In her emailed response to Judy Zang’s inquiry about recommended resources, Paula Goldsmid offers another perspective. It may be helpful to know that Paula wears two hats as Coordinator for the Graduate Fellowships Office and the Medical Sciences Program.

The most important resource for me is not physical, it’s the support of colleagues, especially faculty. Many people are generous with their time and energy if they believe what you’re doing is worthwhile for the students. This means, of course, that students’ intellectual & personal development must be high on their priority list. I can’t control that, and am fortunate to be at an institution whose reason for being is the education (broadly speaking) of undergraduates. Pomona calls itself a “research college” these days—there are pros and cons to that. Among other things it means higher expectations for publication/performance and professional participation than used to be true here, and that’s true currently at many undergraduate liberal arts colleges. So faculty are pretty stretched, but most are willing and able to stretch a bit further to e.g., read applications and do practice interviews.

A close second, and maybe equally important, is skilled and willing support staff, whether a part-time admin assistant like mine or, in a university with grad programs, perhaps graduate assistant help. I couldn’t keep my head above water, let alone wear my two hats, without help from someone who takes initiative and makes suggestions and doesn’t just wait for instructions.

As far as the types of resources I think you’re asking about:

• A place to sit (mine is a windowless 8.5’ x 8’ office, but I can fit one or maybe two others in with me).

• Access to larger spaces for meetings etc. and to privacy when needed for sensitive conversations.

• Speedy computer, and reasonably good IT help with problems, with new ventures such as setting up a website, and with troubleshooting (e.g., I maintain my simple website, but I can get help when needed).

• Some $ for events on campus, e.g., minor refreshments to attract students.

• More $ for phone & mail & duplicating and travel. Best if some travel $ in own budget for annual workshops or meetings, so additional funding must be requested only for special projects such as NAFA summer trips.

• $ for modest purchases of books etc. I hardly rely on print publications at all for detailed help with students, but find it very useful to direct them to e.g., a publication on writing personal statements. I get some postgraduate prospectuses free in the mail from UK each year (they come around December for the current year, but they don’t change a lot from year to year) which are useful to thumb through with students, pass around at info meetings, etc. Detailed information is web-based, and I also try to save electronically anything I think will be useful for future applicants such as examples of good personal statements, information sheets, etc. Thus, the need for computer help close at hand!

• Cooperative relationships with other depts. for help and advice and contacts that can take many forms. For me, this includes buying into some shared equipment so I don’t have to buy my own (I don’t have room for a fax machine and copier anyway); professional courtesies such as being able to put notices on the Career Development Office weekly electronic bulletin to students; and counting on depts. posting notices I send them. I don’t have much to offer them, but I do try to build good relationships and provide info when I can.

• The means to send information and announcements to faculty, staff, and students in a timely way; for me, this is electronic.

• Access to information about student applicants without having to go through layers of bureaucracy each time I need e.g., GPA information.

• A negative “resource” for me is things I don’t have to do—not being part of a department or “unit” means I don’t attend dept. or divisional meetings, and have more control over my own calendar than most people who are part of a career center or honors program or other “unit” might have. There are drawbacks—I may be the last to hear about something, but I have close enough relationships with people in other areas that I’m not completely out of it. My schedule is like faculty–make my own appointments, do not have a set lunch hour, and am often here for several hours on the weekend. But I think I spend many fewer hours in non-productive meetings than most.