Silos, divisions, and the problems they cause


When I was in graduate school we talked a lot about silos and divisions. It never really hit home until I started working in academic administration (as opposed to student services and that end).


The department in which I'm working used to be two departments, and a few years ago they merged. This has affected my life in a few ways, first (and most definitely foremost) of which is how my office and files are organized. Faculty's folders, which hold information such as evaluations, are not organized alphabetically, they are first sorted by previous program and then alphabetically. Contact lists are also sorted like this, which can make finding someone I haven't met yet extremely difficult. We also have two department leaders, one from each former department, who each had their own assistants. This lead to have three assistants in one office, each doing a specific job and working in a specific silo.

Silos have also caused other problems, such as redundancy. Each of the three assistants had their own files, folders, filing systems, etc. The past few weeks, my co-worker (Gina), and I have been going through files, folders, and binders. We've thrown out and shredded reams upon reams of paper. We've created more stream-lined processes, digital calendars, and it's been a lot of work for very little actual product.

Now, divisions, I think those are worse than silos. Divisions, and personalities, have caused some problems that might not be able to be fixed with color-coding, labels, and piles sorted numerically. Within the office there are currently two staff members, the department head, and student workers. Along with all of those, we help all faculty in the program and are the main support for the co-department head. Divisions include what people think each person is responsible for, how work should be divided, who contacts who for specific things. Even while working together, certain people don't know how to communicate effectively.

Through all of this frustration I truly am enjoying my new job. I really like working with Gina, and my direct supervisor is amazing. The university where I work offers fantastic benefits, including up to 12 credits free without being matriculated. It's been a great experience so far, and I'm really looking forward to learning and experiencing more.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#CSAM18 Day 29: The Four S’s of Transition

There are Four S's of transition: Situation, the 5 W's of the transition. Self, personal/demographic characteristics and psychological resources of the person going through the transition. Social support, which is pretty self explanatory. Strategies, how a person responds to the transition. There are also three parts of a transition: moving in, moving through, and moving out. Title of theory: Transition Theory Year theory was published: 1981 Students originally studied: Dr. Schlossberg has done a lot of research on adults, adults through transitioning, and counseling Background of the author: Dr. Nancy Schlossberg is a Professor Emerita, Department of Counseling and Personnel Services, College of Education at the University of Maryland. She's a recognized expert on adult transitions among other topics. She has many articles that focus on adult transitions, including focusing on retirement. How theory can be used now: We can use this as one way to understand how we, along wi
Read more

#CSAM16 Day 16: Development of Mexican American Identity

Ethnic Identity in children has five components. 1 - Ethnic self-identitification, this is when children identify themselves with their ethnic group. 2 - Ethnic constancy - children understand that their identity is constant and unchanging. 3 - Ethnic role behaviors - children engage in behaviors that align with their ethnic group. 4 - Ethnic knowledge - children realize that certain knowledge or behaviors are specific and relevant to their ethnic group. 5 - Ethnic feelings and preferences - children develop feelings about their belonging within their ethnic group. Children develop within the framework gradually and is dependent on learning about themselves in social settings. Title of theory: Development of Mexican American Identity Year theory was published: 1993 Students originally studied: 45 Mexican American children between the ages of 6 and 10. Both of their parents were of Mexican descent. Background of the authors: Martha E. Bernal was the first Latina to receive a PhD in psy
Read more

Retention

Today was a day (but not the first) that I realized I will not stay at my institution for the long-term. I might not even stay in higher ed. Today showed me the two very different sides of retention, of risk factors, of student process. Today I was reminded of how powerless I am in the machine of higher ed. This afternoon I attended a training session focused on student retention and one of our efforts to reduce student loss. It was framed in a very interesting way: get students back on campus for Spring term. Take specific steps for a specific group of students: reach out, get in contact, work on a plan to get them back on campus for the Spring. There was no discussion about student success. No mention of student goals. We talked about process, numbers, data, and enrollment. Later in the day I attended a student veteran group meeting. One student veteran, after a discussion about being on campus, said "I would rather be back in Iraq". Yes. A student would rather be I
Read more