Company Blog

Position Desired: Graduate Assistant

West Chester University, Department of Residence Life and Housing Services

Company Website: http://www.wcupa.edu/_services/stu.lif/

            I found this website to be rather direct and easy to navigate.  The homepage has a picture-roll displaying the traditional on-campus housing options, which is where I would be living if I received the Graduate Assistant (GA) position.  This is important when assessing the overall tone of the company website.   It is clear that the rhetorical structure is that of an informal and friendly nature.  This company is clearly dedicated to enriching each student’s living and learning experience, while trying to facilitate and encourage their developmental growth.  Lastly, it is important for me to note that there is nothing on this website or in the GA job description that promotes travel opportunities/possibilities for travel.  Since this is something that I seek from an employment opportunity, I will keep this aspect into consideration as I further unveil my findings. 

Information Access:

           There is extensive information about the “mission” of the department and what values the “Reslife” department holds dear.  There is no lack of clarity about this.  The website also offers information about the “central staff members” including the Director of Residence Life, Director of Housing Services, the Assistant Nice President of Student Affairs, and the Coordinator of Technology Services.  Theses employee “bios” include personal information as well as their individual role within the department and the responsibilities they hold while in that role. 

            An important aspect of the GA position is programming within the department and within the West Chester community.   There were no annual or semiannual reports offered about the success/failure of past programs, which I would find an appropriate piece of information to highlight.   Majority of the information they display however, is about the company’s mission goals and the services the company provides.

Elements Covered:

The information provided below will give you a good idea of the navigation option allowed to website viewers:

• ·       Living Facilities
• ·       Affiliated Housing
• ·       Residence Life
• ·       New Students
• ·       Parents
• ·       Calendar
• ·       Policies
• ·       Links (WCU related and “college student” related)
• ·       Contact Us

Internet Findings:

• ·      Payment structures: I found this information to be vague.  The only information offered regarding work hours, payment structures, benefits, was that this job is a “25-hour per week live-in commitment”.   
• ·      Hierarchy: The direct supervisor of the GA is the Resident Director and above him/her is the Director of Residence Life. 
• .   Individuals: It should be noted that each “central staff member” has been at this university working for a minimum of 6 years.  These would be the individuals interviewing a candidate for the GA position.  They focus on making an impact and leaving their mark on a place where they truly value working.

News:

There was little to none national, international, and even local news/information pertaining to the Department of Residence Life and Housing at WCU.  The University itself primarily functions as an educational institution, therefore resulting in top searches and news report to be pertaining to the educational programs as opposed to the internal administrative offices/university employment opportunities.

o   Local News: Zipcar, the world’s leading car-sharing service, is now on campus. With Zipcar, members can reserve self-service, on-demand cars by the hour or day, 24/7.  This is open to students and employees of the university.
 

·      Industry Publications: The Department of West Chester University is responsible to publishing the “Pro-Staff” Training Manual and the “Paraprofessional Staff” Training Manual that is to be utilized during the first two training weeks of the year.  The department also works with other student affairs offices on campus to create and revise the West Chester University Student Code of Conduct that is given to every West Chester student upon their arrival at the university. 

·      Periodicals: There is limited information pertaining to the department from a non-news informational standpoint. 

Academic Sources:

It is interesting that I did not find any EBSO or Google Scholar articles about the Department of Residence Life and housing Services.  I find that all the programming they promote and the community service they provide the West Chester borough with, warrants some news coverage, however I have found none. 

I think there are still questions someone seeking a job in the Residence Life and Housing department would have after visiting the company website, however I do think the website conveys the true missions behind the work that everyone does in the department.  I am still looking forward to applying for this position using my learned, shared, and real-world experience to help me land the job! 

Definitions
COM 499 Seminar


Communication Studies:
1.) “Shows a welcome ability to provide lucid and balanced summaries of a complex and diverse field.” - Fiske, J. (2011). Introduction to communication studies. (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Methuen & Co. Ltd.
2.) “An academic discipline that includes both social scientific and humanistic approaches to the investigation of messages in a variety of contexts (such as interpersonal, nonverbal, etc.).” Dr. Timothy J. Brown, West Chester University Department Chair, Communication Studies Department of West Chester University.

Communicate:
1.) “The action in which two or more individuals, using a socially shared or biologically shared signaling system send and receive messages” - Remland, M. (2009). Nonverbal communication in everyday life. (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
2.) “When a speaker transmits a message and ensures that the message is delivered clearly” – Institute for Clinical Research Education website URL: http://www.icre.pitt.edu/mentoring/effective.html

Communications:
1.) “Driving awareness, understanding, engagement and behavior through the exchange (two-way process) of thoughts, messages and/or information” – Lindsey McCaffrey, Freelance Writer/Editor/Strategist with ten years of professional business communications experience.
2.) “The term “communications” typically is used to describe the products of communication: things like newspapers, radio programs, TV shows, films, etc. Within the discipline of communication, there are those who take offense when an “s” is added to the end of the term. This is especially true among those who don’t study media, since the term “communications” implies a focus on media and media products. In common use, when people refer to communications as a discipline, they typically mean some kind of applied media study, such as that offered by journalism schools and radio-TV-film programs. As you might imagine, I’m not too bothered by students who say they are “communications” majors, but some of my colleagues cringe when they hear that.” Dr. Philip Thompsen, West Chester University Communication Studies Department, Mass Communication Professor

Mass Communication(s):
1.) “Mass Communication represents the creation and sending of a homogeneous message to a large heterogeneous audience through the media.” - Om, G. (2006). Media society and culture. Isha Books.
2.) “the study of messages disseminated to large audiences through some form of mass media” – David Levasseur, Professor within the Communication Studies Department of West Chester University.

Speech Communication:
1.) “The historical study of speeches.” - David Levasseur, Professor within the Communication Studies Department of West Chester University.
2.) “The study of the nature, processes, and effects of human symbolic interaction. While speech is the most obvious mode of communication, human symbolic interaction includes a variety of verbal and nonverbal codes.” – National Communication Association website. URL: http://www.natcom.org/discipline/

Student Affairs:
1.) “Student affairs could be said to consist of any advising, counseling, management, or administrative function at a college or university that exists outside the classroom” – Dr. Patrick Love, Associate Professor of New York University.
2.) “People who work in student affairs provide services, programs, and resources that help students learn and grow outside of the classroom” – NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education website URL: http://www.naspa.org/ career/whatis/default.cfm.