Sent on behalf of Ariana Singh, FDEV Student Assistant
In my four years as the Student Assistant for the Office of Faculty Development, I have learned many things and met many people. Fresh out of high school, this was my first and only job before starting my career – what a serious jump, right? All the experience and knowledge gained from a tiny office job – and by tiny, I mean with such a small team – all to get me to where I am today. I’m graduating this week, so cheers to that! I start with my career full time in less than a month with a prestigious law enforcement agency. With this week’s Tuesday Tip, I am offering a student perspective on Faculty Development.
FDEV has taught me a lot over the years, but it has mostly given me the rare opportunity to see things from the perspective of the faculty. I loved getting to know the cohorts of new faculty over the years, planning events for all faculty on-campus, and being able to provide resources. It’s truly been an honor, as I know that not as many students get to know faculty on the level I feel that I have. I mean, had I never worked for FDEV, I’d probably be that student that complains about grades not being posted fast enough, and so on.
Fortunately, I have been able to work with so many awesome faculty and other members of the campus community. Just last week, I was presenting FDEV Website Metrics data to the President and Provost, as well as many other VPs, and I realize that not many students may have that opportunity in their academic careers. I feel that this job has given me experience that I will hold near and dear, and it also has matured me in ways that I know will benefit me in life. Did I expect this assistant job to impact me this much when applying? Absolutely not! Yet, here I am. I always try to bring my best understanding of the faculty perspective into student conversions amongst my peers, and also I try to bring the student perspective to my work. This balance has helped myself and others think bigger, and more “outside the box.” It also brings me to appreciate the work that we all do together on this campus. I appreciate all the faculty I’ve had as professors, I’ve met through work, or haven’t met personally but have processed paperwork for. You are the fuel that keeps students going, so please keep working on your professional development because I can assure you that it helps! Take advantage of what the Office of Faculty Development has to offer you, your students will love you for it!
