Talking Stick - July/August 2018 - 66

CONVERSATIONS

Overall, it provides individuals with
a timed experiential framework to
determine what talents, knowledge,
and skillsets they may need to acquire
within that established timeframe.
This is already a professional development practice exercised by professionals throughout the field, but I think it
may motivate them even more to hone
their skills. Additionally, as more and
more institutions adopt this type of
specific tenured track for entry-level
professionals, it should help increase
the percentage of post-graduate placement, with entry-level professionals
not remaining in their positions for
more than three or four years.

Hobgood: There could be many benefits for a staff member entering a termlimited position if that institution has
done the due diligence to assist in creating an experience and developmental
curriculum that matches the timeframe
requirements. As a field, we have had
mixed levels of accomplishment in
creating an experience for the first year
of a position that is different from the
second and challenges increased performance, depth, and breadth in the third
and subsequent years.
Shulman: Hall director positions can
become exhausting over time, and
burnout isn't uncommon in entry-level
hall director positions. Term limiting
staff can help manage burnout and
encourage staff to proactively prepare
to take on their next role. Additionally, the knowledge that a position is
term-limited might help staff have a
consistent attitude about and perspective on their role, knowing it will only
last a finite amount of time.
Arunkumar: Being on the front line
as a hall director can be taxing to the
individual employee both personally
and professionally. Term limits can
help employees pace themselves better.

TALKING STICK

Having a term limit can also help them
maximize the professional development
opportunities that they are exposed
to. In case the professional experience
is not what the employee thought it
would be, term limits can be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

Hargett: The benefits include a serious commitment to professional development and possibly a more prepared
mid-level group. If a person were told
"You have a certain number of years to
work here, and then we're expecting
you to leave," the person receiving the
message will likely make a plan and
diligently figure out what they need to
advance.
TS: What would the downside of term
limits be for the individual in this type
of limit?

Merritt: One factor for individuals
with termed tenure at the entry-level
positions to consider is that the window of opportunity often becomes narrower with advancement, particularly
if the professional is seeking next-level
advancement. For example, each year
the number of entry-level positions
seems to be twice or three times that
of an assistant or associate director position. Additionally, advancement from
entry-level positions typically does not
occur in regular or typical seasons, as
entry-level positions do. There may be
a higher rate of consideration or actual
pursuit of professionals acquiring
lateral experience from one entry-level
position to another but at a different
institution. Lastly, there is an aspect of
investment, mainly through exercised
loyalty and confidence, that comes
with extended time in entry-level positions. An employee may not look seriously at their loyalty to a job or their
confidence in their job skills if they
know they'll be out of a position in a
predetermined length of time.

Hobgood: I can see two possible scenarios in which a staff member might
have a less than positive experience
with a term-limited role. In a scenario
where each year of tenure is planned
and plotted to ensure that both the
department and the person are getting
what was desired, there can be great
satisfaction in the mutual arrangement. However, as we all know, we
don't always enter a position knowing
what our end game is. In particular, if
you are a newly graduated individual
who is dabbling in housing, you may
start a term, and then a year or two
in you belatedly realize that you have
found a passion - perhaps too late to
have maximized all you are capable of
achieving in it before your term is over.
For other staff who are working in a
term-limited position, there may also
be a perception that the department
is not invested in retaining you at the
institution. As Demarcus shared, there
are fewer options as you advance,
and it's possible that you may not feel
as though you were prioritized for
advancement if every staff member is
slated to depart.

Shulman: Term limits create pressure
to move out of an entry-level position
before staff are necessarily professionally prepared to take on a new position,
possibly with increased responsibility. Projects and tasks can sometimes
require multi-year commitments
to complete successfully, and staff
might avoid taking on longer term
obligations for fear the project will not
conclude by their term limit. Termlimited staff might also feel undervalued in their role, as if the institution is
pushing them out of their position to
find someone better or more suited for
the role. As Kathy noted, investment in
their work and the department could
also be at risk if staff know they only
have a short time in the role. Further,
the opportunities for advancement in

Talking Stick - July/August 2018

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