TRENDS: Spring 2023

Spring 2023

TRENDS is published twice times a year by Great Lakes Association of College and University Housing Officers (GLACUHO) for members of the association.

GLACUHO is a non-profit organization that strives to:

Better prepare housing officers to meet the diverse and changing needs of those we serve with primary concern for students.

Sponsor activities and services which assist housing officers in the exchange and distribution of information and ideas

Advance and communicate professional knowledge and standards in the field of housing

Contribute to the improvement of dining services, residential life, residential services, and residential facilities provided by housing officers. Provide opportunities for the education and professional development of housing officers

Support the goals and purposes of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International (ACUHO-I)

GLACUHOCommunications &MarketingCommittee

AmandaMientus MiamiUniversity

ElianMackey

EasternIllinoisUniversity

KyraDeLoach

SouthwesternMichiganCollege

TimMcCue

IllinoisStateUniversity

President

KelleeSteffen IndianaUniversity

ThomasMannion

LoyolaUniversityofChicago

ElleMcGary

WesternIllinoisUniversity

MegWallaker

IndianaUniversityBloomington

PatriciaNicandro DePaulUniversity

NicoleVonDrasek DePaulUniversity

JeffSmithJr.

CentralMichiganUniversity

BrandonPerjak

SouthernIllinoisUniversityEdwardsville

GLACUHOBoardofDirectors&CommitteeChairs

TechnologyCoordinator

ProfessionalFoundationsChairs

SteveHerndon

PastPresident

QuianaM.Stone GovernorsStateUniversity

President-Elect

JeremyAlexander

EasternIllinoisUniversity

Secretary

NathanTomson

SaginawValleyState University

Treasurer

ShavonnNowlin

SaintXavierUniversity

ExhibitorLiaison

EddieNguyen-Koelzer

MichiganStateUniversity

GretaDieter

WesternIllinoisUniversity

CommitteeChairDelegate

ZacBirch

NorthernIllinoisUniversity

ConferenceHostChair

DaveArnold

UniversityofIllinois

HealthandWellnessChair

TresaBarlageZianno

MiamiUniversity

StudentLearning

BradfordPeace

BallStateUniversity

Inclusion&EquityChair

RobertKing

OaklandUniversity

AmyFitzjarrald

UniversityofIllinoisat

Urbana-Champaign

CampusSafety&CrisisManagementChair

KevinKrauskopf

ElmhurstUniversity

ConferenceHostAssistantChair

LoveyMarshall

UniversityofIllinois-Chicago

Facilities&OperationsChair

JeremyMiracle

DePaulUniversity

Communications&MarketingChair

SaraKennedy

UniversityofCincinnati

ContemporaryIssuesChair

AlisonSinadinos

IndianaUniversity

CynthiaMoberly FranklinCollege

GLACUHO GLACUHO GLACUHOcommittees GET TO KNOW

Facilities&Operations

Reviews facility trends and sustainability options for housing operations.

ContemporaryIssues

TOPIC: Promoting the Health of our Educators and Association

This year, the committee will examine Promoting the Health of our Educators and Association.

Inclusion&Equity

Provides resources and opportunities on various multicultural and diversity-related topics.

StudentLearning

Researches trends and provides resources and best practices in the area of student learning.

Health&Wellness

Create

Communcations&Marketing

Creates our GLACUHO publications and is responsible for the marketing and social media of the association.

To prov the edu of Resid foundat

CampusSafety&CrisisMgmt.

Researches trends and provides resources and best practices in the area of campus safety and crisis response.

The ann coordin commit under our old structure.

Reflectionsfromthe 2023Mid-LevelInstitute

ElyseHolguin DominicanUniversity

OnFebruary3-4,2023,GLACUHOhosted18professionalsfrom15institutionsforthe 2023Mid-LevelInstituteatIndianaStateUniversity TheMid-LevelInstitute(MLI), whichwasestablishedin2015,isatwo-dayprofessionaldevelopmentseminar featuringarangeofactivitiesforprofessionalswhoarecurrentlyinmid-levelroles andareconsideringamovetothenextleveland/orsearchingforopportunitiesto improvetheirskillsintheircurrentpositions The2023Mid-LevelInstitutewas generouslysponsoredbySouthwestContract,whichprovidedparticipantstobe abletoattendtheinstituteatnocost.

Thisyear’sMLIFacultyandtopicscoveredwere:NathanThomson,Directorof ResidentialLifeatSaginawValleyStateUniversity,whopresentedonUniversity Politics;MichelleSujka,AssistantDirectorofHousing,FacilityOperationsatUniversity ofCincinnati,whopresentedonFacilitiesManagementandConstruction;Sasha Masoomi,AssistantDirectorofResidenceLifeatMiamiUniversity,whopresentedon PurposefulProfessionalDevelopment,LindsayFaulstick,AssociateDeanof Students/DirectorofResidenceLife&LeadershipatHanoverCollege,whopresented onManagingfromtheMiddle;andRobertKing,SeniorDirectorofUniversityHousing atOaklandUniversity,whopresentedonChangeManagement.

AfterleavingMLI,Ireachedouttoparticipantsandfacultyonbehalfofthe ProfessionalFoundationsCommitteetoaskforfeedbackonwhatmadethemapply forMLI,whatthebiggesttakeawayswere,andwhattheywouldtellsomeonewho wasonthefenceaboutapplyingforMLI.

OctaviaHubert,ResidentDirectoratMiami Universityexplainedherrationaleforapplying toMLIandhertakeaways:IappliedtoMLIto getmoreinvolvedinGLACUHOandmeet colleaguesinhighereducation.My experiencehaspreparedmeformyfuture; there’svalueIcanbringcomingfroma careeroutsideofhighereducationand connectingthosetransferableskillstomy currentrole Makingtimeforyourown professionaldevelopmentissoimportantto stayconnectedtothefield,colleagues,andit alsobenefitsthoseyouworkwith MLIcreates acafespacetodothisandignitesyour“Why Flame”.Weareallverybusydoingthegood work,buttheMLIexperienceisagreatwayto pauseandrememberwhereitallstartedand whyyouaredriventodothiswork.

Octavia Hubert

JakeMcLean,AssistantDeanforCampusLifeat KnoxCollegeexplained:IappliedtoMLIbecauseI waslookingforaprofessionaldevelopment opportunitytohelpbuildmycompetencyin supervisingstaff.Oneofmyteammembers participatedin[GLACUHO’s]Professional DevelopmentInstituteandwalkedawaywithgreat experiencesandasolidpeernetwork.Iwashoping togetthesameoutofMLI(andIdid!).Thebiggest takeawayformewasnavigatingorganizational politics thestrategicthinkingnecessaryto leverageinformation,collaboratewithcampus partners,andultimatelymakechanges.Itwasall great,butthoseelementsstickouttome

Whenaskedwhathewouldtellsomeonewhowasonthefenceonwhetherornotto applyforMLI,McLeananswered:Itisabsolutelyworthit.Iffornootherreason,you gettoleavecampusandnetworkwithotherpeopledealingwithsimilarchallenges andopportunities.MLIhelpedmebuildrelationshipswithothers,soitdoesn'tfeelso isolatingbeinginamid-levelrole.

ThisisnottosaythattheonlybenefitsfromMLIwerefortheparticipants.MLIFaculty memberMichelleSujkaexplainedthatshealsolearnedanewapproachto supervisinghersupervisor.Tothemoreseasonedstaffwhomightbeonthefence ofapplyingforfaculty,Michelleexplained:Youhavetimetoserveasfaculty.Thereis aperceptionthatittakesalotoftime,butlikeanythingwedo,itiswhatyoumake ofit!Ihaveenjoyedpreviousfacultyrolesatvariousinstitutes,andthroughalittle pushfromafriendandcolleague,Idecidedmyexperienceswereonesthatothers couldbenefitfrom.

MLIFacultymemberLindsayFaulstickwasencouragedtoapplyforthefacultyby oneofthestaffmembersshesupervises Faulstick’sadviceforthoseconsidering beingfacultyataninstituteinthefuture:Absolutelydoit Ihadn’trealizedhowmuch theinstitutewouldimpactme Therenewedsenseofexcitementforthefieldfrom workingwithmid-levelprofessionalswascriticalforme.Ialsomadenewfriends thatIalreadyconnectwithbothpersonallyandprofessionally.Awin/winallaround! Ilearnedhowimportantitisthatyouconnectwithcolleaguesfromvarious institutionsthatsharesimilarroleswithyou.Thecommunityofknowledgeand sharedexpertiseisinvigoratingandtransformational.

ThenextMid-LevelInstitutewillbeheldinFebruary2025,asitisabiennialinstitute. Additionally,theProfessionalDevelopmentInstitutewillbeheldinFebruary2024. TheProfessionalDevelopmentInstituteisaimedatdevelopingleadershipqualities andskillsinentry-levelprofessionalswithatleastoneyearoffull-timeexperience whoarepassionateaboutthefield,interestedingrowingtheirnetwork,and consideringexploringmid-levelroles.Ifyouareinterestedinparticipatingaseither afacultymemberoraparticipantinfutureGLACUHOinstitutes,pleasevisitthe ProfessionalFoundationsCommitteepageoftheGLACUHOwebsiteoremail ProFound@glacuho.org.

Jake McLean

DEART.I.M.

TOGETHERINMARKETING

You may remember the newspaper column called Dear Abby. Well, Dear T.I.M. is the new evolution of that column for the GLACUHO association.

You can ask T.I.M. about your job, work relationships, how to have tough conversations or even advice on job searching. T.I.M. is here to answer all the questions you may be holding onto.

T.I.M. will receive the anonymous questions and will answer them via the GLACUHO social media accounts. Be on the lookout for questions you may have asked and one you may find helpful to your own success!

SUBMITYOURQUESTIONSHERE:

BEE BRAVE, ASK T.I.M.

PartneringwithParents,Families &SupportSystemsofStudents

As a twenty-two year and counting housing professional, I am closing in on an infinite number of interactions with parents, families, and support systems of students (affectionately referred to as the PF group moving forward).

Admittedly I have experienced an increased heart rate and mild sweat sometimes when names pop up on the caller ID, anticipating a heated conversation. This has been an added stress to an already stressful workload, and I do not anticipate this slowing down any time soon. Recently, however, my department shifted its approach to working with the PF group; changing our mindset has brought us positive results.

In higher education we regularly reflect on the pandemic, thinking about the lessons we have learned. For the past two and a half years my department recognized we need to be connected more than ever, relying on collaborations, partnerships, and relationships to be better at our work, both within and beyond campus. As a result, Residence Life and Housing at Baldwin Wallace University (BW) made the decision to focus more intentional work on the PF group moving forward.

As an institution we had regular communication with the PF group during the 2020-2021 school year to update our COVID-19 planning and response. I was in communication daily with individual parents and families, responding to student needs while in quarantine and isolation. As the school year ended and we planned for the upcoming year, we realized that we needed to increase our work with the PF group with the intent of being transparent and hopefully decreasing the stress of the PF group. With that in mind, we focused on improving in these areas with the PF group: communication, programming, assessment, recognition, customer service, and future planning.

Senior Director, Residence Life and Housing

Bob Beyer

Baldwin Wallace University

COMMUNICATION

For 2021-2022 one of our major goals was to increase our communication with the PF group. This goal aligned well with the vision for our new VP, Dr. Timeka Rashid, as she was planning a new position in our division for Parent and Family programming In my welcome letter to the PF group in July 2021 I invited the PF group to virtual “Director Discussions” on a regular basis.

We also made it a point to increase our presence on social media. We heard about a Parents of Baldwin Wallace Students Facebook group, so I asked to join during the fall 2021 semester. Although I was nervous to take the plunge into this scary pool, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Once I introduced myself to the group (it has a large membership) it helped move quite a bit of the “Rumors of Res Life” to be debunked and the PF group started redirecting concerns to proper channels. My presence on this page also nudged the PF group to approach concerns in a different fashion since they “met” me and could put a name with a face. Every few weeks I will post updates from our department, sharing upcoming events, things to look out for, and photos.

We ran into some hiccups that we did not anticipate when we joined the page Due to my consistent presence on the page, members started tagging me in posts with work-related questions at odd times of the day. Although I posted often, asking members to contact us via work communication, this practice continued. If you are going to join/create a group like this, you will want to be extra clear about the funnel of communication as it relates to issues.

PROGRAMMING

When BW officially created the department of Parent and Family programming in January 2022, we jumped in to collaborate immediately. We have a representative from our department who sits on the Parent and Family Advisory group, and we will have a presence as BW reinstitutes a Parent and Family weekend. We will host a table during the weekend fair to continue to connect with the PF group.

We also recognized that our move-in experience for students and the PF group needed a facelift. We added more experiences, offering Hydration Stations and photo frame opportunities. It was important for us to give the PF group a positive experience as they were working through their

emotions of the day. This year, we held our second annual Open House for the PF group at our office at the end of first year move-in day. We provided light refreshments for parents, families, and friends (not students) so they had an opportunity to see our physical office and to connect with important staff members. We excluded students from this event intentionally because we wanted to offer parents and families a space where they could ask us some of the “embarrassing questions” that they might not want to ask in front of their students. It gave us an opportunity to offer reassurance that we will look out for their students, and we will help them with their transition.

ASSESSMENT

Our department has fully embraced the need to assess, so we made the decision to add the PF group to our assessment strategy. During 2021-2022 I gave homework to the members of the Parent and Family Facebook page to review our department’s website. During a later “Director Discussion” the PF group re-affirmed the gaps in our site that we could share with University Relations.

For August 2022 we already included the PF group in a more formal assessment opportunity. We shared a link to a survey for move-in and we have collected some valuable feedback to improve that experience. We will add opportunities throughout the 2022-2023 school year for the PF group to weigh in on department procedures and policies.

RECOGNITION

Our department is highly active with National Residence-Hall Honorary (NRHH), submitting Of the Months (OTMs) regularly to recognize the work our students, colleagues, and other partners do for BW or higher education in general. I was so proud of the positive involvement we had from the PF group at BW last year that they were recognized with an OTM.

FUTUREPLANNING

CUSTOMERSERVICE

Residence Life and Housing departments are highly skilled when it comes to customer service and our team challenges each other to be excellent in this area. The little steps we take go a long way with the PF group. Our goal is to approach each situation with kindness and our PF group has recognized this approach. This was affirmed by the results of our recent PF group move-in survey.

Prior to the pandemic we had a great connection with the PF group of Resident Assistants (RAs) because we would recruit families to provide a home-cooked meal for RAs during training in August. This was always a big hit with the staff, and you can feel that this experience is missing. We are looking into how we can include the PF group of our RAs back into training. We are looking into creative ways to give the PF group the opportunity to “be an RA for a day.”

We have recognized that our website and external communication need work, so we have allocated resources to enhance this work. Over the years it has been a lesser priority, and this added to concerns from our PF group. Our website was lacking information that people want to find immediately instead of asking for it. Our proposed changes should continue to increase our positive relationship with the PF group.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We already have plans to use our PF group for more and more assessment. The PF group definitely has opinions, so we will have more focused opportunities to gather information from them and then tell stories about the changes we made because of their input.

We recognized that we need to strengthen our partnerships with key offices on campus. The plan is to have more consistent messaging between our groups. The PF group regularly shares that, “this is not what I heard from another office,” so any way we can be on the same page ahead of time will work to our advantage.

Our department is highly active with National Residence-Hall Honorary (NRHH), submitting Of the Months (OTMs) regularly to recognize the work our students, colleagues, and other partners do for BW or higher education in general. I was so proud of the positive involvement we had from the PF group at BW last year that they were recognized with an OTM.

Challengeyourteamtodothefollowing asyouworkwiththePFgroup:

Listen. We want to defend decisions we have made (and they are usually good decisions) but try to pause and really listen to what they are saying.

Be transparent where you can.

Assess the PF group. We are already doing assessment, so offer up informal and formal opportunities for the PF group to give suggestions.

Make sure your website and other external communications are up to date and accurate.

Strengthen key partnerships (dining, facilities, admission, athletics, counseling/health). At times, these groups may give inconsistent messages despite good intentions.

Pic-us to publish Pic-us to publish your work! your work!

SUBMIT FOR FALL TRENDS SUBMIT FOR FALL TRENDS

Weareaccepting Weareaccepting submissionsforthe submissionsforthe Fall2023TRENDS Fall2023TRENDS publication. publication.

Deadline: Deadline: Monday, Monday, September11th! September11th!

SpringInto NewHabits

ALEX ASTIAZARAN, HALL DIRECTOR CATIE WITT-DANNER, COMPLEX DIRECTOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Now that spring is right around the corner, it is the perfect time to start practicing new personal and professional habits. Forming new habits can often be difficult as we struggle to maintain a new routine. We want to highlight a few different methods to help you establish a new habit Establishing a new habit can clean up your daily routine and lead to a healthier lifestyle. James Clear, a New York Times best-selling author, and author of Atomic Habits (2018), said “A habit is a lifestyle to be lived, not a finish line to be crossed ”

Clear talks about the key to creating habits that stick is using the habit loop. The habit loop consists of four stages: Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward The habit loop can start with a good or bad habit One bad habit we might have is constantly checking our phone at work. The cue may be boredom after staring at a screen for an extended period of time. We crave stimulus, so our response is checking social media on our phone The reward is the satisfaction of the slight entertainment from being on our phone. This bad habit can then be mapped onto other bad habits through the continued desire for satisfaction. You might first check a social media app, then watch a funny video, then send a picture to some of your coworkers, and now you have mapped various bad habits together and have created a routine for when you become bored.

Monitoring our cues and changing our responses can lead to healthier habits. Instead of checking your phone, try going on a walk around your building to check on your front desks or talk to residents.

STARTINGNEWHABITS

As professionals working in housing operations on college campuses, it can be difficult to find a routine, especially in our personal lives. Each week may bring a different challenge that not only affects our work, but our personal lives. It is easy to give up on finding a routine when we are always expecting the unexpected However, this makes it difficult to break bad habits and start new healthy habits. You can create a routine, while also remaining flexible and giving yourself grace when the unexpected happens.

According to James Clear in his book Atomic Habits (2018), it takes 66 days to make a habit out of something Often, we feel motivated to start a new habit, but it

does not last past two weeks. BJ Fogg (2019), head of the Stanford University Persuasive Tech Lab, suggests starting small to find consistency and simplify what you are trying to achieve Being overly ambitious with your habit goals can quickly lead to failure. Fogg (2019) suggests starting the habit of your choice and doing the bare minimum. If you want to go to the gym 4-5 times a week, you should start by going once a week Once you consistently go once a week for 3-4 weeks, try adding a second day at the gym into your routine, and so on

One way to help you start a new habit is to make a plan, or simply write the habit down in your calendar or planner. If you have a plan, you are more likely to follow through and complete a task For example, if you are trying to eat healthier or cook more at home, then planning your meals out for the entire week will set you up for success If you do not have a plan, you are more likely to divert from the plan because nothing is keeping you on that path Even if you are eating in the dining halls, you can look and see what is on the menu for the week on Sunday and plan where you will go and what you can eat.

Lastly, do not feel like the habit you are wanting to take on is all or nothing! If you stray from your plan, it is okay. Recognize your shortcomings and try establishing the habit again One way to prevent straying from habits is by rewarding yourself. For example, if you are trying to go on more walks or spend more time outside, but you want to read a book, try downloading the audiobook version and listening to it while you are outside. If you are trying to eat healthier and you accomplish one week, you can reward yourself with your favorite midnight snack or purchasing an item you enjoy like a new book or clothing item. This reward method can help keep motivation high. Monitoring our cues and changing our responses can lead to healthier habits. Instead of checking your phone, try going on a walk around your building to check on your front desks or talk to residents

Just like personal habits, professional habits can also be a challenge to break or start because of the random meetings that get scheduled on your calendar each week. We can still apply what we learn from James Clear and BJ Fogg when it comes to professional habits Start small and be consistent Maybe you want to find more of a balance between work and personal life.

For example, you could choose to break the habit of checking your emails after work hours

We have all been there, where you can’t help opening the emails as you are notified. Try logging out of your email or turning notifications off after your workday. This is extremely important during your time off, especially when you are trying to enjoy vacation!

Another great habit that everyone can strive for in the workplace is staying organized. Again, with the starting-small mindset, you can utilize your work calendar Both Outlook and Google have a calendar that can serve as a useful tool if used correctly Scheduling meetings, along with time in between as needed, can help keep you organized and on track throughout your day and week. This can also be beneficial when there are tasks that need to be completed by a deadline Another small step that you can take to being more organized is showing up early to scheduled meetings. You can block off 15 minutes before each meeting to allow time to get there and get settled before the meeting begins. Whether you are leading the meeting or not, being early will give you plenty of time to be prepared to be as present as possible

HABITTRACKERS

We want to empower you all to create new habits and establish new routines that will lead to greater job performance We have talked about starting small and then gradually increasing your behavior as you become accustomed to your new routine along with using the habit loop to help monitor your cues and develop a positive reward system to chain healthy habits together. A great way to keep track of new habits is by using a jar of small office supplies Using two jars, one empty and one filled with a small office supply (paper clips, candy, etc.), assign yourself a task and every time you complete that task, move an item from one jar into the other. This will create a visual stimulus for completing the task and encourage you to keep going

Another way to create a visual stimulus is by using a habit journal. Using a habit journal,

you can mark how many days you have followed through on your desired habit and cross off days as you succeed The importance of the habit journal arises when you miss a day. You can make sure not to miss two days in a row and the habit journal will help keep you accountable.

There are also many different apps you can download to keep track of your habits. Habit tracking apps can be used in place of the habit journal and keep you motivated by providing some data for your progress. Here are some free apps with optional subscriptions: Habitica, Strides, Productive, and HabitNow. One of the top paid apps is Streaks. Lastly, we recommend you check out the books mentioned in this article, Atomic Habits by James Clear and Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg.

DevelopinganInclusive CommunityforResidents

Asweknow,thestudentswesupporton campusrangeinidentityandage.Students thatstrugglewiththeadjustmenttolifeona collegecampus,butitalsocanbethe nontraditionalagestudents,international studentsaswellasstudentswithfamiliesand childrentheysupport.Iwentbacktocollegeat theageof29,Istruggledconstantlywith feelingsoflonelinessanddepression.Fromday one,itwasexpressedthatIwastoooldto interactwiththetraditional-agecollege studentsandbeingLGBTQIAalsowasn’t helpingthesituation ButIstruggledthroughit forthreeandahalfyearsbeforeitfinally becametoomuchandItransferredmySenior yearofmyundergradcareer

Thedecisiontotransfertomynewinstitutionis oneofthebestI'veevermade.Iwasallowedto runandbeinvolvedbecausethiscampus recognizeddifferencesanddidn'tdiscriminate againstthem.Iwasevenabletobecomea NASPAundergraduatefellow.Itrulylearned aboutdiversityandinclusionandithelped fostermyloveofhighereducationandworking withadiversestudentbody.HadInothadthis experience,Iwouldneverhavechosentogoon togetmymaster’sandIwouldnothavebeen abletoimpactthestudents’livesthatIhaveup tothispoint.

So,tomyreadersIposethequestion; Whatareyoudoinginhousingtosecure studentswhofeelliketheyarenotathome andaren’tinvolved?Ialsowantyoutoask yourselfareyouputtingonprogramsthat showcasetrueinclusionandequityforall students?Areyouthinkingofthefoodthatyou areserving?Areyoubeingmindfulofthings suchasdietaryrestrictionsandcultural differencessuchasnotservingbeeforpork becauseofreligiousrestrictions?Isyourspace wheretheeventisbeingheldADAaccessible andcaneveryoneenjoytheeventregardlessof ability?Haveyoumadesureyouhavea microphone?Ifyou’reshowingapresentation haveyouensuredthecolorsanddesignare appealingtothosewhomaysufferfromcolor blindness?Asyoucansee,thereismorethat goesintopreparingforaneventotherthan findingavenue,marketing,andcatering.As professionalstaff,wemustdomorewiththe helpofparaprofessionalstaffandotherstohelp ourstudentsfeelliketheyareathomeandhave aplacetheybelong.Studentswhocomefrom backgroundssuchasbeingfirstgenwanttobe hereatourinstitutionsandwanttosucceed,we justneedtolaythefoundationforthemtobe successful.HelpthemlikeIwashelpedtobea birdwhocanflythenestand soarashighasaneagle.

CoryHarlan

SouthernIllinoisUniversity-Edwardsville

Neutrality:ACalltoAction

JenniferImel

ResidentialLearningCoord.,BallStateUniversity

CynthiaL.Moberly

AreaCoordinator,FranklinCollege

Highereducationhasahistorygroundedinwhite supremacy Thishistoryenforcespowerand privilegeintheUnitedStates Navigating university,state,andnationalpoliticsasstudent affairsprofessionals,weoftenmayfindourselves upholdingthispowerandprivilege.This contributestoandparticipatesinacultureof expectedpoliticalneutralityamonghigher educationprofessionals.Thiscreatesabarrierto engaginginstudentlearningandperpetuatesthe systemicoppressionthatourprofessionshould bedeconstructing.

Whydohighereducationprofessionalsfeelthe needtoremainpoliticallyneutral?The unfortunaterealityforuniversitiesisthatour successdoesnotjustrelyonstudentretention andsuccess,butalsothesupportofstateand nationalstakeholders.Neoliberalismconsistently impactsalllevelsoftheuniversity,contributingto performance-basedfunding,limitationofstate resources,andanimpositionofpoliticalprinciples ontheinstitutionaligningwithitsstakeholders (Dougherty&Natow,2019;Saunders,2010) The navigationofsystemstoensurethefinancialand politicalsuccessofaninstitutioncanresultinour yes,evenhousingprofessionals viewing studentsasconsumersfirstratherthanlearners, whichtakesourfocusawayfromadvocatingfor ourstudentsandcreatingstudent-centered programsandinitiatives.

Inarecentopinionpiecepublishedinthe ChronicleofHigherEducation,HoldenThorp arguesthattheissuesuniversitiesstriveto demonstrateneutralityinare“squarelyinthe wheelhouseofhighereducation”(2022).Wesee thisinourprofessionalcompetencies,inour committeework,ourmissionstatements,andour dailyinteractionswithstudents.Yetweare continuouslyaskedto(orstrivingto)remain neutralindifficultconversationsthatmayimpact usdirectlyorforceustomarginalizeourstudents insomeway.Neutralityisantitheticaltoourpast year’scontemporaryissueoftakingactionand socialchange.Changedoesnotcomefrom neutrality,butthroughgenuinedialogueand action

In2018,ACPApublished“ABoldVisionForward:A FrameworkfortheStrategicImperativeforRacial JusticeandDecolonization”Theauthorsofthe documenthighlight9guidingprinciplesthat wouldhelpthefieldworktowardstakingthe actionablestepsneededtodeconstructcampus policiesandsystemsthatperpetuatethefield's past,rootedinwhitesupremacy.Atthecenterof thisframeworkistheoutcomeofloveand humanization.Aseducators,weknowthatwe needtoengageinproblemposing,questioning ourknowledge,andembracingdialogue,butthe frameworkalsoasksustoact:“Tobeclear, dialoguewithoutactionlackspower,andefficient action,oranyaction,withoutdialoguehasthe potentialtoreinforcenegativesystems,”(Quaye etal,2018).

Wemustfirstovercomethebarrierofexpected neutralityifwearetoengageingenuine, productivedialoguewithourpeers,staff,and residents.Whenweapproachthese conversationsthroughgraceandroomfor disagreementwithloveandhumanizationin mind,wecreateanenvironmentwhereneutrality isnotnecessaryandperspectiveandlived experiencesarevalued.

AsStockdillandDanicko(2012)explains,there existsa,“richlegacyofutilizingeducationinthe pursuitofliberation”acrossdisciplines(p.2).

HousingandResidenceLifeprofessionalsshould becontributingtothislegacy Wehavethetools tosuccessfullyshiftourcontributionsfrom perpetuatingoppressiontoactivelyfightingfor liberationforourselves,ourcolleagues,andour students.

Studentactivistscontinuouslyaddressissuesof oppressiononcampus,includingracism, homophobia,sexism,andmore.Manyofushave experiencedthefrustrationthatstudentswho advocateforthemselvesfaceastheytrytoenact change,eitherwithinourowndepartments, institutions,orbeyond.Linderetal.(2019) suggeststhataddressingsuchoppressionisa rolethatstudentaffairseducatorsshouldhold. Thissuggestionissupportedthroughour professionalframeworkwithintheACPA/NASPA socialjusticeprofessionalcompetency.One foundationaloutcomeoutlinedbyACPAand NASPA(2015)statesthatstudentaffairs professionalsshould,“Advocateonissuesof socialjustice,oppression,privilege,andpower thatimpactpeoplebasedonlocal,national,and globalinterconnections”(p 30) The competenciesadditionallysuggestthatwe advocateforsocialjusticevaluesinour departments,reflectonourparticipationin systemsofoppression,andtakeresponsibilityfor ourinstitution’sroleinperpetuatingsuchsystems (p.31).

HowdoestheSocialJusticecompetency influencethewayweapproachtoeingthelineof neutralityinourroles?Wearecompelledtotakea seriouslookathowweallowthedesireorneedfor neutralitytotrickledowntoourdailyworkwith students.Avoidingtakingastancewhenitcomes tooppressionperpetuatesuniversitypoliciesand practicesthatpromotewhitesupremacyin highereducation.Whenweusethetermsocial justicewhenwearenottrulyengagedinthework, wemaybemisleadingstudentsandcausing moreharmthanwerealize

WechallengeprofessionalsacrosstheGLACUHO regiontoconsiderthefollowingquestions alongsideus:

Howdoesacommitmenttoremainneutralat adepartmentallevelimpactthewaysinwhich weareabletosupportourstudentsofall backgrounds?

Ifweletourneutralityimpactour programming,curriculum,andinteractionsin residencehalls,howdoesthisfurther marginalizeourminoritizedstudents?

Howhaveyouadvocatedforandsupported themarginalizedstudentsyouworkwith?

Neutrality: A Call to Action

Dougherty, K. J., & Natow, R. S. (2019). Analysing neoliberalism in theory and practice: The case of performance-based funding for higher education.

Linder, C., Quaye, S. J., Lange, A. C., Roberts, R. E., and Lacy, M. C. (2019). "A student should have the privilege of just being a student": Student activism as labor. Review of Higher Education; Baltimore, 42(2), 37-62

Saunders, D. B. (2010). Neoliberal ideology and public higher education in the United States. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 8(1), 41-77.

Stockdill, B. C., & Danico, M. Y. (2012). The ivory tower paradox. Transforming the ivory tower, 1-30.

Thorp, H. (2022). “The charade of political neutrality.” Chronicle of Higher Education.

Quaye, S. J., Aho, R. E., Jacob, M. B., Domingue, A. D., Guido, F. M., Lange, A. C., ... & Stewart, D. L. (2018). A bold vision forward: A framework for the strategic imperative for racial justice and decolonization. ACPA–College Student Educators International.

Spring Into New Habits

Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits: tiny changes, remarkable results: an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. New York, New York, Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Fogg, B J. Tiny habits: the small changes that change everything. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.