Addressing burnout in student affairs: Opinion

Opinion

In a recent article published in the Chronicle of Higher Ed, Ian Wilhelm speaks with three student-affairs leaders—Barbara LoMonaco, Dawn Meza Soufleris, and Braque Talley—about preventing burnout and improving recruitment for student affairs. LoMonaco explained that workers in student affairs are other-oriented, which means they need to intentionally set boundaries and participate in restorative activities to avoid burnout. Soufleris discusses how younger professionals are not always interested in a “lifestyle-type position,” and Talley builds on this by encouraging employers to ensure there are clear expectations for their team members. The interviewees discuss the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining people for a primarily in-person position. The interviewees conclude by discussing pay challenges and the need for leaders to focus on addressing staff workloads to prevent burnout.

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