graduate researcher

assistant professor

graduate assistant

student worker

instructor

The University of Southern MIssissippi

My experience at the University of Southern Mississippi highlighted significant structural challenges that make long-term success difficult—particularly for junior faculty and early-career professionals.

Support for new and junior faculty is extremely limited. Mentorship is inconsistent, onboarding is minimal, and much of the professional growth expected in academic environments is left to individuals to navigate alone. This lack of institutional support contributes directly to burnout and turnover.

Speaking of turnover — it is high across departments. One clear indicator is the heavy reliance on “visiting faculty,” many of whom cycle through quickly. This pattern reflects deeper issues with retention, morale, and sustainable leadership rather than temporary staffing needs.

Administrative and business systems are archaic and inefficient, making routine processes unnecessarily complicated. Tasks that should be streamlined often require excessive paperwork, multiple approvals, and unclear procedures, which slows productivity and adds frustration.

While there are dedicated and talented people working at USM who genuinely care about students and their work, the broader institutional structure makes it difficult for employees to thrive long term.

USM may work for those seeking short-term experience or who are comfortable operating with minimal institutional support, but for professionals looking for stability, mentorship, and modern systems, it presents serious challenges.

I was a student, so I was paid in "experience," but it was very much a job I would arrive to once a week and spend the rest of the week making lesson plans with classmates. I learned patience with children, teachers, professors, and myself. The workplace culture was decent enough at the school or in our class when creating lesson plans. Management was okay when separated, but it was often seen that the Student Teaching Supervisor had little to no input with our Teachers we were shadowing, so often things were brought up short notice. 

A typical day would be arriving to class to make sure everything is clean and orderly, make sure every child has their supplies, take up homework, tutor or assist students that needed it for better understanding or for special education purposes, keeping a watchful eye while they were at the playground, cafeteria, or classroom; preparing lesson materials, often times I would be required to teach a lesson I made for the class, I'd make sure every child got in line for the buses, then I'd clean the class before I left for home.

The hardest part of the job was preparing the lesson plans every week. We would be required to stick to particular themes and research specific Common Core rules for them, plan out our supplies, and plan for any specific special needs a child might have.

The most enjoyable part of the job was definitely the children, who all had unique and wonderful personalities. I believe they may have seen me more as a "peer" than a teacher, which in fairness is partially true since I was there shadowing their teacher as well.

I was chosen as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the geosciences department to undertake this special opportunity. I was an instructor for lab courses and chosen based on my academic performance and responsibility I displayed in school. 
My responsibilities included instructing lab courses several times a week and grading students' performances in the classroom. Being an instructor helped me grow in public speaking, interpersonal relations, multitasking, time-management, and knowledge of the geosciences. Each week I was required to prepare a new lesson for students to undertake based on a guideline set by the department.
One of the most difficult parts of the job was communicating the subject matter to the students in a way that they would perform to both mine and their expectations in class. While a difficult part of the job, I enjoyed displaying patience and excitement for the subject matter in a manner that would spread to my students. Bringing knowledge into people's lives is something I will always enjoy doing no matter the circumstance.

In all of my work history, I would have to day that this has been my favorite job. It is very flexible with my class schedule. The shifts are only 2 hour shifts and you can always split the shifts. For example, I might work 2 hours in the morning and come back and work 2 hours at night. This is an advantage in case I need time to go handle other priorities and also it gives me time to go to class and come back. On a typical day, I check residents in and out of the building upon entering and exiting. I assist residents in cases such as losing their room key or misplacing their student ID or having guests in the building. The hardest part would have to be when there are big events happening on campus and so many people are in and out of the dorm constantly and I have to keep up with everyone that is coming in and leaving out. The most enjoyable part is that I can basically be at school and at work at the same time, so in case I have class after my shift, I'm already on campus.

The STEM graduate programs at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) offer a solid foundation for driven students seeking hands-on research experience, dedicated faculty support, and a collaborative learning environment. While it may not have the name recognition of larger institutions, USM provides meaningful opportunities for those who are ready to take initiative and shape their own graduate experience. The university houses respected research centers, such as the School of Polymer Science and Engineering, which is nationally recognized for its contributions to materials science. Faculty members are approachable and invested in student success, often encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and independent inquiry. The campus itself offers a welcoming, student-centered atmosphere that supports both academic and personal growth. Resources may vary depending on the department, but motivated students will find that they can carve out a rewarding and productive path. In short, USM is a place where your graduate journey becomes what you make of it.

My job at USM was part time in the social work department.  I taught classes and arranged internships for graduate and undergraduate students. I generally arrived at work three days per work, as early as 8 a.m. and left work after 7 p.m.; depending on my teaching schedule and the office hours I established for students who needed to meet with me. In the academic arena, I learned to be very flexible and open to ideas presented by students who were from all walks of life.  The work was both exciting and challenging.  Co-workers were cooperative and a pleasure to work with in a very relaxed environment.  Management was fair and gave me the autonomy to work independently.  As a seasoned social worker, this was very important to me.  The hardest part of the job was giving failing grades to students who just could not or would not meet the requirements. The most enjoyable part of the job was seeing students embrace social work concepts and ideals.

I used to be a graduate assistant. In this role, I served as either a teaching assistant or research assistant to a faculty. I also served as a consultant for research projects. We were asked to have a day open in every week for a meeting. Twice a week, we expect to meet a client for consulation about their thesis and/or dissertation or about statistics. Also, I was able to meet with my faculty supervisor regarding her class and assisting her with research. 
I think the hardest part of the job is the stipend and the benefits. We, graduate assistants, are thankful for the tuition fees are covered but are having hard time meeting ends with a small stipend. Before I felt the school, there was an issue on health insurance coverage for the graduate assistants. I think the university of expecting that a time will come that a graduate assistant has to pay for his or her health insurance. This is NOT the fault of the university. It is just how the state is. 

What a great looking university and beautiful campus. There's a lot going on that's cultural and exciting. However, this was not the case in the Computer Science College or School or whatever they've renamed it recently.   

As faculty, it was a very hostile environment if you didn't allow students who cheat or don't do their work, to pass.  You were not allowed to give an F.  EVERYONE passes. 

The international faculty rule the department and college.  They aren't there for the local population.  When I was there, the 2nd year, there was a mass exodus of local faculty from both the Hattiesburg and Gulf Coast campus.  My position had and has a revolving door.  Right now, there are 5 job openings - good people just don't stay.  

The workplace culture was not good.  It was a harassing environment.  Other faculty would even enter your office and go through it while you were gone.  

It's sad because it's been that way for decades. The university is great but it has and continues to allow the wrong people to be in control.  

A typical day at USM Barnes  & noble is like having fun but yet still having to work. You come in and have to organize work orders, keep tabs on payroll systems, and while both the manager and assistant manager are doing their thing helping customers with books, cloths, and seeing whether or not they are enrolled within their courses. And it doesn’t matter how many customers that come in. Both of my managers made it fun, welcoming, supportive, respectful in a work environment to learn new things, and to become a hard worker. The hardest part of my job was learning the payroll systems and learning how to fix it when it was broken. The most enjoyable part was when every time we had events at the campus, my two managers will always have karaoke or some other type of scavenger hunt and when things get boring. We always put music on so that the work and tasks won’t be so tedious at times.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The family atmosphere. Very respectful and and appreciate the employees.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Some of the processes are a bit challenging and depending on the higher management this can change without much notice.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It is very friendly and welcoming.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I work in conjunction with other state agencies and schools to provide services to the students in local high schools with a disability. I get to create lesson plans and add my own flair to keep the students engaged. I write updates and reports as well as attend trainings to stay up to date on the latest best practices. I provide students, families, and the community assistance with service related issues and assist with providing the best guidance possible.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Graduate researcher 7 salaries reported	$26,286 per year
Assistant professor 3 salaries reported	$79,387 per year
Graduate assistant 3 salaries reported	$19,167 per year
Student worker 3 salaries reported	$9.67 per hour
Instructor 5 salaries reported	$46,000 per year

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