A Negotiated Order Exploration of Critical Student-Faculty Interactions: Student-Parents Manage Multiple Roles

Abstract

One tremendous challenge in higher education today is meeting the needs of the diverse student populations in our classrooms and office hours. Currently, a growing number of college students are between the ages of 30 and 40 (Giczowski, 1990). For many individuals in this particular non-traditional segment of our student population, simultaneously managing multiple life-roles creates a variety of unique challenges. This study explores critical interactions between faculty and students when students are experiencing difficulties in managing school and family/work responsibilities from the framework of Negotiated Order Theory (Strauss, 1978). Data were collected through survey and critical interaction methods. Results demonstrate that childcare concerns most often triggered students to initiate negotiations with faculty members, informational support was often lacking for how to manage such negotiations, limited options were perceived by students, and faculty members not granting student requests often relied on rules-based or fairness rationales when framing their responses. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed, along with practical applications for university personnel.

Keywords:

• Student-faculty Interactions
• Student-parents
• Critical Interactions
• Negotiated Order