CSSA Blog @ Oregon State University

Greetings to current and past CSSA’ers

One of the magnificent elements of Corvallis is the summer. This is possibly the best time to stay home. Nicely warmed days, ocean cooled evenings and plants that are showing their appreciation for the April showers make up a very special place. For those of you who have come and gone, Corvallis is as pleasant as it ever was, if not more.

For those of you moving to this little valley hideaway, you have some great times ahead of you. Aside from Corvallis and its beauty, you have a graduate school experience waiting which will be special. Most of you have been out working for a number of years, so the thought of going back to school can be as terrifying as it is exciting. Your approach to life has changed a bit, how you live your daily life has changed a bit and what you find to be attractive traits of a new friends has changed a bit. Your greetings have moved beyond a “yo” or “what’s up.” Your annual income will most likely go down and your debt load may increase. You will be expected to be a student by some people at sometimes and a professional by other people at other times. Your routines for maintaining a healthy life style will be greatly challenged and some things you did not even know existed last month will be become a basic necessity. Even with all these things – or maybe because of them – you will have a graduate experience that will stay with you forever and just may be one of the greatest times in your life. I encourage you to arrive with no preconceived notions and just enjoy the experience.

You will be working with some of the greatest faculty and administrators you will ever meet. You will be challenged in various ways and grow immensely from these challenges. The only limitations you will find in your successful graduate experience are those you place on yourself. You are moving from a community that helped to define who you are and nurtured some special relationships, which in some cases will be left behind. You will be in this whirlwind graduate experience which is so different because of the memories you are leaving , and you wonder if others will understand. Just remember the situation is the same for them.

Welcome to Corvallis, OSU and a special place. It is possible you never imagined wearing orange and black – and liking it – but you will.

Don

Accepting, Declining and saying Thank you

For some, graduate school is nearing the final stretch and job offers are beginning to fill your inbox – or shortly will. Now you are confronted with what seems like an enormous decision which can drive you nuts as you look at it from every angle. You will consider location, salary, and title, which are very reasonable thoughts, but not a complete list. Consider an additional element – will the organization and your supervisor provide an environment in which you can grow, develop and become the professional you desire to be?

As we all know, there are organizations that seem to surround themselves with turmoil, turf issues, and an overabundance of egos. These types of organizations can simply zap your energy and direct your efforts toward maintaining, rather than growing. With the tools you typically use to accomplish this measurement, do your best to determine how significantly your future supervisor will support your growth and development as a professional. This is a condition we often neglect totally, or place on the very furthest back burner, when in fact it may be the most significant consideration you should entertain. The encouragement, knowledge and passion you receive from your supervisor can very well determine the pace of your development, the quality of contribution you might make to your profession and your personal satisfaction with your career. Much like a professional athlete, your first contract ought to be focused toward a quality environment rather than a materialistic concern. A first contract in a nurturing and encouraging environment will point you toward the great career you hope to have.

How do you do this? When you interview on campus, listen carefully to current staff and try to pick up on their levels of satisfaction. Investigate the organization and determine if they are average in the field, or if they strive to cut new cloth and make a difference. Does the organization feel as though students come first, or are they systems orientated? But most important, listen carefully to your heart and not your ego. Somewhere along the line your Mom most likely told you to trust yourself, and here is a real test.

Once you make your decision, move forward with all the passion, energy and gusto possible. The ride from this point on can be incredible if you are honest with yourself.

No matter what decision you make, be sure and say thank you.

Don Johnson

Following up on Britt’s thoughts around spirituality, I would like to share a few comments from a woman I have worked with for a number of years. This woman has endured many of the typical issues we all encounter at some point in life and it seemed as if it was just a matter of time until things clicked for her – and they did. In our conversations around spirituality, a common definition that seems to work for us is that one’s spirituality is a “way” to make meaning in life. We all approach this in slightly different style, but the common theme is “making meaning.” Here are some thoughts from our graduating senior as to how she took another step forward in making meaning in her life.

“It is general consensus that a few weeks ago I was able to flip a switch. I was able to go from a stressed out mess to calm, cool, and collected. There has been a lot of discussion on how this happened. What made the difference? How did I make the change? What made the change possible? I have been thinking about this a lot because it seems that I just woke up one morning and started doing this differently without knowing why.

This week I had to write a personal values statement for a class, and I found myself writing this as one of (and my most important of) core values:

Keeping it Simple

When life gets complicated and cluttered with drama, it is hard to feel happy with my situation. It is also difficult to positively contribute to my relationships, my organizations, my institution, and to cater to every situation that arises. To prevent this from happening, I constantly adhere to my most essential core value: keeping it simple. It was my greatest “ah hah” moment when I realized that life doesn’t have to be complicated and that the benefits of living a simple life are innumerable. Keeping it simple means to me: 1) living a working towards my core values at all times, 2) challenging myself to take time for self reflection and evaluation, 3) turning negative into positive, and 4) meeting challenges as they come instead of looming over what may happen in the future. By living a simple life, I have time to breathe. Therefore, I am able to be the best person I can possibly be and to do the best work I can possible do. By keeping it simple, I am able to be a complete, yet continuously developing person. I give myself space to be the best version of myself, while leaving room for growth.”

During our spirituality seminar we have discussed the concept that spirituality may not be a “thing,” but a “way.” For this young woman, “keeping it simple,” is her “way.”

Don Johnson

This is always such an exciting time of the term – the first day of classes. This afternoon I will greet a half-dozen graduate students for a seminar on “The Role of Spirituality in Higher Education,” and ten minutes after the seminar completes, I will greet forty upper class students for a class titled “The Last Year Experience.”

The excitement of this day comes from the knowledge that new faces will appear and those new faces will bring new relationships, new knowledge and new ahs which were never imagined. Some of those new faces will complete their work and go on to live their life with no further connection. Some of those new faces will become life long images of special times when we all learned, all created and all examined a portion of our world in the class. A few of those new faces may eventually become a colleague in life and stay connected forever.

So the view from the front of the room is a wonderful view. The view is energy and openness – if I am willing and able to bring the magic to the learning.

Don

End of the Term 

While the end of the term seems to create a number of natural concerns – deadlines, finals, papers, professor quirks – it really is a rather exhilarating time. For many there is a need to cocoon in order to accomplish every requirement. For others there is a need to find study groups or more resources or some obscure fact which will raise the brow of a critical professor reading your paper. Many times we find ourselves bemoaning the amount of work we have to do, but the fact is, this process typically concludes with a large body of very good work. I suspect the glow which follows the last paper or test is not so much a symbol of being done, but due to what you have accomplished. 

Sometimes the end of the terms brings relief in that you do not have to take a particular class anymore, but often the end of the term makes you realize that particular class was not bad at all, the professor was actually good and you really enjoyed working with your classmates. There might be a slight sense of disappointment that you will not roll into that classroom every Tuesday at 2:00, expecting to see your fellow students and enjoy the respectful bantering which accompanies the aura of the class. Some classes are just plain old fun. 

If your game is off for a particular term you can put it aside and start over fresh. If you had a “knockout” term, you create huge momentum heading toward the next term.  

We all handle the end of the term in different ways which reflect our nature. Use it as a time to celebrate all that is good about you. Congratulations. 

Don

Managing stress while busy and full of competing responsibilities:

I have a tendency to believe people see stress as something which attacks our individual world and is present whether we want it or not. Of course difficult situations occasionally come our way, completely out of our influence, but the difficult situation is not stress – stress is a product of how we internalize those less than joyful moments of our life.

So how do we manage stress? As it the case with virtually every person, we need to deal with things in a manner that works for us. The “seven step process” that was incredibly successful for your friend next door, may not be as eventful for you. It is imperative for you to create opportunities which will allow you to develop in a way that works for you. Figure it out.

Reflection – do whatever you can to carve out a part of every day in which you can give at least thirty minutes to yourself for a period of reflection. This could be walking, meditating, writing, or whatever works for you, but dedicated to just you and dedicated to reserving your mind for pure reflection. If your first thought is that you cannot possibly give up thirty minutes each day for personal health and reflection –think about what you just said.

Optimism – a person who lives with an optimistic perspective, who can only see the optimistic side of life and lives a life expressing examples of optimism, will be a person who does not allow negativity to enter their soul. Have you ever heard of a stressed out optimist?

This may sound incredibly simplistic, but the physical process of a regular smile will do wonders to ward off stress.

Keep smiling,

Don

Greetings. I teach the first year transition course in the CSSA program. I have been delighted with the content of conversations we have examined this term. In a recent discussion around spirituality, we wandered through the concept of “identity.” The graduate school experience creates an opportunity to ponder ones identity. In some instances you are a professional due to an assistantship, while at other times you are a student taking classes and preparing assignments. And of course, there is your prior life, which is typically unknown to your colleagues and which often consisted of significant responsibilities. So you wonder, who am I?  

I would not suggest graduate school is responsible for this new conversation on identity, but it certainly provides an environment in which you might pose the question and begin to define a response.  

People handle their identity search in very different styles and occasionally become weighted down with the belief that they need to have a better understanding of their identity. To the contrary, I would suggest graduate school is an ideal environment to study and ponder ones identity. You will find colleagues in a similar search and your thoughts will be tested by classroom learning. We all deal with identity in very different ways, so the investigation may often feel isolated – as it should – but the environment is ideal for the search.

If you are considering graduate school at OSU or any other university, I urge you to acknowledge you will be confronted at some level with an identity search. Rather than be concerned – be excited and look forward to the journey.

Welcome to the CSSA blog. We should first of all give a sincere
thanks to Paul Dorres for organizing this blog and creating an environment in which
we might share thoughts, ideas and new concepts.

As current professionals, current graduate students, or as
one of those considering this field, I think it is important to understand
why we are here. Occasionally we get caught up in processes, be it applying, graduating
or maturing as a professional, and we lose sight of our true purpose – to help students
become the person they are seeking to be. This is where the joy and passion of
our profession blooms. Students seek our knowledge, our wisdom and our sincerity.
I encourage you to keep this in mind as you influence and mentor from your vantage
point.

While we are clearly here for students, we should also remember
to challenge ourselves, find our own mentors and constantly seek the magic that
feeds our spirit.

I have a quote on my office door by Shunryu Susuki which may
sound strange at first, but when given consideration, always brings me back to
earth.

“What we are doing here is far too important to be taken
seriously.”

I look forward to hearing what is on your mind and how you
positively influence your world.

Don