Conference Pulse

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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFICERS May 2018 - Conference Edition

Board of Directors PRESIDENT

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

Amanda Ziegler

Kristin Lennan

Brock University aziegler@brocku.ca

University of Guelph lennank@uoguelph.ca

PRESIDENT-ELECT / FINANCE DIRECTOR

CORPORATE PARTNER RELATIONS DIRECTOR

Ian Crookshank

Jessica Nayda

Ryerson University ian.crookshank@ryerson. ca

University of Guelph jnayda@uoguelph.ca

PAST PRESIDENT

SENIOR-LEVEL MEMBER AT LARGE

Daryl Nauman York University dnauman@yorku.ca

Valerie Bruce

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

MEMBER AT LARGE

Kristina Bartold

Wilfrid Laurier University cwebb@wlu.ca

St. Jerome's University kbartold@uwaterloo.ca

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Andrew Natale Brock University anatale@brocku.ca

Ryerson University vbruce@ryerson.ca

Carley Webb

MEMBER AT LARGE

Jennifer Tabar University of Waterloo jtabar@uwaterloo.ca

MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

ASSOCIATION MANAGER

Nathan Riley

OACUHO info@oacuho.com

Queens University nathan.riley@queensu.ca

Carol Ford

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IT’S HERE! Welcome to the Spring Conference! Thank you to the dedicated members of the Host Commi<ee, presenters, special guests, volunteers and various members of the Board of Directors for all the hard work that has been put in to preparing for what I am sure will be an educaConal and engaging experience.

Each year, the Spring Conference provides us with an opportunity to connect, share and celebrate with each other. AddiConally, the University of Guelph is challenging us to think, believe, dare and do. It is my hope that you will find the Cme for all these important endeavours during the next few days.

Amanda Ziegler OACUHO PRESIDENT Brock University

It has been my pleasure and privilege to represent our profession as the President for the past year and I look forward to conCnuing to serve the associaCon as the Past President. OACUHO has played and conCnues to play a significant role in developing our profession and our professionals. This is made possible by the energy and investment of countless members who volunteer their Cme and talents for the be<erment of us all. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the work of the associaCon this year.

Best, Amanda

Kristin Lennan Area Coordinator, South Residences Conference Director, OACUHO University of Guelph

Welcome to the 2018 OACUHO Spring Conference!

I would like to start by thanking the University of Guelph for hosCng this year’s Spring Conference. HosCng a conference can be a challenging yet rewarding experience and the OACUHO Board appreciates all the hard work put forth by Guelph this year.

Whether this is your first conference experience or your 38th, I am confident that you will learn something new. There is a variety of excellent learning experiences to a<end that bridge all funcConal areas.

A few things to keep in mind to get the most out of your conference experience:

- Network. Everyone in OACUHO is friendly so don’t be shy to start a conversaCon with someone you don’t know. Put yourself out there, you never know what you might learn or find out you have in common.

- Consider your take away’s. There is so much informaCon that gets shared at a conference. Thinking about how a new idea or strategy will apply to you will help you put into pracCce what you learn.

- Engage in the Exhibitor Fair. Whether you have purchasing power or not, use this as an opportunity to get to know our

corporate partners who help us serve our students. You may be able to learn about a new product or service or create a new relaConship that can be helpful down the road.

- Share. Contribute to others ideas and engage in conference sessions. Be sure to capture those take away’s we talked about above and share your new ideas with colleagues at your own insCtuCon. If there are several of you a<ending from one insCtuCon, divide and conquer among the concurrent sessions so that you have more material to learn from.

The Spring Conference brings an annual opportunity for our organizaCon to learn together and deepen relaConships. Your conference experience is what you make of it, so get out there, and enjoy the experience! Think. Believe. Dare. And go Do.

Consider Hosting Wri$en by Natalie Allan As I sit down and finish our Residence Life Conference (RLC) transiCon report, I think back on the year of planning that led up to one crazy and amazing weekend. Pubng together a conference had been on my own personal bucket list for a while and I had just been on the outskirts of a few different conference planning

opportuniCes before being one of the co-chairs for RLC 2017. It was an amazing undertaking and its only a\er looking back on the full experience from bid to delivery can I see all of the valuable lessons learned. Since OACUHO is conCnuing to look for hosts for upcoming conferences, I wanted to provide some thoughts to hopefully encourage you to consider hosCng. We don’t have the <me!

One thing I have learned from my Cme in the housing field is that there is never enough Cme. We are constantly reacCng – and righ^ully so- to the needs of our students and faciliCes so taking on any addiConal requirements seems impossible. That is just in the day to day operaCons let alone the Cme outside of work. We can’t just make more Cme and “working harder” doesn’t just wish more things into compleCon. I know that was a real experience for me as I bought a first home 3 months prior and returned from my honeymoon 13 days before the conference. As a team, we also had undergone some changes as our iniCal conference chair had le\ and we were down a team member for a while we also began our move towards a residence curriculum.

It takes a village...

And does it ever! We someCmes talk about Residence Life or Student Affairs being in a silo and from pubng together a conference you can certainly appreciate the need to break down those silos. No ma<er how big or small your team is, you need to count on each other and others within your department and insCtuCon to bring it all together. I will be always grateful for the teamwork and support received from our faciliCes/service desk and admission team for helping us get the conference off the ground. Having others within the university helping us book our space, manage our website, deliver our food and prepare signage truly lightened the load and the village was born. Don’t forget that the past transiCon reports and the OACUHO conference director have a lot of knowledge to make your conference a success. because it was done a certain way in the past doesn’t mean it has to be done that way in the future. Think creaCvely and use it to help the conference evolve just as the field of housing conCnues to evolve.

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Be there When the conference does finally arrive and you have over 200 people standing in front of you, sCck to the script and go for it.

Be your best self and be confident that you have put in the Cme to deliver that best possible conference. Inevitably, something will come up that you didn’t see or is bigger than you expected. Just go with it! Not everything can go according to plan and someCmes you just need to plan for things to not go according to plan. Stay focused, trust your team and manage the best you can. We grow through experience and challenge so ensure everyone is having fun, being safe, and always learning so the rest can take care of itself.

Create a Path The RLC has a framework in place and there are many amazing examples to follow from past conferences. The same can be said of Fall Business MeeCngs, Spring Conferences, and New Professionals Training InsCtutes. Working from these templates, pubng together a conference is not as daunCng. The challenge and the excitement comes from creaCng your path. What is your theme? What do you want people to learn? What do you want to showcase? As members, we all have to chance to put our stamp on the associaCon but perhaps none more than delivering a conference at your insCtuCon. CreaCng your path also means that just Find your Lesley

Whether you are the primary contact or if you have a co-chair, I encourage you to find someone that you can bounce ideas off and help you find the other opinions and ideas you never considered. HosCng a conference is a lot like hosCng a wedding, there are so many details leading up to the date that it is easy for things to fall through the cracks or for personal feelings to get in the way of pubng on the best possible product. When you have someone that can both challenge and support you to provide direcCon then there are no limits to what your conference can be. When working with a conference team, having someone that can take on half the load and be the co-captain of the ship means you always will be headed in the right direcCon. That person for me was my co-chair Lesley. Find your Lesley.

So what can you do?

On behalf of our conference director KrisCn, I would like to formally invite all of your insCtuCons to consider hosCng a conference. We are looking for hosts for this current year (RLC 2018) as well as many of the conferences next year and on. Have a discussion as a team to see if you can support not only the board but the work of the associaCon. We need people like you to consider hosCng otherwise these conferences can’t happen and in the case of the RLC, that impacts our student staff and the future of the associaCon. I can’t wait to see your insCtuCons soon!

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Conference Keynote Speakers…

Silken Laumann In addition to being one of Canada’s most recognizable Olympic athletes, Silken Laumann is a mental health advocate and bestselling author who has made it her work to reach her own potential and help others reach theirs. Inspiring, funny, thought provoking, and always down to earth, Silken will open her heart and challenge you to dare – to explore new, creative ideas, to set ambitious, passion-drive goals, and to embrace vulnerability, leaving you ready to unlock your potential and aspire to greatness.

Jackie Lauer Corporate culture guru and founder of change management consulting firm The Heart of Culture, Jackie Lauer specializes in creating healthy, thriving, highperformance workplace cultures. Starting with a foundation in neuroscience and understanding the human brain, along with humour and a no BS-approach, Jackie will prepare you to identify the strengths in your people, align team values and goals, and build an environment that consistently breeds success.

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Legacy Projects in Living Learning Communities Through research, we know so much about Living Learning Programs- they increase retention, promote community, develop skill-building, and are focussed around all kinds of academic programs and personal interests. They are unique experiences and provide students and student-staff such as myself with an amazing opportunity to engage on a deeper level with all the wonderful aspects of Residence Life & Education. I’m a second-year student and I am currently wrapping up my first year of working as a Living Learning Community Don at Trent University. My community is called “Creative Expressions” and, as the name implies, focuses on the arts! (Or, anything you can express yourself with- one of my students’ creative expression is football!) My job and my community has been a blessing from the first day I moved into my new room and opened my training binder. I feel extra grateful to have gone through this experience as part of an LLC! While reflecting on my year, I saw another Living Learning Community fulfilling their “legacy project”- an experience that their LLC takes on every year as a tradition. I wondered, did Creative Expressions have a legacy project? I made a trip to see our Residence Education Coordinator who oversees the LLC program and found out we absolutely do! He pulled a small box off his bookshelf and brushed the dust off the top. Our legacy project involves a small box that a previous year’s community had acquired, decorated, and filled with their various art pieces. I was thrilled and so was my community! They immediately came up with a million brilliant ideas- a USB with photos of the community and online creativity, purchasing a larger box, and figuring out how to make sure it doesn’t end up back on a shelf (a great segue into a conversation about effective communication & teamwork in a community!).

They were proud and so was I! We’ve been engaged with campus and community partners all year which has allowed us to escape the temptation of becoming too self-contained in our creative accomplishments. At the end of the day though, I also realized that along with everything we know about Living Learning Communities, I believe they are a uniquely personal experience. The real value in the legacy project for my students wasn’t in exploring the contents of the box (although that was a great experience &amp; a close second!). For us, the connection to something larger than us and the chance to impact a wider community was the most fulfilling part of the legacy project. In one moment, our community grew from 50 to 100 and our connection with the previous year’s Creative Expressions community was undeniable. Soon enough, our new box arrived in the mail (it was much larger!) and we also filled it up with this year’s creative projects.

At Trent Housing, we hope to empower our students to engage within a complex world. I would argue that there are few worlds more complex than the arts and as a community we have explored that world and left our mark- a true legacy. I would encourage everyone, LLC or not, to think about the role your community plays in the wider system &amp; what that means for your students- I promise the answer will be rewarding!

Written by William Logan, Senior Residence Assistant at Fleming College

Cannabis Drive-in Highlights

By: Lauren Silvestro-Arbuthnot, Western University, on behalf of OACUHO Cannabis Working Group On March 22nd, more than 60 a<endees represenCng 24 different insCtuCons a<ended Western University where OACUHO hosted a Cannabis Drive-In. Through a combinaCon of presenters, each being a leader within their field, as well as funcConal area roundtables and discussion, the day provided a<endees with contextual informaCon necessary to inform their decisions around cannabis legalizaCon at their home insCtuCon. Lauren Silvestro-Arbuthnot, Coordinator of Residence Conduct at Western University presented contextual informaCon on the term “cannabis” as well as raConale for using this term rather than “marijuana”. Stemming from racialized terms, the term marihuana was adopted to describe the cannabis plant because of the perceived “…encouraged professionals in the room to linkage between Mexican immigrants into the US south take a look at internal policies to iden<fy as well as violence (Campos, 2012). AddiConally, it was ways to be proac<ve with accommoda<on explained that while we may be tempted to look at our processes and maintain the privacy and American neighbors for guidance around cannabis dignity of the student” legalizaCon and post-secondary campuses, as the US government has not legalized cannabis at the federal level, higher educaCon campuses have maintained that cannabis is not permi<ed on campus given that they are federally funded.

Joining via teleconferencing was Colin McCullough from the Ministry of Advanced EducaCon and Skills Development and Victoria Ashat from the Ministry of the A<orney General. Colin, a Policy Analyst provided a framework of the intended Cannabis PrevenCon and Harm ReducCon iniCaCves being planned for implementaCon in alignment with the legalizaCon date of cannabis. The strategies involved included a potenCal student developed app as well as in person interacCon with students at a campus level. A<endees were provided the opportunity to give feedback on the proposed strategies before they were launched.

Victoria, the ExecuCve Advisor at the Ministry of the A<orney General’s LegalizaCon of Cannabis Secretariat provided the details of Ontario’s approach to Federal Cannabis LegalizaCon including an overview of the proposed legislaCon. Of parCcular focus was the intersecCon Smoke Free Ontario and Cannabis LegalizaCon. Because cannabis can only be consumed in a private dwelling, based on the legislaCon, it would already be prohibited to consume cannabis in any form (Smoking, edibles, oils) outside of our residence buildings and on our campuses even without Smoke Free Ontario coming into effect.

Julie Gamble, Mental Health Nurse for Student Wellness Centre at Wilfrid Laurier University provided medical and mental health consideraCons as it pertains to cannabis use and the health of students. Of note were the long-term impacts that cannabis use can have on the growth and development of the brain and how regular use can inhibit a student’s ability to develop appropriate coping strategies for the stressors of student life.

Speaking to the topic of accommodaCng student requiring medical cannabis, Wendy Dickinson, AcCng Associate Director, Services for Students with DisabiliCes at Western University provided a<endees with the principles and limits to accommodaCons. She highlighted that a prescripCon for cannabis does not provide a guarantee for the student to use it anywhere and encouraged professionals in the room to take a look at internal policies to idenCfy ways to be proacCve with accommodaCon processes and maintain the privacy and dignity of the student.

Peggy Wakabayashi, AcCng Associate Vice President (Housing & Ancillary Services) and ChrisCne Mellon, Associate Director Residence Counselling & Senior Human Resources Consultant, both of Western University, were our experts for a Human Resources Q&A. They recommended connecCng with your own Human Resources team to around appropriate acCon should you suspect that an employee has come to work under the influence of cannabis. They highlighted that because of some of its medical purposes, we cannot be so quick to treat it the same way as alcohol. However, noted that regardless of the substance, coming to work impaired is a safety issue for that staff member as well as others and needs to be addressed.

“Attendees of the Spring Conference can look forward to more opportunities to discuss the legalization of cannabis and the implications for residences through concurrent sessions"

The Drive-In concluded with an opportunity for professionals to work within funcConal areas to idenCfy areas of concern as it relates to cannabis legalizaCon. FuncConal areas of Residence Life and EducaCon, Conduct, Admissions and OperaCons, and RTA Housing provided points of feedback, quesCons and concerns that the OACUHO working group would use to develop their ConsideraCons document. ConversaCons about the residence contract spurred quesCons about the validity of requiring students to sign contracts that would require change and managing changes in expectaCons that will come if (and likely when) the date of legalized cannabis is delayed from the proposed July 1st.

A<endees of the Spring Conference can look forward to more opportuniCes to discuss the legalizaCon of cannabis and the implicaCons for residences through concurrent sessions as well as by referencing the ConsideraCons document created by OACUHO’s Working Group on Cannabis legalizaCon on the OACUHO website following the Spring Conference. If you were unable to a<end the Cannabis Drive-In but would be interested in reviewing the content of the day, OACUHO members are welcome to visit h<ps://bit.ly/2IknsD2 References: Campos, I. (2012). Home Grown, Marijuana and the Origins of Mexico’s War on Drugs.

Faculty-in-Residence & Keynote Co-author of Student Affairs Assessment: Theory to Practice (2016) and co-editor of Learning is Not Sprint: Assessing and Documenting Student Leader Learning in Cocurricular Involvement (2012), Dr. Darby Roberts has quite literally helped write the book on assessing student learning outside the classroom.

Coming to us all the way from College Station, Texas, where she works as the Director of Student Life Studies at Texas A&M University, Dr. Roberts spent much of her career working in Residence Life, before moving over to student affairs assessment. We are thrilled to be welcoming Darby as an OACUHO 2018 Keynote and will enjoy her presence throughout the conference as our Faculty-in-Residence member.

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NASPA 2018 – A Collection of Reflections Candice Bean – Laurier University

Conferences provide the opportunity to learn from experts in the 6ield. This year, NASPA put together an incredible collection of keynote speakers, presenters and content to provide all 8000+ attendees with incredible learning opportunities that they were able to cater to their area of interest and desired growth.

During a year where the weather and disruptions to travel plans could have put a damper on the event, it brought attendees from around the world together and started the learning and “Thankfully, crisis response isn’t what we do networking before the conference even started!

every day, but this hit the message home about the magnitude of what we deal with in our roles and how complex the work we do truly is.”

This year at NASPA, I personally spent most of my time at the conference focusing on sessions related to crisis response and case management.

Even with this de6ined focus, there were more options available than time in the schedule and there were a number of other sessions I would have loved to attend! While participating in a few crisis management sessions that involved working through some sample crisis response tabletop drills, my immediate thought was “this tells our story”. Thankfully, crisis response isn’t what we do every day, but this hit the message home about the magnitude of what we deal with in our roles and how complex the work we do truly is. Residence Life professionals often speak about how challenging it is for people outside of the 6ield to understand the work we do. I couldn’t help but think how powerful it would be for family, friends, students and even their parents to have a glimpse into this work in order to better understand the challenges of supporting each individual student while thinking about the larger community and institution.

For me, participating in these sessions made it clear that despite geography and size of institution, we are not in this alone. Everyone is working through similar challenges and working hard to support our students in an increasingly complex environment. This year at NASPA, we were fortunate enough to be surrounded by 8000 colleagues who were all invested in learning more and keen to take this learning back to their home institutions so we can all continue to do the incredible work we do each day.

Dimple Salva - Campus Living Centres

“As a 6irst time attendee at the NASPA Annual Conference, it was an exciting experience to learn from, and observe the trends and hot topics for our colleagues to the south. One session that caught my attention was about the NASPA-ACPA Professional Competency Areas, which have recently been reviewed by a NASPA Task Force. In considering our own newly developed CACUSS Competencies and how to embed them into our daily and strategic work, I found it helpful to sit through a workshop where we were encouraged to discuss how to apply the NASPA Competencies. Speci6ically, we were led through a guided activity to implement each competency by: • Creating a personal assessment plan to analyze our current strengths with that competency • Consider programming that can be created to develop each competency • Seek out professional development opportunities to strengthen that competency area for ourselves • Include that competency in job descriptions and performance evaluations to place value on that competency (where applicable).

Though this type of activity seems rigorous and time consuming, following these steps allowed me to think differently and strategically about how SA professionals can further enhance their growth and learning using the competencies and related rubrics. The NASPA Competency resources can be found online here: https://www.naspa.org/about/professional_competencies. I look forward to working with my colleagues to implement the NASPA and CACUSS competencies more intentionally into our work using the framework I learned in Philadelphia!”

Rachèle Marshall – McMaster University

I had the privilege this year of experiencing NASPA and the preceding hiring conference “The Placement Exchange”. My life is moving to the U.S. later this year and I want to continue working in higher education, so I needed to use my conference time a little differently with this in mind. I spent my NASPA focussed on building relationships and learning about key issues impacting our American colleagues so I could be prepared in my job search. Having this goal helped me gain a lot from my NASPA experience, and these were my main takeaways: 1. Take advantage of mentorship programs. This seems obvious, but I had never had a mentor for a conference before, so I am happy to report that it was extremely valuable. My mentor was a VP Student Affairs, and we discussed how many of the issues facing Canadian institutions are also impacting our U.S. colleagues. I gained his perspective as an institutional leader, and he gathered my views on our common challenges and the impacts on those who directly support students. It was helpful to have someone outside of my regular circle to discuss my goals with and offer suggestions on how to prioritize at a large conference. He also offered to support me in my ongoing job search, so I am thankful, because this connection would never have happened if I hadn’t signed up for this program.

2. Cast a wide net of interest - Many of us in housing are required to be student affairs generalists, so we should always challenge ourselves to learn from colleagues in other functional areas to build empathy and get a fresh perspective on our roles. At NASPA, I attended a few sessions about campus disability and accessibility services and in both cases the discussion was fantastic. We spoke about building trust, supportive relationships, systems that don’t create more barriers for students with disabilities, and learning from previous short-comings to be proactive in future. For those who regularly attend conferences as part of their professional development, it is easy to get bored in a session about something you already focus a lot of time reading about because you might not pick up anything new.

For me, the conference experience is enhanced when I choose at least a couple of sessions outside of my expertise because the learning curve is still steep and my engagement is higher when I am trying to understand topics in the areas I am less comfortable with.

3. Make “lunch and learn” a daily ritual – At NASPA, if I met someone interesting at a session, I would try to ask if they’d like to talk more about the topic over coffee or lunch after. The purpose of this is twofold: it limits the guilt of missing a session to eat because you can learn from a colleague over a meal, and it can result in a more meaningful, memorable connection than simply exchanging business cards would.

When you’re out of the more formal conference session you can ask bigger questions, dive deeper into topics, gain fresh perspective and brainstorm ideas with someone new. I had the opportunity to do this 4 times over my week in Philadelphia, and am still in contact with several of the people I met. NASPA 2018 was the 6irst conference that I attended where I had a purpose beyond presenting, and it was a tiring but rewarding experience. If you are attending conferences for professional development, or if you’re putting yourself out there on the job hunt like me, try to stay open to learning from anyone, and focussed on your developmental goals. Don’t lose sight of why you’re there and what you want to gain, and hopefully these opportunities will be rewarding for you too!

What Kind of Year Has It Been: Reflecting Though a Values-Based Leadership Lens Tim Lade, Residence Life Coordinator A colleague of mine once shared that our values are what, when the rubber hits the road, reveal our character. It has been said that values are a finite thing and they are engrained in our personalities.

The values you have, at say 19, are going to be the values you have forever. After seven months in a new role, in a new province, with a new institution, with new colleagues, students, and policies, and processes I can say, as I reflect on this past year, that values are not a fixed, immovable thing, like a bone in your arm. Values are an evolving, growing, and continually adapting component that is made stronger through reflection. As we wind up this academic year, one of which on the college side has been a great deal of upheaval with the five-week-long faculty strike in the fall, and with the shifting nature of our business, it is becoming increasingly beneficial to reflect on what the past several months have resulted in. This vital reflection not only allows us to consider where we excel and where we fall down but also frames the next strategic steps for our operations. When I look back on the changes my own life has experienced, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had the idea of applying a values-based leadership lens to that reflection.

An idea I was first introduced to in grad school, the concept is straightforward and something that can, in my experience, provide a great understanding of where we have been as student housing professionals and where we can go in the future.

In From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership by Harry M. Kraemer, the author outlines not only the critical nature of reflecting on our past but the potential that lies in shifting our thinking to bring about a more positive future. Kraemer suggests that reflection is the place where this journey begins and that to be able to notice and name the values your operation stands for and what issues are most paramount to the department you work is fundamental (Kraemer, 2011). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine to have a mission and a vision up on the wall, but if the values that inform those pieces are missing from within the team, it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t very likely that the operation will soar. Values inform actions, and as we consider the very real issues of occupancy, student support resources, staff development, and the future of our facilities, it becomes even more clear that understanding our department values and reflecting on whether they are being fulfilled, becomes even more critical for determining next steps of our operations.

Kraemer goes on to suggest that finding balance, in this case, not the self-care kind, but an appreciation for the multiple perspectives, ideas, and trends, is instrumental in considering what has happened and what can happen come August when students return to our campuses (Kraemer, 2011). Every student has a different lived experience and when we consider our residence life programming, one size, unfortunately, no longer fits all. The need for strong assessment data and threading that information into our story of the value of living on campus is imperative. A parent I recently had a conversation with, was concerned with her son living on campus and not being able to study. Residence was going to too distracting to her son and that living at home would give him the space to sleep and study without interruption. In that conversation, I framed the value of residence around the data that shows that students who live on campus not only have a higher GPA but they are far more likely to persist to graduation. The support networks available to her son on campus would only reinforce his academic experience through residence and campus initiatives. The data I fell back on was instrumental in telling this story and the need for a strong balance, in considering the multiple perspectives and lived experiences of students and their differing viewpoints to gain a much fuller understanding cannot be understated. When this balance is the foundation for our values and used to inform our strategic plans, it makes us better housing leaders and in turn our operations more nimble with strong forward momentum.

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Kraemer continues with the idea that a true values-based leadership lens is focused not only on the development team but also on the individual talent that we lead. He suggests that there is an imperative to notice and name the strengths and areas for improvement of each team member and that we must always encourage and coach continuous improvement (Kraemer, 2011). We, as a species, seem to abhor the idea of change sometimes. There is something to be said for the comfort of knowing the way things work and that going through the motions is easy because we know how to do it without much stress. In reflecting on the past academic year and the students we work and live with, the programs we deliver, and the relationships we foster, it becomes clear that the value of building confidence in our team is instrumental to the next stage of evolution for our operations. Early in my career, I worked with an RA who did not take feedback at all, he became emotionally defensive, and our conversation almost involved tears on his part. The larger program was that his teammates had a great deal of trouble working with â&#x20AC;&#x153;As this academic year comes to a him for the very same reason and so deliverables were close, it has become clear to me that being missed. I remember a superior telling me that it values do reveal our character, but may be necessary to let go of that RA. I believe, they are not finite.â&#x20AC;? however, as educators in residence, that we have a duty to be a catalyst for learning and success by holding am empathetic space for those who are struggling. In this situation, it would have been easy to provide a poor performance review and send him on his way. However, as Kraemer suggests, there is a tremendous amount to be learned about performance management, team building, and increasing capacity in the teams we work with through patience, confidence building, and strong reflection (Kraemer, 2011). As our organizations shift and our departments continue to evolve so will our teams and our outcomes if we apply a value-based leadership lens to the work we have done and the work we can achieve in the future.

Finally, Kraemer notes, that authentic humility is a value that our organizations and leaders need more of. This grounded perspective not only strengthens relationships and deliverables, but the world can always be a little kinder (Kraemer, 2011). A student who refuses to read e-mails, or a staff member who is always late to meetings, or a campus partner that is hard to work with, can always bring out our frustration. These moments, which I am sure there have a been a few in the past 8 months, are moments of learning when we reflect on them and allow them to inform the steps we take going forward.

I recently had an interaction with a student who insisted that I had made a mistake and that I should have done things differently. In a situation like that, when you are feeling like you are being dressed down by a resident, it would be easy to feel defensive. Instead, the opportunity from learning from the experience, reflecting, and then applying that learning to next steps means that things get to improve through those difficult conversations. It is easy to dismiss feedback you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree with, and it is hard to be humble, swallow your pride, and move forward, but the key to reflecting using values-based leadership means there is always room for the growth that will strengthen our organizations.

As this academic year comes to a close, it has become clear to me that values do reveal our character, but they are not finite. They are not a hard-coded element of our DNA. As we grow, so do our values and our character. Similarly, the departments we are apart of are fully capable of raising the level of work we are doing because when the rubber hits the road, that will be our legacy as student affairs professionals.

Kraemer, H. M. J. (2011). From values to action: The four principles of values-based leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

THE OACUHO PULSE Conference Edition

14

Meet the 2018-2019 Board Ian Crookshank (President) Director, Ryerson University I joined the OACUHO board because...

I have been working professionally in Housing off and on since 2003. During that time, I have attended NPTI, countless OACUHO conferences, and participated on a few committees and as a mentor. I joined the board to help continue the great work the association is doing in building and supporting our profession, however, I never thought I would learn so much about our work.

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

Whether you're a new or experienced Housing professional go into OACUHO with open ears, eyes, mind, and heart.

Amanda Ziegler (Past President) Manager, Residence Life, Brock University I joined the OACUHO board because...

I wanted to give back to the association. I have had the opportunity to build great relationships and learn a tremendous amount through OACUHO. I wanted to try to help that opportunity continue to be available for others!

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

It is important to pace yourself and approach learning opportunities with an open mind. Make a plan and try to stick to it. Push yourself to do something you wouldn't normally do. It will be over before you know it!

Lauren Gouchie (Communications Director) Residence Life Coordinator, University of Ottawa I joined the OACUHO board because...

I enjoy opportunities that foster on-going learning and development, and am so excited to not only grow within the position itself, but to also engage with, and learn from, colleagues outside of my own community.

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is... to diversify your learning! It can feel really easy (and fun!) to attend sessions that all follow the same thread or theme, or that you already know a lot about, but I think a lot of development and learning can happen at the sessions that you might not have thought to attend! Challenge yourself to sit in on sessions dealing with topics you maybe aren’t familiar with or that are outside of your direct line of work – you’ll learn more about housing as a whole, network with peers that you maybe would not have, and potentially discover a new interest or passion!

Stu Grunwell (Professional Development Director) Residence Life Coordinator, Queen’s University I joined the OACUHO board because...

I am passionate about PD and am excited to collaborate with fellow housing professionals in coordinating and developing PD opportunities for the membership!

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

Take it all in - but don't forget to take care of yourself, too!

Tuba Chishti (Member at Large) Residence Life Coordinator, Humber College I joined the OACUHO board because...

As Hillary Clinton said in 1992, to a people far more divided than ours- "I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession." My job makes me really happy but 3 years into my career, I know that there is more to do to fulfill my profession. Also, my tea and cookies are not well-regarded. So I thought I might as well run!

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

Small talk is polite and easy but if you don't like it- don't use it with others. Try to talk to people about what inspires them, what they're excited about, one cool thing they learned at a session, or about podcasts or book recommendations.

Brian Ingoldsby (Member at Large) Residence Program Coordinator, University of Guelph I joined the OACUHO board because...

I learned a lot and had an awesome experience on the Board my first time through and was excited about the prospect of working with and learning from amazing, passionate colleagues again. Plus, OACUHO is our professional home and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m eager to do what I can to help the organization to thrive.

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

Relax and enjoy yourself! The Spring Conference is the one time a year that we get to join together en masse, to share ideas and develop and deepen relationships. The connections that you make are often just as important as the learning you take home

Shaun McCracken (Senior Member at Large) Manager, Operations, Trent University I joined the OACUHO board because...

I have always been interested in serving on the OACUHO Board from the moment I started in housing. Being part of a team that helps grow the OACUHO footprint and the recognition of our industry is a wonderful responsibility and experience. I feel that there are many opportunities to expand our association as well as increase our engagement with areas such as facilities staff, admin, finance and marketing and look forward to be a part of that. I have met so many wonderful people through our association who I now consider to be great friends and look forward to making many more connections and friendships by taking on this role.

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

Meet as many new people as possible! This is the time to connect with people who you normally do not see or speak with on a regular basis and to grow your OACUHO network. Sit at a different table than those from your home institution at meals. Enjoy and engage in conversations about the many topics that are being presented on or being discussed through general conversations at breaks. The people who I frequently call upon when in need of an outside opinion, are those who I have met by engaging and throwing myself fully into the conference environment. Be engaged in presentations and take part in the many social events following the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities.

Most importantly, enjoy your time at OACUHO!

Valerie Bruce (Corporate Partner Relations Director) Manager, Housing Operations and Administration, Ryerson University I joined the OACUHO board because...

It's one of the best professional development opportunities I've had, and was interested/excited to work with our corporate partners to find value between them and our members.

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is... make sure to introduce yourself to a few new folks, this is a great chance to expand your network and meet new colleagues!

Lauren Silvestro-Arbuthnot (Membership Engagement) Coordinator of Residence Conduct, Western University I joined the OACUHO board because... of a chance to get to know more members and facilitate that same opportunity for others My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

Ask Laura Storey about the time she shared a kitkat with a man on a park bench

Kristin Lennan (Conference Director) Area Coordinator, University of Guelph I joined the OACUHO board because...

It's one of the best professional development opportunities I've had, and was interested/excited to work with I joined OACUHO to reengage with the organization and give back. I was ready to take on some more challenge in my role and that, partnered with few a few nudges along the way, encouraged me to put my name forward.

My tip for #OACUHO2018 is...

Get outside of your comfort zone and engage in conversation with people from other institutions. Identify things yourself and others may be passionate about or have in common and use that as your in. Keep a few key questions in your back pocket to ask others and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry about forgetting peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s names, just reintroduce yourself and roll with it.