winter 2019
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Meet Your Committees Conference Reflections 2018 Award Winners
Photo Credit: Rebecca Stringham - Salisbury University
TABLE
OF
EDITOR’S NOTE Finally Using That Writing Degree
6
PRESIDENT’S LETTER Attitude of Gratitude
7
PRESIDENT ELECT’S LETTER Welcome to Your MACUHO 2019 Experience
8
PAST PRESIDENT’S LETTER Stay Magical MACUHO
9
CALENDAR Your MAUCHO 2019 Experience
10
COMMITTEE Diversity Committee
11
Housing and Facilities Operations (HFP) Committee
12
Personal and Professional Development (PPD) Committee
13
Initiative Introduction - Wellness Moments
13
Program Committee
15
Recognition and Connections (RAC) Committee
16
2 | MACUHO
CONTENTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE Our MACUHO Experience: Thoughts From IUP SAHE Students
17
Top 10 Program Winners 2018
18
Succeeding in Your Job Search (Top 10 Program Winner)
20
Our Turn to Serve: Supporting Student Veterans on Campus (Top 10 Program Winner)
26
How Brené Brown Made Me a Better Residence Life Professional (Top 10 Program Winner)
29
The VIPS Experience: Reflections From Our 2018-2019 Cohort
31
Annual Award Winners 2018
33
Annual Conference 2019 Teaser
34
MAPC Job Search Tips (From Our MAPC Co-Chairs)
24
SSLI My Experience at SSLI 2018
35
Salisbury’s SSLI Experience
36
INDIVIDUAL Party and Board Game Night with Stevens Residential Education 38 The Secret Ingredient for One-On-Ones
40
MAUCHO | 3
MACUHO Magazine Committee – 2018-2019 MACUHO MAGAZINE EDITOR: Rebecca Stringham Salisbury University
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS & COMMUNICATION: Dillon Eppenstein Villanova University
DESIGNER: Arcadia Hewins Jefferson-East Falls Campus
EDITORIAL TEAM: Alex Reynolds Wilkes University Brian Root University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg Janine M. Weaver-Douglas University of Pennsylvania Jen B. Ciaccio Temple University Kerri Johnsen University of Delaware Tory Elisca Montclair State University Winston Branch III Salisbury University
MACUHO Executive Board & Leadership Council 2018-2019 PRESIDENT Stephen Apanel Bucknell University VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT ELECT Johnny Kocher West Virginia University PAST PRESIDENT Debbie Scheibler Wilkes University SECRETARY Natalie Sowers Susquehanna University TREASURER Brandon Chandler Rutgers University - Camden DIRECTOR, MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Misty Denham-Barrett Rutgers University - New Brunswick DIRECTOR, BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND COMMUNICATION Dillon Eppenstein Villanova University DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC INITIATIVES Kurtis Watkins Stevens Institute of Technology DIRECTOR, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Nailah Brown The College of New Jersey 4 | MACUHO
DIRECTOR, ANNUAL PROGRAMS Carey Haddock Delaware Valley University DIRECTOR, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Tiffany Hughes West Virginia University ANNUAL CONFERENCE COORDINATOR Ray FeDora Wilkes University DIVERSITY CO-CHAIR Amanda Slichter Lehigh University DIVERSITY CO-CHAIR La-Riese Eldridge Thomas Jefferson University HOST 2019 CO-CHAIR Steven Couras Stevens Institute of Technology HOST 2019 CO-CHAIR Tory Elisca Rutgers University - Newark HOST 2019 CO-CHAIR Brian Pluchino Stockton University HOUSING & FACILITIES OPERATIONS Tim Moran Seton Hall University
HOUSING & FACILITIES OPERATIONS Christina Moran Jefferson - East Falls PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Kevin Gaughenbaugh Northampton Community College PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Vacant PROGRAM CO-CHAIR Vacant PROGRAM CO-CHAIR Katie Patschke-Maguire Penn State - Harrisburg RECOGNITION AND CONNECTIONS Chancey Page Albright College RECOGNITION AND CONNECTIONS Gwendolyn Stevens Carnegie Mellon University SSLI CO-CHAIR Olivia Naugle Bucknell University SSLI CO-CHAIR Vacant VIPS CO-CHAIR Zach Neil Indiana University of Pennsylvania VIPS CO-CHAIR Max Shirey Bucknell University MAPC CO-CHAIR Jackie Cetera Bucknell University MAPC CO-CHAIR Pooja Daya Salisbury University ANNUAL PROGRAM CO-CHAIR Lauren Way George Washington University ANNUAL PROGRAM CO-CHAIR Alex Wehrenberg The College of New Jersey LEADERSHIP AND VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR Sean Killion Temple University
GRADUATE ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR David Shanks Hood College ENTRY-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Janelle Howey Northampton Community College ENTRY-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Ashley Lillie St. Joseph’s University MID-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Liz Ali St. Joseph’s University MID-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Isaiah Thomas Swarthmore College SHO ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Colleen Bunn Susquehanna University SHO ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Krystyne Savarese Rutgers University ARCHIVES COORDINATOR Brian Medina Marietta College MAGAZINE EDITOR Rebecca Stringham Salisbury University STRATEGIC PLANNING COORDINATOR Carolyn Pitcairn Notre Dame College STRATEGIC PLANNING COORDINATOR Nick Grammiccioni William Paterson University EXHIBITS & DISPLAYS COORDINATOR Lawrence Morgan LaRoche College SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR Tracey Eggleston Marshall University WEBMASTER Joanne Powser Wilkes University SYSTEMS ANALYST Vacant SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Dan Wright The George Washington University
FINANCIAL ADVISOR BOARD Olan Garrett Penn State – University Park
ACUHO-I REGIONAL AFFILIATION DIRECTOR Shana Alston Temple University
GRADUATE ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR Angela Delfine University of Pittsburgh Johnstown
ACUHO-I FOUNDATION REP FOR MACUHO Crystal Lopez Caldwell University MAUCHO | 5
Finally Using That Writing Degree EDITOR’S NOTE Hello MACUHO, Welcome to the magazine’s Winter 2019 edition! I am so excited for all of you to read what’s inside this edition. We have some words from our new Executive Board, some features from our various committees, some reflections from our undergraduate and graduate students who attended conferences last semester, and some stories about what our members have learned being a Student Affairs professional in 2018. Thank you so much to everyone who submitted something for this edition! My name is Rebecca Stringham, and I am writing this note to you as the new editor for the MACUHO Magazine. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity that has rekindled the writer’s passion in me. I thought that passion had puttered out when I turned in my last poetry portfolio in 2014. My master’s degree is in higher education administration, but my bachelor’s degree is in writing seminars, or in plainer terms, creative writing with a concentration in poetry. I earned this degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Yes, Hopkins is more known for producing doctors and engineers than poets and student affairs professionals, but I wouldn’t have changed my major for anything. I love the power of the voice in the written word. I started out wanting to improve my own voice, but I graduated wanting to help others improve their voices instead. I applied to a few M.F.A. programs along with my desired higher education programs, but once I was able to secure a residence director position, I decided working with college students through residence life was the lifelong career that I wanted to pursue.
Rebecca Stringham She/Her/Hers Area Director Salisbury University Magazine Editor restringham@salisbury.edu
Five years later, here I am in this position, helping other student affairs professionals share their voices and encouraging our members to give writing a try. When I was chatting with individuals at the 2018 Annual Conference, I heard a lot of “Oh, I can’t submit anything, I can’t write.” You all can write more than you realize. Everyone has something to share. Do you have a presentation or a program that you are proud of? Do you want to talk about how you navigated a professional challenge in your career? Do you have a personal experience that not many other professionals have? We all have our bookshelf of war stories and self-reflections; it just takes a little courage and a little vulnerability to bring those things to the page. So I encourage you to take a risk and send something in for the next edition. The magazine team and I are happy to provide suggestions, review rough drafts, and help you get your thoughts just right. After all, I’m here to finally put this writing degree to use! Sincerely, Rebecca Stringham B.A. in Writing Seminars ‘14 M.A. in Higher Education Administration ‘16 MACUHO Magazine Editor
6 | MACUHO
Attitude of Gratitude PRESIDENT’S LETTER As we start this calendar year, I am reflecting on my professional career to see what I can do to make it better. My involvement in MACUHO was a springboard to many individuals who have become fantastic colleagues and lifelong friends. One year ago, Debbie Scheibler, our past President, talked about the new calendar year being an opportunity to try new things. In her Winter 2017 MACUHO Magazine article, she highlighted MACUHO as an organization under renovation looking toward a bit of a “facelift and refresh”. Knowing the value of being involved in MACUHO and creating a facelift, we have started a Leadership and Volunteer Recruitment committee. Dr. Sean Killion and the committee have begun the process of planting the seed of leadership for future generations of MACUHO leaders and volunteers. They will be working with our membership to get more leaders involved in the organization. Furthermore, they will look at current individuals in leadership positions and see how they can take it to the next level.
Stephen Apanel He/Him/His Director of Housing Services Bucknell University MACUHO President sapanel@bucknell.edu
During the annual Business Meeting in Erie, PA, a vote occurred to restructure our organization to help strengthen its mission of serving our members through opportunities for professional development and education. The vote passed, and we have a new organizational structure to better reach our mission. We have established new Engagement Coordinators (ECs) who are getting started in developing chances for members to share ideas with individuals who are representative of their position, rather than their region. Our Director of Membership Development, Misty Denham-Barrett, has been working with the new ECs to develop another way to engage our members at the graduate, entry, mid, and senior officer levels. There is a new position, Annual Conference Coordinator, held by Ray FeDora, who works with the individuals organizing the upcoming conference in Atlantic City. The Conference Coordinator will also scout the region for the site of our 2020 conference. Our Director of Training and Development, Nailah Brown, is now the director liaison for the newly-created co-chairs for our VIPs program. Together they will be working to make an already successful program even better. Dillon Eppenstein, Director of Business Operations and Communications, is now the direct liaison for both the Sponsorship Coordinator and the Exhibits and Displays Chair to assure stronger communication and relationships with our vendors. Outside of our Annual Conference, we have other fantastic professional development opportunities, such as the Student Staff Leadership Institute, and Carey Haddock, Director of Annual Programs, who will work closely with the chairs who are organizing the drive-in conferences. Most of our communication is conducted via email and announcements on our webpage, which is a task that needs to be recognized as done by Tiffany Hughes, Director of Technology Initiatives, who is always exploring how we can make MACUHO better with our digital presence. Although we have made some changes, we have not lost sight of our past as it is a story which assists in writing our future. Last year, we put out a call for individuals to get involved with our Strategic Plan, which is off to a great start with 33 members assisting the organization, led by our Director of Strategic Initiatives, Kurtis Watkins, and Strategic Coordinator, Carrie Pitcairn Beers. In developing the next strategic plan, which will be presented at the 2020 Conference, they will be creating our road map to focus our energy and resources, strengthening our efforts to help us work toward common goals. With these changes, we will be making MACUHO a better organization. Upon reflecting on all these efforts, I feel a need to present an attitude of gratitude for being surrounded by the individuals mentioned, but also the many whom I did not have an opportunity to mention. There are many hands and minds making this organization what it is and what it will be. From our past presidents to our future President, Johnny Kocher, I am thankful and fully appreciate the work we are doing and what we are about to produce. When I was a younger professional, the leaders at the time provided me a chance to further enhance my career, and I look forward to giving the same opportunity to others. As I mentioned at the Annual Conference in Erie, we are ready to up the quality of MACUHO, and we are just getting started.
MAUCHO | 7
Your 2019 MACUHO Experience PRESIDENT ELECT’S LETTER Hello MACUHO! It is with tremendous excitement that I write to you at the start of the new 2019 year as your Vice President/President Elect. It was a whirlwind of new ideas and change throughout 2018 as we ended our year with a new association structure, new leadership positions, and new faces in those positions. With a new Strategic Plan in development and our exciting annual conference in Atlantic City, NJ, there has never been a better time to be involved with MACUHO. While it is important to make note of the exciting highlights of our upcoming year, it is also important to remember that the MACUHO experience can and should be tailored to the needs of your professional development and the needs of your department. In understanding this, MACUHO has many other diverse offerings throughout the year that will allow you to get the most out of your 2019 MACUHO experience. If your department is looking for its next great team member, or if you have graduate students or professional staff ready to explore the next steps in their professional career, then the Mid-Atlantic Placement Conference (MAPC) occurring on February 20-22 in Reading, PA should be of great benefit to you. Looking ahead towards the end of 2019, on November 9, 2019, the Student Staff Live In Conference continues to thrive as a valuable professional development experience for undergraduate and graduate student staff such as Resident Assistants. Taking Johnny Kocher place at UMBC this year, this is a great opportunity for housing He/Him/His and residence life student staff to get an introduction to Residence Life Specialist professional associations in the field of housing and residence West Virginia University life by learning more about MACUHO, and developing Vice President/President Elect connections with the people and institutions throughout the Johnny.Kocher@mail.wvu.edu MACUHO region. While the primary focus of the SSLI conference is for our student staff, this is also a great opportunity for young entry-level professionals to take advantage of the professional program track offerings and gain experience presenting at a MACUHO conference. For those entry-level professionals looking to prepare for a mid-level position, the Regional Entry Level Institute (RELI) is another fantastic offering from MACUHO in partnership with the NEACUHO region. Taking place on May 29-31 at Suffolk University in Boston, MA, RELI is an intensive professional development seminar featuring a range of activities for entry-level professionals who aspire to mid-level positions in residence life and beyond. (Applications are available at macuho.org and are due by March 1, 2019.) Many other events for 2019 remain to be determined. You can expect details about the popular Inclusion Summit Drive-In, a one-day MACUHO event with the goal of bringing awareness to issues in our field of inclusion and diversity as well as allowing professionals from numerous diverse backgrounds from the MACUHO region to network and connect with each other. We can also expect a wide range of virtual professional development options such as committee conference calls, webinars, roundtable discussions, and engagement coordinator events throughout the year to provide you and your department the ability to begin your professional development in 2019 without ever having to leave your office. MACUHO is here to serve you as housing and residence life professionals. In 2019, I encourage you to consider the many MACUHO events throughout the year to meet the professional development needs of you and your colleagues and students. Frequently visit and explore our website, find a committee that revolves around a topic you are passionate about and join their mailing list, and keep an eye for our MACUHO email updates. Most importantly, let us know how we can better serve you in 2019.
8 | MACUHO
Stay Magical MACUHO PAST PRESIDENT’S LETTER Cheers to a new year and a new academic semester! My hope is that the holidays were rejuvenating, reflective, and welcomed for you and those in your life. This New Year continues my work for MACUHO, but in a new way: now as your immediate Past President. In this role, I serve at the pleasure of our association’s President, Stephen Apanel. Additionally, I provide support to our executive board in their various, amazing endeavors. With the passing of our vote to restructure the association to better meet our evolving needs as an entity, there are new opportunities for involvement, education, celebration, recognition, and community. I am especially proud of the efforts MACUHO has taken in recent months to create spaces for personal identities to be celebrated and professional networking to take place more intentionally. In addition to working directly with our association’s leadership, I also serve YOU very directly, and I wish to continue to be a voice to your concerns and interests. Please reach out to me if there is any way that I may serve you directly or help connect you to the best executive board or Leadership Council member to help get you more involved or make your MACUHO dream a reality. I am reachable via phone, email, and social media, and I’d love to know how I can help. Be well, MACUHO family. I look forward to continuing to serve you all as Stephen leads us into this new year. Stay Magical, Debbie Scheibler MACUHO Past-President
Debbie Scheibler She/Her/Hers Director, Office of Residence Life Wilkes University Past President deborah.scheibler@wilkes.edu
Photo Credit: Stephen Apanel - Bucknell University
THANK YOU TO DEBBIE SCHEIBLER FOR LIGHTING THE WAY FOR OUR NEW AND IMPROVED MACUHO!
MAUCHO | 9
Your MACUHO 2019 Experience FEBRUARY 20-22, 2019
MAY 2, 2019
Mid-Atlantic Placement Conference (MAPC) Reading, PA
Social Justice Symposium
(Online Registration Open until February 14, 2019) Questions? Contact: MAPC Co-Chairs Jackie Cetera (jc088@bucknell.edu) & Pooja Daya (pxdaya@salisbury.edu)
Check Page 24 to read about how to be successful at MAPC!
Rutgers University-Camden Camden, NJ
Questions? Contact: Diversity Committee Co-Chairs Amanda Slichter (amandaslichter11@gmail.com) & La-Riese M. Eldridge (la-riese.eldridge@jefferson.edu) Check Page 11 to read more about this newly named event!
MAY 29-31, 2019 Regional Entry Level Institute (RELI) (Applications due March 1, 2019) Questions? Contact: Debbie Scheibler (deborah.scheibler@wilkes.edu) Check Page 30 to read about who the RELI faculty will be!
NOVEMBER 9, 2019 OCTOBER 23-25, 2019 MACUHO 2019 Annual Conference Questions? Contact: Host 2019 Co-Chairs Steven Couras (scouras@stevens.edu), Tory Elisca (eliscav@montclair.edu) & Brian Pluchino (brian.pluchino@stockton.edu)
Check Pages 17-33 to read about how the 2018 Annual Conference went!
Student Staff Live In Conference (SSLI)
University of Maryland-Baltimore County - Baltimore, MD (Online Registration Open until February 14, 2019) Questions? Contact: Director of Annual Programs Carey Haddock (carey.haddock@delval.edu)
Check Pages 35-36 to read about how the 2018 SSLI Conference went!
MORE EVENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED! Visit our website for more information on all of our events: https://www.macuho.org/
10 | MACUHO
Diversity Committee Feature COMMITTEE Co-Chair Amanda Slichter She/Her/Hers Assistant Director of Residence Life Lehigh University amandaslichter11@gmail.com
Co-Chair La-Riese M. Eldridge She/Her/Hers Housing Coordinator Thomas Jefferson University la-riese.eldridge@jefferson.edu
1. WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE? When I attended the 2012 annual conference as a VIP student during my undergraduate years, I knew I wanted to get more involved with MACUHO. During grad school and while continuing to attend various MACUHO conferences, I developed a passion for inclusion and social justice work. Seeing MACUHO leadership such as Brian Medina and Crystal Lopez work with the Diversity Committee or speak about making our region more inclusive inspired me to join the diversity committee as a member. I actively participated on the committee for two years before being appointed co-chair. -A.S. I first joined the committee in hopes of gaining some strategies to take back to my institution. I also wanted to find a way to get involved in the association that was tied to an area of interest. I have developed an affinity for identity-based work, and I am excited to do this work with Amanda. -L.E. 2. WHAT ARE SOME GOALS THAT YOU HAVE FOR THIS COMMITTEE? We share the same goals. One goal that has been met has been to have a new blog post every month. We think it’s important to provide content regularly, as well as provide an opportunity for our membership to share their thoughts and knowledge. Two other goals at the forefront right now are to plan a fantastic Inclusion Summit for Spring 2019, and to further evolve the identity-based Affinity Groups that were piloted at the Annual Conference in October 2018. 3. WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING INITIATIVES FOR THE MEMBERSHIP TO LOOK FORWARD TO? It can now be released that the Social Justice Symposium (formerly known as the Inclusion Summit), a oneday, drive-in conference, will occur on Thursday May 2, 2019 at Rutgers University - Camden. This conference is intended to provide a space for professionals of color and their allies to exchange lived experiences, share a space for dialogue, and learn about best practices to make our region more inclusive. It is low-cost (typically $40 or less) and usually takes place from 10:00am to 3:00pm to allow for more convenient travel time. Registration emails will be coming out soon!
MAUCHO | 11
Housing and Facilities Operations Committee Feature COMMITTEE Co-Chair Christina Moran She/Her/Hers Director of Housing and Judicial Affairs Thomas Jefferson University christina.moran@jefferson.edu
Co-Chair Tim Moran He/Him/His Director of Housing and Residence Life Seton Hall University timothy.moran@shu.edu 1. WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE? Since my first professional position, MACUHO has been instrumental in helping me make connections in the region to broaden my professional network. As I have moved into a role more focused on operations, I have become more invested in connecting with and improving the offerings for housing and facilities operations professionals. I look forward to getting to know more of my colleagues. -C.M. I really enjoy the “who� aspect of housing and operations. I am intrigued by what a large impact residence halls have on students and retention. -T.M. 2. WHAT ARE SOME GOALS THAT YOU HAVE FOR THIS COMMITTEE? I hope to increase the number of housing and facilities operations professionals who are engaging with MACUHO. I hope we are able to deepen the value for those who are already involved as well. -C.M. I want to have multiple drive-ins so we can provide an opportunity for not only having tours of old and new halls but also providing quality roundtable discussions about hot topics we are all facing. I would also like to engage areas and schools that have been quiet during the past few years. -T.M. 3. WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING INITIATIVES FOR THE MEMBERSHIP TO LOOK FORWARD TO? We will be doing some outreach to members very shortly asking for their help in identifying the housing and facilities operations experts at their institutions as we seek to create a resource base. As we look to solidify Halls to Walls offerings, we would love some feedback from the membership about what types of institutions they are looking for. -C.M. We want to engage with schools who have not been a part of MACUHO and see if we can get them more involved. -T.M.
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Personal and Professional Development Committee Feature COMMITTEE 1. WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE? I have always been passionate about development, personally and professionally, because I believe that we are always growing as human beings and as professionals. I have had amazing people in my life who have helped with my development in all areas; knowing how important that service was for me, I wanted to provide that to others. I was also looking for a way to get more involved in MACUHO, and I figured this would be perfect. So far it has worked! 2. WHAT ARE SOME GOALS THAT YOU HAVE FOR THIS COMMITTEE? This year we are trying to spread our focus equally between personal development and professional development, because we are people before we are professionals, and we should give equal attention to both. 3. WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING INITIATIVES FOR THE MEMBERSHIP TO LOOK FORWARD TO? We will be doing some motivational messages/reminders, specifically around self-care and wellness. We are also looking to do more with technology, including webinars, not only about professional development, but also ways to take care of one’s self. We are going to continue the Random Acts of Kindness started last year, and we are looking to start a Book/Scholarly Article Club for this year.
Chair Kevin Gaughenbaugh He/Him/His Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life Marywood University kgaughenbaugh@marywood.edu
Committee Initiative Introduction: Wellness Moments Winter Break often presents a time to rest, recharge and reflect. As we prepare for a new semester and to get back our full schedules, the Personal and Professional Development Committee would like to introduce a new initiative known as Wellness Moments. This new initiative aims to assist in both your personal and professional development through the lens of the various dimensions of wellness. In the past, you may have participated in a similar initiative/challenge around tracking fitness. This initiative is very similar, except it takes into account all areas of wellness versus just focusing on your physical well-being. Wellness Moments will include:
Entry-Level Engagement Coordinator, Personal & Professional Development Committee Member Ashley Lillie Residential Area Manager Saint Joseph’s University
-Individual tracking of “Wellness Moments” based on the dimensions of wellness. -Monthly reports of the top trackers, particularly for folks who like competition. -Wellness-related articles and material distribution based on monthly trends. An opportunity to gather at the annual MACUHO conference and further reflect on your wellness moments. The month of January offered a time to set one-word initiatives, goals or intentions for the next year. If you find yourself setting goals around your wellness or achieving a different level of work-life balance, I encourage you to sign up! Just send an email to: MACUHOwellness@gmail.com with the subject line: “Wellness Moments” to receive your tracking sheet and other resources to jump into 2019.
Remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Let’s start this year focusing on the moments we do have in our busy lives to fill up. MAUCHO | 13
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Program Committee Feature COMMITTEE 1. WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE? My interest in serving as the Program Committee chair stemmed from my conference experience and involvement within the committee. The Program Committee is responsible for providing much of the educational content at the Annual Conference, and is very much “behind-the-scenes”. Putting together a large part of the conference experience – program sessions, keynote speakers, experts-in-residence, awards – is greatly rewarding. The Program Committee requires significant collaboration, and allows for the opportunity to work closely with the other committees and professionals within the region. With all the details the Program Committee manages throughout the year, seeing it all come together every October is quite fulfilling. 2. WHAT ARE SOME GOALS THAT YOU HAVE FOR THIS COMMITTEE?
Chair Katie Patschke-Maguire She/Her/Hers Coordinator for Residence Life Penn State Harrisburg kap293@psu.edu
The ultimate goal of the Program Committee is to provide the most robust, engaging program slate and special presenter lineup, and to support the overall goals of the Annual Conference. To do this, we seek to solicit quality proposals addressing the ACUHO-I Core Competencies and that create a unique educational experience for attendees. Another goal we have is to increase the number of new and seasoned professionals submitting proposals and presenting, recognizing the value of presenting and one’s own professional development. We also seek to diversify the programs offered to ensure that the slate is offering sessions that are meeting the needs of our professionals and campuses, and that attendees can utilize this knowledge outside of the conference setting.
3. WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING INITIATIVES FOR THE MEMBERSHIP TO LOOK FORWARD TO? We are currently looking for new members to join the committee. Members are able to partake in many initiatives and opportunities, such as having a direct voice in selecting our keynote speaker and other special presenters. Additionally, it is our committee members who read and evaluate each program proposal, and ultimately select which programs will be presented at Annual Conference. On-site committee members are able to moderate program sessions, provide support to our presenters, and award the top programs of the conference.
Want to join a committee? Would you be interested in being a committee co-chair for the Personal and Professional Development Committee or the Program Committee? Contact Kevin Gaughenbaugh at kgaughenbaugh@marywood.edu (PPD Committee) or Katie Patschke-Maguire at kap293@psu.edu (Program Committee) to learn about the opportunity to serve on the MAUCHO Leadership Council!
MAUCHO | 15
Recognition And Connections Committee Feature COMMITTEE Co-Chair Gwendolyn M. Stevens She/Her/Hers Housefellow & Coordinator of First Year Orientation Carnegie Mellon University gwendols@andrew.cmu.edu
Co-Chair Chancey Page He/Him/His Area Coordinator of Residential Life Albright College cpage@albright.edu 1. WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THIS COMMITTEE? MACUHO has played a huge role in my Student Affairs journey thus far. As an undergraduate student and professional in the field, I attended MAPC (Mid-Atlantic Placement Conference) twice, and I was able to network with/meet a host of professionals in the field. I also was lucky enough to land positions (at Frostburg State University and Albright College) both times I attended the conference. This organization gave me my start in the field, and now that I am settled into my role, I felt it was time to start giving back. Currently, I oversee all recognition efforts at my institution, so this committee naturally was a good fit. -C.P. My interest in the committee is twofold. I wanted to become more involved and contribute to the growth and future success of the association. In addition, I felt like the RAC Committee speaks to many of my interests and strengths to find ways to celebrate the work that we do in a meaningful and impactful way. -G.S. 2. WHAT ARE SOME GOALS THAT YOU HAVE FOR THIS COMMITTEE? One goal that my co-chair and I are very passionate about achieving is high volume member engagement. We are striving to get all members of the association involved with our committee and initiatives. Additionally, due to the restructure of our committee, we have been tasked with maintaining and fostering a close relationship with CAACURH/NACURH. An additional goal for us is to get both organizations involved in our recognition initiatives. -C.P. One of my goals is to find more ways to celebrate the work that we do in the field as professionals, especially those small wins! I also hope to develop new and engaging initiatives that speak to the needs of today’s professionals. -G.S. 3. WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING INITIATIVES FOR THE MEMBERSHIP TO LOOK FORWARD TO? We are looking forward to revamping the Our Region’s Best Awards, along with all other recognition initiatives. -C.P. We are looking to rebrand the newly designed RAC Committee, starting with our logo design and defining our mission and goals. -G.S.
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Our MACUHO Experience ANNUAL CONFERENCE ANGELA’S EXPERIENCE: This year I had the opportunity to attend the MACUHO Annual Conference for the second consecutive year. I knew going into this year that I wanted to attend MACUHO after having such a positive experience last year. At this conference, I had the amazing opportunity to not only volunteer at the check-in table, but to also present at the conference. I worked with my colleague at PittJohnstown to present on the benefits of attending the Vendor Fair. My goal for the presentation was to explain the benefits of connecting with vendors to entry-level professionals and graduate students. It is so important to understand how to engage with vendors if you wish to become a director in the Residence Life or Housing functional areas, which is what most entry-level professionals and grads aspire to be. It is also very interesting to learn about the different products available and to use the Vendor Fair as an educational opportunity to understand new services on the market. During the conference, I also had the chance to attend a few sessions, one of which delved into freedom of speech on college campuses. I also learned about the MAPC job placement program, which will occur in February. Finally, it was great to network with many housing professionals, including some alumni of the IUP Student Affairs in Higher Education program. Overall, I am passionately dedicated to the MACUHO organization and plan on continuing my involvement in the near future. My goal is to continue to be involved in the organization in order to bring more educational opportunities to professionals in Housing and Residence Life. I’m looking forward to returning for the 2019 MACUHO conference in Atlantic City. DAN’S EXPERIENCE: Attending MACUHO 2018 was an incredible experience that I believe will help prepare me for a career in student affairs after I graduate from my graduate program. Being surrounded by professional staff members from institutions of various sizes, demographics, and locations allowed me to immerse myself in the diverse experiences and perspectives being shared in the sessions that I attended, as well as in casual conversations between activities. I was able to connect with professionals in the area, learn about challenges that other institutions face, and gather insight into trends of the profession. I chose to focus my experience by attending conference sessions on supervisory growth and career development, while also learning more about the field of career services, which I am currently working in as part of my practicum with IUP’s Career and Professional Development Center. Overall, my experience at MACUHO was one that has increased my passion for this profession, as I was able to learn more about myself and the professionals throughout the mid-Atlantic region. MICHAEL’S EXPERIENCE: One word that comes to mind when I reflect on my experience at the MACUHO annual conference is “growth”. Growth is something that we all need as professionals in any field, not just student affairs, but especially in our practice because things are always changing. Attending my first professional conference at MACUHO was quite the experience. Being able to attend different sessions that will help me grow not only as a professional, but as a person is something that I really took away from this conference. There were some really great presentations that ranged from using different types of video games to help with understanding mental illness to learning how to be financially stable while working in student affairs. I took a lot away from these sessions that I am working on to constantly grow as a professional and a person. I was also able to gain experience while attending MACUHO’s Summer Summit planning meeting, so it was nice to see the production come full circle. I recommend this conference to anyone, especially with an alumnus of the IUP Student Affairs in Higher Education at the helm of MACUHO. I am already looking forward to the opportunity of going to Atlantic City in 2019. Angela Define She/Her/Hers Graduate Area Coordinator - Carlow University Engagement Coordinator for Graduate Level Professionals @AngelaDelfine24, angela.delfine24@gmail.com
Dan Bowley He/Him/His Graduate Resident Director University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown dabowley@carlow.edu
Michael Hanni He/Him/His Graduate Assistant Indiana University of Pennsylvania
ANNUAL PROGRAM AWARDS The Region’s Best Award provides incentive for quality programs and recognizes superior presenters who are not eligible for the Best Presentation by a New Professional. How BrenÊ Brown Made Me a Better Residence Life Professional Misty Denham-Barrett, Rutgers - New Brunswick The Best Presentation by a New Professional Award (formerly PPIA) is given to an outstanding new professional who has not presented at a regional or national conference (excluding Student Staff or RD/Live-In conferences). An Exchange of Ideas: Rethinking Engagement in Apartment Style, Suite Style, and NonTraditional Residential Spaces Gwendolyn Stevens, Carnegie Mellon University
Top 10 Program Winners 2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
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OUR TOP 10 PROGRAMS WINNERS Succeeding in Your Job Search (Program 1) & Show Me The Money (Program 2) David Clurman, University of Maryland - Baltimore County He/Him/His Assistant Director of Residential Education clurman@umbc.edu Public Private Partnership Housing and Sense of Community Denise Davidson, Bloomsburg University and Chris Heasley, Saint Joseph’s University She/Her/Hers & He/Him/His Associate Professor: Educational Leadership and College Student Affairs & Assistant Professor: Educational Leadership ddavidso@bloomu.edu; 570-389-4876 & cheasley@sju.edu An Exchange of Ideas: Rethinking Engagement in Apartment Style, Suite Style, and Non-Traditional Residential Spaces Michaela Page, Carnegie Mellon University and Gwendolyn Stevens, Carnegie Mellon University She/Her/Hers & She/Her/Hers Coordinator of Student Life and Housefellow/Coordinator of Civic Engagement & Housefellow/Coordinator of First Year Orientation MACUHO Recognition and Connections Co-Chair (G.S.) mspage@andrew.cmu.edu; 412-268-2142 & gwendols@andrew.cmu.edu The Plan to Destroy the Plastic Supervisor Gabriel Poindexter, Marshall University and Michaela Bishop, Marshall University She/Her/Hers & He/Him/His Area Coordinator & Area Coordinator bishopmi@marshall.edu & poindexterg@marshall.edu How Brené Brown Made Me a Better Residence Life Professional Misty Denham-Barrett, Rutgers University – New Brunswick She/Her/Hers Residence Life Coordinator MACUHO Director of Membership Development misty.mdb@gmail.com Freedom of Speech on Campus and In Campus Housing Denise Davidson, Bloomsburg University and Mark Bauman, Bloomsburg University Mark Bauman & Denise Davidson He/Him/His & She/Her/Hers Acting Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education & Associate Professor: Educational Leadership and College Student Affairs mbauman@bloomu.edu; 570-389-5430 & ddavidso@bloomu.edu; 570-389-4876 Our Turn to Serve: Supporting Student Veterans on Campus Johnny Kocher, West Virginia University He/Him/His Residence Life Specialist MACUHO Vice President/President Elect Johnny.Kocher@mail.wvu.edu So, What’s the Sitch? Laura Mack, University of Maryland - Baltimore County Community Director lm@umbc.edu Student Repellent: How Office Design Impacts Student Interaction David Laird, Penn State - Altoona Residence Life Coordinator dll316@psu.edu
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Succeeding in Your Job Search! ANNUAL CONFERENCE Each and every spring comes with countless opportunities for those who are both new and experienced to find a job. Job placement events like the Mid-Atlantic Placement Conference (MAPC), Oshkosh Placement Exchange (OPE), and The Placement Exchange (TPE) bring candidates and employers together as each look for the right match. As a candidate, your success within the job search process depends on the various steps of the interview process, many of which are firmly within your control. Between written documents (cover letter, resume, reference list), verbal communication (interviews and other engagement), and behavior (dress and non-verbal communication), you can set yourself up the best possible chance to get a job offer. The job search process usually starts off with the submission of your cover letter, resume, and reference list - all of which are written. These documents are often the only chance that you have to make an impression. In order to ensure that you make it beyond the initial screening, you need to make certain that you are putting your best foot forward. You can do that by following these tips: COVER LETTER: Make sure that you customize the letter to the institution and position that you’re applying for and don’t just use a form letter. Be sure to add more than just repeating your resume. For instance, include why you’re interested in the job that you’re applying for or how the position aligns with your career goals. It shouldn’t be more than one page and should include the specific position and institution that you’re applying for as well as how you found out about the listing.
David Clurman He/Him/His Assistant Director of Residential Education University of Maryland, Baltimore clurman@umbc.edu
RESUME: The purpose of your resume is to outline the qualifications that you have for the position. Find a format that works for you since, essentially, it is a written representation of you! It shouldn’t be more than two pages and should include your college degree(s), related experience, previous jobs, awards received, and professional development involvement (organizational involvement, presentations, publications, etc.). If the job description has required or preferred skills/experiences, be sure to list them if you have them! Finally, it is also a good habit of updating your resume at least once a year - you never know when you’ll find your dream job and learn that the deadline to apply is the next day! REFERENCE LIST: You will usually be asked to share contact information for some references. Those listed should be able to speak about your professional work and should include at least one direct supervisor. If you don’t list your current supervisor, be prepared to share why they are not listed as a hiring manager will likely want to speak with them as your current supervisor can speak to your most recent performance. It is also helpful for the employer if you list the relationship that you have with the reference (i.e. current supervisor, peer, mentor, etc.). For All Documents: Make sure that you send all of these documents as PDF. By using this format, you’re ensuring that these files will look just as they do on your computer. It is also advisable to save each file with your last name (i.e. Clurman.Resume, Clurman.Cover Letter). Never embellish or lie in these documents - the Student Affairs field is too small and falsehoods are easily discovered. You also want to ensure that each document is reviewed by multiple people for spelling and grammar errors. As the writer, it is easy pass over simple errors as your brain will often autocorrect the mistake since you know what it is supposed to say. Lastly, ensure your masthead (the information that contains your name and contact information) is at the top of each document. This ensures that if your documents are printed and pages get separated, they will still know who the document belongs to. If you’ve done a good job in the above section, especially if you meet most or all of the requirements, you’ll likely move on to the next phase of the process, which is often a short interview (at a conference, by phone, or Skype). If you do well with the first interview, you’ll set yourself up well for the all-important on-campus interview. Preparation is key for both of these and this is where verbal communication and behavior come into play. There are several things that you can do to help you succeed with your interview, regardless of whether it is the first-round or on-campus portion. The first thing is what you communicate. You should be prepared to talk about why you are interested in the position that you applied for. Don’t be general and share how you 20 | MACUHO
like the geographic area - anyone can do that. Do your research and talk about how you like the goals, mission, and/or new initiatives of the department or institution. To stand out you must show that your research was a mile deep and not an inch deep like most candidates; you want to make the interviewers remember you for all of the right reasons and doing your research will pay dividends! Other things that you should be prepared to answer revolve around your experiences. A good way to prepare for that is to list several different areas that the job is looking for (i.e. supervision, crisis management, advising, conduct, etc.) and list specific examples for each area that will help convey your experiences. Nothing can sink an interview faster than you not being able to talk about a specific example. It is one thing to call yourself a great communicator or an effective leader; it is another to back those claims up with proof. By doing this prep work, you will set yourself up for success and your confidence will shine through.
“It is one thing to call yourself a great communicator or an effective leader; it is another to back those claims up with proof.”
One way to make sure that you give a complete answer is to answer it as if you’re writing a paper. We’re taught in school that a paper has three parts - the introduction, body, and conclusion. When they ask you to share a time where you had to develop and execute a program, it is good to think about your answer in that way. For example, the introduction can be where you talk about what the program was about and why you developed it. The body will be where you talk about the specifics of the development and execution. The conclusion would be sharing how the program was received and whether you would do anything differently if it was to occur again.
Another way to help you stay on top of your interview is to have a padfolio with you. If you’re at a table, you can have it open to take notes when you’re being asked questions. It will also allow you to have your resume or notes about experiences for you to quickly refer to. In addition, you may keep the questions that you’ve prepared to ask, which is vital. Go beyond the generic “what do you like most (or least) about working here?” or “what is your timeline?” By having institution-specific questions prepared, you demonstrate the thorough research that you’ve done and your sincere interest in learning the most that you can. If you are interviewing at a conference, there are a few extra things to keep in mind for your success. You should bring extra copies of your resume and references in case they are requested by an interviewer. Be sure to stay hydrated – talking that much will take its toll on your voice. Along the same line, it is important to be strategic about scheduling interviews and to do your best to avoid back-to-back interviews. If one interview is going great and they want to speak with you for an extra five minutes, you aren’t torpedoing your chances somewhere else. If you’re provided materials to review before your interview, be sure to do so. You may be asked questions in relation to what you’ve been given, and you should be prepared. Lastly, if you’re out and about for dinner and/or drinks, watch what you say and what you do. You never know who you may run into and the last thing you want is to have an unwise action derail a promising opportunity. Good communication doesn’t stop when the interview is over. Provide well-written emails thanking the interviewers for their time. Tell them what you appreciated learning and be specific. You should be timely in your response to their inquiries which means responding within one business day; you don’t like to be kept waiting when you reach out to them, so don’t do the same to them. If there are make-it/break-it questions that need be asked, do that before the interview. It isn’t helpful for anyone to go through a full search process, spending time and money, if you can’t bring your dog with you for a live-in position. Of course, there is more to the interview process than what you write and say. How you dress, how you say things, and act can communicate just as much as what comes out of your mouth. You should dress professionally, which means wearing better than khakis, sweaters, boots, non-dress shoes, or wearing dresses or skirts that are too short. Don’t slump or lay back in a chair; don’t appear too familiar, casual, overly confident, bored, or disengaged. Don’t act like a comedian either - the goal isn’t to make people laugh, but to help them understand how you would be a good addition to the team. Ensure that your phone is turned off, not just on silent mode (buzzing is still distracting to others). Show your enthusiasm and that you’re excited about working there. If your interview includes a meal, be sure to avoid alcohol, overeating, and sauces that might get on your clothing.
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“Donʼt act like a comedian either - the goal isnʼt to make people laugh, but to help them understand how you would be a good addition to the team.”
When it comes to travel, ask about how expenses are covered. Some schools will cover all costs outright while others may employ a reimbursement process. The amount of expenses covered also vary from school to school and whether or not an offer is made and/or accepted or declined. When driving to an interview, confirm the address and give yourself plenty of time. It is always better to arrive an hour early rather than one minute late. You never know if there will be an accident or something else unexpected which could lengthen your travel time.
There are a few more things to keep in mind that interviewers will be looking out for. These are called “red flags” and could quickly cause you to be out of consideration. Some red flags include bashing your current or former supervisor or office, asking no questions, making things up, not doing research for the position or institution, or focusing too much on salary and other perks. Two other items require special attention. The first is taking too long to answer a question. Anything beyond 10 seconds of silence can be concerning, though there are some things you can do to buy some extra time. One thing that can be done is to ask them to repeat the question. While this isn’t ideal for simple questions, it is perfectly acceptable if you’re asked a question that is complex or with several points to touch on. A simpler thing to do is to ask for a moment to think by saying something like “That is a great question. Can I have a moment to think about that?” Take another 10-15 seconds to prepare an answer. If you have a notepad, this is also a good time to jot down the key points of the question to help you ensure that all points are addressed. The second red flag of note is not preparing your references. First, it is key that your references are aware that they are being listed. The last thing you want is for them to get called and to not assist you in getting the job. Once you’ve identified references who will be able to speak well about your professional character and work ethic, be sure to keep them updated as you proceed through the on-campus interview process. Some schools do reference checks before the on-campus interview, so keeping your references informed is key. Two great things that you can do to help your references so they can provide you with the greatest amount of assistance is to provide them with a copy of the job description and to share anything that you’d like them to highlight. IF YOU WANT TO BE A GREAT CANDIDATE, BE SURE TO FOLLOW THIS LAST BIT OF ADVICE: Learn as much as you can. Be able to learn the job on your own. Make presentations. Own up to your mistakes. Learn how to effectively communicate. Make good first impressions. Read professional literature and stay on top of current events. Look for your next job. Share your accomplishments. Keep your resume up-to-date. Finding your job may be tough work, but the level of success will likely be directly proportional to the effort you invest. Like anything that may be tough, practice helps. Utilize mentors and colleagues to act in the role of interviewer, using behavior interview questions that can be found on the web. Lastly, realize that once you make it to an on-campus interview, it is often about fit. The school has likely already determined that you can do the job. Ask the questions that are going to give you the information so you can make an informed decision if you’re offered the job. If it isn’t the right one, keep looking for the one that’s right for you – employers will be doing the same.
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Job Search Tips (From Our MAPC Co-Chairs) MAPC Co-Chair Jackie Cetera She/Her/Hers Director of Residential Education Bucknell University jc088@bucknell.edu
Co-Chair Pooja Daya She/Her/Hers Area Director Salisbury University pxdaya@salisbury.edu
It is that time of year again…job search season! You are diligently working to perfect your cover letters and resumes while employers are finalizing their job descriptions and interview questions. You are practicing your answers to every possible interview question and debating on what placement conference to attend and how to make your budget work. In theory, job searching should be a simple process. You determine which jobs you are qualified for, submit your materials, and then receive an invitation for an interview. The employer asks you some questions, you answer them, and then you get the job, right? However, we know this is not the case for jobs in student affairs, especially those within housing and residence life. Interviewing in our field is spread out over several months. You submit a cover letter and a resume and complete an application online. Then a month or so later, an employer reaches out to set up an interview. If you are attending a placement conference like MAPC, then you are juggling multiple interviews with a variety of institutions in a two-day time frame. If all goes well with your first round interview and you answer all questions perfectly, you may receive an invitation for an on-campus interview. This ends with either a job offer or the dreaded email stating you were not the successful candidate.
MACUHO offers a placement conference for graduate and entry level positions for anyone looking to stay within the region. MAPC is an affordable way to job search over a two-day timeframe. MAPC takes place from February 20-22, 2019 in Reading, PA and is a great way to jump start your job search process and network with other professionals.
As a candidate, you not only have to adjust your resume and cover letter for each position, but you also need to remember the endless list of interview expectations. From dressing appropriately, to sending thank you emails, to the professional look of your resume, to providing examples for every interview question, the list of unspoken expectations seems endless. However, as you prepare for the “interview season”, you want to consider some essential tips to help with your success.
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SOME TIPS FOR CANDIDATES:
• Be your authentic self. Fit is a big part of the job so you want to ensure you are at a place that values you as an individual. • Write down your answers to possible questions and review them before your interviews. • Practice your interview answers before the interviews. • Find a mentor or supervisor who can help you prepare. • Have someone review your resume and cover letter. • Individualize your resume and cover letter to the specific job and institution when possible. • Use your personal email address, not your school address. • Make sure your voicemail message is professional. • Review all social media and clean up any pictures if needed. • Network with everyone you know! You never know who they may know! • Identify what colleges and universities you are interested in and do your research. • Have questions prepared ahead of time for each institution. • Thank You Notes – Go electronic! • Get organized. • Have patience. It may take longer than you planned for to hear back from employers. • Do not get discouraged. Stay positive! • Be open to the unexpected. • Be prepared to market. • Make a budget – Job searching expenses can add up. • Determine the region, if any, that you want to be in. Attend the placement conferences for that area. • Dress for success.
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Our Turn To Serve: Supporting Student Veterans on Campus ANNUAL CONFERENCE I remember very clearly an experience that I had several years ago when, as a young 2nd Lieutenant in the West Virginia Army National Guard, I received a phone call late in the evening with instructions to report for State Active Duty in response to a massive winter storm that had slammed the area earlier that day. I hurriedly packed my bags (why do I never keep one packed and ready to go?), fed my cat, emailed my RAs and my supervisor, and braced myself for the cold wind as I left my residence hall to walk to my car. As I was walking through the empty WVU campus at 3:00am, I happened to notice someone in the distance. As I made it close enough to make out who this person was, I was surprised to find another soldier in uniform, weighed down with the bags he was carrying. When he noticed me, he asked if I was heading out to help with the storm and when I said yes, I found out that this was a student who had been living in my residence hall complex who I had never known to also be a National Guard soldier. As I said goodbye, good luck, and stay safe to this resident, I had a moment of heavy realization that at that very moment, students across WVU’s residence halls were asleep in preparation for tomorrow’s classes, slightly intoxicated Johnny Kocher stumbling off the late He/Him/His night bus from a night Captain - West Virginia Army downtown, or up National Guard studying or hanging out West Virginia University with friends. I thought to Vice President/President Elect myself as I was scraping Johnny.Kocher@mail.wvu.edu the ice off my Subaru’s windshield, how many other students on campus are not able to enjoy the typical after hours college routine because they decided to volunteer to be a soldier? I decided that our department had to be more aware of this unique campus population and the challenges that they face. I also decided that I needed to use the positions I had been lucky and privileged enough to attain in my career to help advocate for veterans on campus. In doing research about veteran populations on college campuses across the country, I found surprising statistics that highlighted the growing population of veterans enrolled in college. While the fact that a large veteran population exists on college campuses is not itself surprising, as all service members receive educational benefits of some sort that make higher education more affordable and accessible, it was important to put this into context of the ongoing conflicts of the last decade. While some of these conflicts have started to approach their conclusion, we as a country are still left with a generation of veterans who have returned from Afghanistan, Iraq, and other areas around the world, ready to use their hard-earned education benefits to enroll in college. Between 2009 and 2013, the number of veterans on campus rose by 500,000, and over 5 million post 9/11 service members are expected to transition out of the military by 2020. With 5 million veterans transitioning out of the military and expected to use their military educational benefits to enroll in our institutions, it is critical and essential that housing and residence life personnel make it a priority to engage in staff professional development and training to be better prepared to support these veterans on campus.
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This has become even more real and important for me personally in the past year as I now have three veterans on my RA staff that serve in my own military unit! This often makes for some interesting scenarios as my RAs debate whether or not they need to salute me before a one-on-one meeting, or call me Johnny instead of “Captain Kocher” or “Sir” at a military drill weekend. This support that we need to be prepared to provide can come in many different forms. One of the easiest ways that you and your staff can better support veterans on campus is to research and be knowledgeable about your campus veteran affairs office. Just like other student support centers on campus, most institutions have a veteran affairs office in which professionals in the field of veteran support provide assistance in managing deployments and time away from class, navigating the complicated world of military educational benefits, and providing overall support and accommodations for the variety of questions and issues that can come up when a veteran enrolls in a school. The location, phone number, and hours of a veteran affairs office can easily be built into RA training, and the representatives from these offices are often eager to present at professional development sessions. These offices can often also lead you to any veteran student organizations on campus that are an incredible resources and support network for veterans transitioning to your campus community.
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Another resource that exists on most college campuses is a mental health center with psychologists trained to assist with the variety of emotional issues that a college student can be confronted with. What many residence life professionals do not realize is that many of these centers also have trained psychologists who specialize in support for student veterans. These psychologists can help veterans navigate and provide support through the many emotional challenges that exist in the transition from military to civilian life. While your campus mental health resources are always the best starting point for veteran mental health support, it is also important to be knowledgeable about other options that exist that could assist you in a crisis situation. The most reputable and well known resource that I have found is the Veterans Crisis Line. I encourage everyone reading this article to pause to navigate to https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/ and bookmark this site on their office computer or phone. No, seriously, do it at https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/.
This is an incredible website that provides a wealth of training and materials to better understand the signs that a crisis is occurring with a veteran and provides a number of ways through which a veteran can contact this support group. Just like we post informational flyers in our halls about resources for other student populations on campus, we should also understand that we could literally save lives just by posting a few flyers about this resource (navigate to the bottom of the veteran crisis line website under “Show Support” for some ready made handouts and flyers). The final point that I discuss when I give this talk in presentation form is that we should be aware of the language that we use in everyday discussion with student veterans. Just like any other student group, if we want to truly be compassionate and supportive of the issues that these students face, we must not make the situation worse through ignorant comments or questions, nor should we tolerate these things being said in our campus communities. These comments can range from, what would seem like the obvious such as “Have you ever killed anyone?” (You would be surprised how many times I have personally been asked this by coworkers in residence life.) The “not so obvious comments” we can avoid are political comments such as the necessity of America’s wars in the presence of those that may have lost friends in the very conflict you are regarding as pointless. “I am so glad you made it back in one piece” is another seemingly harmless phrase that is well meaning but could also trigger thoughts of guilt or sorrow with friends that may have not made it back in one piece, or at all. We as student life professionals are, by nature, good at understanding and providing safe spaces to support our diverse student populations. Many student veterans are open and willing to discuss many aspects of their service openly, however, we must be aware and train our staffs to understand that just like any other student population, conversations with veterans must have the same consideration of the triggers and emotional topics that can turn even the most well-meaning conversation into an insensitive and disrespectful one. Ultimately, veteran populations on our college campuses will continue to rise. These student veterans face a unique set of obstacles to their success that, with proper awareness and training, we can help remove. Research your campus resources and continue to learn about the common issues that student veterans face and the ways in which you can train your staff to provide support. Veteran support should be, at least, a bullet point in every RA, Student Life/Housing Professional Staff Training. As professionals in higher education, it is our turn to serve these heroes that make our lives and our profession possible. I am always happy to talk more about veteran support and provide my advice or assistance in any way that I can. Feel free to contact me at 304.293.6044 or at Johnny.Kocher@mail.wvu.edu.
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How Brené Brown Made Me a Better Residence Life Professional ANNUAL CONFERENCE Brené Brown, PhD is a writer, researcher, social worker, and a generally amazing human being. I first discovered her when I stumbled upon her viral Ted Talk on Facebook years ago. Her area of focus is vulnerability and how living a wholehearted life can make you a better person, parent, and leader. After watching every video I could find online of Brené, I turned to her books. I started by reading Daring Greatly. It is no exaggeration when I say that this book changed my life. The overall theme of the book is about embracing vulnerability and imperfections. I consider myself a highly emotional person, struggling with anxiety, PTSD, and a severe fear of abandonment; this book helped me embrace those parts of myself to live a more wholehearted life. Daring Greatly was just the beginning. Over the next couple years, I read two more of Brené’s books, Rising Strong and Braving the Wilderness. All of which had lessons that helped me grow as a person, a leader, and a professional. I never expected that that this personal development would have such tangible benefits to my work as a Student Affairs and Residence Life Professional! I’ve seen it show up in so many areas including supervision, crisis management, team/relationship building, and diversity/inclusion…just to name a few. Let’s break it down by book and theme. Director of Membership Development Misty Denham-Barrett She/Her/Hers Residence Life Coordinator Rutgers University – New Brunswick
Daring Greatly speaks mostly about embracing vulnerability and
imperfection. It’s amazing the connections you can make with students when you let your walls down. Vulnerability is terrifying for most, but can be especially worrisome for those of us in Student Affairs and Residence Life as we worry about setting and maintaining boundaries in our work. I’ve found that I can maintain my boundaries while embracing vulnerability and imperfection; in fact, it’s vital to the process. The most important thing I took from this book was embracing imperfection. This has had a critical impact on how I supervise and engage with students who are having behavioral issues. How often have you admitted to your staff (or yourself for that matter) that you weren’t the perfect RA? Student? Leader? As supervisors, we often get caught up our jobs as supervisors and educators. We give feedback. We evaluate. We appraise performance. It all just becomes part of the job, and we lose sight of the opportunity for vulnerability that can be found in these conversations. Sharing that you’ve made mistakes. Most of us have planned a program last minute, half-assed a bulletin board just to get it done in time, or made poor life choices. Sharing these with your staff allows them to see that mistakes and imperfections are normal! It also allows you to help them focus on the growth and not the mistake. We’ve made mistakes sometimes the same, or worse than, our staff members may make, but we’ve grown from those mistakes. Our mistakes have allowed us to become supervisors who can see the potential in our staffs because of the mistakes they made, not in spite of them. The second book that I read by Brené Brown was Rising Strong. The lessons I took from this book built on and expanded from Daring Greatly. I found the words of Brené coming up not only in supervision and team building, but also in how I am as a colleague, how I respond during crisis situations, and how I look at professional development. Think about the people you are closest to, the students you’ve had the biggest impact on…I can almost guarantee that you’ve seen this person and/or they have seen you go through some type of adversity. Rising Strong emphasizes the importance of reckoning with your emotions, rumbling through the tough middle part, and then standing up to own your story. Reckoning and rumbling through your mistakes and hardships is tough, and it’s even tougher when you don’t have a space, place, or person to seek support in. Brené says “We can’t be brave in the big world without at least a small space to work through our fears and falls.” We are often that person for so many of our students. It becomes a million times easier to provide this space when you are aware of your own reckoning and rumbling process. If you struggle with empathy in relation to crisis management or opening up about your areas of improvement, I would highly recommend this book. It’s also important to note here that you don’t have to read her works in any particular order to get something out of them, but they definitely build on one another, so if you plan to read them all, I’d recommend reading them in the order in which she wrote them. MAUCHO | 29
The last book that I will discuss here is Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone. This book focuses on belonging and being who you are. She also talks about social justice engagement, understanding privilege and power, and overcoming divisiveness. These are some pretty big topics that really have an impact on how we do the work that we do with students. Finding true belonging is at the core of the college experience. It’s what most of our students seek even if they don’t know it. It’s also what we seek as professionals. It’s why we move every three years or jump from Residence Life to Admissions to Student Activities trying to find our true fit. It’s a process that all humans go through for their entire lives in one way or another. I’m a huge believer in the idea that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Meaning that if you want to give and support others, you must give and support yourself first. I think this also applies to personal and professional development. It’s critical for us as Student Affairs professionals to work through the areas of our development that Brené talks about so that we can better serve our students as they go through them. No, I’m not saying you have to be “fully cooked” to do this job, but I’m saying you have to understand that it’s an ongoing, continuous process. We are never done developing personally or professionally. You may be a Senior Housing Officer or a VP, but there are still things you can learn about yourself, and in turn learn about the work we do and the students we serve. What it all boils down to is empathy and vulnerability, two things I believe our world and field needs more of to truly make lasting change, but it will not be easy. As Brené says “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they are never weakness.” I truly believe that these books and Brené Brown’s research have impacted me in so many ways, some I still don’t even fully understand. She also provides many resources to help you navigate the books and utilize her methods which can all be found on her website. If I could suggest any of them, it would be the checklist for engaged feedback. I’ve implemented this on all levels of my staff, and it’s really had a positive impact on how feedback is given and received by those I supervise. If you are interested in BrenÉ’s work and would like to join me (along with a few others) for a virtual book club starting this semester focusing on her newest book, Dare to Lead, please email me at misty.mdb@gmail.com. Feel free to read the book now; we will start weekly discussions of the themes later in the spring semester.
Looking For Other Ways To Become A Better Student Affairs Professional? Attend RELI from May 29-31, 2019! It is with great excitement that Co-Directors Dr. Jon Conlogue (NEACUHO) and Debbie Scheibler (MACUHO) announce the faculty members for the 2019 Regional Entry Level Institute (RELI), hosted at Suffolk University in Boston, MA this May. Each faculty member will present on an ACUHO-I core competency-based session topic aimed at strengthening the understanding of our entry-level professionals as they build the skills necessary to progress to, and be successful in, a mid-level position. Christina Colasanto - American University, Presenting on Fiscal Resources & Control Dave Grimes - Northeastern University, Presenting on Crisis Management Suhail Johnson - Rowan University, Presenting on Resident Education & Student Behavior Beth Moriarty - Bridgewater State University, Presenting on Evaluation and Planning Heather Quire - Southern Vermont College, Presenting on Navigating Campus Politics Steven Radwanski - Stockton University, Presenting on Facilities, Occupancy & Operations Amy Sine - Washington College, Presenting on Supervision Ryan Young - UMass Amherst, Presenting on Human Resources 30 | MACUHO
The VIPS Experience – Reflections From Our 2018-2019 Cohort ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Katherine Rufalo Rutgers University – Newark Political Science ‘19
Michael Holland Felician University Social & Behavioral Sciences ‘19
1. WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR THE LISA A. PIERCE VOLUNTEER INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS (VIPS)? Applying for the Lisa A Pierce Volunteer Incentive Program for Students was "the talk" of residence life. When the application came out, I was currently working in Residence Life at Felician University over the course of the summer. My boss came up to me and pulled the link up on the computer screen and told me to apply. I was nervous at first because I have never done anything like this experience before. I applied within three days of doing the application and then waited. I wanted to apply to the program so that I could ask all of my graduate school questions to professionals, add the experience to my resume, and gain lifelong friendships from the other fellow VIPS. -M.H. I applied for this program because I planned on going to grad school to work in higher education. I had also applied as a junior when I first started in Residence Life, but since I was not accepted, I figured that I would spend the year until the next application cycle to decide on what I wanted to do. I decided I wanted to go into Higher Education and felt that applying for this program was a must. -K.R. 2. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE PROGRAM? I heard about the program from my boss at Felician University. When she came and put the link up on my screen I knew that I had to apply because she told me it was very important. I applied, got accepted, and now I am here! -M.H. I remember hearing about it from two of my supervisors, and one of the supervisors worked closely with MACUHO and was also a co-chair for the VIPS. She encouraged me to apply not once, but twice. -K.R. 3. WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN LIKE IN THE PROGRAM SO FAR? The experience of the program was extraordinary. Everybody was nice, sweet, caring, and helpful. Our CoChairs, Max Shirley and Zack Neil, are the most helpful people during this experience. They knew that we were all nervous, excited, and eager to learn. Once we go there, they accepted us with open arms. That made the first day of the conference just so much better. -M.H. The experience itself is one of a kind and I don’t think I could’ve gotten this anywhere else. The program allowed me to step out of my comfort zone a little bit, which has really helped me since the conference. One thing I struggled with constantly beforehand was networking. A lot of my life I was an introvert, and the simplest introduction was difficult for me to muster up. This conference allowed me to practice that because I was always around other people and it gave me every opportunity to talk to people. My conference mentor was a great help in getting me to break out of that mold and I have been getting better at it ever since. -K.R. MAUCHO | 31
4. WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE AT THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN ERIE, PA? The Annual Conference in Erie, Pennsylvania was outstanding. I learned so many graduate programs tips that I would have never know about if not attending this conference. All of the speakers spoke with passion about why they wanted to help members like the VIPS and how they were going to help us after their speech. The overall conference was a success and I have never wanted to go back to a conference so badly. -M.H. My conference experience was great. While the VIPs had their own sessions to go to, when we participated in the larger parts of the conference I felt right at home! Everyone from our region was so warm and welcoming to us VIPs which made the experience all the more wonderful. It was really great to be with professionals that were in our shoes at some point or another because they understand everything we were feeling about applying to graduate schools and picking the right fit. -K.R. 5. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A VIPS PARTICIPANT? My favorite part about being a VIPS participant was all of the lifelong friendships I have made at the end of the conference. At the beginning, all of the VIPS, including myself, were very closed off and shy. We had no idea what we were fully doing yet and we barely knew each other. Being together all day, for three days straight, we all bonded over everything. During the course of the last day, we were all super sad that we had to leave each other. Most of us are planning on going to MAPC, so we will see each other again, but for some, it was the last time! Making these connections and friendships really made the VIPS experience a lot better. -M.H. My favorite part about being a VIP was the friendships I made within my cohort. Back at my institution I don’t know many people on the same career path as me, so it was really great to meet people who understood everything I was feeling because they were most likely feeling the same way. -K.R. 6. HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS PROGRAM TO OTHER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS INTERESTED IN PURSUING A CAREER IN HIGHER EDUCATION/STUDENT AFFAIRS? I would recommend this program to other undergraduate students immediately. This program has helped me so much when it comes to picking and choosing a graduate school. This is one of the programs that no matter how big or small the question, they will help you find a solution to your problem. This program really brought out my love for Residence Life, and I really hope that other undergraduates find the same love through it as I did. -M.H. I would recommend this program to students in the highest regards. You can do all the research you want online about all the topics, but nothing beats having people to be a resource for this process who are there to help you. It gave me such a better scope of the direction I wanted to go in and attending was the best decision I could’ve made at this this point in my undergraduate experience. -K.R.
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Annual Conference Award Winners - 2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE The MACUHO annual awards honor and recognize professionals who contribute to the MACUHO organization and the housing profession. Honorees are nominated by their peers, selected by the Executive Officers, and presented to the Association at the Annual Conference. THE DAVID BUTLER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Mr. Tom Pierce The David G. Butler Distinguished Service Award is MACUHO’s highest honor. This award is presented in recognition of contributions to MACUHO which are lasting and significant over a period of years. The recipient should be a consistent participant in and supporter of MACUHO activities. THE ANN WEBSTER NEW PROFESSIONAL AWARD Lauren Way, George Washington University The Ann Webster New Professional Award is presented in recognition of significant institutional and/or regional contributions to our field over the past year by an individual who has worked in housing and residence life for fewer than 4 years. THE JAMES HURD OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD Tiffany Hughes, West Virginia University The James Hurd Outstanding Service Award is presented in recognition of outstanding contributions to MACUHO by an executive board or leadership council member over the past year (since the last Annual Conference). MID-LEVEL PROFESSIONAL AWARD Ray FeDora III, Wilkes University The Mid-Level Professional Award is presented in recognition of significant institutional and/or regional contributions to our field over the past year by an individual who has worked in housing and residence life for a minimum of 4 years and currently serves in the position of Associate/Assistant Director, Area Director, Coordinator, Manager, or equivalent. THE JOANNE GOLDWATER DISTINGUISHED SENIOR LEVEL PROFESSIONAL AWARD Shana Alston, Temple University The Joanne Goldwater Distinguished Senior Level Professional Award is presented in recognition of significant institutional accomplishments and/or contributions to the region/the housing and residence life field over the past year by a seasoned or senior housing/residence life officer. WE’D ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE OUR NEW ACUHO-I FOUNDATION REP FOR MACUHO, CRYSTAL LOPEZ OF CALDWELL UNIVERSITY!
MACUHO Annual Conference 2019 Teaser
MACUHO ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2019 Tuesday, October 23 to Friday, October 26, 2019 Harrah’s Resort - Atlantic City, NJ
More information will be distributed soon. Save the above dates for the 2019 Conference. You won’t want to miss the 2019 Annual Conference in Atlantic City, NJ. It’s a shore thing! Link for Pictures: https://bit.ly/2BFwrO0
My Experience at SSLI 2018 SSLI As a new Resident Assistant, my experience at the Student Staff LiveIn (SSLI) conference taught me a lot and helped me become even more thankful for the wonderful Residential Education team we have at Stevens Institute. I attended a few different sessions at SSLI: “Identifying Your Leadership Values”, “Assistance Animals and Our Communities”, and “While You Were Sleeping”. The day started with a presentation by the keynote speaker, Ms. Jane Sanchez. Her keynote speech was helpful to my understanding of what type of values I possess as an RA. My values include loyalty, compassion, and empathy. She explained that as a leader and an RA, your disappointment in those you oversee comes from them clashing with your own values. If someone was not loyal to their community or lacked compassion and empathy, that would be a cause for disagreement to my values. The second session I attended was hosted by an RA with a service dog. She explained and educated everyone on the difference between service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy animals. Service animals are professionally trained in certain tasks to help their handlers with disabilities. Emotional support animals are not trained in specific tasks, but instead help the owner with mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, by providing companionship. Therapy animals are pets prescribed by a therapist for use in a clinical setting. Service animals are protected by the law, and owners cannot be rejected entry or access with their animal, but emotional support and therapy animals are not protected by the law.
Thomas Castner He/Him/His Resident Assistant Stevens Institute of Technology tcastner@stevens.edu
This distinction is due to the level of training that a service animal undergoes to make itself into a sort of medical tool/aid. Due to this training, it is always best to treat a service animal the same way you would any medical device like a cane or a wheelchair. Do not stare at it; give the owner room to use it; do not touch it without asking; do not ask why they have it; and do not treat them differently because they have it. Petting, staring at, calling out to, or playing with service animals can be extremely detrimental to their training. The animals are trained to receive positive reinforcement for helping their handler, but by playing with them, you give them positive reinforcement for not helping their owner. The final thing she taught us was what two questions you may ask someone with a service animal. Is this a service animal required for a disability and what tasks are they trained to perform? You may not want to ask why or pry for a more detailed description of the tasks that the service animal performs, because it can be seen as discriminatory toward the handler. This was a great workshop, and I learned a lot on this topic. The final presentation I attended focused on how to use programming and bulletin board decorating to communicate and engage with your residents while you are busy or away from the floor. This workshop highlighted things we all may have already learned in our RA trainings, but it really enlightened me on how much more in-depth our Stevens Institute Residential Education department goes for programming and building community. Many program ideas mentioned, although fun and great, were surface-level socials that did not go the extra mile and enrich the residential education experience as much as I would personally like. Learning this, nevertheless, made me very appreciative to work with such an incredible Residential Education staff at Stevens that focuses so much on the residential experience and community to the level that they do. Overall, I had a great time at SSLI. It was an awesome experience. I’m glad I had the opportunity to learn from and connect with other RAs and Residential Education departments in our region, and I look forward to attending again in 2019.
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Salisbury’s SSLI Experience SSLI For the 2018 SSLI Conference, Salisbury University was able to send a group of resident assistants and professional staff to the beautiful hills of Bucknell University. After we returned to our campus, I sent a series of questions to those staff members to see how their experience went this year. Andrew Hurley, a 3rd year RA (Biology and Environmental Studies ‘19), Diamond Bowman, a 1st year Residence Director (MBA ‘20) and Karla Chicas, a 3rd year RA (Social Work ‘19) replied to those questions. Their responses below highlight how important it is that we continue to have this conference for all current and future student affairs professionals to come. -Rebecca Stringham, Area Director, MACUHO Magazine Editor 1. WHY DID YOU WANT TO ATTEND THE 2019 STUDENT STAFF LIVE-IN CONFERENCE? I wanted to attend so that I could learn how to be a better RA and a leader on campus, and to meet individuals from other schools and learn what their experiences have been. -A.H. I had a great experience at the previous SSLI Conference when I was an RA. -D.B. I initially wanted to go to this conference because I just wanted a weekend away from Salisbury and I thought it would be awesome to network with other students from different colleges/universities. I had gone to the 2018 SSLI Conference, so I knew roughly what the weekend was going to consist of, but I am really glad that I went because the 2019 SSLI Conference surpassed all of my expectations. -K.C. 2. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE CONFERENCE? I greatly enjoyed the keynote speaker as it did lead me to re-examine my own personal values and how they factor in my role as an RA. -A.H. I enjoy the individual sessions. -D.B. My favorite part of the conference was being able to have a one on one conversation with the Keynote Speaker Mrs. Jane Sanchez Swain. I initially was not super excited about the SSLI Conference because I had gone to the one from the year before and I just thought that the same things were going to be repeated, but something really cool happened when Mrs. Swain stepped up to the platform to speak. It was the first time that I saw and heard a Latina woman like me in a space where I am so used to being the only one who looks like me or who shares my same experience. When Ms. Swain began sharing the story of her parents and how their journey of love has been the foundation that has maintained her roots and at the same time has motivated her to reach for her dreams, it took everything in me not to cry. She had created a space where I felt like my experience as a first-generation Latina college student was acknowledged and I just knew in that moment that I needed to speak to her. I went to her session after the keynote time ended and when I spoke to her, I felt like I knew her in a matter of seconds. I really wanted to ask her about the moment where she knew that she wanted to pursue higher education as a career. Before SSLI, I had been struggling with wanting to pursue Higher Education as a career post-graduation because the pressures of being a firstgeneration college student made me feel like I needed to pursue something that would eventually make more money. After talking to Mrs. Swain, I felt such peace in my heart knowing that I was not the only one who thought this way and it made me realize that I would be making a big mistake if I were to listen to everything else but my heart. I was not expecting to connect the way that I did with Mrs. Swain, but she awakened something in me that I hope to do for someone else one day. I hope to pay it forward. -K.C. 3. WHAT DID YOU LEARN AT THE CONFERENCE? I learned about the different types of values that I hold, as well as how to apply to enter into the student affairs profession and how to discuss and bring up diversity on campus. -A.H. Burn-out is not solely about time, but your approach towards the job. -D.B.
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I learned a lot about the importance of connections and networking and how to be purposeful in my interactions with people. -K.C. 4. WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER ASPIRATIONS? I would like to enter into a career in Student Affairs. -A.H. Become a partner at an accounting firm and eventually own my own accounting firm. -D.B. I want to pursue Higher Education for my Masters and one day get my PhD and become a professor and hopefully be an advocate for first-generation college students. -K.C. 5. HOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS EXPERIENCE TO OTHER STUDENT STAFF? I would recommend this conference as a way to grow yourself as a person and a leader, as well as a place to learn from others in the field of student affairs about their experiences. -A.H. I highly recommend this to RAs to help build their understanding of why they want to do the job. -D.B. I would tell students that you have the power to make the most of your experience at SSLI. I have learned so much at these conferences and I have been able to make pretty meaningful connections with people. It’s always nice to remember your purpose as an RA and the impact you can have on others. Like Maya Angelou put it: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -K.C.
Pajama Party and Board Game Night with Stevens Res. Ed INDIVIDUAL The start of the academic year is always a fun and exciting time. We all know that time flies. The next thing you know, it’s Resident Assistant application season. If your department has a similar mindset as ours does, this is an exciting time. However, with hundreds of applications and seemingly stronger interest each year, it can be very overwhelming to navigate the process.
Alex Monroe He/Him/His Resident Director Stevens Institute of Technology amonroe@stevens.edu
Prior to a fun networking event, our office relied on multiple RA information sessions and a promotional video that described the leadership position. This year, our office decided to develop some effective programming to combat the anxiety of over 200 RA applicants. As a now seasoned Resident Director at Stevens Institute, I decided to reach out to my staff of 13 RAs to come up with a way to develop a laid-back and fun networking event. This is where the idea of implementing a board game event came into our pool of ideas. Eventually, the idea of having everyone show up in pajamas was suggested since the event was being held at night. The pajama party element appeared to complement this event nicely and added the relaxed and spirited environment element we were looking for.
Various board games and activities were prepared at each table, ranging from classics like Jenga, Monopoly, and Trouble, to other unique games such as Bananagrams and Exploding Kittens. Furthermore, we supplied various snacks and refreshments for interested candidates to enjoy while at the event. At the start of the program, a team of RAs and professional staff was divided and stationed at various tables. Their mission was to connect, network, answer questions, and have fun with the students at their stations. All of our RAs were dressed for the occasion, from standard comfy sleepwear, to eccentric onesie footie pajamas. Once the clock hit 9:15pm, everyone was ready to play some board games and connect with professional and student staff about the RA position and our department overall. This provided a perfect opportunity for RAs to connect applicants to professional staff from our office. Students were able to ask questions about the position and get to know our professional staff a little more. It was insightful and helpful to see candidates beyond their paper applications and outside of our group process and individual interviews, and also see how they interact and work with each other. The potential RAs were also able to connect with others going through the process, as well as current RAs who were able to provide information from the student perspective on the position and the application process. The professional staff, which included Resident Directors, an Area Director, our Associate Director, and our Director of Residential Education, was also immersed in the gaming and networking. Personally, I loved the opportunity to connect with candidates and answer their questions regarding the countless benefits of being an RA at Stevens Institute. It was reassuring to get questions ranging from “What do you feel makes a strong RA?” to personal check-ins such as, “What is your favorite part of your job?” I valued the opportunity to look back on my own experience as an RA, as well as in my current role as a Resident Director. When connecting and debriefing with my colleagues, I saw this was a common theme when it came to reflecting about the inquiries that came from the students at our PJ Party & Board Game Night. Our entire department genuinely appreciated the opportunity to provide additional insight on their roles within our office and at Stevens Institute, along with the opportunity to connect with so many residents in such an enjoyable setting. With over 250 residents and interested RA candidates in attendance throughout the night, this program was a rousing success, and more importantly, our students appreciated that we provided a lax, informative, and productive atmosphere to connect and network. Our current RAs also indicated they found success in the program and felt this would be something that should be facilitated annually following the RA info sessions. Our department will be providing this to our interested RA candidates for years to come. If your department is looking to try something new and different with RA selection, this is a great tactic to get to know and see interested candidates in a stress-free and fun environment.
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Learning: The Secret Ingredient of One-On-Ones INDIVIDUAL Recall the recycling symbol. It is a continuous loop of feedback. Now place “experience” on the top arrow of the symbol. This arrow points toward “reflection” followed by “abstraction” at the bottom of the symbol. The fourth arrow is “testing” which initiates the “experience”. This is Kolb’s Learning Cycle. In reading these words, your sense of sight is picking up the text (an experience). Then you are rapidly reflecting to when each of these words picked up their personal meaning for you (this is why reading is exhausting). Now, have a think - how could you use these four quadrants of the learning cycle? Think or forecast a piece of your work day that could benefit from a learning-centered model. The change would be the “experience” and then the cycle repeats.
VIPS Co-Chair Zack Neil He/Him/His Resident Director Indiana University of Pennsylvania
To give one example, consider your individual meetings with staff or students. In my perfect world, I say something or ask a question to spark learning. This nugget of wisdom can be shared with residents and their friends. I make a profound difference, and I can retire early. That is a lot of pressure to continuously tell oneself to teach every staff member regularly, when you also want to know about a resident, a situation, or an update on their week.
Think about the last individual meeting that you had to teach or facilitate. What did the person walk away learning? Maybe you were on time and had an organized list of things to cover. Think about that list. What was first? What could the sequence of the meeting teach that staff member? In a one-on-one situation, you are teaching the other person that you are a listener who is organized and empathetic, among other things. To connect it to learning, a staff member may leave their individual meeting and message a colleague saying, “Wow, it felt really awesome to talk to my supervisor today.” The staff member might feel inspired to finally check their mailbox for posters, schedule a task in their phone to-do list, and/or update their resume to search for a new position. All of these things are a physical reaction, which is the “experience” stage of the cycle. The staff member physically having an experience as a result of your individual meeting could quite possibly be your goal. This is because the actions you intended for them to take suggests learning occurred. However, I would offer that your job is not to teach. Your job is to learn. “Learning’ is a verb, which means it is inherently active. What is it that you could learn from a student staff member who incorrectly dealt with an alcohol violation? I would be interested to learn where it was in training, expectations, or past confrontations that led to their behavior. It is quite easy to teach them by saying, “Do not confront in that way.” But there is no gateway for action. I think about this sentiment getting lost in the brain and nowhere to go but out via a frustrated outburst later. Instead, what would it look like if you framed the conversation like this? “How can we practice this different way of confrontation?” or “Why would confrontation in one way be better than another?” In doing so, you are learning the staff member’s inner workings of their brain and how they conceptualize information. In addition, you learn what is driving them. Possibly this student shares that alcohol meant danger in their upbringing. This significant memory could certainly affect the way in which they are expected to interact with alcohol as a student staff member. Frankly, I disagree with the idea that these individual meetings are called “one-on-ones”. If there is supposed to be some type of learning involved in these experiences, then I reject the hegemony this name suggests. Pick a new name for them. For you, what could you call these experiences where you are reminded to learn? If you decide to do so, please feel free to email me. It would mean that this article has accomplished a few things: Your experience reading this article resonated with your past experiences enough for you to think about an abstract concept, and in emailing me your name for individual meetings, I caused a physical reaction. This reaction from you is my assessment. In summation, it is seemingly simple to have an effective individual meeting. In order to impart knowledge to the individual seated in your office, strive to learn. Learn about the student and in turn they might teach you. 40 | MACUHO
Hello MACUHO, The MACUHO Magazine Team has a vision of helping our members share their experiences and become published professionals in our field. We encourage you to consider joining the magazine team and/or writing a submission for the magazine today! If you are interested, check out our page on the MACUHO website to learn more about what to submit to the magazine - https://www.macuho.org/ Our spring edition deadline for submissions is Friday March 18, 2019. We are also happy to look at any rough drafts if you need some guidance. And if you have any questions about the magazine, please email magazine@macuho.org!
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