Explore how Central Michigan University uses flexible scheduling, open communication and meaningful recognition to help student employees thrive.
Campus recreation departments rely on a diverse team of professionals and student employees working together to keep facilities running, programs engaging and members thriving. But for student staff — who are often juggling academics, extracurriculars and personal responsibilities all at once — burnout can strike quickly when there isn’t intentional support.
Many campus rec departments and leaders are rethinking how to better recognize, address and prevent burnout in their student staff. At Central Michigan University (CMU), those efforts take shape through a culture defined by flexibility, communication and meaningful connection.
Scott Harrington, the interim director and associate director of Facilities and Operations at CMU, said the signs of burnout are universal and fairly easy to recognize — attendance starts to slip, tardiness becomes consistent and enthusiasm for work sees a noticeable decline.
To best try to combat burnout, Harrington and his team focus on ensuring an open culture where students feel seen, heard, and supported through relationships, recognition and flexibility.
Building Flexibility into the Framework
One of CMU’s most impactful strategies is their scheduling model, which allows student employees to adjust their availability throughout the semester. During onboarding, the department discusses time management skills with new hires, emphasizing the importance of managing availability to protect their time outside of work.
“Student employees are encouraged to make adjustments if they find that other commitments are taking more of their focus than they expected,” explained Harrington.
While scheduling software can make this model fairly simple, Harrington said the real challenge is developing a culture where students recognize their stress and feel comfortable expressing it.
Creating a Culture of Communication
At CMU, staff are encouraged to maintain an open-door approach with student employees, both by physically leaving their office door open and by exploring how students best communicate. The department is also intentional about providing students with on and off-campus resources for stress and burnout-related problems.
Additionally, the Student Enrichment Council (SEC) — a student-led organization meant to strengthen student employment opportunities — works to ensure each student group has a representative to discuss stress and burnout without students directly speaking to their supervisor if they’re uncomfortable doing so.
“Formal assessment and informal conversation with our students tell us that they feel valued when they have a voice,” said Harrington. “The SEC is a big part of that. Through it, students have a formal way to be heard.”
Harrington said his team always listens to the input from student staff and works to act on what they’ve requested. If they can’t, he’ll explain why and let them know what they can do instead.
Along with embedding communication into the culture, CMU has countless other forms of recognition and acknowledgment to let students know their voices are heard and their work is valued.
Recognition That Resonates
Aside from consistent communication, CMU has developed multiple ways to recognize student staff. The SEC created an employee of the month program, where each winner is chosen by student employees themselves.
The department created a traveling trophy called the “Whale of a Job” award. When a student receives the trophy, they must then observe a colleague going above and beyond, then award it to that person with an explanation of why they earned it.
For especially noteworthy actions or the completion of professional development programs, students can earn a department challenge coin that recognizes excellent performance.
“Lunch with Leaders” is a program where students can sign up to have lunch with professional staff. A different staff member hosts each week with various activities ranging from resume writing to making gingerbread houses. The year culminates with an awards banquet celebrating years of service, department achievements and even an endowed scholarship.
The Balancing Act for Professional Staff
Harrington acknowledged the importance of professional staff modeling healthy work boundaries for students, but the challenges that can come with that.
“We’re often dedicated to the mission to a point that we made ourselves constantly available through long hours in the building, late night texts and emails, and the weekend drop-by,” he said. “We never want our students to feel they aren’t supported, so we sometimes model an unhealthy approach to work.”
He explained how his team is working to be more intentional with support without direct contact — whether it’s through on-call rotations on breaks, periodic surveys for all student staff or semesterly meetings for training and relationship building.
Lessons for Campus Rec Professionals
While Harrington believes the campus recreation field does a generally good job at keeping mental health at the forefront, he warns of one common misconception — that loving a job means it’s impossible to get burnt out from it.
“If we don’t prioritize self-care, those same fun things can become a grind that leads to burnout for our students or us,” he said. “The best thing we can do for our students and us is to be our best and make an impact with what we have, then take the time to recover and make the next thing impactful.”
His advice for campus rec departments struggling with student staff burnout? Find the time to simply do nothing. “Cancel a program that is no longer meeting the needs of your students,” he said. “Students probably need support more than they need another program.”
To ensure this support, he advises professional staff to break routine in order to more deeply engage with students.
CMU’s approach demonstrates that combating staff burnout requires more than just recognizing the problem — it demands intentional systems, authentic communication and a willingness to prioritize well-being over programming when necessary. By giving students a voice, flexibility and meaningful recognition, departments can create environments where student employees don’t just survive their shifts but thrive in their roles.
