AIMHO Angle, Feb 2014 by AIMHO Region

AIMHO angle Feb2014

Harum a simus disserum, consequaspis ventius danditati odit laborem. Nempelescium ratur? Unt et faciet ipitis moditio ipsaped molupta quaepta tecaeste etur? Quia dolendicipsa quias ut molectis mo es vitiam qui reribus autemque solore pa volorpo restem apidus di nemped quae od quam in eic tem quam imi, od quiam quo duntur? Il ium illignisit, eum sum hiliquam et esequam adisim acit lacerum, simaio. Escia nessimi, volorum qui quam quis sum se rae voluptae mo odiaeptatio. Experumquis mo enditi num quas doluptatis debistium quibus. Iditat alicillat minveleniam et fugiat atur reheni consequ atemolu ptatemqui tentiatur aut evenit experiae conse ipsuntor aut et exerit occaesci andam que aut ped milique magnitat fugias maximin cimintore dolorestiam quunt et evenis doleseq uiasseque non parcim esti quias aperfer speditatur modi opti aceperi dolupta spiditatem idus re ento dolupta conseque estrum aute essunt, quae voluptat. Ceatiatur acea dollam, cus audiant, ipsus prem repudi dolupta speroremqui velictati aut landend untiis eos et faccate nonectatur saerate nimpor apiet eatur modit dis non perchiciate sintore sedipis et litatinctem eum facerum as maio mo quam, optatium ab id maio minvele stiundi cipsum repudit, aut omnis sint lam fugiam as nulluptature voluptaerum quodita ditibus everest andes dolupti umquatati blabore pere volor sequi derchillam, tempore cum fugitiorepe volecus aut harum re, ut auditatet ut fuga. Sed et harion pe moles aditatis eum voloreprovit alitibus sum reium est etur, consed et doluptaquo excerum remquo bla vitet quuntia ne vollum expelest, vid magnitio quae sequiat accab ium es maximil ipit pelit, non pro dellorum, cone nate volora nulpa volore, verspis et landantur, nisti nonsendaeror rehenda ercidit atiorposape mos et atentem volorepudi nos voles aut ad min rati omniendant mi, simil il isque sus re pa sit rest velit ium et labor accus est vellis dolupta tiaturerumet que et faccus nustruntem cus nemquis cipsus adiat omnient laborestrum quia aliqui aliquiam, sinus, qui dolorehent, qui blab ipicid ut adion re earchitam quis aborpor estorror reptae prepudaere voloressit fuga. Esed quod earunt. Ullecaeste lautem aut que volorem quam, tenis que maximinum quametus diatibus cuptatur? Apictat endit, cusapis minciti nostoriae que pressi viderit iatqui ut voluptatur sedis mos est, il ius autempedit accupta tempos et ut ut aut magnatas millacepta cum rem conecus eum, omniet aut audipictio. Ga. Sed et, unt et dolutem restium quosa volor rempe molupta simolo eribus rersped magnis qui dolut perae nam, vid eos maioste pelenim aximpor sit aceptat. Xerion es aut eturehendae omnis denimillant, tet harchil inctio. Videl mos voles accusandit omnimax imusda que eum cum et occusci istrum, nos int liquam fugiatem simperumqui aut rem liquatque omnihilici ommodic temperspedis anis qui dem ium volupta temporehenti dolecea cus dolorita dolupis derum simus vellect oresendi nonseni atempore volutenihil imuscium quae cuptas alia accabor magniminti to cus doluptu scimagn imolorum explit od mi, nus iur arumque omnistiatur, voloreh endipsa ndaessit in con ped que est, officim porione caeceri consed erum, nullique cum acessin ihicat. Quae por sit eictecero quisti ab ipsandi stiossint, odia veles ipicime eos am et omnit, volupienia volestem re ma dolo doluptat. Totatque voluptae. Nam landaer ferrum quis volorese volore voloreicae pereperor rerspitius. Ute viti in nisci nonsequiscid qui beatus, omnihilis as excesendam aceatum volorunt la sequi nimi, core velesequi quiasin veligni miligent officid ucitin parit atemodiam fugiam aruntintur magnatiores aut hillorum latiant alit aperio explibus elicill aborepudae laborerum dus as aut quo volorro quia non et dent hil ilit, venda as et quam, consequis cor maio beaquid moditi consed ut hiliti dolum faccab ium volorer ciendis excerro iliquundit, sanissimpor aliqui blabor sendant oratiat reptatiis ad quis doles endis nistibeat. Atur? Iqui omniassi cuscidunt aceris dolor re por maximin pro bea aut apiendiam dolum delique vel estint. Dicil idem hicid molorib earuptatur? Bitate restrum que labo. Ut et excerum autat. Minctot asperatur mintotae. Nam exeremquis doluptatur molorepere none illacea vel ini duciene officia tinciet dollor sunt quatatem utem ventiat ioresciae et moluptas di omni untus, si to et lab ipsam re volorest asperum unt ut ut di qui blabor aut autem fuga. Nametur? Is moluptate perum ut od ea necatem fuga. Parum sequistenia ipsape porestem. Us etur? Quia quiae sante sitionsed ea dolescimil miliquae de excerup tatiumquia sam eumquam, niendem olorempor accum sinim hil

YellowstoneNationalPark

Feb 2014 | 1

Cover Photo: National Park Service, www.nps.gov

AIMHOMarketingCommittee

Your 2013-2014 Marketing Committee representatives are: Sundi Musnicki Committee Chair Boise State University

Jeremy Homolka Committee Co-Chair University of Utah

Ashley Baggot Northern Arizona University

Justin Lukasewicz University of Arizona

Scott Mathie Snow College

Jen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Arizona State University

Abigail Porter Brigham Young University

Lindsay Rossmiller Rocky Mountain College

AIMHOExecutiveCommittee Your 2013-2014 Executive Committee members are: Shirl Portillos President Colorado State University

Barb Remsburg President-Elect University of Utah

Member-at-Large, Senior Level Montana State University, Billings

Treasurer-Elect University of Colorado, Boulder

Caitlin Clark Member-at-Large, Entry Level University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Julie Franklin Immediate Past President Brigham Young University

InThisIssue

A Note from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . An SPR Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Connecting with AIMHO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Small School Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Entry Level Professional Resolutions . . . . Research and Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . AIMHO 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Making Social Media Work for You. . . . . . Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Been Happening on Twitter. . . . . . Social Justice Around the Region. . . . . . . Theme Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12AIMHO College Reflection . . . . . . . . . . In the Media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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SubmittotheAngle!

The AIMHO Angle is published six times a year - about every two months. We are always on the lookout for new and engaging articles to include. Think that you have a Liz Grant Greenfield Richard Clark topic that the region woudl be interested in? Secretary Treasurer Montata State University, Bozeman University of Nevada, Las Vegas Looking to gain professional development skills in article writing/publishing? Then submit to the next AIMHO Angle! Jeff Rosenberry Brent Klingemann Submitting is easy! Simply email your article in a Word document with any photos or pertinent information about your article to aimhoregion@gmail.com. You may just see your article in the next issue!

TaketheAIMHOMemberSurvey!

As part of our ongoing Strategic Planning process, AIMHO conducts a survey of our members every three years. As your Regional Affiliate of ACUHO-I, we are particularly interested in knowing how we are meeting your professional development needs. We would greatly appreciate your investment of 10-15 minutes to complete this on-line survey. The results will be used to guide our strategic planning process so that your association can best meet your professional needs. This Survey will be open through March 17, 2014.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AIMHOSurvey2014

Feb 2014 | 3

ANotefromtheAIMHOPresident Happy New Year AIMHO!

As I write this letter I am visiting with our friends in the NWACUHO region. I am attending their conference in Edmonton, Alberta where the current temperature is -20! Although it is cold here, things in our region have been heating up with all the work that is taking place. Our committees are working hard to create another amazing annual conference! We are in the process of voting in a new AIMHO Secretary, work continues on the AIMHO Leaders Manual and we continue to connect with other Student Affairs colleagues through teleconferences, webinars and attending conferences. In other exciting news, Dan has updated the job listings tab on the AIMHO website so if you are looking for a job check out the new tab at http://aimho.org/jobs/postings, and if you have a job to post go to http://aimho.org/ jobs/submit_a_job. Due to several conflicts with other regional conferences being at the same time in November, we have made the decision to move our conference this year to November 16-18, 2014. By moving our conference dates we will be able to spend more time with our corporate sponsors so please mark your calendars and plan to join us in Logan, Utah! Please also make note that Pat and the Research and Information committee have sent you all our AIMHO member survey. We are excited to hear your feedback! Your thoughts, comments, ideas and suggestions continue to make us a better Association so please take some time to share with us how we can better meet your needs. As I pack to leave Edmonton, I am reflecting on the NWACUHO conference theme of Ignite Your Spirit! It was great to see new professionals engaged during sessions, to hear words of wisdom from seasoned professionals and to see the enthusiasm of those new to the region wanting to be involved on taskforces. I am excited to return to my campus so I can kindle the spirits of my staff and students! I wish you all the best of luck with RA /staff selection and I hope you will spark the spirits of our students!

Shirl Portillos AIMHO President

AIMHO

365

Follow@AIMHO365onTwittertodaytostay up-to-datewithprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities! 4 | AIMHO Angle

AnSPRUpdate! Sue Belatti, Northern Arizona University

The spring semester is off and running for the schools in Arizona – something not uncommon among all of the schools in the AIMHO region I’m sure. The focus right now is on the planning and execution of our AZ Drive-In Workshop scheduled for Thursday, March 6, 2014. Our colleagues at Arizona State University (West Campus) have stepped up to the plate to assist in hosting the workshop this year. The workshop is open to any and all two and four year institutions within our state. The workshop is an opportunity for housing personnel from hall staffing, residence education, specialty programs, operations, assignments, and facilities to come together to network, exchange best practices, and discuss issues impacting the schools in Arizona. The Planning Committee for this year’s workshop is made up of representatives from Grand Canyon University, University of Arizona, Central Arizona College, Arizona State University, Dine College, Yavapai College, Thunderbird School of Global Management, and Northern Arizona University. The group is pursuing offering guided discussions in program tracks in Facilities, Operations/Assignments, and General Housing roles. With over 120 colleagues in attendance at last year’s workshop, we are hoping to open up the possibility of further networking and information exchange to as many if not more housing professionals within the state this year.

ConnectingwithAIMHO

New to the region and looking to connect with other professionals in AIMHO? Been around a while, but looking to get move involved with the region? No matter where you are with your professional career in AIMHO, here are some great ways to connect with AIMHO!

AIMHO Website

Check out the AIMHO website for plenty of information about AIMHO and how to get involved! You can learn about Commmittees, conferences, and read up on what is happening in your state/province.

Social Media

Connect with AIMHO through Facebook and Twitter! Facebook: www.facebook.com/AIMHO.Intermountain Twitter: @aimho OR www.twitter.com/aimho AIMHO 365 Twitter: @aimho365 OR www.twitter.com/aimho365

AIMHO Listserv

The AIMHO listserve provides vital communication between its members. It’s a great place to give and receive peer feedback and find out about important updates and upcoming events. To join the listserve, go to http://www.aimho. org/ membership/listserv and click on the link following the prompt: “To sign -up for the AIMHO listserv”.

Webinars

AIMHO is committed to providing on-going professional development opportunities for its members all year long. One of the great ways that this is accomplished is through webinars! Keep an eye out for webinars all year long! Feb 2014 | 5

TransitioningtoaSmallSchool

By: Lindsay Rossmiller, Rocky Mountain College As many of us will readily acknowledge, there are differences between operations at a larger institution and a smaller institution. Depending on the scale of those differences, some may be more pronounced than others. If you are looking to transition to a smaller institution in the coming months, here are some tips to keep in mind.

SmallSchoolTip

At a small institution, you will wear many hats and be the primary person responsible for them. In some cases it can be a bit intimidating to realize how much responsibility you have, but it can also allow for a lot of ownership over your work and being able to create. This is great if you want to be one to really put your stamp on something. Processes will also look a little differently than you may be used to because fewer people are responsible for the same things. Remember the scale and volume are different so keep an open mind and ask lots of questions. For live-on positions, it can be a little more difficult to shut work off and get that needed mental time away when you know you’re primarily responsible. However, recognizing that going into it can make it easier to anticipate where you might personally struggle. You will interact with other departments more frequently. Simply because there are fewer layers in the hierarchy, you may be called upon to serve in multiple capacities and develop relationships with other areas of campus. This is a great opportunity to learn more about what other areas do and be able to adapt successful methods in other areas of your institution to your own. It also provides chances for collaboration among areas that may not happen as frequently. Because of the opportunity to work closely with other departments, you also get to understand how what you’re doing impacts other areas (ex: activities, new student orientation, student accounts, dining hall, even the classroom) and what they’re doing impacts you. You can gather a deeper understanding of how everything works together and why. Since it is small, word travels fast and not just among students. Be prepared to have people ask you about issues or when something is going on relatively quickly. It helps if you are honest and work to explain all the factors involved when this does happen. Keep your supervisor in the loop so they can answer questions when they come without having to consult with you and depend on collaborative relationships to take care of an issue. Since word does travel quickly, remember to watch what you say while you learn the politics and culture of your institution. If you are frustrated with a colleague, it’s always better to go to the source instead of to others, because inevitably it gets back to them anyway. And again, since there are fewer people, you may need to be able to work with that person since they might be the only person who does that specific job. At smaller institutions, change can happen more rapidly when areas are identified for improvement. Depending on the institution, tweaks can be made more frequently since there are fewer pieces. Again, this can be great if you are looking to be able to make a direct impact. Opportunities exist to address issues with students on a more customized and individualized basis for this reason. Both small and large institutions have great things to offer. If you are looking to potentially go to a smaller institution, keep these in mind and they should help you as you transition. Before long, it becomes a new normal.

6 | AIMHO Angle

NewYear’sResolutionsfortheEntryLevelProfessional By: Caitlin C. Clark, AIMHO Member-at-Large, Entry Level

Each new year begins with the promise of new experiences, new knowledge, and best of all: new opportunities to be better, and do better, than the year before. This is especially true in the professional realm, where the new year brings with it successes and challenges and everything in between. While it’s impossible to predict where we will be at the end of 2014, I have three resolution suggestions for to propel new professional experiences to new heights. #1 – Go on a helicopter ride. Literally, this would take you to new heights in a matter of seconds. Resolution achieved! Well, not really. The point here is to do at least one thing this year that requires investing in an experience that is both fun and challenging. For me, that was riding in a helicopter for the first time around the Las Vegas Strip. For others, it may be a strenuous hike to a beautiful look out point, or performing an original poem at a local open mic night, or maybe traveling to a dream destination you have been meaning to visit. All of these experiences require a level of personal investment and planning outside of your professional responsibilities, and each experience rewards that investment with immeasurable personal fulfillment. It may sound counter-intuitive for me to start my entry-level professional resolution list with a personal resolution, but I am a firm believer that the amount of energy we spend on professional responsibilities should be balanced with the energy we invest in our personal growth and happiness. So go forth and conquer that helicopter or slam that spoken word, and commit to your work life balance and personal growth this year. #2 – Befriend TED. If TED were a person, he would be one of the most intelligent and influential people in the country, constantly dropping knowledge to his immediate friends. Luckily for us, TED is not just one person, and we can all benefit from the knowledge sharing of this nonprofit organization and global community committed to spreading ideas across multiple disciplines. Many of us in AIMHO may already be familiar with TED Talks, and for entry-level professionals this is an especially useful resource. I have used TED Talks to introduce my students to concepts and invite discussion around topics such as diversity and education. In addition to using TED Talks to spark discussion in student (and professional) groups, sharing TED videos can also encourage individual curiosity and exploration. Our students are not the only ones who may benefit from increased knowledge sharing and exploration. Increase your own knowledge base this year by exploring the multitude of videos on the TED website (www.ted.com). If you are new to the wonderful world of TED Talks, it may be worth starting with the New to TED Playlist (http://new.ted.com/ playlists/77/new_to_ted). Heading into interview season, Amy Cuddy’s “Your body language shapes who you are” is especially relevant. #3 – Make your place at the table. You will often hear student affairs professionals call for a “seat at the table” in university decision-making. My final resolution suggestion for entry-level professionals in 2014 is to step up to that proverbial table and take a seat. Each housing professional, regardless of years of experience, has a unique perspective to share and contribute to the conversations happening across diverse institutions every day. Challenge yourself to share your own unique perspective, ideas, and contributions so your voice is not lost in the conversation. This is not to say that we have all the answers to every question. Although, let’s face it, we millennials do have all the answers (only kidding!). No one has all the answers, which is what makes collaboration so important. Housing programs may make misinformed decisions without the authentic perspectives of entry-level professionals in the mix. Share those opinions and ideas with pride, contributing to the mission and goals of your department! Just no hashtags, please. Seriously. So there they are, three suggestions for how to propel your entry-level professional career forward in 2014. Take them, tweak them, make your own, and use this year to be better, and do better, than last year. And if you want more resolution suggestions, check out these GIFs: http://idealistcareers.org/12-professional-new-years-resolutions-for2014-explained-with-gifs/ Happy New Year AIMHO! Make it a good one. Feb 2014 | 7

FromtheResearchandInformationCommittee Do you wonder how other schools in the region deal with current issues? Are you willing to share your policies, ideas, and successes with others? The Research and Information Committee is here to help. Let us know what questions are on your mind. One of the recent questions was “We are getting some questions about a transgender student who is transitioning (male to female) and in the middle of hormone treatment. In a nutshell it sounds like the student would not want to use a gender neutral bathroom, rather a bathroom that is specific to the transitioned gender (female), but ze has not yet made a complete transition to the female gender.”

The responses from schools can be found on the Research and Information page of AIMHO.org. If anyone else wants to weigh in on this and other questions, contact a member of the Research and Information Committee.

AIMHOPosterSession:MoreThanJustData By: Maggie Roque, University of Utah (Research and Information Committee)

Research, data, and assessment are words that are inspiring and exciting for some Housing professionals. But too often this aspect of our profession is something that is avoided, ignored, or underrepresented in departments and at the regional level. While yes, some research and data can be dry, or even boring, to read and learn about, we often struggle to recognize that a lot of what we are already doing is data-driven. If we allow ourselves to reflect on why we do what we do, it is often easy to see that we have been following trends and being intentional all along. So why not share that? At AIMHO’s Regional Conference, the Research and Information Committee is happy to host a venue for you to not only share your wisdom and experience, but to learn from others’ as well. In the past, this opportunity has been a task of the Programming Committee, however we believe that shifting it to Research and Information will allow us, as a region, to be more intentional not only in how we collect information, but in how we learn as well. The poster session allows us the opportunity to take numbers, data, and information and make it engaging and accessible. While our regional conference is still months away, we highly encourage you to start considering what you’re doing now and how you can develop your information to share with others. Have you done a lot of investigating and benchmarking to develop a new community or initiative in your department? Share your process and your findings in a way that is often more fun to put together than a written report. Showcase a project unique to your institution—and give constructive ideas on how others can take it back to their own schools. If you’re a graduate student, use our poster session as an opportunity to take your research and experience out of the classroom and apply it to Housing. The poster session is an opportunity to make your experience at AIMHO more meaningful and intentional—take full advantage! More information on how to submit for the poster session, as well as expectations for these submissions, will be provided at a later date.

8 | AIMHO Angle

 ARTS www.artmuseum.usu.edu/ www.centerforthearts.us/ www.whysound.com/ www.arts.usu.edu/lyric/

 RECREATION www.loganutah.org/PR/willow_park/index.cfm www.thejumpzonegetair.com/ www.ecclesice.com/newsite/index.php www.cachevalleyfunpark.com/

Meet the Challenge

 FOOD www.theelementsrestaurant.com/ www.angiesrest.com/ www.cafesabor.com/ www.lenonne.com/

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY – LOGAN, UT

Host site for AIMHO 1959, 1977, 1985, and 2014. Founded in 1888.

Save the Date, AIMHO. It Has Changed! Greetings, AIMHO! Utah State University has some exciting news concerning the upcoming conference. The dates for AIMHO 2014 have officially moved to November 16-18, so mark your calendars and get ready to venture north! There are many unique experiences to look forward to when you visit Logan. The American West Heritage Center features a living history of the Old West in the Intermountain West 1820-1920 and is just outside of Logan.

Bear Lake is a short 66 miles away from the city as well. Logan Canyon is a must-see for the variety of autumn colors, hiking trails, fishing, and camping. And let’s not forget a tour of Utah State University’s beautiful campus! Logan also offers a variety of low-key recreation and restaurants from casual local spots to fine dining establishments. A few of our favorites include The Bluebird, The Coppermill, and Black Pearl (delicious, discounted sushi!).

USU at a Glance Founded: March 8, 1888 Elevation: 4,778 feet (Logan Campus) 81 miles northeast of Salt Lake City 5 hours south of Yellowstone National Park 1-hour drive to four ski resorts 2-minute drive to Logan Canyon See more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMXjbmaNtu8!

HowtoMakeSocialMediaWorkforYou By: Ashley Baggott, Northern Arizona University

Facebook just celebrated it’s tenth anniversary, Twitter is approaching it’s eighth anniversary, and even LinkedIn is over ten years old. Social media seems to creep into everyday life more with each passing year. Using your phone in a meeting or at a conference used to be considered ill-mannered, and now it has become an acceptable way to share updates with others in the moment. What you share through various outlets is now seen as a projection of yourself. So what exactly are you putting out to your network of Friends or Followers? In higher education social media is commonly used at conferences for networking, sharing content, polling followers’ opinions, and also for sharing a bit of your personality. I think most of us can understand the use of social media at conferences seeing as tweeting during our sessions at the annual AIMHO conference is encouraged. It allows us to quickly share a sentiment from our conference experience with those who may not be able to attend. The annual conference is also a means for networking across the region. Twitter, Facebook Pages, and Groups are a great tool to maintain those relationships and provide a forum to share interesting articles with the region. Another use that I have seen post-conference is peers using social media to ask others around the region about processes to conduct informal research to compare and potentially improve things on their home campuses. Social media is and can be an asset in your professional life, but you’re online profiles should also reflect who you are as an individual. While a social profile that includes recent and relevant articles to higher education and housing is helpful to Friends and Followers, how much do you really get to know someone solely through shared content? Being that we are in a profession and region that is so relational that you feel like you are going to a family reunion each year for the annual conference, sharing a little about yourself probably wouldn’t hurt your efforts to build connections. When it comes down to it, your online traffic should be intentional. Share content that shows what you are passionate about. Maintain contact with your network of Friends and Followers and reach out to them when needed beyond the annual conference. Finally, continue to use #AIMHO while sharing content throughout the year.

What’sbeenhappeningonTwitter...

10 | AIMHO Angle

SocialJusticeandDiversityAroundOurRegion

Contributors: Alexandra DuBois, University of Arizona; Christine Clock, Adams State University; Lillian Lee Dale Zamecnik, University of Wyoming; Vicki Vanderwerf, University of Colorado Boulder; Lynn Arthur, New Mexico Tech

AIMHO’s Social Justice & Diversity Committee is pleased to share a few current happenings on our campuses. We’d like to hear what other AIMHO colleges are doing to promote social justice & diversity. What are you doing to make an impact? Please share your ideas, big or small, to inspire others in our region. Simply take a few minutes to email us a few sentences about what your department or institution is doing in this area and we will compile the responses to publish in the next Angle. Kindly email your info to Lysette Davis: davis@life.arizona.edu

Happening at the University of Arizona:

UA Residence Life uses the hashtag #UASOJO to promote all events over social media. Over the past semester, UA created two new projects. The first, called AdvoCATS, is a social justice theatre troupe dedicated to raising awareness concerning issues of social justice on the UA campus and greater Tucson area. The troupe will not only perform original content, they are seeking to reach out to local high schools, and serve as a bias-response team to provide trainings across campus should issues of bias occur. The group will also assist UA Residence Life in training RAs about social justice. A second new project UA has adapted from New York University is the “Project Pay Attention” campaign. Designed to combat bullying and harassment, Project Pay Attention is a program adapted for residence halls and the campus community to teach students to monitor their own in-person and online behavior, and raise awareness about bullying and bystander intervention.

Happening at Adams State:

Adams State University in Alamosa, CO is putting together a Tunnel of Oppression Event this semester to help educate students on the modern day oppressors in our culture. ASU housing will be working with other campus groups to create rooms that engage, educate and ignite students to challenge their perspectives about these issues. Some of the rooms with address issues such as; Body Image, Objectification of people, Suicide Awareness, LGBTQ, Mental Health, Bullying, Homelessness/ Poverty, Religion, Learning Disabilities and race.

Happening at University of Wyoming:

The University of Wyoming hosts the annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice which began in 1997 and is currently gearing up for its 18th year. The Shepard Symposium on Social Justice is a major regional conference that engages participants in discussions and analyses of strategies and actions that can eliminate social inequality. Since its inception, the symposium has expanded its topics from issues related to social justice in public education to include inequalities based on race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and class. The Shepard Symposium is organized by a committee of University faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders across the state of Wyoming. This year’s symposium is April 2-5 and focuses on Everyday Oppressions: Taking Courageous Action.

Happening at the University of Colorado Boulder:

CU Boulder has created a social justice professional development training series called “Going Deeper.” Going Deeper is a monthly meeting for all CU Boulder Residence Life staff to come together and talk about social justice issues happening in our halls, on campus, and throughout our organization. Each year, CU establishes a curriculum for these sessions and focus on different topics throughout each semester. For example, in January, they discussed micro inequities and challenges facing the organization in regards to micro inequities and micro aggressions that happen in the workplace. The curriculum for these sessions comes from the book: Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Workforce: New Rules for a New Generation by Natalie Holder-Winfield. The purpose of the monthly meetings is to challenge our staff on social justice issues and to create a more socially just organization in CU Residence Life.

Happening at New Mexico Tech:

Tech’s Residential Life Department has joined forces with the university’s Womens’ Resource Center to reignite the Red Flag Campaign: www.theredflagcampaign.org. This awareness campaign was first launched at Tech last April in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The purpose of the Red Flag Campaign is to raise public awareness and encourage college students to intervene when they see a warning sign (“Red Flag”) of intimate partner violence in a friend’s relationship. In addition, Tech is currently working toward new policy and procedure implementation regarding sexual assault and harassment. In preparation for reforming our practices and better serving students, Tech housing staff and several senior administrators enrolled to participate in February’s Public Listening Sessions provided by the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.

Feb 2014 | 11

ThemeHousing:ConsideringNewSpecialInterest CommunitiesinaResidenceLifeProgram By: Timothy Ledna, Utah State University

In many institutions of Higher Education, ‘theme housing’ or ‘special interest communities’ can be described as unique on-campus living opportunities for students who want to focus on their shared academic, cultural, or personal interests. Theme housing, in most cases, participates in the educational mission of the university. While this might describe many special interest living communities in general, it does not give evidence to the wide variety of themes that exist on college campuses nor does it demonstrate the many variables of administration that can exist for them. This article will attempt to do two things: first, highlight some of the theme housing options that this author has seen in his professional career and second, it will share basic guidelines to consider when a residence life program starts a new special interest community. Theme housing comes in many different sizes, shapes, and colors! Some of the more common themes on college campuses might include Honors House or Leadership House. Many themes exist to support certain academic disciplines. For example, Utah State University (USU) hosts an Engineering House and an Appreciating the Arts floor. The University of Nevada – Las Vegas (UNLV) supports a community just for students studying hotel administration. And then there are special interest themes like Global Village at USU or LGBTQIA at Northern Arizona University (NAU). It would seem that no matter the focus area, theme housing is about creating communities with shared interests, connecting students with supportive peers and professionals, and helping residents be successful in college. Are you thinking about starting a theme housing program or adding a new special interest floor to your residence life program? There are four basic steps to consider when starting a new theme housing option or special interest community for residents. First, and very important, a residence life program must assess whether or not theme housing is part of its overall strategic plan and supported by the chief housing officer. Ask critical questions such as: What are the short-term and long-term goals of the residence life curriculum? Are the current themes (if any) successful at helping to reach those goals? What are the learning outcomes for the new proposal? What level of support do colleagues, support staff, and directors show toward the idea? The objectives for the new theme should be both consistent with the overall mission statement of the residence life or housing program and conform to the vision of top housing administrators. Finally, initial budgetary questions should be reviewed in this first step. Senior members of housing administration and even lower level stake holders have to agree to there being a benefit to the costs (time, money, energy) of a new special interest community. If the answers to initial strategic questions are affirmative, the second step, maybe even more crucial than the first in considering a new theme, is centered on determining desirability. Do students want the newly proposed special interest community? Will anyone live in it? Building a theme around a professional staff’s hobby or personal passion doesn’t guarantee residents will be attracted. To this end, the residence life program must conduct thorough research. Current on-campus students should be surveyed about their interest in the new theme. Students at large should be invited to focus groups and asked questions about the viability of the proposal. Consider too what role student leaders will play, if any? Only if there is significant student interest should the theme move forward. If decision makers are on board and residents are attracted to the newly proposed living community, the third step 12 | AIMHO Angle

ThemeHousing:ConsideringNewSpecialInterest CommunitiesinaResidenceLifeProgram(continued)

involves administrative choices. These decisions must take into account the budget, staffing needs, customer service, and student development. There are an endless array of questions to consider here. A few examples include: Will there be an extra cost to students for participation in this theme? How many, if any, extra student staff will be hired to facilitate the theme? Will the student staff have specialized positions with specialized training because of their role in the theme? Some institutions have additional student support staff. At USU for example, the position is called ‘peer mentor’. Who will be eligible to live in the new community? Some special interest communities are only open to first year students while others are only open to those with a minimum GPA. Some might have a requirement for a specific declared major or acceptance into a special program. Students living in Honors at UNLV must be accepted into the university’s Honors College, for example. Finally, the fourth and last step is recruitment and program development. It is crucial that the newly emerging theme be marketed alongside the other living options. This means that it needs to be described well and included in housing booklets and brochures. New living opportunities will be most noticed on the housing web page so consolation with the web master will also be important. Don’t forget to talk to the people who are responsible for housing and / or campus tours. Finally, consider making interested residents who currently live on campus part of the leadership team for recruitment and developing the program. Together with these students, housing professional staff can finalize the themes mission statement, learning outcomes, goals, and programs. The group can decide if a ‘pledge’ of some sort is required for participation in the theme and whether or not a certain amount of attendance at programs is required throughout the year. Special interest communities can host retreats, study groups, and road trips that match their theme! The Living Learning Community (LLC) at Utah State University has a history of exploring new themes. The Residence Director and author of this article, Timothy Ledna, began serving the LLC, a 500+ bed residence hall, in fall of 2009. At that point, the LLC hosted two theme communities: Honors House and Leadership House. In 2011, I experimented with Study Intensive Suites in the LLC because of anecdotal information about students wanting a more quiet study environment. Two years later, there has been mixed success with the Study Intensive Suites. Some of the problem may stem from not having done initial interest surveys and the other challenge comes from filling beds with non-theme students after the theme housing deadline has passed. Understandably, the university housing program cannot lose money from not filling a living space just because it is designated a theme. Unfortunately though, study intensive students and non-study intensive students don’t mix very well. Having learned from the past, I set out to get a lot more feedback from students before moving forward with any new theme. In the spring of 2013, I held initial meetings with the Executive Director of Housing, Steve Jenson, and the Director of Residence Life, Whitney Milligan, to get approval for the consideration of an InterFaith House. Next, marketing assistants, I, and Steve held student focus groups each week for several months to gage interest in this new “open and affirming living environment where students can dialogue about faith, explore the spiritual traditions of the world, and increase their own religious literacy in order to facilitate peace, civility, and interreligious cooperation in our world.” Feb 2014 | 13

ThemeHousing:ConsideringNewSpecialInterest CommunitiesinaResidenceLifeProgram(continued)

Finally, over 500 residents were surveyed at various functions throughout the semester, revealing at least some interest in general among the student body in the theme. In fall 2013 new housing brochures were printed with InterFaith House listed as an official option. Three returning residents signed up for the first semester and one of those, David Tauber, agreed to be the ‘student coordinator’ for InterFaith House. While some might consider that only three residents in a theme to be dismal results, one has to remember that most themes take time to grow! Fall and spring of this academic year have been used for recruitment and program development. To attract residents, InterFaith House so far has successfully hosted several faculty-mentor talks, brought a multifaith scholar and student affairs professional from New York University to campus (Dr. Marcella Runell Hall), and took a road trip with students to Salt Lake City’s Leonardo Museum to see its exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Besides hoping for stronger participation in InterFaith House, the fall of 2014 will also be exciting as USU’s Living Learning Community opens a suite for students wanting to live together in a more sustainably conscious way. The new theme is called EcoHouse and is the result of four student leaders and I winning a USU Blue Goes Green grant. EcoHouse is special, not just because of its focus on residential (on campus) sustainability, but it is special also because it uses the novel approach of grant funding to launch itself and also almost all of its direction comes from student leaders. There are currently six Student Coordinators and one Student Director, Kayla Wantanabe, coming together to form the Residential Service and Sustainability Institute, which facilitates EcoHouse as one of its programs to engage students. Theme housing can be a fun, exciting way to engage students in learning outside the classroom. Many students are better able to handle the initial transition to adult college life when they are easily able to interact with peers in the residence halls who are like them. This does not mean that Honors House or LGBTGIA community students, for example, don’t appreciate the diversity of interactions with others who are different from them. On the contrary, theme housing helps them better identify who they are so they can more comfortably and more confidently approach others as they navigate their college experience. Special interest communities support the educational mission of the university and help college students be successful!

AnAIMHOCollegeReflection By: Laura Giles, AIMHO College 2014 Chair

As the planning for AIMHO College 2014 gets underway, we begin our work as a subcommittee reflecting on AIMHO College 2013. What an amazing adventure it was thanks to the AIMHO College 2013 planning committee led by Troy Campbell and the fantastic faculty and participants. The AIMHO College faculty included: Chris Anderson from University of Utah, Dr. Marie Humphrey from Regis University; Dr. Rich Payne from Northern Arizona University, Dr. Kathy Sisneros from Colorado State University and Shane Windmeyer from Campus Pride. They presented on topics such as supervision, academic initiatives, budgeting, conflict resolution and diversity (respectively). There were nearly 30 participants representing a range of institutions in the AIMHO Region. Their energy level was incredible and started with a roaring roll call as the cohorts introduced themselves in typical Residence Life fashion. The energy never waned as they reflected on their professional learning, engaged with faculty, met with the SHO Institute participants, and learned how to get involved in the AIMHO Region. Many of the participants from the class of 2013 are serving as committee members for AIMHO College 2014. This quote from our assessment of the College sums it well: “collaborative learning, engaging sessions, networking with peers”. AIMHO College 2013 exemplified the goals of the AIMHO Conference itself. Here’s to next year! 14 | AIMHO Angle

IntheMedia...

Submitted By: Sundi Musnicki, Boise State University

The End of the College Roommate?

By: David R. Wheeler, as published in The Atlantic on February 11, 2014

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/02/the-end-of-the-college-roommate/283621/

When Spencer Kiessling was a freshman at the University of South Carolina, he had a terrible roommate experience. “I really didn’t want to have to share a room again,” he says. So when he transferred to the University of Southern Indiana, a public university outside of Evansville, he requested a room all to himself. And his new school was more than happy to oblige. “The biggest advantage of your own room is, obviously, the privacy,” says Kiessling, now a junior majoring in environmental science. “Also, it makes it a lot easier for me to focus when I need to get work done.” For students like Kiessling, who want to increase privacy, enjoy more personal space, and, most importantly, avoid bad roommate experiences, there’s an answer. In the parlance of university residence life, it’s called a “super single”: a room big enough for two people, but reserved for one. A natural outgrowth of the college amenities arms race—the competition to build facilities with evermore luxurious spaces—super singles cater to a growing number of students willing to pay for a private room. Colleges that offer super singles include public universities such as Sacramento State University and the University of Tennessee as well as private schools such as Hofstra University in Long Island and Emory University in Atlanta. The University of Northern Iowa has converted Shull Hall, a traditional residence hall designed for double occupancy, into a super singles dorm. “Occupying the room with a roommate is the exception in this hall,” says Glenn Gray, executive director of the school’s Department of Residence. The super single option is “a point of distinction in our invitations to transfer students—a growing portion of our new students,” he says. At the moment, single rooms are still the exception. But if the trend takes off, and future generations of American college students come to expect their own room, the four-year residential college experience might look quite different. What are the long-term consequences of getting rid of the college roommate? As annoying as roommates can be, don’t they offer valuable lessons? “I don’t think there’s any doubt that private rooms have changed and still are changing social aspects of college,” says Kiessling. “With a private room, it’s very easy to find yourself cut off from a social life. If you just go back to your room as soon as class is over, you’re never going to meet anyone new or have any experiences beyond those in the classroom.” Many student development experts find the super singles trend worrisome. “Learning to interact effectively with others is a central element of success in adult life in both work and personal contexts,” says Marcia Baxter Magolda, a professor at Miami University in Ohio who conducted a 27-year longitudinal study on young adult development. Establishing an “inner voice,” she says, is necessary to function effectively in today’s complex world, where one must think critically, evaluate multiple perspectives, make ethical decisions, and balance one’s own needs with those of others. But such growth isn’t automatic; it requires interaction. “Having a roommate in a residence hall Feb 2014 | 15

IntheMedia...(continued)

system, where the staff members assist students in navigating the complexity of relationships, would contribute to such growth.” Many people who became lifelong friends with their roommate also find the private-room trend troubling. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” says Harry Frankenfeld, a 2001 graduate of Belmont University in Nashville who is now an audio engineer and videographer in Seattle. “Living in the dorms helped me, as an only child, connect and learn how to live with other people. I think I’m more balanced because of my friendship with my roommate. I had to learn to work through conflict, and learn how to celebrate someone else’s ‘wins.’” Frankenfeld and his roommate stayed friends after college, kept in touch despite living thousands of miles away, and, like many college roommates, participated in each other’s weddings. They still talk about twice a month. He thinks students who never have a roommate will miss out, not only on the chance to build a lasting friendship, but also on a unique opportunity for personal growth. “Basically, I had to learn to be less self-centered and selfish. It’s helped in my marriage, in my work relationships, and in my relationships in general. Roommates are good for us.” Indeed, academic studies show roommates can have positive effects on each other. For example, sociologist David R. Harris found in a 2002 American Sociological Review study that white students who were paired up with non-white roommates ended up more open-minded about race. Learning about different cultures and experiencing the breakdown of one’s stereotypes are important lessons that can be learned through having a roommate, says Dalton Conley, dean of social sciences at New York University. But there are also more mundane aspects of learning to live with someone: how to make do when the other person in the room snores, or likes the window open at night, or is messier than you would like. “Roommates simply teach us to be tolerant and adapt,” Conley says. “In our increasingly customized, digitized, on-demand world, there are not many experiences that provide this sort of socialization.” Additionally, there are broader societal implications for a generation of college-educated adults who have never had a roommate. Household density—the number of persons per room—has been steadily declining over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries. “We used to live with extended kin in small, crowded houses,” Conley says. “Now we have more and more space to ourselves. Thus, the college dorm experience was one of the last bastions of shared, cramped quarters for those of us who don’t go to prison or enlist in the military.” He adds, “It’s a shame that this training is now going away slowly, leaving us increasingly with no experience of cohabiting with difference.” Even Kiessling, while grateful to have his own dorm room, isn’t ready to do away with the idea of roommates altogether. Despite his bad experience freshman year, he recommends sharing a room at least once during one’s college career. “I still do believe that there’s a lot to be said for the college experience—I think everyone should live away from home and with a roommate for at least their first year,” he says. “It helps build some pretty important life skills, and even if you don’t form a good relationship with your roommate, conflict management will still be helpful in the future.”

16 | AIMHO Angle

Feb 2014 | 17

AIMHO

/AIMHO.Intermountain /AIMHO

If printed, please recycle when finished using. The AIMHO Angle is a compliation of submissions from students and staff members of the AIMHO region. Each issue is prepared and distributed by the AIMHO Marketing Committee. Submit your own article for the next AIMHO Angle! Email it to: aimhoregion@gmail.com