WiGROW together: RO program develops student team

This spring, the RO Student Employee team was introduced to the Wisconsin Guided Reflection on Work (WiGROW) program through the Front Lines Community of Care group, specifically Admissions Student Supervisor Nicole Kaforski who is on the WiGROW steering committee. WiGROW is an engagement initiative administered in partnership with the Office of Student Financial Aid as well as the Office of Human Resources and is designed to support the learning of student-employees. Supervisors and student-employees have intentional, reflective conversations with one another, providing students an opportunity to consider connections between their on-campus employment, career goals, and college experience. The Office of the Registrar joined the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, as well as the Office of Student Financial Aid to represent DEM as members on the WiGROW Steering Committee. Client Services Coordinator, Ally Bartelme, serves as the RO’s representative on the Steering Committee, which is composed of several student supervisors across campus. After joining the WiGROW steering committee earlier in the summer, Ally implemented the WiGROW program with the RO student team in September. This implementation started with one-on-one conversations with all of her student employees where she was able to start identifying transferable skills that the students are learning in their role within the RO. Ally will have more WiGROW conversations with all the students before the end of the term and hopes to have two conversations with each student per semester. These conversations are short, candid conversations that are designed to be reflective in nature.

• Tell me what’s new with you.
• What skills are you learning or practicing in your job?
• How have you worked with and learned from others?
• How does your job impact your college experience?
• How is this job preparing you for your career?
• Tell me about a situation that required you to grow.

  This will build on their previous conversations and continue to establish skills the students are learning in their job and how it can be applied to their future endeavors. These conversations are intended to be neutral and non-evaluative, creating a space for students to reflect on their learning in the workplace as it relates to their college experience and goals for their career. Beyond this, these conversations are an opportunity for Ally to connect with her student employees in a one-on-one setting, and learn about their goals and interests. This experience allows students to grow together and within their role in the office, especially through opportunities within the WiGROW program for student leadership, like the student steering committee. Being a part of a network has not only helped the student team members, but has also been very beneficial for Ally as she is able to connect with and learn from other supervisors across campus.  So far the students have shared positive feedback from the program and are looking forward to future conversations and being able to leverage their experience as an RO student employee.