Dr. Susan R. Barclay
Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for College Student Personnel Services & Administration (CSPA)
Department of Leadership Studies
Educational Background
BSSS in Human Services (Mercer University; Atlanta, GA)
MS in Professional Counseling (Georgia State University; Atlanta, GA)
PhD in Higher Education (The University of Mississippi)
How long have you been at UCA & the College of Education?
I came to UCA in 2012.
What courses do you teach?
The courses I teach on a consistent basis include Counseling Theories, Individual & Group Counseling Skills, Student Development Theory, and the CSPA Practicum experience. During my time in the CSPA program, I have taught Research, Leadership & Decision-making, and Diversity in Higher Education. In addition, I participate in the CSPA Study Abroad experience. In 2013, I led a group of CSPA students to China. In May 2016, I am leading a group to Brazil.
What is your favorite class to teach? Why?
Wow! This is a tough one. I enjoy being in the classroom with my students regardless of the content. In particular, I enjoy the counseling classes – probably because I am a Licensed Professional Counselor! The Student Development Theory course is fun; I infuse the course with lots of experiential projects that we all enjoy. I enjoy the Thesis class I developed. The class is very structured, and I enjoy working with students as they move through the process from worrying about how to accomplish the huge task before them to defending a research project successfully. A tremendous amount of growth takes place for students enrolled in that class, and that is always fun to experience.
Do you have any favorite assignments to give?
The first time I taught the Student Development Theory class, I developed a Service Learning project assignment. The culmination of the assignment is the annual poster presentation session in which my students engage. We reserve space in the Student Center and invite the entire campus to hear about the service learning projects students developed.
Describe a memorable teaching experience you’ve had at UCA & the College of Education.
The most memorable was also the most sobering. Many CSPA students hold graduate assistantship positions in Housing & Residence Life as part of their professional preparation. A couple of years ago, a UCA student died in one of the buildings one of my students oversaw. Understandably, my student was terribly shaken by the death of this student, yet he maintained his professionalism and handled his staff, the parents, and the building residents stellarly. Upon his return to class following this event, I remember clearing the course agenda for the day so that CSPA students and I could process the event in light of one of the program goals, which is to train CSPA students to work with college students on college campuses across the world. This time allowed students to process the dark times they would encounter in their careers. Though CSPA students go into student affairs because they want to help college students succeed in their college experience, this time helped them to understand how to be helpful to the higher education community in times of tragedy.
What excites you most about teaching?
No doubt, the growth my students and I experience during the process. My goal is to lecture as little as possible. Instead, I attempt to bring the content to life in the classroom through class discussions, role play, experiential activities, and film projects. The students I teach are training to work in student services in university settings. Because they work with college students on a daily basis, I want my students to build skill and gain efficacy in the classroom (via practice) so they are more confident in their ongoing work with college students.
What’s the most important thing you hope students learn from you?
I hope my students learn to be authentic, both with themselves and with others. I encourage them to remove the masks and be who they are. I believe that, in doing so, they will experience more satisfying lives and influence countless people around them more effectively.
Why did you pursue your field?
I spent over 26 years working in the business world. I did not plan on business as a career; it just happened. I took a job one day as a file clerk (pre-computers!!), worked my way up in the field, and after approximately 20-22 years of that, decided I was tired of the work, the pace, and the madness. I wanted to do something different, and until I could figure out what that was, I decided to go to college. I did not have the opportunity at a traditional age, so as I sent my oldest child to college, I, too, began working on my bachelor’s degree. After putting myself through undergrad and graduate school, I began working as a mental health and career counselor on college campuses. Through my work experiences, I began to consider a doctorate. I believed the Higher Education degree (PhD), combined with the Counseling degree (MS), would help me perform my work across a greater higher education landscape, and I have found this to be true. I love helping others as the strive for success, and working on a college campus provides me with daily opportunities to encourage and support students in reaching their career and life goals.
What academic question(s) are you currently exploring?
My main research interests revolve around both the human pursuit of career and how humans design a life. Buy me a cup of coffee, and I will explain in greater details 🙂
Please list any recent publications you’ve produced or contributed to.
Barclay, S. R. (in press). Group career construction counseling with low-income, first-generation students. In L. A. Busacca & M. C. Rehfuss (Eds.), Postmodern career counseling: A handbook of culture, contexts, and cases. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association Publications.
Any notable research projects (particularly involving UCA students)?
Currently, I am finishing data collection for a collaborate project with a colleague at Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, GA) in which we are attempting to assess the Career Construction Interview (a career construction intervention) for use with undergraduate college students. This is a mixed-methods project in which we are comparing coded narrative data to the quantitative results of an empirically-tested interest inventory used in university career centers across the nation.
Finish the sentence: “You know you’re at UCA when…”
you step into the sea of purple!
What are some ways you’ve interacted with students outside the classroom?
I taught the CSPA Diversity class last spring, and for a cultural immersion experience, all of us went to Little Rock for the India Fest. We spend most of the day there watching exhibits and shows, listening to music, eating the food, and getting henna tattoos.
What do you most like about working at the College of Education?
Hands down, my students. Watching them grow into student affairs professionals throughout their two year program is rewarding. Our graduates hold positions on college campuses in 32 states and three international locations. They represent the UCA CSPA program well!
What’s your favorite place on campus? Why?
I attempt to walk to the Student Center at least once per day. I love the hustle and bustle of the college students who gather there to eat, grab coffee, spend time with their peers, and just hang out. There just seems to be a lots of energy there!
What are your favorite places in Conway, Central Arkansas, and beyond?
I’m a true-to-the-bone homebody. When I am not on campus, I’m at home. However, on those rare occasions I venture into Conway, I like the downtown area. I life to wander through Jennifer’s Antiques or have dinner at either Mike’s Place or Pasta Grill.
What are your interests & hobbies?
I love to read, and my favorite genre is true crime. I have read everything Ann Rule wrote, and I have almost finished all of M. William Phelp’s books. In addition, I’ve watched everything “true crime” Netflix has to offer. When I’m not reading, I enjoy entertaining people in my home.
What is your favorite book, TV, and/or movie series?
The Shawshank Redemption – a tremendous story of injustice that leads to a simpler and, perhaps, more satisfying life.
What is something you’re really good at that no one knows?
When my daughters were small, I made all their clothes. In addition, there was a time in my life when I wrote a lot of poetry. I have not done either in recent years but hope to get back to those endeavors soon.
What is your favorite instrument? Why?
Alto saxophone!! There is not a sexier instrument on the planet!!
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?
Pippi Longstocking; she was always my favorite as a kid.