research assistant

assistant director

director

teaching assistant

student worker

Southern Methodist University

For an institution that is supposed to be all about student development and education, it is not worth the cost for students and the personal investment that a few of the staff members put into the work. As a division that prides itself on being student focused, the leadership and management does not reflect the purpose of having student affairs. The division leadership caters to the tears of white women who lead the divisional departments to the detriment of those on the front lines. There has been tons of turnover and several instances of large mass exoduses over the years. While the managers will say that these individuals left for great opportunities, it was really because they could not stand SMU, the leadership, the practices, and especially the bias and preferential treatment. 

It is a place steeped in privilege where the people with the most money and loudest voices can get anything they want, even to the detriment of student development and especially when it contradicts and goes against actual written policies and procedures. 

There is significant gaslighting engrained in every part of the university. It is how they explain away any concern whether it be from students, faculty, staff, or parent. Even when staff members have reported the frequent instances of racism and bias, HR proves time and time again that they are not there for the employee and only there to help the managers. The HR department is an office full of Karens. 

I also encourage anyone looking at SMU to check out #blackatsmu on any social media platform. It is a perfect example of Black students are treated and it is also reflective of the experience that faculty and staff of color will experience. SMU is a place that loves their traditions, even if those traditions continue to sustain practices that hurt students, faculty, and staff. 

If you're white, then you'll probably do just fine at SMU. If you are a Karen, then you'll love this place as it will completely align with your values and cater to your white fragility.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Incredible support for innovate approaches to teaching and scholarship; a warm and welcoming collaborative work environment

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The standard pressures and deadlines of maintaining scholarly productivity while performing at peak levels in the classroom.  The supportive environment at SMU made this aspect of the job more manageable than most tenure-track academic positions.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Hugely supportive; an atmosphere of collaboration in meeting shared goals; a warm and welcoming response to new ideas and experimental teaching strategies and areas of academic research; a complete commitment to freedom of inquiry and a generosity in providing resources through which innovation in teaching and scholarship can be pursued.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A relaxed interplay of collaborative committee work; three to five hours of rewarding classroom interaction with students; two to three hours of research and writing using SMU's superlative library holdings, film archive, media collection, and extensive databases; long stretches of unsupervised time to conduct research, network with colleagues at SMU and in our larger academic field, and get the requisite three to four pages of writing completed; supportive interaction with colleagues about best practices in teaching and research; office hours which provide energizing interaction with and feedback from undergraduate and graduate students at the University

What is the best part of working at the company?
Southern Methodist University fosters a very empathic, supportive and encouraging work culture. Professors help Professors. Professors celebrate other Professors and we lift each other up rather than tear each other down. It has been an inspirational, motivational and peaceful place to teach. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I have not had any stressful experiences working AT SMU. I have been challenged as a new Professor in learning how to teach; however, that is the nature of learning something new. SMU has been the perfect place for me to begin learning.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture is top notch. Everyone helps each other, encourages each other and lifts each other up! I have not felt judged nor have I felt competition, which is very important when one is trying to grow. I cannot say enough about the way that we all just jump to help each other. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I prepare for classes, develop lectures and class activities, and organize each week’s schedule for class. I then go in and teach the classes.

This job afforded me the opportunity to work for a school that prided itself in the care it gave to it's students while giving them the best education available.
My typical day at work started with setting up and getting ready for the coprorate classes that we hosted on a daily basis. Once this was complete I spent my time enrolling students, working up a class schedule for the upcoming semester, accounts receivable, assisting the director, and filling in for the receptionist when needed.
This job was most enjoyable, at almost all times, but this satellite school closed due to low enrollment and I was forced to find another job.

We also had something to do. Sometimes we waited on others, but we were always told to push for answers, progress, and status. Then pay was good, but it was also hard work. I like that there was structure and that I could get answers and assistance from more experience people. The only down side of the job was that leadership treated contractors poorly and sometimes with disrespect. I understand that our department was in charge of beautifying the campus and physically maintaining it and expanding it and we also need to stretch every cent as mush as possible. However, leadership could have handle other outside people and at times its own employees better.

Overall, this job really helped to build my toolkit for employment after undergrad. Hours and schedule are flexible. If you take an interest in a particular area of admin, the manager will help hone your skills in that area and give you more experience. I got to build skills in recruiting, participate in interviews, create and carry out trainings for new supervisors and officials, and mentor/coach new staff. This is a job that requires long and late hours, and  very clear strong communication. Tensions run high during games so keeping a clear head and focusing on conflict management skills are key. Overall, management is approachable and willing to work with you if there is an issue, but once again, clear communication is important to avoid miscommunication and frustration. 

Everyday work includes working with raw data and extracting useful information, reviewing papers to find out new ideas, developing algorithms, and simulating solutions. I learned how to improve my knowledge using new software besides improving my technical skills. the management was great and was always guiding me to keep going. The group included a variety of cultures and nations which was a great opportunity to work with people from different nations. the hardest part of the job was that sometimes implementing new ideas was hard however always there was a new solution that we needed to go through it. the most enjoyable part of the job was learning and creating ideas.

SMU was great until they didn't pay me for 4 months. I had a poor manager and they weren't able to perform they job functions properly. The manager would never responsibility for mistakes, especially the time SMU didn't pay me for 4 months. (Payroll informed me they couldn't pay me until my manager signed my contract, which she never did.) I almost lost my home, my vehicles, everything. I had to get a part-time job while I was working full-time at SMU to pay my bills and keep my lights on. Then I got in trouble at SMU because I wasn't there enough to get paid.

It was a great environment, and under different management this could have been a really great place to grow a career.

Productive, warm and friendly atmosphere. Management does not micro-manage. Co-workers are like family (some of them are actually family).When one of us is absent, there is someone to step in to take up the slack. It's a team effort. Acknowledgement of service and achievements of employees quarterly. Most enjoyable part of my work is working with the law students on the law journals.

The day for work is Monday to Friday. SMU is an international University base on the different student that comes from other countries. the management is the most friendly and professional that I never seen before. I can guarantee you and to anybody that if you work for SMU you will be continue with them until your retirement. I personally like to work as a Resident Chaplain there because the diversity of student and I can provide to them the most of the spiritual environment.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Research assistant 3 salaries reported	$16.67 per hour
Assistant director 4 salaries reported	$66,875 per year
Director 3 salaries reported	$83,333 per year
Teaching assistant 9 salaries reported	$18.56 per hour
Student worker 3 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour

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