshipsorpartnerships,especiallysincefacultyand/oracademicaffairsdonotsee
whatwedoequaltowhattheydo.Asaprofession,thismeansthatweneedtowork
harderinshowingfacultymembersandacademicaffairswhatwedoandhowvaluableit
istostudentlearninganddevelopment.Ifwedothis,wecanpotentiallychangetheir
viewsandmakethemwanttobuildpartnershipssothatwecanallcontributetothefuture
ofthestudentsefficientandeffectively.
PersonalReflections
Duringthisinterview,Iwasshockedatthecommentsmadebythefaculty
member.IcannotsaythatIwascompletelysurprisedbutasaninspiringstudentaffairs
professionalitmademerealizedthattherearemanypeoplethatdonotvaluetheareaof
studentaffairsandthatare,inmanyaspects,againstforminganytypesofrelationships
withstudentaffairsprofessionals.Italsogavemetheinsightandmademethinkabout
howfacultymembersdonotknowthatwithoutstudentaffairsdepartments,auniversity
wouldbealmostnonexistent.Admissionsbringsinthestudents,advisingsuggests

FACULTYPERSPECTIVESINTERVIEWANDANALYSISPAPER

classesandcourserotations,careerservicesgiveshelponresumebuildingandjob
searchingduringschoolandatdegreecompletionandthelistcouldgoonandon.From
whatItookfrommyinterview,itmakesmeworriedforthefuture.Itmakesmewonder
ifacademicandstudentaffairscanbuildpartnerships,especiallysincewearesupposeto
haveacommongoalofstudentsuccess.Itdoesleadmetolookatthepersonal
competencyofstudentlearninganddevelopment.Iknowthatweasstudentaffairs
professionalsknowwhattolookatasfarasstudentdevelopment,butdothefaculty
knowiftheyarepositivelycontributingtostudentlearninganddevelopment?Yes,the
facultymembersareteachingthestudentstheinformationtheyfeeltheyshouldknow,
butisitgoingtomakethemgothroughthenecessarystepstobethepersontheywantto
be?Thatissomethingthatcanhopefullybeansweredwithmoreinsightandknowledge.

FACULTYPERSPECTIVESINTERVIEWANDANALYSISPAPER
References
Whitt,E.J.(2011).Academicandstudentaffairspartnerships.InSchuh,J.H.,Jones,S.
R.,&Harper,S.R.(Eds.),StudentServices:Ahandbookfortheprofession(p.
482496).SanFrancisco,CA:JosseyBass.