“(Insert Institution name here)” Bubble: Not just a student dilemma

Hi everyone:
 I don’t know about you, but here at my Institution there is this running joke that undergraduate students never get out of the “Bubble”. Basically, that within the confines of our campus community and public transportation services, the student experience is limited to the network at our institution.
 I used to admit that I was a victim of this, my relationships at a point were restricted to the people I interacted with here at school. I was an RA, my one off-campus position, I left when a better offer came up INSIDE the University. Everyday was a campus experience. I rarely ventured out past the familiar streets of our small neighborhood and if I did, it was often with members of my RA staff or classmates.
I thought the perspectives of the “Bubble” were only an undergraduate experience. But I am seeing that the same things is true for professionals here at the Institution as well. For one, there are many alum, like myself who now work for the University. The turn around was pretty quick as well. Graduate and then transition into a professional Job, or while still in school, transitioning into a part-time position until you have accumulated enough hours to become a full-time member of the Administration. In that sense, we are sucking on the life blood that is this Institution’s “Bubble.” An experience that can be taxing, stressful and all together overwhelming.
 But more important than that is the Administration, the Faculty and staff who get sucked into the comfort of this experience. Being a part of a “Bubble” is safety. We are told by our supervisors to challenge ourselves, to open up our experiences. To network with other Institutions, attend these conferences and webinars. Email this member across the country etc. But sometimes these same figureheads are not taking their own advice, or seeking to move to the next level. As Higher Ed Professionals, I do not think it is bad for us to spread our experiences to different outlets. But I have seen that much like corporations, people in Higher Ed tend to stay in the same field, or department or position for 10+ years before they move into something else. I gather that experience is crucial to be an Administrator, but shouldn’t we become more flexible in our own professional development, especially in a field that is constantly changing?
I also think that at a certain point in our lives, people start to believe that the experiences that college students have, traveling, picking up this subject matter on a whim, changing their major or discipline, are not the same that we can have as we get older. I know that I am a life-long learner. I know that I have skills in many different areas outside my major, but I also know that I don’t want to be a Political Practitioner all the days of my life. That is an end goal and along the way I am providing a self-taught education through my experiences at a Higher Ed Institution.

As Higher Ed professionals, I think it is wise for us to take the same advice that we give to our proteges, take risks. Continue to stay relevant, “get out and see the world” and not from the perspective of the “Bubble.”