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Andrew Hibel, HigherEdJobs.com: Dr. Geiger, you recently accepted the position of Vice President of Student Affairs at Manhattanville College. What are some of your major responsibilities in this role and which ones are new to your career?
Douglas Geiger, Ph.D.: My major responsibilities are to provide leadership to the Division of Student Affairs and all its professional employees. A major thrust of my work here is to increase student satisfaction with their campus experience. I also am leading or collaborating in leadership with several areas, including: orientation, retention, commencement, and other similar areas.
Hibel: Please tell us how you started on your career path in higher education?
Geiger: My story is very common within the student affairs profession. I was a resident advisor and was involved in student government. I got “bit” by the student affairs bug and it lead me to consider a career in higher education/student affairs. That is when I first decided to pursue my Master’s in Higher Education Administration and eventually chose to attend Michigan State University.
Hibel: As many of us have learned, our career paths are not always linear, but often take some turns. Have you experienced any turns that have happened in your higher education career and, if so, what have you discovered from these turns?
Geiger: Not really. Most of my experiences have followed the path of years of experience which have lead to new opportunities. It has been more of relocating (first to Chicago, then to New York) that has been not so linear.
Hibel: You completed your Ph.D. last year in Higher Education Administration. What prompted you to pursue your doctorate and how do you feel it has helped your career?
Geiger: I got to a point in my career where in order to move up to the senior student affairs officer level, I needed to have a doctorate. That’s really the reason I pursued my Ph.D. When I first entered this profession, the Ph.D. was not always a necessity for such a move, but I think the educational bar has been raised permanently for such roles. Believe me, when I entered MSU for my master’s, I never thought I would have completed a Ph.D. many years later.
Hibel: Why did you choose to pursue a Ph.D. instead of an Ed.D.?
Geiger: I feel the Ph.D. carries a level of validity that the Ed.D. does not. When I’m asked that question by people who are considering their Ph.D., I am not shy about telling them, do the Ph.D. and not the Ed.D.
Hibel: While studying towards your Ph.D., you also worked full-time as the Dean of Students at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Do you have any advice on balancing both successfully?
Geiger: It’s very tough, but it can be done. My advice is to know what you are getting into right up front. You have to be willing to make significant sacrifices of your time. As an example, are you willing to give up your Friday evening or one weekend day in order to complete homework and research? It’s also important to remember that you do have a life outside of work and school. You need to “map out” personal time that still allows you to have a fulfilling personal life. The big thing is to continually focus on the goal and to celebrate the little victories along the way, like completing your coursework, passing your comps, or defending your dissertation proposal. It’s all about staying motivated through the process!
Hibel: After reviewing your professional background, I noticed you did consulting work and teaching in the Chicago area before you began your position in the greater New York area. You mentioned earlier that this was the part of your career that was nonlinear. Would you explain how your career transitioned during this period and what prompted you to consider a move outside Illinois?
Geiger: After I completed my Ph.D., I realized that I was very much ready for a new professional challenge. As I conducted my job search, I accepted these two assignments as ways to keep me engaged in the higher education world. I guess, when I think about it, those two positions were not very linear in that, they were more experimental as I took on two positions that were very different than what I had done previously. It was, to some degree, a time of career exploration for me. I was trying on consulting and teaching. Ultimately, it made me realize that I wanted to pursue a Senior Student Affairs Officer role. I think when one takes on a different job, whether full-time or on the side, it helps to create focus on your true career passion. That definitely happened for me during those experiences.
Hibel: Your last position was in metro Chicago, Illinois. How did the location of the new position factor in your decision?
Geiger: It was a big decision. I have a partner and when I realized that my job search was clearly pointing me to the New York City metropolitan area, we had a very frank discussion about it. He was incredibly supportive and was very excited about the NYC metro area as a place to live and work. At the same time, he had also completed an advanced degree and was very much ready for a new job challenge. If he had not been open to the idea, I am sure that would have greatly affected by decision to pursue it in the first place.
Hibel: The decision to relocate can be stressful for many people. However, a dual career couple has two decisions to make, which often adds to the stress. How were you able to find balance in the dual decisions you needed to make?
Geiger: We decided to take it in steps. First, I went through the interview process and after I was offered the job, we talked very openly about it. We knew that I was going to move here in January and that he would remain in Chicago as he pursued a new job. He was able to work it out with his employer where he could work remotely on Fridays and we booked flights throughout January and early February where he was coming here or I was going to Chicago. As he conducted his search, he did an interview in mid-January and was offered the job in early February. We moved him here in late February.
Hibel: When conducting your most recent job search, what were some of the new career and position responsibilities you desired in your next position and how did Manhattanville College fulfill these?
Geiger: I was very interested in a vice president position that reported directly to the president. I had not had the experience of being part of the president’s cabinet and I very much desired that specific experience in my next position. I was also interested in going to a small institution where I could get my hands in a lot of areas. I also wanted to go somewhere where I could deal with real problems that needed real solutions. All of those qualities were definitely part of the job here at Manhattanville.
Hibel: As you are probably aware, the latest national unemployment figures are at 9.1%. 1 Considering many people may be in the middle of a job search, were there any successful tips/routines you followed from which you think others may benefit?
Geiger: Yes. I would strongly recommend that you utilize your professional network as much as possible. Their involvement in your job search will be very beneficial, not only for job leads but also to help you get a “foot in” that you might not normally get through the simple application process. I would also recommend making contact with search firms. Many senior level positions are relying on such firms to actively recruit candidates. I would also recommend trying to gain other experiences that make you even more marketable, like, scholarly activity (write a journal article), teaching as an adjunct faculty member, or consulting work. All of these activities only make you more knowledgeable as well as marketable. There’s a lot of competition out there, especially in this economy. Anything you can do that makes you stand out is a plus
Hibel: Any advice you could pass on to someone who may be considering a job change which includes relocation?
Geiger: Think very carefully about your own quality of life. Will this area be somewhere I will want to live? Will it be a good area for my spouse and children? I think those are very crucial questions.
Hibel: Thinking back to when you were interviewing nine years ago for your dean position, besides your credentials and experience, did anything change for you in regards to the job search and interviewing process between then and now?
Geiger: Oh yes, a few things: first, the use of technology and to be able to talk about it as part of a greater student affairs strategy; second, the use of data. You need to know about national instruments that are out there and how data inform our decisions to improve student satisfaction. Lastly, you should be able to discuss how other areas relate to student affairs and how you can collaborate with your colleagues in achieving institutional priorities — the “big picture.”
Hibel: How would you respond if someone asked you, “Why higher education as a career?”
Geiger: You are able to influence lives in a wonderful way. It’s a very fulfilling career in a very dynamic setting.