SCHEDULE INTERVIEW 2

Schedule Interview

My interview is scheduled to take place at 2.00 pm, Friday, 2 nd October 2020. The
interview will be conducted via phone. The mode of communication is convenient, considering
the differences in our locations. Interview questions will be based on the selected topic, namely;
‘Increasing enrollment in higher education by distance learners, online learners, and older adult
learners.’
I contacted the interviewee via email and requested their availability for an interview
with me. I selected email as the channel of communication when scheduling the interview
because of its many advantages. First, it keeps a record of dates agreed on and issues discussed.
Even if the interviewee forgets on critical details about the interview, there is always a point of
reference as opposed to having to make a phone call (James, 2016). I mentioned the topic I was
interested in and explained why I chose her as the most suited person to respond to my questions.
Through the email, I stated the details of the interview process. I let the interviewee know
that the interview will be via a phone call. I also stated the purpose of the interview. I let the
interviewee know that I was taking a course for my MAED program here at Ashford University.
one of the requirements to successfully complete the course is to interview a student practitioner
either in admissions, advising, tutoring, or any other area relating to student affairs. I also
explained that other than complying with the course requirements, I had a personal interest in
understanding the student affairs department and the roles of practitioners serving there.
The interviewee was responsive and open to the idea of scheduling for an interview. I had
suggested having the interview on the weekend, preferably Saturday afternoon. However, she
declined the offer on the grounds that weekends are family times for her, and she does not

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compromise on that unless it is absolutely unavoidable. We then settled for Friday at 2.00 pm. I
made sure that I avoided an avalanche of back-and-forth emails and thus was flexible enough
during this interaction. I also appreciated how accommodating she was during the entire
conversation. I informed the interviewee that the interview would last for at least one hour to
ensure that she was ready and well prepared.
She requested that I send her a list of some of the questions that she would be responding
to so that she can prepare in advance for the interview. I got some of the questions from the list
provided and included three others that I drafted in the Week One Assignment. Some of the
questions that I sent are;
i. Why did you decide to pursue a career in student services?
ii. What skills/competencies do you feel are necessary for a career in student services, and
why?
iii. What do you think is the purpose of student services in higher education?
iv. What are some strategies for being successful in the field of student services?
v. What are some challenges with a career in student services?
vi. How do you collaborate with faculty to support student success?
vii. What are some of the factors that are increasingly influencing change towards the
implementation of more flexible education systems?
viii. Little publicly accessible and available information exists to help adult learners on
issues relating to earnings potential, employment outcomes, and return on education
investment. How can access to this information be granted to adult learners?

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ix. Should the federal government make it a requirement for higher institutions of learning to
submit reports of labor market participation, earnings, and data that would be relevant to
adult learners pursuing their courses online? If so, how? If not, why?
The purpose of the interview is to get as much information about my selected topic as
possible. I hope to learn more from a person that has served as a practitioner in student affairs.
Although a lot of information is available online, personal experiences are largely omitted
(Carlsen & Holmberg, 2016). thus, getting first-hand details from my scheduled interviewed will
be an eye-opener. I look forward to gaining a lot of insights. I have already prepared a list of
questions prior to the interview. The questions capture all the main areas I want to gain more
information from as well as my interest.
I plan on listening more during the interview. Since I will not be in a position to see the
interviewee, listening keenly will help me understand more. I will aim at outing the interviewee
at ease. I believe that by sharing the interview questions beforehand, I prepared the interviewee
on what exactly will be discussed during the phone call. Also, speaking on the phone for one
hour is no easy task. Thus, ensuring that the interviewee is comfortable is very important. Also,
the questions are provocative, and some are building off from each other. As such, I look
forward to a successful interview where I will get as much information as possible concerning
the interview topic.

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References

Carlsen, A., & Holmberg, C. (2016). Opportunities for distance education to benefit adult
learners in higher education.
James, N. (2016). Using email interviews in qualitative educational research: Creating space to
think and time to talk. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 29(2),
150-163.