It turns out that students can run the place

I have written previously about the US focus on creating student jobs on campus – effectively as an approach to student support.

It is also relevant to student community engagement, student development, the co-curricular nature of student employment and its impact on retention.

What I haven’t written about as much, (although we have in different ways, spoken about this in the context of mainland European student organisations) are the strengths, benefits and virtues of student delivery and ownership.

In the US, Building Managers (who are students) are an excellent example of potential approaches to student delivery and engagement.

It seems fairly common practice to have building managers who are students in the US student centers/unions. These student members of staff take responsibility for the booking, setting-up, running and strike down of all student space usage.

This appears to be pretty straightforward. Universities and SUs usually have students working in student-facing roles – many have reception assistants and maybe even some students helping facilities staff.

One read of this might be that I’m suggesting there should be more student staff roles in facilities. There’s a case for that – but here I mean Building Managers (who happen to be students). This isn’t about a separate class of employee, this is about delegated risk and authority to students to manage spaces.

I have spoken to Building Manager teams in eight US institutions. I was interested in what their jobs were, how they worked, what made things happen and why they would choose to do that job.

What’s the job?

The Association of College Unions International (ACUI) is a professional organization that supports college unions (think facility rather than association) and student activities professionals worldwide, but predominantly in the US. It focuses on enhancing campus community through education, training, and resources related to student engagement, leadership development, and the management of college unions and student activity programs.

The ACUI Region VIII conference was held recently in Boston. I delivered a session on UK/ROI rules, engaging US staff and student representatives for a critical exchange of practice. Key insights focused on student-led facility management, community-building among international students, and strong relationships between departmental heads and student governments.

At the event, we were introduced to a handful of Building Managers. One of the things that struck me was that they were never introduced as student Building Managers – and those of us from the UK kept getting it wrong, thinking they were the career staff.

Teams of students run a given facility. They manage information desks, information flow and student/guest relations. They develop and maintain building usage plans, particularly as they relate to space usage.

They monitor, distribute and maintain any specialist equipment and they ensure any training requirements are in place for users. They also train to operate this equipment themselves.

Building Managers provide reporting on all such usage including any issues faced and solutions.

Like that, but not like that

This role works in a way we might not really appreciate in the UK. While jobs in student-facing service positions make sense – in forms of brand, opportunity and ability to relate – these student staff sit in a different space within the student relationships.

The opportunity here is the “by students” context. There’s something about shared responsibility, duty and quality service to your peers.

There’s also something about student engagement. All the building managers I spoke to told me exactly who the winners and losers were in terms of union engagement, event and facility use.

They were able to talk eloquently about different approaches to meet the needs of different communities, of their understanding of and relationship with academic programmes, and the student experience.

This mirrors initiatives around appointing community organisers – giving responsibility on a student engagement role, to students. I absolutely read the Building Manager role as a student engagement role.

It was powerful. Again, these weren’t Student Building Managers. They were Building Managers who could do things with that job better BECAUSE they were students.

They still worked with both student and non-student janitorial and facilities staff. These roles sat in a space that worked with facilities colleagues. And there was still a permanent member of staff responsible for supporting and directing their work, but THEY, the students, were the people that managed the buildings.

Why do they do it?

Like many student employees, these students cited good terms and conditions, a quality employer, flexibility with study needs, values matches, but also engagement in the community, ability to meet other students, to be involved in the running of the institution, service, personal and professional development, language acquisition and fun!

Yes, fun. Like students we’ve heard from across Europe on the Wonkhe SUs Study Tours, these Building Managers also operated as a society, with social opportunities, leadership and development roles and their own objectives of how to act as a collective to deliver excellent service to their peers and each other.

This kind of hyper-engagement was evident throughout US student employment. I think I was just taken by the authority invested and delivered through the title.

So what about the job title?

While I was in the US at the Region VIII conference, UK colleagues discussed these roles. We all loved the student engagement take, but thought the title was an issue.

While I initially agreed that it was the job that they did that was important, I’ve been reflecting – too few people in both universities and SUs trust our students. The title is an expression of that trust and of that responsibility.

Universities – and their SUs – both can and should employ more students. But with the right supports and scaffolds, we shouldn’t think that they’re not capable of managing the area we employ them in. They almost certainly are – and may well manage that area better.

Twenty examples of student manager roles in US universities

Student Success Manager at Boise State University

The Student Success Manager is a key member of the Extended Studies Enrollment and Student Success Leadership team. This role involves responsibilities such as enrollment, advising, student success, retention, and graduation of online students. The manager provides direct supervision to professionals or skilled technical employees and sets goals for team members to achieve operational results. They also interpret policies and ensure compliance with departmental goals and objectives.

Library Student Manager at Transylvania University

The Library Student Manager oversees the library building and supervises student workers. They are responsible for maintaining the safety and security of library patrons and enforcing library policies. This role requires the manager to cover late-night and weekend shifts and to maintain a presence in the library to assist patrons.

Operations Student Manager at Illinois State University

The Operations Student Manager provides administrative support for Advancement and Foundation Operations. This includes assisting with daily operations and gift processing, which are crucial for the university’s fundraising and development efforts.

Student Manager in College Baseball

Student managers in college baseball play a crucial role in supporting the team. They assist with on-field activities such as setting up and tearing down practice sessions and manage off-field tasks like data collection and player feedback. This position is integral to the team’s success and involves working closely with coaching staff and players.

Student Affairs Division Manager at Portland Community College

The Student Affairs Division Manager holds significant responsibility for areas such as registration, financial aid, and Disability Services. They supervise various staff members and manage processes related to their assigned areas. This role also involves budget management and advising on complex issues impacting programs and services.

Dining Student Manager at College of the Holy Cross

The Dining Student Manager is responsible for training, directing, and guiding other student employees in dining services. This role is considered a significant challenge and requires a person who is dedicated and willing to invest time and energy into the dining services and its student employees.

Student Success Coach, Manager at Boise State University

The Student Success Coach, Manager leads a team responsible for recruiting prospective students to online and adult-learner programs. They supervise staff, set goals, and ensure that student outreach activities meet desired outcomes. This role also involves planning work schedules and advocating for team member needs.

Student Manager at Emory University

This role involves managing operations at the university center, overseeing faculty, student, and alumni activities. The manager is responsible for strategic planning, customer service, and event promotion. They also handle cash transactions and ensure the cleanliness of the restaurant.

UTS Student Manager at Binghamton University

The UTS Student Manager monitors the CIW Library, maintains a safe environment, and assists with general tutoring questions. They are responsible for compiling attendance data and providing superior customer service. This role also involves visiting other tutoring locations to resupply materials.

Student Manager at KIPP Austin

This role involves engaging alumni volunteers to enhance the student experience and assisting with internal and external correspondence related to events. The manager builds relationships with users and helps product development teams understand user needs. They also lead recruitment and enrollment activities.

Student Manager at University Tutoring Services

The Student Manager at University Tutoring Services is responsible for monitoring library operations, maintaining a tidy environment, and assisting with scheduling software. They provide customer service and communicate issues to the Program Aide.