Well done on fifteen years. I did 25 years.

So many bits of your article resonated with me—part-time counsellor - yep, a big part of the job. But, in the last 10 years of the job, I would never have a closed-door meeting with a student, and I would certainly not socialise. We were warned against both by 'management'.

It is interesting that you say the 'old guard' didn't like how you were doing things, i.e. being more open and laid back; in the UK, it was different. The 'old guard' (and I consider myself one of them) wanted to be more open with the students, but it was management (who typically had no experience of teaching and hence students) who wanted a 'more professional', i.e. distant, approach.

Anyway, thanks for the piece; as I said, much of it resonated with me.