THE PULSE THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFICERS
JUNE 2015
SPECIAL CONFERENCE EDITION
IN THIS ISSUE Welcome to York [3] Getting to know the new Board [4] OACUHO Committee Profiles [8]
Outgoing Board of Directors PRESIDENT Laura Storey | Carleton University laura.storey@carleton.ca
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR Brian Ingoldsby | University of Guelph bingolds@uoguelph.ca
PRESIDENT-ELECT / FINANCE DIRECTOR Julie West | University of Guelph jwest@uoguelph.ca
CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Brittany Gawley | McMaster University gawleyb@mcmaster.ca
PAST PRESIDENT Chad Nuttall | University of Toronto Mississauga chad.nuttall@utoronto.ca
CORPORATE PARTNER RELATIONS DIRECTOR Colin Ryrie | Brock University cryrie@brocku.ca
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR Brian Cunha | University of Waterloo b2cunha@uwaterloo.ca
SENIOR-LEVEL MEMBER AT LARGE Glenn Matthews | Western University glenn@housing.uwo.ca
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Matthew Harris | York University maharris@yorku.ca
MEMBER AT LARGE Samantha Wiebe | University of Waterloo swiebe@uwaterloo.ca
ura
Join the outgoing board of directors at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday June 10th at 10:30am.
welcome to your professional home. Welcome to York. The Host Commi0ee is excited to have OACUHO visi9ng York University for Rejuvenate 2015. We have planned a lively week that will allow the membership to engage and network. We hope that you have a week filled with learning and enrichment.
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The Host Commi0ee's Top are: 6. The Backyard BBQ 5. The Tuesday Night Socials 4. The ice cream truck 3. Dr. Carney Strange 2. The Banquet 1. Sessions and learning
We look forward to having a fantas9c week with everyone! See you at the BBQ! The Host Commi,ee
Hi and welcome to OACUHO @ York!
I hope you are as excited to be here as I am. As always there will be lots of opportunities to learn in educational sessions and workshops, but take time during breaks and social events to get to know colleagues from all around Ontario and Canada. Be sure to take time on Wednesday to visit with our Corporate Partners and Vendors who provide so many products and services that help us to do our jobs. As well on Wednesday, you will have the opportunity to sign up for committees and networks – check out the OACUHO table over lunch and talk with us about all OACUHO has to offer. I’m sure you can make this the best OACUHO conference you have attended.
Julie West 2015/2016 OACUHO President -3-
Getting to Know the New Board PRESIDENT Julie West | University of Guelph
PRESIDENT-ELECT / FINANCE DIRECTOR Daryl Nauman | York University
Hometown: Woodstock ON
Hometown: Burlington, Ontario
First Student Housing pro job: Residence Life Assistant, Sault College Love to talk about: Assessment, sta9s9cs, tennis, home ownership, gardening and pets
First Student Housing pro job: Manager in residence at Durham College & UOIT
Tips for networking at the conference: Meet as many people as you can from all walks of student housing. Engage in conversa9on longer than 'what school are you from' or 'what is your role'. Ask what challenges they face in their posi9on or their greatest achievement this year.
Tips for networking at the conference: Find individuals whose interests or work intrigues you; ask them ques9ons, as others will o^en embrace an opportunity to talk about what they are passionate about or proud of. Also, don't forget to wear your name tag.
What you love about OACUHO: The casual nature of the group. Easy to make new friends and re-‐connect with old friends, and the ability to pick up the phone or send an email if you confront something new in your job and you need some advice. There is a lot of experience and advice available to members.
What you love about OACUHO: Our caring membership, who are engaged and dedicated to their work and contribute in various ways to OACUHO. I love that OACUHO brings us together to share knowledge, experiences, and best prac9ces. I also appreciate the wonderful memories that are created because of OACUHO.
Why I joined the BOD: I have a long history with OACUHO and was feeling disconnected (I was one of those people that said OACUHO recently has not been offering much to those outside of ResLife). We've seen growth in the diversity of offerings in the past few years and we need to keep that momentum going. We need to embrace all facets of student housing and I challenge each and everyone one of you to take up that charge and learn about (and from) each other.
Why I joined the BOD: I believe OACUHO plays a valuable role in advancing our profession as a whole and that the BOD is instrumental in guiding that work. I'm looking forward to giving back to the organiza9on, as well as, mee9ng and working with more colleagues across Ontario and beyond.
Love to talk about: Fitness, technology, music, and of course housing
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR Brian Cunha | University of Waterloo PAST PRESIDENT Laura Storey | Carleton University Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario First Student Housing pro job: Duty Staff Manager at the University of Guelph
Hometown: Napanee, Ontario First Student Housing pro job: Residence Assignments Coordinator at Trent University Love to talk about: Ul9mate Frisbee, jokes, food, travel, spirituality Tips for networking at the conference: Connect with 2-‐3 people a^er the conference that you met at the conference. Send them an email right away to thank them for connec9ng. Set a reminder in your calendar to connect with them again in 6 months. What you love about OACUHO: The people. The opportuni9es. Feeling like this is my professional home. Why I joined the BOD: I wanted to get involved to give back to the profession and to build on the momentum of the great work of our recent Boards. It’s been rewarding to connect with people and to be part of this organiza9on. Selfishly – I have a new audience for my jokes. ;)
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Love to talk about: Food, theatre, current events, and higher ed
Tips for networking at the conference: Sit beside someone you don’t know at every session. The people in this field are so welcoming and friendly, you’ll be surprised how many people you meet by just sidng beside someone new and introducing yourself! What you love about OACUHO: I love how much passion the membership has about what we do. People in OACUHO are smart, passionate, and driven. I think the people is what makes up this associa9on and I love to meet new to seasoned members and hear their story. Why I joined the BOD: Ever since my first OACUHO Spring conference at Lakehead in 2010 I found that this associa9on was where my professional home could be. The more I became involved with OACUHO, the more I wanted to give back to the associa9on. I was a member of a few commi0ees over the years and Communica9on was where I had the most passion. I had a vision of where the Pulse could go and now I am looking into my second term in the role. -
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Victoria Gadon | Queen’s University
CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Sara Wills | Carleton University
Hometown: Port Hope, Ontario First Student Housing pro job: Community Coordinator at the University of Waterloo Love to talk about: Travel, Reality TV, Books, and Housing Tips for networking at the conference: Use meals and socials to connect with others. This is a great, relaxed 9me to meet new people and get to know people outside of sessions! What you love about OACUHO: Housing is a unique field and one that others can struggle to fully understand. I love that OACUHO brings together individuals from across the province to learn from each other, share a common experience, and develop a network. Even though we may not see each other frequently, I love the feeling of connectedness that OACUHO brings. Why I joined the BOD: In my first few years in the field, I have learned so much from the experiences I have had through OACUHO and the passionate and engaged professionals who are part of the associa9on. I have really enjoyed my experiences in OACUHO so far-‐ being part of commi0ees and project work, a0ending conferences, and connec9ng with colleagues. I wanted to join the Board of Directors to contribute to our professional home and help to give others the same great experiences I have had.
Hometown: Delta, ON First Student Housing pro job: Residence Programmer at Lakehead University (Go Wolves Go!) Love to talk about: Popular culture, #pd4free and best prac9ces, NFL football, and travel. Tips for networking at the conference: Always take an opportunity to meet someone you don’t know – there’s always something to learn from someone new from a different ins9tu9on. Also have your business cards handy and ask any new connec9ons for theirs – it’s nice to re-‐connect a^er the conference and maintain that rela9onship throughout the year. What you love about OACUHO: I love that people across the associa9on share in the passion of suppor9ng student success, regardless of which area of housing they are in. Each person strives to improve the student experience and create developmental opportuni9es for our students every day. Why I joined the BOD: Since my first year as an OACUHO member with Lakehead, I recognized the benefits I gained from my OACUHO membership experience. I was involved in commi0ees and had a wonderful learning experience while enrolled in the professional mentorship program – thanks Dale Mullings! As I con9nued into the housing field professionally, I became more and more interested in giving back to others in hopes of offering them the same unique, fun, and developmental experience that I had.
CORPORATE MEMBER RELATIONS DIRECTOR Colin Ryrie | Brock University
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR Andrew Quenneville | Western University
Hometown: Kitchener
Hometown: Comber, Ontario
First student housing pro job: Residence Life Coordinator at Brock University (I never le^!)
First Student Housing pro job: Residence Manager (Western University) Love to talk about: genealogy, wellness (healthy living), student affairs
Tips for networking at the conference: We’re pre0y friendly here at OACUHO so my only sugges9on is to put yourself out there and don’t be afraid to build rela9onships with new people. We only have a couple 9mes a year when members can meet face to face, so take advantage of it and start making new friends. What you love about OACUHO: I love how the OACUHO community is such a close knit group. There are s9ll a lot of people within the organiza9on that I met at my first spring conference, and it is great to reconnect every year to solidify and build on those friendships. It almost feels like every spring conference is a giant family reunion, and it is a great feeling to be a part of that ‘family’. Why I joined the BOD: I joined the Board of Directors because a^er comple9ng my Master’s Degree, I was looking for another way to challenge myself and con9nue my professional development. I had not been a board member up to this point in my professional career, and I wanted to give back to the associa9on. It was definitely the right decision as it is been an amazing year on the board, and I look forward to another one.
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Tips for networking at the conference: A0end socials and par9cipate in as many informal evening conversa9ons as possible. These are a great way to get to know the amazing people that work in housing in our Associa9on and to learn about their work! What you love about OACUHO: I think OACUHO is a great vehicle for mee9ng other excited professionals, learning about the challenges they face day-‐to-‐day and their many successes. I love hearing about what others are doing and being able to learn about the trends occurring in student housing. Why I joined the BOD: During the past year I had the pleasure of par9cipa9ng in the Membership Engagement and Communica9ons commi0ees of OACUHO. I really enjoyed my experiences on these commi0ees and was energized working alongside other impassioned professionals. I feel the BOD is a great way to con9nue to stay engaged, contribute to the conversa9on, and work with other enthusias9c professionals.
Getting to Know the New Board MID-LEVEL (SENIOR) MEMBER-AT-LARGE Chris Alleyne | Western University
MEMBER-AT-LARGE Jordan McLinden | Carleton University
Hometown: Burnaby, Bri9sh Columbia
Hometown: Barrie, Ontario
First Student Housing pro job: Residence Manager at Western
First Student Housing pro job: Assistant Residence Life Coordinator, Queen’s University
Love to talk about: New York City, Paris, food, and my two weiner dogs -‐ Oscar & Frankie. Tips for networking at the conference: It may feel like everyone already knows everyone, but trust me, you're not alone! Join the Mentor/Mentee program, sit next to people you don't know, and have your workmates introduce you to folks from other schools. What you love about OACUHO: OACUHO in itself is a family of colleagues -‐ no ma0er how long we haven't seen each other, it's always easy to pick up where we le^ off. Members have always been welcoming, eager to learn from one another, and always willing to share resources amongst ins9tu9ons. Everyone has the same shared mission -‐ to create the best residence experience for their students. Why I joined the BOD: A^er many years of working in the Housing field, I felt that this opportunity would give me a chance to give back to the organiza9on in a meaningful way. I've also been interested in strengthening the engagement of our Facili9es, Marke9ng, and Admissions professionals within the Organiza9on.
MEMBER-AT-LARGE Diane Rawlings | University of Windsor
Love to talk about: Sports, food, music/movies/shows, current events, travel and student conduct/development Tips for networking at the conference: Be yourself, don’t feel like you have to act a certain way or talk about something you know very li0le about just to impress someone. People will appreciate gedng to know your real interests and passions, and it will also help make you more memorable. What you love about OACUHO: I love connec9ng with colleagues both new and old, and having an opportunity to not only contribute but learn from all the amazing things people are doing across our organiza9on. OACUHO is made up of so many people from all over, with new ideas and perspec9ves on any topic. I feel like I learn something new every 9me I a0end an event. Why I joined the BOD: I really felt like it was my turn to get involved and give back, I have received so much from OACUHO and I thought this was a perfect opportunity to contribute to my organiza9on. The people on the board seem to have the opportunity to develop great rela9onships with the membership and I look forward to con9nuing to build my network of connec9ons with people.
Hometown: Lasalle, Ontario ( just outside of Windsor) First Student Housing pro job: Department Head, Residence Services, University of Windsor Love to talk about: Food, gardening and my kids! Tips for networking at the conference: Don't be afraid to come up and talk to a CHO. They want to get to know you as much as you might want to meet them. What you love about OACUHO: I love the enthusiasm of the people who want to make the students' experience the best that it can be. Also like to see the growth of young professionals as they progress through their careers. Why I joined the BOD: To be honest, it's 9me to give back. I've been involved on other boards and hope to learn from my fellow directors and offer some exper9se along the way.
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Profiling OACUHO Committees Interested in joining an OACUHO committee but want to learn more about it? We asked our four past directors who have committees to tell us more about them.
Communications
General Engagement – Responsible for the many awesome social ini9a9ves that come out of the MEC, General Engagement volunteers have had a hand in planning the Secret Snowflake exchange and the NHL and March Madness pools. OACUHO Mentorship Program – Two MEC volunteers have worked hard this year to provide direc9on and support to the OACUHO’s Mentorship Program and the 60 members that par9cipate. This program has grown almost 250% in the last 2 years! Student Professional Mentorship Program – Two MEC members have also worked hard to con9nue developing the Student Professional Mentorship Program, which links new professionals with student staff members from various ins9tu9ons who have an interest in Student Housing. Awards – One of our larger subcommi0ees, 4 MEC members have worked together to create the new 20 Years of Service Award, to recognize those who have dedicated their careers to the Student Housing field, and to update the awards por9on of the OACUHO website, in advance of our year-‐end awards process. Commi0ee members are currently busy reviewing award nomina9ons in advance of the Spring Conference! Networks – Each one of OACUHO’s 4 Knowledge Networks (Marke9ng, Admissions and Assignments [MAA], Engaging New OACUHO Professionals [ENOP], Living-‐Learning Programs [LLP] and Facili9es) currently had a MEC member working as a liaison, to help out in any ways possible.
1. What are the main responsibiliPes of your commiQee/what are different ways volunteers can contribute? The Communica9on Commi0ee is tasked with overseeing OACUHO’s communica9on to its membership. The main project for the commi0ee is the development and execu9on of the Pulse, a monthly newsle0er that is distributed digitally to the en9re membership. There are special roles in this porpolio where commi0ee members par9cipated in being an editor of the Pulse for a month where they were tasked with arranging content for the month they were assigned. The commi0ee also works on the OACUHO social media pages and strategically tries to improve communica9on throughout the associa9on. 2. How oTen does your commiQee meet and how? The Communica9ons commi0ee meets bi-‐weekly. Usually the calls are kept to about twenty minutes, so the 9me commitment is low. We can get a lot done on these calls, but it isn’t all business! It’s a great way for us to connect and touch base throughout the year. 3. What is the Pme commitment for volunteers? Time commitment depends on what you can put in. As a Pulse editor, you can probably assume you will be doing close to 4-‐5 hours a month. If you are a general member/writer to the Pulse, expect more like 2 hours a month. 4. How many members are currently on your commiQee? There are currently 11 members on the commi0ee. Ideally, there would be about 10 -‐ 15 members.
Membership Engagement
3. What is the Pme commitment for volunteers? Volunteers contribute an average of 1-‐2 hours/week.
2. How oTen does your commiQee meet and how? Every 3 weeks. Video-‐chat (though call-‐in op9on is available for those without webcams)
1. What are the main responsibiliPes of your commiQee/what are different ways volunteers can contribute? MEC volunteers currently all serve on 1 or more of the following 5 subcommi0ees:
4. How many members are currently on your commiQee? There are currently 14 members of the MEC, including the director.
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Corporate Relations
1. What are the main responsibiliPes of your commiQee/what are different ways volunteers can contribute? The overall purpose of the Corporate Partner Rela9ons Commi0ee is to recruit and maintain sponsors for OACUHO so the organiza9on can be well funded to fulfil its objec9ves to support OACUHO members. The commi0ee works to meet its revenue targets through several avenues. We seek to build our annual sponsor base, as this is the most reliable form of revenue for the organiza9on. We also reach out to our annual sponsors, as well as other businesses to create sponsorship opportuni9es at our annual conferences (spring conference, fall business mee9ng, and residence life conference), and we also look to create one-‐9me sponsorship opportuni9es, based on the needs of our corporate sponsors.
Professional Development
1. What are the main responsibiliPes of your commiQee/what are different ways volunteers can contribute? The PD Commi0ee works to create professional development opportuni9es for the membership throughout the academic year. Opportuni9es to get involved range from the following: -‐ Hos9ng a webinar; -‐ Submidng an ar9cle for the Pulse; -‐ Facilita9ng a session at one of the following events: the Fall Business Mee9ng, the Residence Life Conference-‐ Professional Stream, and the Spring Conference; The inspiring aspect of the Commi0ee is that it is open to the opportuni9es that the members want and con9nually changes annually with the ways in which it offers learning to the membership. Opportuni9es are not limited to professionals; we also see the value in developing student staff
Commi0ee members contribute to the commi0ee by seeking out businesses that may be interested in sponsoring with OACUHO, and communica9ng the variety of sponsorship opportuni9es available to suit the needs of the sponsor. Other roles may include reviews of our annual sponsorship package, and conference specific sponsorship packages. Commi0ee members may also assist conference organizers in ensuring the appropriate sponsorship benefits are enacted at each conference.
2. How oTen does your commiQee meet and how? Our conference calls are bi-‐weekly over a conference calling service provided by OACUHO for at most an hour in length.
If a Commi0ee member is part of a project they will have further mee9ngs virtually to discuss the project and how to move it forward.
2. How oTen does your commiQee meet and how? The Corporate Partner Rela9ons commi0ee meets less frequently than other OACUHO commi0ees, mee9ng no more than once a month, and some9mes less frequently.
3. What is the Pme commitment for volunteers?
3. What is the Pme commitment for volunteers? The 9me commitment is no more than 1 hour a week, however it could really be unlimited if you are ambi9ous about pursuing addi9onal sponsor ‘leads’.
Time commitment varies from member to member and is determined by the par9cipa9on of the member. It can range from an extra hour or two a week to presen9ng at one of the above conferences and being present for that experience.
4. How many members are currently on your commiQee? There are currently 6 members of the Corporate Partner Rela9ons commi0ee. As there is not as much work to go around with this commi0ee, there would not be much point in having a commi0ee larger than 10 members. However, a minimum of 4 is important to fulfil the work of the commi0ee.
4. How many members are currently on your commiQee?
The PD Commi0ee is one of the larger commi0ees within OACUHO and ranges from 15-‐20 members. The size of the Commi0ee affords members the opportunity to make connec9ons with colleagues across the Associa9on and establish working rela9onships that assist in fostering their own professional development.
For more informa2on on any of the OACUHO commi,ees, please visit the OACUHO booth at the exhibitor fair on Wednesday! - 10 -
Contribute. Hundreds of readers will be glad you did.
Hello Pulse readers! Welcome to the Spring Conference. It is my hope that you have been able to get comfortable, unpack, and read through the last edition of this year’s OACUHO Pulse.
Brian Cunha CommunicaPon Director
This past year we have made great strides in our publication and have been able to highlight multiple functional areas in student housing. However, next year is a new opportunity to continue to improve and this cannot be done without your help. If you haven't contributed to the Pulse yet, what’s stopping you? There are endless subject matters that we still need to address but we need you. This week I encourage you to chat with me about an idea you have for the Pulse or what you would like to see more of or less of every month. We are always looking for new content and who better to contribute than you? Yes, you. I look forward to receiving your article.
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