iGROW@Virginia Tech (iGROW) Program
for Virginia Tech employees who supervise students
iGROW program
- The iGROW program supports guided reflection on work.
- For: Virginia Tech employees* who supervise students** in paid or unpaid positions.
*Employees can include faculty, staff and graduate assistants.
**Supervised students can include both undergraduate and graduate students. - Purpose: Benefit students and supervisors:
- Help students connect their campus jobs to their academics and future career goals;
- Create more engaged student employees; and
- Support supervisors with resources and structure for guiding supervisees.
- Time investment:
- 60-minute supervisor information session.
- Four 15-minute meetings each semester between the student and supervisor.
- Information and materials provided can support and streamline your work to guide the students you supervise.
More details about iGROW for supervisors
To participate:
- Supervisor information sessions will be offered in fall and spring semesters. If you cannot attend a scheduled session, you can express interest and we'll send you information.
- Spring 2024: two sessions on Jan. 31, one virtual, and one in person. See details and register, OR express interest if you cannot attend. RSVP by Jan. 29.
Reflection questions for supervisors to ask supervisees.
These questions are meant to help students reflect on what they are learning and how they are applying what they learn. Supervisors will use these questions to encourage discussion in your four meetings per semester with each of the students you supervise.
- What are you learning (in this job) that is helping you in and out of the classroom?
- What are you learning in your classes that can apply at work?
- Can you give me a couple of examples of things you have learned in this job that you think you will use in your chosen career? Consider the professional competencies: Which do you think you are developing at work?
- How are you using your CliftonStrengths in your this job, and could you be using them more?
More resources for supervisors:
- Professional competencies that students can reflect on and work to develop.
- Workshops for supervisors on guiding your students (will be linked here when scheduled).
- Performance evaluaton document (docx to download) to use with students.
Benefits of iGROW for students:
What the students told us:
- 100% agreed or somewhat agreed that their on-campus role helped them develop communication, teamwork and interpersonal, leadership, creativity and problem-solving, professionalism and productivity, and global perspective skills.
- 78% agreed or somewhat agreed that their on-campus role helped them develop technology skills.
- 94% agreed or somewhat agreed that their supervisor helped them reflect on their CliftonStrengths.
- 100% agreed or somewhat agreed that their supervisor made connections between on-campus roles and life in and out of the classroom, as well as future careers.
- Virginia Tech faculty and staff who supervise students.
- Virginia Tech graduate students who are employed as graduate assistants, and who supervise undergraduate students as part of your assistantship.
- See "how supervisors can participate," above.
- No. Supervisors of students may participate in iGROW regardless of whether the student positions are paid or unpaid.
- Students who are supervised may be undgraduate or graduate students at Virginia Tech.
- No; there is not a minumum number of hours per week a student must work.
- The work can be in person, or remote, or hybrid.
Contact for additional questions about iGrow:
J. Cody Smith, Program Coordinator for Professional Development and Experiential Initiatives
Career and Professional Development at Virginia Tech
cody98@vt.edu
Student spotlights
We feature students who report to iGROW supervisors.
December 2023 student spotlight: Cora, Operations Assistant for the School of Design
“The School of Design held our 2nd annual Health and Wellness Symposium. Cora has assisted with finding an Interior Design speaker for our symposium and has helped in creating the schedule of events that included taking initiative to get the HokieBird to motivate our students about our event… Over 300 of our students and faculty attended our event… Cora also was crucial in backstage management for technological issues and ensuring our program ran smoothly.”
-Leigh Ziegler