Mid-Atlantic Association of College & University Housing Officers
M AC U H O magazine S u m m e r 2 01 8
INSIDE THE ISSUE LONG TERM WELLNESS IN RESIDENCE LIFE: VICARIOUS TRAUMA SUPPORT MAKING DIVERSITY PROGRAMS MORE THAN AN EXPERIENCE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
5 7
MAKING DIVERSITY PROGRAMS MORE THAN AN EXPERIENCE
10 11
DO I BELONG HERE? ACCESS TO STUDENT ORGS
HFO COMMITTEE’S NUTS AND BOLTS
21 25
CHANGE AND CONTROL: REFLECTIONS ON STAFF DEPARTURE
UPDATES FROM THE DIVERSITY COMMITTEE
17 19
NJ REGIONAL COORDINATOR UPDATE
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
13 15
REC UPDATES
LONG TERM WELLNESS IN RESIDENCE LIFE: VICARIOUS TRAUMA SUPPORT
YOUR PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT JOURNEY
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EDITOR TEAM
Don Brennan Emily Nanna Dillon Eppenstein Arcadia Hewins Tory Elisca Rebecca Stringham Arleyna Loss Jenna Konyak Brian Root Catie Baxter
Editor Editor Director, Business Operations & Communication Designer Associate Editor Copy Editor Columns Editor Features Editor Features Editor Leadership Council Editor
HOW TO SUBMIT: Submission Guidelines
The MACUHO Magazine is a quarterly publication that features articles and updates from and for housing professionals in the region. It is intended to serve as a resource for processes, professional development and to build engagement throughout the region. MACUHO Magazine seeks content in two primary formats: -Features Articles: Features articles are pieces focusing on current events, hot topics or best practices. These are generally 1000 to 2500 words. - Column Articles: Column Articles are recurring articles centered on a common theme or topic. If you have an interest in becoming a columnist, we would ask that you commit to 4 articles throughout the year around your topic, and that we work on your column theme together first. Columns are generally 500-750 words. - Committee, Regional Updates or Leadership Council Updates: MACUHO updates about past or upcoming events are also included in the Magazine. These are 500-750 words. Submission Guidelines - Accepted files: .doc, .docx - Information to include (will be included in the publication): - Article Title - Author Name - Professional Title - Institution - MACUHO Role (if desired) - Contact information (if desired) - Graphics: high-resolution headshot, applicable group photos or images - Please include photo credit information if applicable How to Submit an Article - MACUHO Magazine accepts articles on a rolling basis through membership and individual solicitation of the region. - Due to the time required for editing and formatting the magazine, we suggest submitting an article 2-3 months before the topic would be immediately relevant. For example, for a piece on navigating a job placement conference, we would ask that you have the article submitted by December or January. - Email articles with headshots and photos to magazine@macuho.org. - We prefer to receive the supporting documents and article together in 1 email.
Questions? Please email magazine@macuho.org
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT MACUHO Family, Picture with me, if you can, the feeling of when you’re on a roller coaster at the top of that first big drop and you’re just hovering over the edge but not yet falling and then -WHAM- off you go at break-neck speed. You laugh and you scream and before you know it, the ride is done. And while it was short, it was exhilarating, and you can’t wait to get back in line and do it all over again. My friends, that is what this MACUHO presidency has felt like to me so far. It feels like just yesterday I was standing in front of you all in College Park, Md., with my young daughter constantly sashaying back and forth on the stage behind me (often bowing and curtseying on the stage’s edge). I was making my commitment to you all to take action on our accumulated data, to provide communities and opportunities for you all and to constantly push our association forward. And in a blink of an eye it’s already half over. Much like a rollercoaster, there are twists and turns, ups and downs… but always a rush of adrenaline. So, in the spirit of coming into the half-way curve of the ride, please allow me the opportunity to reflect on and share with you some of the accomplishments of our association for the first half of my presidency. I hope that you will join me in looking forward to what I hope will be an epic climax for all of us when we come together in Erie, Pa. this October. Hills, Tight Turns and Loop-de-Loops. •
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SSLI hosted at Shippensburg University boasted one of the largest turnouts of student and professional live-on staff yet! With a track aimed at student staff and another aimed at professional supervisors, it really was an SSLI with something for everyone. The team members at Shippensburg University were gracious hosts, and I think all attendees had a fabulous and worthwhile experience. A one-year term ad hoc board position was created to assist in the examination of how MACUHO manages and tracks our finances. The Financial Advisory Board was created to review fiscal accountability and controls to protect our funds, maintain efficiency and decrease liabilities. As I promised to you, this year was the year of doing something with our accumulated data. No longer would it sit on a shelf and add up. As such, last fall I appointed four executive board officers to review data and recommendations from prior years’ task force work, Association benchmarking work, and both annual conference and MACUHO survey results from years’ past. This Implementation Team was charged with providing recommendations for a course of action. Eighteen commonalities were identified from the data over the past three years, and out of those 18 common themes, five areas for change were identified. The Inclusion Summit hosted at William Patterson University brought critical real-talk to the forefront of attendees’ minds and hearts. Following a symposium-style approach, participants engaged in a panel session, group discussions and small group sessions aimed at examining the experiences of professionals of color. All attendees reflected on how we can all stand up and be a voice for one another and advocated for the marginalized. Work began on soliciting interest and building the initial team that will lay the framework for our next Strategic Plan that goes into effect in 2020 and will run until 2025. With approximately 30 people committed to the task, we have high hopes for a holistic and dynamic plan to help guide us for the next five years. Our Executive Board and Leadership Council members came together in Erie, Pa. in April to tour our fantastic 2018 conference site, the Erie Bayfront Convention Center. With two adjacent hotels to the conference site itself, this place really has it all! And trust me when I say “we have arrived”, my friends; we now take up a dedicated convention center worth of space! Also at this meeting, we heard from committees that are re-envisioning their work. creating new identity-related opportunities to build community
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within MACUHO and strengthening long-standing traditions. We also heard recommendations from the Implementation Team to help direct us moving forward. We had the chance to see the recommendations for the future of MACUHO, and it is exciting! You will hear more details regarding the recommendations of the Implementation Team in the coming months leading up to the annual conference to be voted on at our Business Meeting at the conference. • The 21st Annual MACUHO/NEACUHO Regional Entry Level Institute (RELI) hosted this year in the MACUHO region at Penn State Harrisburg was a tremendous success! Nine ACUHO-I competencies were covered and participants were challenged with 50 hours of intense and valuable discussion, reflection and professional development. • The 2018 Summer Summit, hosted at Penn State University Park, had 70 registered attendees, which was our largest ever! One-part “MACUHO orientation”, one-part mid-cycle business meeting, the Summer Summit provided the chance for seasoned MACUHO leaders and newer members to collaborate, find and renew their “why”, and dream big regarding the role that our Association plays in the field. Heading Towards the Station •
Following the Summer Summit meeting, we are launching an innovate and fun video recruitment campaign as part of our executive officer position nomination process. It is the hope that this will aid folks in making great choices regarding nominations for open executive officer positions. This process will complement the Leadership Council nomination process that will run simultaneously. • The #MACUHOLegacy social media campaign will launch following the Summer Summit. This campaign seeks to honor the award namesakes of MACUHO as well as trailblazing leaders that helped to shape our Association into the strong regional entity that it is. Stay tuned to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, in addition to our website and the annual conference materials, for these inspiring stories. • Our annual awards nominations will also be live following the Summer Summit. Please take the time to thoughtfully consider the outstanding leadership in our region and nominate your peers for recognition this year. • A series of webinars will be rolled out to allow the greater membership the opportunity to learn more about the proposed changes to the Association as presented by the Implementation Team. Please consider attending a webinar over the summer to learn more about proposed changes and the opportunities they bring. Further, I will hold open sessions at the conference to address questions prior to the Business Meeting vote. • And let’s not forget that we are now in the high-speed straightaway towards the 2018 Annual Conference! Registration is now live, and hotel rates are set for both hotel venues (with the ability to extend your stay if you want to make a MACUHOcation out of it). Phew- What a ride it’s been so far, and the best parts are still to come! I hope you’ll agree with me that while it can feel fast it is also an exhilarating time. There is always the opportunity to hop on board, have your voice heard or put your own stamp on the Association. My friends, MACUHO really can be the ride of a lifetime! Now if only I had some cotton candy… Debbie Scheibler President, MACUHO
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REC UPDATES
As the semester and academic year has come to an end, the REC Committee hopes everyone had a successful and stress-free closing.
Student Staff Live-In We want to thank everyone who submitted a bid to host our next Student Staff Live-In Conference. As we continue to improve and advance the goals of the REC Committee, we are excited to announce that we also received bids to host the 2019 SSLI Conference! Please check our website to see who are upcoming hosts are and to save the date.
Academic Excellence Awards This past spring semester, we continued to recognize our amazing student staff who have excelled academically. Academic Excellence Awards are offered to all undergraduate student staff members in our region who have earned a 3.7 GPA or above. A little recognition goes a long way to brighten a student’s day so please take the time to make certain your student staff receive the recognition they deserve.
Institutional Highlights Institutional spotlights will be a new feature in the MACUHO Magazine under the REC Section highlighting accomplishments of professional and graduate staff.
These spotlights may include: new hires, promotions, retirements, publications, appointed/elected officer in a professional organization, award recipient, etc. Through this initiative, we want to share the successes of our members. The MACUHO region has exemplary talent and we want to be able to shine a little light on that awesomeness. Don’t forget to submit your submissions to macuhorec@ gmail.com Montclair State University Jeanine Stroh – promoted from Associate Director to Executive Director of Residence Life Rutgers University – New Brunswick We would like to welcome our summer graduates interns working in the following units: Ian Ulep (Rutgers) – Training and Personnel Nicole Garafola (Rutgers) – Training and Personnel Amy Hendricks (Rutgers) – Student Support Denicia Holmes (Rutgers) – Student Support Celeste Hynes (Boston College) – Living- Learning Communities Nico Smith (Texas A&M) – Assignments Neha Khan (Rutgers) – Summer Bridge We would also like to wish a happy retirement to Donna Smith who has worked at Rutgers for 30 years.
REC Co-Chair Courtland L. James 5 | MACUHO - REC UPDATES
University of the Arts Congratulations to the following new departmental hires: Anthony Florendo - Director of Residence Life and Conduct Mark Cordova - Area Coordinator Anthony Allanah -Area Coordinator Rachel Kiskaddon - Graduate Assistant We hope everyone is enjoying their summer and encourage you to join REC. Please don’t hesitate to share any ideas. We look forward to continuing to serve you!
MAKING DIVERSITY PROGRAMS MORE THAN AN EXPERIENCE discussions on issues and ideas. D.A.P. serves as a catalyst in encouraging students and members to search for opportunities to become more culturally aware and conscious.
While in undergraduate students at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, diversity author, speaker and presenter Justin L. Brown found that many of his peers and colleagues lacked the diversity skills needed to be successful in the global market. Many of his friends and acquaintances displayed several microaggressive behaviors, which ultimately led him to create D.A.P. (Diversity Awareness Program). “I created this program to give students the necessary tools, skills and confidence to have authentic relationships with one another,” Justin said.
“I started this program to give students the opportunity to engage in dynamic discussion through the facilitation of activities and games so we can all talk about different people’s backgrounds, races, religions, sexuality and cultures without feeling shameful or having a negative paradigm where individuals didn’t feel comfortable having these dynamic discussions,” says Brown, who created D.A.P. as a sophomore in 2008. So is this program just like any other diversity program? Guess again! Justin’s method of facilitating diversity training is through the facilitation of games, activities, icebreakers, team builders, social experiences and role playing. Students, staff and faculty alike love his program. In fact, he has been invited to more than 300 schools since he started the program.
This 2-hour, high energy presentation incorporates very strong As cited in D.A.P. promotional ma- fundamental ideas and concepts on terials, the purpose of the program topics relating to diversity. Topics are is to encourage diversity and culpresented in a new and exciting way, tural unity in all areas of life among which allows students to actively enstudents, faculty, and staff. This is gage in discussions on social issues accomplished through energetic and and ideas. Justin’s presentation is vigorous engagements of dynamic high energy, and he demonstrates
effective interaction amongst the participating individuals. His sessions are dynamic and organized, and his enthusiasm for crowd participation motivates and encourages students to actively participate. Justin uses various sources of media in his workshops such as PowerPoint, video clips, cell phones, role playing and games to create a constructive learning environment. Students will feel comfortable, eager to participate and ready to learn more about each other and themselves. One of Justin’s most useful techniques is the “turn and talk” method. This is where he says, “Turn to your partner, friend, teammate, etc.” and students engage in the activity. He also likes to use the “call and answer” method, where he asks the audience a series of questions and they respond. The program is fun from beginning to end, and participants walk away learning useful tips, techniques and strategies to help them in their daily lives. Brown says the workshops are high energy and dynamic. A typical diversity training has students and staff participating in 10 to 15 activities in small and large group settings. Each activity explores fundamental concepts related to diversity. “The main thing that I think I emphasize [in the presentations] is that we’re all responsible for our own knowledge, meaning that there are two sides to every story,” he says.
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His book will shift your paradigms regarding racism, prejudices, stereotypes, women’s issues, differences in gender, inequity, intersectionality, and media. Nothing is taboo. It pulls no punches and puts anything and everything on the table. It is designed for anyone who desires to experience life through the eyes of “the other.” It is Three institutions are already using instructive but not didactic. And most importantly, it is written by a witty authe book as their first orientation reading component. Brown says what thor who is known among colleagues, friends, and family for his outrageous motivates him about D.A.P. is “being encounters with people from all walks able to see the individuals take the program and own it for themselves. I of life. His stories are now your stories. His book has sold over 3,000 copies love seeing people grow and expand their minds and have fun while doing in just a short year. it.” Besides lecture presentations, D.A.P. also has several other opportunities for students and schools to take advantage of. Brown recently published a book titled Ugh!?! Not Another Diversity Book! His book discusses the concepts that the program uses during his presentations.
“I want everyone to be able to exercise those options, to be able to choose what’s the truth for them, but they need to be able to make sure they have all the options available and have truly explored all of the options.” Student Learning Outcomes: 1.1- Students will engage in experiential learning in the domains of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation, language, age, and social class towards an analysis of equity. 1.2- Students will explore challenges that surface amidst interactions between people of different backgrounds, world views, environmental opportunities, and how social contexts exacerbate or reduce those challenges. 1.3- Students will participate in thought-provoking, fun activities in large and small groups that will challenge thinking, understanding, society views and personal experiences. 1.4- Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of relationships in diversity, inequality, and social, economic, and political power both in the United States and globally. 1.5- Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of relationships in diversity, inequality, and social, economic, and political power both in the United States and globally.
MAKING DIVERSITY PROGRAMS MORE THAN AN EXPERIENCE - MACUHO | 8
Proud recipient of MACUHO’s 2017 Business Affiliate of the Year Award!
Our family-run business began 40 years ago in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and has grown to a community of more than 200 people working across five states. Our FSC-certified hardwood furniture starts with a renewable resource: local trees from wild north country forests. From standing timber and rough lumber to milling, manufacturing, and installation, DCI controls the entire chain of custody from our state-of-the-art and climate-friendly manufacturing facility. Adhering to the highest sustainability principles, we maintain a zero waste manufacturing process and work closely with state foresters to harvest trees and improve wildlife habitat at the same time. As a valued client, you can trust our team to manage your project from forest to floor. We’re committed to providing you with world-class solutions, service, and support.
Serving you is our first priority.
www.dcifurn.com New Hampshire | California | North Carolina
NEW JERSEY REGIONAL COORDINATOR UPDATE Hello MACUHO, NJ has been very busy lately and I wanted to share some exciting updates! First, huge kudos to the Diversity Committee and William Paterson University for hosting a very successful Inclusion Summit this past semester! I hosted a post-summit Social for NJ that also went very well! We had some great conversations and fellowship that topped off a great day of learning and engagement with our colleagues regarding race in our profession. In other big news, we are happy to report that NJCORE is BACK! NJCORE Returns on August 2 & 3 hosted by Rutgers University- Newark and NJIT!! SAVE THE DATE AND REGISTER! Registration closes on July 30 at 9am! Cost includes overnight accommodations, meals and an amazing time full of networking and learning! Checkout the MACUHO website for more details and we hope to see you there!
Misty Denham-Barrett
Residence Life Coordinator - Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Jersey Regional Coordinator Misty.denhambarrett@rutgers.edu
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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT
Summer is often the time for planning – preparing for professional and undergraduate staff training, coordinating logistics for move-in day, developing the curriculum for the year ahead. It is also the ideal time to develop and update your professional development plan for the upcoming year. Professional development is not only about obtaining new information or experiences, but also encompasses sharing your knowledge and expertise with others. Presenting at conferences is an excellent way to achieve this, and in preparation for your future proposal writing, here are a few points of consideration for a successful program submission.
1. Know Your Audience: Each organization has its own, unique mission and values, and serves a specified population and functional area. For example, MACUHO serves professionals within Housing and Residential Education, whereas NASPA serves the broader population of Student Affairs educators. While there may be programs that could be presented at both conferences, not all NASPA programs would be suitable for MACUHO and vice versa. By doing your research on the host organization and familiarizing yourself with their goals, guiding principles, and competencies, you gain a stronger understanding of who the audience is, and what types of sessions would be relevant to and representative of that organization.
2. Review the Submission Form Prior: Before writing up your proposal, it is helpful to review the submission form and identify the information you will need to provide. Most proposals require similar logistical information (title, presenter information, A/V needs, etc.) but their content requirements vary. For example, some forms ask for a general outline of your program, whereas others require a detailed outline, including time spent on each topics and specific activities and engagement opportunities. Additionally, you may also discover that program proposals need to fit within specified categories. For MACUHO, programs are based on the ACUHO-I Core Competencies. By identifying all of the information you will need to provide prior to typing up your submission, your actual submission process will be smoother, and you may avoid any surprises on the form itself.
3. Utilize the Rubric & Be Thorough: While not all organizations and conferences will publish their evaluative rubric, when it is accessible – use it! Published rubrics are mutually beneficial for both submitters and organizations – for submitters, there is transparency in regards to the evaluation process; for organizations, this transparency encourages stronger, well-developed program submis-
sions. Rubrics will outline specifically what reviewers will be evaluating, and can help guide you as your craft your proposal. Additionally, providing a thorough submission often complements the criteria in the rubric. As an evaluator, it is helpful when submissions provide significant detail and demonstrate specifically what the session will look like.
4. Applicability: One question all submissions should be able to answer is: “How will this information be beneficial to attendees, and how can attendees utilize this material on their own campuses?” It is critical that knowledge shared in session is applicable to a variety of campus types and situations, and that attendees can connect this information to their current roles. Think about how you can generalize your experience so that others can benefit from it and have key takeaways. While we do prodigious things at our home institutions, they don’t always translate broadly enough to other campus types. However, “show and tell” type information is still vastly important, and are encouraged to be showcased in poster sessions or in publications, such as the MACUHO magazine!
5. Review Past Programs: To get an idea of what types of programs and content have previously been accepted, look over past conference schedules. A quick
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search on Guidebook or Google brings up several years of archived conference information, including the program sessions that have been presented in the past. In addition to content exposure, you can also use this information gauge what competencies and concepts have been missing (or, conversely, those that have been oversaturated) to set your program apart.
6. Use Your Network:
The process of submitting a program proposal for conferences may seem intimidating, but by utilizing these tips, it doesn’t have to be! While not all program proposal can be accepted to present, that does not mean what you submitted isn’t valuable. If you receive an alternate or rejection letter, reach out to receive feedback on your submission. Conference season runs yearround, and there are countless opportunities for you to submit proposals and present both regionally and nationally. As you prepare for another year, don’t let your own professional development fall to the wayside.
When in doubt – reach out! There is a high probability that someone in your own professional network has submitted a proposal or presented at a regional or national conference, or if not, knows someone who has. Reach out to your trusted colleagues to bounce ideas off of or to review Kaitlyn Patschke your material prior to submission. Residence Life Coordinator You may even want to consider Penn State University - Harrisburg co-presenting, to provide multiple Program Committee Co-Chair perspectives and experiences.
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT - MACUHO | 12
CHANGE AND CONTROL: REFLECTIONS ON STAFF DEPARTURE When you work in Residence Life and/or Housing, you come to expect that there will be constant change with the people in your department. There is the change that comes with celebration: your senior RAs or your graduate assistants have graduated; your colleague was promoted; or your supervisor was offered a director position at another institution. There is also the change that comes with hardship: your RA or your graduate assistant was fired for poor job performance; your colleague suddenly put in their two weeks’ notice; or your supervisor has resigned to leave the field. Whatever the reason for a staff member leaving your office, department, or institution, the change always brings the stress of figuring out what to do next. Given my own experience with staff transition, I’d like to share some things that I’ve taken away from these situations, so I am better prepared for the changes in the future. Personally, I have gone through the loss of multiple Resident Assistants while I was a Graduate Residence Director and in my current position as a full-time Area Director. Some of those situations were due to personal choices by the staff members, while some were unfortunate mistakes that led to the difficult, but necessary, removal of them from their roles. Whether it happened during the first week of RA training, or towards the end of the school
year, the ripple effect of an RA leaving their position can be immense. The RA’s residents may be confused and upset. The other RAs on staff may think they are next, and as a supervisor, you are overwhelmed with self-doubt because you wonder if you hadn’t done enough to ensure that your staff stayed intact. I imagine this happens to a supervisor on any level of management. After many conversations with supervisors and colleagues, my first reflection is that we must accept that no matter what we do, people have the free will to make their own decisions. If a staff member chose to break a policy or chose to consistently not meet the job expectations, it was their choice. If we encouraged bonding activities and work-life balance, but a staff member still decides that the residence life isn’t for them, that is also their choice. We can try to be the most supportive supervisors and connect well with our colleagues, but at the end of the day, our staff members decide what they want to do with their lives. And it is not always a bad thing when this occurs; but our reaction to these changes are what we can control, and what should be controlled to bounce back. My second reflection is that selection and training of student staff should constantly be assessed and improved to ensure that we are hiring and educating the best employees possible. I just used the word
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“employee” because I find that when student staff are juggling a million other things on their plate, they can forget that this is a job for which they are paid and are held to a certain standard. There is the pressure that it’s a 24/7 job, and sometimes we must remind ourselves that they are students trying to excel academically and that most are not going to pursue a career in student affairs. But when we are running our selection processes and creating our training schedules, we must make sure that our expectations are communicated to potential candidates, and that our training sessions prepare our staff to handle the difficult situations that may put their employment, or their fulfillment in the job, at risk. When it comes to changes in colleagues and supervisors, I have primarily been affected in my Area Director role. For the last three summers, at least one of the four ADs in my department have moved on to another institution or have left the field. Last summer, I found myself moving (both my office and my apartment) to two different residence halls as we reorganized the remaining staff to the areas that needed the most supervision. When staff members who hold institutional and departmental knowledge depart, it is important that we have practices in place to ease the transition as we search for new employees. My third reflection is that all files, documents, and project notes should be available for the future
new employee and the rest of the staff to use, and it’s easy to share these items using online systems like Google Drive or Dropbox, so the information can be saved year after year. We also have a tradition of endof-the-year reports at my institution, which allows the staff to write their own perspective of what’s special/ good to know about their hall/area. (Note that these reports should be reviewed for content and a list of items to include is helpful for structure and uniformity.)
Rebecca Stringham Area Director Salisbury University, MD
Change will always be stressful, but when we work in a field where transition is expected and constant, we benefit ourselves and our institutions when we accept what we can and cannot control, allowing us to keep moving forward.
CHANGE AND CONTROL - MACUHO | 14
LAUNCHING MACUHO’S AFFINITY GROUPS As we plan for the 2018 Annual Conference in Erie, Pa. this coming October, the Diversity Committee is excited to announce our newest initiative – Affinity Groups. Over time, our membership has consistently expressed a desire to connect more informally with colleagues who share their identities. Although we have long provided many spaces, materials, resources and conversations around building more equitable and just campus communities, we recognize a gap in our offerings to acknowledge the whole person beyond the professional scope. In order to create safe, brave spaces to share in community, these new affinity groups will be launched at the Annual Conference. In anticipation of this initiative’s launch, the Diversity Committee first wanted to share our rationale for intentionally choosing this strategy to address the aforementioned gap.
As humans, we have diverse, complex and unique experiences beyond our job titles. Our identities impact our daily lives, and our work is part of that. Sometimes, responses to our identities can leave us feeling isolated or exhausted. In tandem with our work to create less toxic environments, we need to create spaces that help heal that toxicity on a personal level. Closed gatherings, conversations and communication platforms allow members of a specific identity group to vent and share advice in a non-threatening environment. Put simply, being in community with each other is rejuvenating and helps us see our collective resilience. This is why we have created the affinity groups – to support and celebrate the various identities our members hold. Although we anticipate growing a more robust offering of represented identities in years to come, the committee has decided to pilot the following groups:
Amanda Slichter
MACUHO Diversity Committee Co-Chair - She, Her, Hers Assistant Director of Residence Life, Training & Education Coordinator for the Pride Center Lehigh University
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-Professionals of Color Network (for all people of color) -Women in Student Affairs Collective (for all who identify as women) -Gender & Sexuality Community (for all who identify as queer and/or LGBTQIA+) -Mental Health Alliance (for all people who have mental health conditions) So, what are these affinity groups and what will they look like? As this initiative is in its infancy, its shape may change over time. For now, we commit to offering private, closed gathering spaces for each of these groups at our conferences. While in those spaces, group members have the autonomy to plan what their ongoing communication will look like. We will provide the option for contact information to be shared if desired, and we will encourage the group to make use of various communication platforms outside of these in-person opportunities.
Nailah Brown
MACUHO Diversity Committee Co-Chair She, Her, Hers Residence Life Coordinator Rutgers University - New Brunswick
Before getting ahead of ourselves, we need to listen to the preferences of our membership and seek their direction in these spaces. With that in mind, if you hold one or more of these four identities, we encourage you to join us in our inaugural gatherings at the 2018 Annual Conference. Here is a preview of the gathering times that will be published in the conference schedule! Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018 8:30-9:00 p.m. - Professionals of Color Network: Gathering in Common Ground Room 9:00-9:30 p.m. - Women in Student Affairs Collective: Gathering in Common Ground Room 9:30-10:30 p.m. - Gender & Sexuality Community: Night Social in Marriott Lobby 9:30-10:30 p.m. - Mental Health Alliance: Night Social in Sheraton Lobby Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 1:30-2:00 p.m. - Mental Health Alliance: Gathering in Common Ground Room 2:00-2:30 p.m. - Gender & Sexuality Community: Gathering in Common Ground Room 9:30-10:30 p.m. - Professionals of Color Network: Night Social in Marriott Lobby 9:30-10:30 p.m. - Women in Student Affairs Collective: Night Social in Sheraton Lobby (Please keep in mind that these spaces are only open to those who hold the group identity. Any unanticipated changes to date, time or location will be provided onsite at the conference.)
The schedule aims for minimal overlap with other conference activities and sessions and gives a variety of options regarding the time and location. This intentionally recognizes that there may be a queer woman of color with a mental health condition who
wishes to share in community with all four affinity groups, for example. Additionally, you will notice that each affinity group is offered a night social in one of the conference lobbies, as well as a more low-key gathering in the Common Ground Room. We hope this schedule provides our members the flexibility they need to comfortably participate in this new initiative. Finally, we want to acknowledge and thank the past Diversity Committee co-chairs and our committee members who have worked on conceptualizing the affinity groups.
We are also grateful for the support of our executive board, and specifically our director, Johnny Kocher. New undertakings are only possible with collaboration, and we are lucky to have a committed team. As October approaches, we look forward to sharing these spaces and seeing how these groups evolve. We want our organization to feel as welcoming as possible for our entire MACUHO family, and hope the Affinity Groups help achieve that vision.
DO I BELONG HERE? ACCESS TO STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
When job searching in Student Affairs, we often ask ourselves, “Is there anyone here who looks like me?” Now, stop and ask who is involved in the student organizations you advise? What identities do they share and how diverse is the group? This spring, I worked with my senators to develop an executive board structure for our RHA on campus. As a part of this process, I challenged my students to review structures and positions at other institutions, and to discuss how these positions could work for us. One of the positions that I anticipated being the largest challenge in implementing was an Inclusion Officer. As it turns out, we had the most students interested in this position, with each applicant focusing on a different aspect of diversity. While undergoing elections for the position, I found myself having to step in to ensure that the students were engaging in conversations about the position and inclusion without attacking anyone in the room. In many RHAs and other housing organizations across the country, there is ongoing discussion about how accessible such organizations are for our students and, therefore, how accessible regional and national positions are to our students of various identities. This directly challenged me to think about what having an Inclusion Officer on the
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executive board says to potential members that we will be looking to recruit in the fall semester. Broadening the scope, I identified three major avenues for starting the discussion for culturally competent advising and intentionally designing and encouraging an inclusive organization for all students:
1. Understanding and challenging systemic exclusion 2. Intentional outreach and recruitment messages about inclusion 3. Individualizing the student leadership journey and the student’s own experiences Taking note of the response of businesses like Starbucks when issues of exclusion and bias come forward, education and training is key. Proactive education should always take precedence over reactive measures. I recently read a document published by the Education Advisory Board entitled “Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Student Groups”, and I immediately questioned why the document focused on research institutions. While reading the research brief, I found myself consistently praising and loving the concepts that ensured diversity training is accessible to student leaders and cross-cultural interaction
is encouraged. As professionals, we should go a step further to mandate some of these trainings for our student leaders. Once foundational education is provided to our students, it is possible to spark dialogue regarding how concepts of inclusion and exclusion are played out in our organizations. We should question students on how their structures, locations, food choices, and activities reflect the values of the organization and the students they are serving. We should question how you promote these messages so students know that events are ADA accessible, or that you value personal insight by hearing about how events can be improved for each individual student and not reducing an identity to a singular experience or need. We know that students will ask, “Is this organization a group that cares about my identities? Are there others who look like me in this space? Can I find a home here?” Therefore, we must challenge ourselves and our students to ask how prospective members of our community would answer these questions. The best tools for recruitment are showing people you genuinely care and support their needs. Continue to ask these questions, but also teach your students to ask these questions and engage in these conversations about their own work. Know that
the conversation about inclusion is never-ending. You give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. You teach a person to fish and you give them an occupation that will feed them for a lifetime. Teach your students to fish. If you have any questions or topics you want to hear about in future columns, please send me an email or Tweet me @notashaned.
Shane Guinan
Area Director at Salisbury University Recruitment and Retention Co-Chair Srguinan@salisbury.edu
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HFO COMMITTEE’S NUTS AND BOLTS WHERE HOUSING AND FACILITIES OPERATIONS PROFRESSIONALS ANSWER THE QUESTIONS YOU’RE ASKING
Summer is here. What “lower budget” renovations, changes, and/or beautification projects are you currently working on? If none at this time, what suggestions do you have for quick, inexpensive renovations or beautification projects that can be done over the summer?
Ed Frato-Sweeney (Hiram College, Director of Residential & Citizenship Education) - There are a lot of great changes that you can make when you only have a “lower budget”. Using $5,000 as the threshold, here are some beautification and renovation projects that are scheduled to be completed this summer at Hiram College: -Apple TVs will be installed into several common lounge spaces. -Replacing mattresses in select areas help to keep our stock rotated. -Replacing lounge furniture that is worn and/or soiled. -Painting doors to give them a more welcoming appearance. -Installing counters and barstools in kitchen areas for student use. -Replacing/adding dry erase boards to areas with high activity.
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Brian Root (University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, Assistant Director of Housing & Residence Life) - Summer is a great time to make sure that simple things like your common area game tables (pool, ping pong, etc.) are in good shape. Repair or replace them if they are starting to show wear and tear. Purchase new pool cues and ping pong paddles. While you’re at it, make sure you have a stash of them to replace during the school year, too. In recent years, we have replaced outdated bulletin boards, signage, dry erase boards, and common area TVs to bring some new life to our common areas.
Contributors of this article:
Timothy Moran (Seton Hall University, Director of Housing and Residence Life) – I would say that paint can go a long way in terms of a low budget, high impact summer project that can be done. You can also utilize your summer staff or office staff to help paint to keep the cost even lower. A few summers ago while I was at Albright College, we worked with the theater department in order to convert a dark and dingy basement into a black box theater/pub like space for them to conduct performances. I would recommend that when you do paint, especially the hallways, to find a way to incorporate the school colors. This not only is impactful but also can increase school pride.
Jenna Konyak (Seton Hill University, Assistant Director of Residence Life) – We are always working on a low budget, so we always seek out ways to be creative with little to no money. A couple of summers ago we wanted to make our first-year residence halls look more welcoming for our new residents. We collaborated with Seton Hill Archives to locate picture frames and poster frames that would have otherwise been thrown away. Furthermore, we worked with our campus art department to collect artwork that the students did not take home at the end of the semester. With a little bit of elbow grease and time, the artwork and recycled frames turned into great pieces of Seton Hill treasure that the students enjoyed seeing in lounges and hallways.
Have a housing or facilities operations question you want answered? Email your questions to jkonyak@setonhill.edu, and maybe your question will be featured in our next segment! Visit Nuts and Bolts in the next edition of MACUHO Magazine for more answers from shining housing and facilities operations professionals in the region!
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LONG TERM WELLNESS IN RESIDENCE LIFE: VICARIOUS TRAUMA SUPPORT Residence Life professionals are often called to support students through traumatic experiences. In fact, this is a major component of our roles especially if your position requires you to serve in any type of on call or crisis response capacity. Given the impact this work has on us, how do we empathically continue to do this very important work while also caring for ourselves being sure not to take on more than we can handle? I am in no way an expert in this area. I do not have any a counseling degree and I have not done any formal hands on research on vicarious trauma, but I have worked in Residence Life for 6 years as a professional, 2 years as a graduate hall director and 2 years as a Resident Assistant. From my years of experience, there is one thing I know for sure about the work we do: it takes a toll on us mentally, emotionally, and physically. If we are not intentional and proactive in the areas of self-care, mental health and physical health, we may start to experience vicarious trauma symptoms that interfere with our ability to do our jobs and live our lives. So what is vicarious trauma?
Vicarious trauma (Pelman & Saakvitne, 1995) can also be referred to as compassion fatigue or secondary trauma and it refers to “cost of caring” for others (Figley, 1982). Essentially, vicarious trauma is what happens to counselors or, in our cases, Residence Life professionals who spend a great deal of time working with people, hearing trauma stories and supporting students in crisis. We are witnesses to their pain and fear and it leaves an imprint on us (whether we realize it or not). It is extremely important in the support of others to not confuse vicarious trauma with burnout. As we know, burn out happens over time, building up. Sometimes time off or changing jobs can help with burnout. This is not the case with vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is a “state of tension and preoccupation of the stories/trauma experiences…” (American Counseling Association Fact Sheet, 2010). In preparation for a presentation on this topic this past March in Philadelphia for the NASPA Annual Conference with a few colleagues including Ali Martin Scoufield (Case Western Reserve University), Laura Cilia (La Salle University) and Courtland James (Rutgers University), I
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collected testimonials from professionals about how vicarious trauma has impacted them. The following is an excerpt from one person’s experience supporting a student during a crisis: “This experience deeply impacted me in every way possible and will always stay with me. Specifically because of the nature of the situation and how relatable it was for my personal experience and the profound feeling of helplessness I experienced”. In addition to misunderstanding as burnout, there are many other myths about vicarious trauma. People will call it laziness or attention seeking behavior. Some will tell you it only effects those with similar experiences as in the example above but that is not true. Vicarious trauma can manifest in many different ways and can look extremely different for everyone. Some of the most common symptoms or signs to look out for include the following (American Counseling Association Fact Sheet, 2010): • Anxiety • Cognitive Shifts • Relational Disturbances • Diminished joy and feelings of satisfaction with personal accomplishments • Intrusion • Avoidance • Numbness • Sleep disturbances • Anger • Arousal disturbances • Concentration issues • Hypervigilance • Problems with decision making • Diminished energy • Pain/distress
riences that are so complex, white women such as myself will never fully comprehend how they experience the world. However, that does not mean we shouldn’t work to gain a better understanding and work to support those we work with, supervise, or love to cope and thrive.
(van Dernoot Lipsky, 2009)
Another lens that I think it’s important to look at vicarious trauma through is intersectionality. “Intersectionality is a term used to describe the intersecting effects of race, class, gender, and other marginalizing characteristics that contribute to social identity and affect health” (Seng, 2014). Many negative health effects including responses to mental health and trauma are thought to happen through social processes like discrimination and structural inequalities that many people of color experience such as reduced opportunities for education and income. So why would intersectionality have an impact on how someone is impacted by vicarious trauma? “[Black women] sometimes experience discrimination in ways similar to white women’s experiences; sometimes they share very similar experiences with Black men. Yet often they experience double discrimination–the combined effects of practices which discriminate on the basis of race, and on the basis of sex. And sometimes, they experience discrimination as Black women–not the sum of race and sex discrimination, but as Black women” (Crenshaw, 1989). Intersectionality impacts how people are impacted by the world around them and for people of color, especially black women it has a daily impact on their expe-
As a supervisor of people of color, or just as a decent human being it’s important to educate yourself and work to understand how those different than you may experience the world, empathize, and support them. Vicarious trauma is very similar in nature to PTSD or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder which was studied by Williams et all and reported in a study in 1997 to analyze PTSD and childbearing outcomes that included experiences with discrimination. The study looked at correlations between a quality of life index and sympotms of PTSD. If you are more interested, I encourage you to read the study. However, the important takeaways include (Seng, 2014): • Women are twice as likely to develop PTSD as men (Breslau, 2001). • African American women are not more likely to develop PTSD but are much less likely to recover from it (Seng et al., 2011) This may potentially be due to the intersecting effects of disparate access to mental health treatment and disparate rates of on-going exposure to crime, accidents, and social network traumas, such as sudden, unexpected death or incarceration of a loved one. • Sexual minorities have higher rates of PTSD (e.g., Roberts et al., 2010). • Disabled people also have higher rates, often due to the accident or life-threatening condition that caused the disability (e.g., Zatzick et al., 2008) Given all of this information, it’s important that you look at support as an individualized practice and not
a one size fits all approach. Another experience shared from the collected testimonials demonstrates just how long some of the experiences we have with students and parents can impact us: “Two weeks after the incident, the student medically withdrew from school, so I had to help their mother pack up their items in their room. It was an emotionally painful experience and I did not sleep very well that week either. Even now, six years later, I still get a little shaky, my heart beat increases slightly, and tears come to my eyes when I think about it.” So how does this happen? Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this question but I’d like to share some things to consider and practices you can hopefully start that can proactively help you avoid these symptoms or begin to help you heal if you are already feeling some of this. Also, it’s very important to note that if you are experiencing any of these symptoms to seek therapeutic support or help. Systematically there are things to consider to support professionals coping with vicarious trauma. It’s important to consider your school’s policies around counseling. Most schools provide free services to students but are there any free services offered to staff especially following a very sensitive situation or difficult on call experience? What are the procedures in place for follow up with staff (of all levels) after an on call shift or traumatic situation? Does your department/division/institution have a culture of self-care? If not, what can you do to help change that? If so, what can be done to improve or expand that culture? Do you prioritize your own wellness? If not, what changes can you make to ensure you do?
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Some of the barriers to self-care that are important to note and plan for include the impact of supervision on self-care. The relationship you have with your director supervisor and their commitment or lack thereof to self-care can dramatically impact your ability to take care of yourself. Having a supervisor who doesn’t know how to care for their staff or themselves can create a view that “this is the work we do, you know what you signed up for, or suck it up” type responses to the need for self-care. This can perhaps be the most difficult barrier to get through but it’s important that you advocate for yourself. Do what you need to do to ensure your own health and happiness while also doing your job. You should not have to sacrifice one for the other. As a supervisor, it’s very important that you understanding that self-care, mental health, and vicarious trauma may look dramatically different for each person you supervise. Some of your staff may need days off to recover, some may want to organize an office happy hour to be around people and heal though fellowship. It’s also important to take the time to know your staff. Are they introverts or extroverts? In what ways do they prefer to be appreciated or recognized? Some of your staff may present as totally okay with no warning signs that they are struggling with vicarious trauma but it’s important that you ask. Take time during one on ones and staff members to check in with your staff (and not just after a difficult duty night or incident). These are the small practices that create a culture of care within your team.
In conclusion, it’s important that you make the personal choice to prioritize your mental health and self-care. Below are a few suggestions or practices that have been found to be helpful for some: • Figure out what your version of work/life balance/harmony/integration looks like • Seek out therapeutic assistance to process work related things • Find ways to manage personal trauma • Peer to peer processing in a supportive environment • Reduce isolation • Read or watch things that are non-violent • Find time for play/fun • Find ways to become active • Discuss vicarious trauma and warning signs in advance • Prioritize eating, sleeping, taking vacation • Spiritual support • Seek out emotionally supportive and physically safe environments
Mathieu, F. (2012). The Compassion Fatigue Workbook: Creative Tools for Transforming Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Traumatization. Routledge, New York, NY. Personal Interviews, anonymous (2018). Reclaiming and Naming My Self-Care as a Feminist, Janicanne Shane. NASPA Women in Student Affairs Constituent Group, January 30, 2018. Secondary Traumatic Stress of Service Providers who Practice with Survivors of Family or Sexual Violence: A National Survey of Social Workers. Ga-Young Choi, Smith College Studies in Social Work, ISSN: 1553-0426, January 29, 2011. Strategies for Reducing Secondary or Vicarious Trauma: Do They Work?, Ted Bober, MSW, Cheryl Regehr, PhD, From Ontario Medical Association (Bober) and the University of Toronto (Regehr) van Dernoot Lipsky, L. (2009). Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc, Oakland, CA. Vicarious Resilience in Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Advocates, By: Lisa L. Frey, Department of Educational Psychology,
If you are interested in this topic and would like additional resources, please feel free to check out this google drive created to share resources around vicarious trauma support: bit.ly/careandwellness References: Julia S Seng, William D Lopez, Mickey Sperlich, Lydia Hamama, Caroline D Reed Meldrum, Marginalized identities, discrimination burden, and mental health: Empirical exploration of an interpersonal-level approach to modeling intersectionality, 2014 Mar 23. Kahana, E., Biegel, D., and Wykle, M. (1994). Family Caregiving Across the Lifespan. Sage Publications, Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA.
Misty Denham-Barrett
Residence Life Coordinator - Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Jersey Regional Coordinator Misty.denhambarrett@rutgers.edu 23 | MACUHO - LONG TERM WELLNESS IN RESIDENCE LIFE
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YOUR PROFESSIONAL ENGAGEMENT JOURNEY
In early June, 2018 I had the privilege of joining the Executive Board and Leadership Council for the start of their annual Summer Summit Planning Meeting. As one of the architects of the current MACUHO leadership structure and organizational design, the Summer Meeting holds a special fondness for me. As I shared with the attendees, the Summer Meeting began during my year as President of MACUHO. I explained that the Summer Meeting was an attempt by our association to bring together the leaders and volunteers in our organization for an intentionally, focused strategic conversation about the future of MACUHO. Given that the Summer Meeting occurs at the halfway mark in our operational year, it made sense to schedule a face to face opportunity for us to engage in this important discussion. Moreover, we wanted to create a social and networking opportunity for volunteers and leaders. As I consider the reason why we decided to add this program to our list of initiatives, I am humbled to know that the good traditions we set forth and developed over eight years ago is alive and well within MACUHO. My time at Pennsylvania State University certainly reminded me of that vision for this program. As those in attendance at the meeting will recall, I discussed the value and importance of building the
leadership capacity of our organization through deeper and more meaningful experiences from an engaged base of volunteers and members. We discussed the idea of “year-round recruitment” of members otherwise known at 365 Recruitment as well as the goal of engaging our members and celebrating those benefits. I asked participants to stand up and act signs four signs that referenced: BALANCE-SUPPORT-FRIENDSHIPS-SUCCESS. I explained to the group that these signs describe the four benefits of being involved and engaged in organizations. I couldn’t take full credit for this nugget of wisdom and shared that this revelation came from my many years working in the Greek Life world and their long experience of dealing with recruitment issues. Given that fraternities and sororities for years have had to deal with dwindling numbers and more scrutiny in higher education, recruitment has been a critical component of their business practices. Many of the top fraternities and sororities around the country have well trained staff and resources to address the challenges of finding and recruiting new members. I spoke to the attendees of the Summer Summit about the value and importance of finding and recruiting new members but also on engaging mid-level and senior
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level officers as well as working with people to develop their engagement plan. I hope that MACUHO is one professional development solution that individuals will support during their time in our region. RESEARCH IN ENGAGING MEMBERS IN ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES Engagement in professional associations and professional development is an important contributor to success on the job and satisfaction. More importantly, research shows that people who engage actively in professional associations are more inclined to ascend to higher positions, earn more, and command greatest respect and influence in their field. Additionally, those who report higher levels of engagement report stronger ties to the organization, participate in giving at higher levels, and are generally more involved than their woes involved colleagues. One of the activities we facilitated during the Summer Meeting was to list three people who are currently not involved in MACUHO that we can approach about getting more involved prior to the Annual Conference. Our goal prior to the next annual conference is to engage people and get them involved more intentionally. We need to create engagement opportunities and hope to challenge the MACUHO leadership to
discover ways of increasing its reach to the members of our association. During the Summer Meeting we were able to generate a list of about 75 new names however I hope those reading this article will be inspired and send along at least of three people who you know who might like to get involved in MACUHO. Remember, it doesn’t have to be new professionals. I’m hoping that seasoned professionals will get more involved as well. FUTURE OF AN ENGAGED MEMBERSHIP Our goal for the future is to identify all of the engagement points, detail these opportunities and specifically outline how members are and can be engaged with MACUHO. To this end, the Executive Board will be creating a new standing committee for the Association focused on Leadership and Recruitment Efforts. During the Annual Conference in Erie, PA we will meet with the members of the Association to discuss the idea of 365 Recruitment and discuss ways you can get more involved with MACUHO and professional development in general.
If you’re interested in learning more about this new standing committee, please contact me at skillion@temple.edu. I look forward to seeing you in Erie, PA at the Annual Conference and wish you all the best at you begin planning for opening this fall. About Sean P. Killion, EdD, MBA Dr. Killion is an active volunteer of the Mid-Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers (MACUHO) and currently serves as the Past-President for the Association, having served as President-Elect in 2009-2010 and as President from 2010-2011. Sean was awarded the James Hurd Outstanding Service Award in October, 2009 and the David G. Butler Distinguished Service Award in November, 2013 for his dedicated service over many years of service to MACUHO. Sean also chaired the Marketing and Communications Committee for the Association for College and University Housing Officers International (ACUHO-I) from 2010-2011 and was a member of the Certification in Occupancy Management (CIOM) Task Force. Dr. Killion can be reached at skillion@temple.edu.
Sean P. Killion, EdD, MBA
Associate Director, University Housing and Residential Life Temple University Skillion@temple.edu
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