Student Jobs

Student Supervisor Community of Practice

What Is a Community of Practice?

Communities of Practice (CoPs) are “groups of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better through regular interaction” (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015).

A CoP includes three key elements:

  • Community: Members engage in discussion, support one another, and share information.

  • Domain: A shared area of interest or concern.

  • Practice: Shared resources, experiences, tools, and approaches to common challenges.

Members bring a wide range of experience and supervise varying numbers of student employees engaged in work such as:

  • Customer service and front-line roles

  • Student activities and outreach

  • Communications and technology

  • Research

  • Food service and custodial services

  • Education, tutoring, and peer advising

The SS CoP gathers regularly to:

  • Share best practices in student employment

  • Build community among student supervisors

  • Offer support and problem-solving

  • Share resources

  • Identify opportunities for collaboration and advocacy

Purpose, Benefits, and Engagement

The SS CoP intentionally gathers to share best practices, build community, and support one another in supervising student employees. Participation helps members strengthen supervision skills and confidence, build campus connections, and improve the student employee experience.

To support different schedules and work modalities, the SS CoP connects through:

  • A Microsoft Teams channel for ongoing communication

  • A shared resource drive for tools and materials

  • Alternating in-person and virtual meetings

  • Small-group “pods” for focused discussion

  • Food when meeting in person

Student supervisors- we hear you! We hear that the professional development opportunities for supervisors of professional staff isn’t always applicable to supervising students. We hear that there’s an appetite to connect with one another more regularly to troubleshoot, affirm & uplift your work,  and share best practices & resources. We hear you, we see you, and we AGREE!

2025-2026 Schedule:

  • Thursday, November 13th; 9:30-11:00: 333 East Campus Mall, Room 11301 Topic: Workday Wins & Woes
  • Monday, January 12th; 2:00-3:30: Virtual
  • Wednesday, March 18th; 10:00-11:30: Virtual
  • Thursday, May 28th; 2:00-3:30: 333 East Campus Mall, Room 11301

 

24-25 Community of Practice Topics

  •  Managing Student Wellbeing & Resources
  •  Feedback & Evaluations
  • Inclusive Student Employment Practices
  • Artificial Intelligence in Student Hiring & Employment
  • Workday Implementation, Reflections, & Goal Setting

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