Person-Environment Interaction Analysis
The physical, organizational, and cultural aspects of my environment impact my attraction, satisfaction, and stability within my role (Strange and Banning, 2015). In this section, I will be assessing the congruence level between my assistantship and my values and personal attributes.
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My identities are welcomed within RPS because they are very intentional about hiring staff of various diverse backgrounds, including individuals of varying racial and ethnic identities but also of diverse genders, religions, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and abilities. These factors make my environment feel like a space where my own values are reflected and my identities are accepted and have space.
The role I play is highly unpredictable by nature, requiring emergency and crisis responses such as constant evacuation of the building due to fire evacuation and RAs messaging me and calling me at any hour and on weekends. Although I am working on setting better boundaries, I also want my staff to be supported by me as I know their job is also very demanding, so I end up compromising myself for their sake, which is of course bad for my work life balance, stress levels, and emotional health. I enjoy the student-facing and student-centered nature of my role and its inherent mentorship and advisorship aspects. I don't like the crisis response duties and I need robust work-life boundaries. I live on the ground floor right by the lounge next to a public restroom, and I have had to respond even when I wasn’t on duty because I saw or heard a commotion indicating that there was a policy violation or that a student’s safety might have been at risk. This makes me feel like I can never fully relax, even in my own home, and it’s definitely something I will prioritize in my job search in the Spring.