| This study explored areas of synergistic supervision, persistence in and commitment to the student affairs profession. Persistence was defined by an employee's intention to continue a career in student affairs, regardless of the institution in which they were employed. Commitment to the profession was defined by employee membership in professional organizations, conference attendance, conference participation such as presentations, and involvement in research and publication.;A two-part study was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative data gathering methods. Two hundred thirty-seven student affairs professionals working at public Michigan universities responded to an on-line survey. Regardless of their position title, gender, race/ethnicity, age, the length of time they had worked in the profession or professional organization membership, survey respondents reported that the actions of their supervisors were consistent with components of Winston and Creamer's (1997) synergistic supervision.;Interviews were conducted with nine student affairs professionals working in the functional areas of student life, career services or housing at public Michigan universities. Four discernable themes and patterns emerged related to the interview participants' experiences as student affairs professionals and as supervisors: (a) mentoring, (b) balance, (c) focus on students, and (d) creating opportunities. Even though interview participants may not have been aware of the term, they participated in many of the elements of synergistic supervision. Interview participants perceived that the synergistic supervision they received gave them the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally and contributed to their persistence in the student affairs profession.;A different definition of commitment to the student affairs profession emerged through the interviews in the qualitative portion of this study. The new definition of commitment was based in a commitment to students and in making a difference in the lives of students and staff and was supported by synergistic supervision. Commitment to the profession was complimented by mentoring, finding balance between personal and professional goals and lives, and by creating opportunities for others to grow. The components of synergistic supervision received allowed both survey respondents and interview participants to demonstrate their commitment to the profession. |
