OCT. 2012

> WORK LIFE BALANCE - 2 O C T 2012

> ALUMNI CORNER - 6

> OAKUDOS & #OACUHO360 - 8/9

The Balance Issue

President’s Address at FBM 2012: Good morning OACUHO! For those of you who I have not had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Jen Gonzales and I am serving as OACUHO president for the 2012-2013 academic year. Welcome to our annual fall business meeting and welcome to Ryerson. We have been working diligently to provide an exciting day filled with networking, professional development, an update on the work of the Board of Directors, and opportunities for you to be a Ryerson ram today. I predict an amazing experience.

You will notice that we have an official twitter hashtag for the day and for the year- that hashtag is #oacuho360. Today we are looking for people to tweet relevant learning, connections made and your experience of our Fall Business Meeting. Throughout the year, you are invited to tweet contributions, initiatives, conversations, and thoughts about OACUHO using this hashtag. If it has something to do with our field and with our association- #oacuho360 it! Our intention is to catalogue our conversations had by the association this year.

To entice you today, members of the Ryerson team will monitoring the back channel and we will be giving out 2 prizes for our top tweeters- 1 before lunch this morning and another at our social tonight- let the games begin!

I would like to start by acknowledging some important people who have been able to join us today.

Please stand if you are a past OACUHO president and be acknowledged. If you have ever served on the board of directors, please stand. I would like to formally thank these upstanding members and others

who are not here who have contributed to the board’s work and our history.

I know quite deeply that I as president this year am leading this year’s board in adding to a long history of dedicated service and high quality contributions from years past- thank you for providing a strong foundation for our work this year.

The theme of our day is OACUHO 360. At our spring conference I noted that with our annual conference being a total of 5 days in length we as a membership had approximately 360 days to contribute to our association.

Today, there are 205 days, 6 months and 24 days to be precise, left until we see each other again at our spring conference at Queen’s university in Kingston.

In addition, I challenged members to have a 360 degree view on our work in housing. As we have just experienced coming out of our opening and orientation time of year, it is essential for all facets of housing- facilities, marketing, assignments, desk management and residence life and others to collaborate in providing excellent living and learning experiences for our students.

To look at issues globally and consider the work of all housing officers is critically important as we respond to current trends and challenges in our profession. In embodying OACUHO 360 I challenged members to step up, to get involved, and contribute actively to the association.

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CONNECT WITH OACUHO!!

#OACUHO360

LIFE WORK Work Life Balance As professionals we play many different roles in our lives. We are workers, parents, spouses, friends, caregivers of elderly relatives and volunteers in our communities. We must also make room in their lives for taking care of their own physical and mental well-being. Not surprisingly, achieving balance among all these competing priorities can be difficult.

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UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA “How can I separate the two if I live where I work, and I work where I live?” If you have ever thought this, then you are probably in Residence Life! Regardless if you hold a live-in position or not, many of us struggle balancing or professional and personal lives.

While chatting with members at OACUHO Fall Business Meeting at Ryerson University, I asked, “how do you maintain the work/life balance?” The following are the tips you provided:  Cook! Go buy a cookbook and cook your way through it, one meal at a time (don’t forget to make enough for work lunches).  Respond to email only two or three times a day. Set aside specific times when you read and respond to email. Turn off your email notifications to avoid distraction and focus on getting work done. This may help you be more productive and reduce stress.  Disconnect from work by disabling work email on your phone. Technology makes it so easy to always be connected to work, which means your brain never leaves the office.  Do not eat lunch at your desk. Take the time to enjoy

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a break. Go for a walk, go to the gym, eat in the cafeteria, or better yet - enjoy the company of others and be sure to avoid work discussions.

Connect/re-connect with the people that matter most.

Make a list of five individuals with whom you have a relationship. Rank these relationships in order of importance and think about the rationale behind their ranking. Now look at your phone and list the last five phone calls, emails, and text messages. Do your two lists match up?

Take your vacation days! It does not matter if you go away for a long weekend, or take a “stay-cation” at home with a movie marathon, just make sure you take a break.

I hope these tips help bring balance to your professional and personal lives. Everyone is different, so find what works for you and remember to practice self-care.

"If you neglect to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full-speed ahead without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the race." --Oprah Winfrey Greg Hum Coordinator of Residential Transition Programs

difficulties managing their time. After a long conversation, both the student and I concluded they had so many extracurriculars included in their schedule that they’d left them“Can you cover my on-call shift tonight?” “Can you meet to brainstorm for our group assignment tomorrow?” “You never selves no breathing room and were struggling to put acaSkype me anymore, you’re too into your job!” “Are you ready demics first. I remember being unsure of what to say because I was in the same predicament. I decided to ask them for our exam this week?” “Can you help me run a movie night this weekend?” “You’re the only person I trust to talk to how they thought the issue could be resolved. I was lucky because without hesitation the student said they realized about this.” they needed to put their schoolwork first, and not be afraid to politely and respectfully say no to other activities if they If you’d told me three years ago that there’d come a time were struggling to maintain a balance. It was one of those where I would be packing my days so full that they would moments where the answer is so simple, but I realized I didresult in five hours of sleep and 30 minutes of free time, I n’t have it because I was caught up in my own busy life. would have called you crazy, but this is the predicament that myself and other student leaders I’ve spoken too often find Sometimes the student housing lifestyle makes you feel like themselves in. you can’t stop until you’ve made a difference in the life of every student. While it’s one of the most rewarding jobs out There are times where I still see myself position, but if there, I think that sometimes the best thing you can is ask there’s anything I’ve learned from after years working as a yourself the question; if a student came to you with an overResident Assistant, it’s that when you’re too busy to rest and run schedule and demonstrated they don’t take time for reflect on your own growth, your ability to help others grow themselves, what advice would you offer them, and do you becomes limited. take that advice for yourself?

HUMBER COLLEGE

The best example I can share is when a student came to me Beth McClelland close to exam time because they were stressed and having Resident Assistant

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need a day off or a weekend away can often make us feel guilty or selfish. The way I see it, not taking care of your mental health is a dangerous game. You want to be energetic, positive and clear minded when you are at work and unless you have time to wind down, you might not be able to do that for your staff and students. Look at it this way, you taking time to yourself will benefit your state of mind and in turn be beneficial to the people you work with and for. Lastly, remember why you love your job! If you are feeling overwhelmed, write down three reasons you love your job and reflect on that. If you love this job for the students, take half an hour and walk around a residence complex chatting to students. This will help reinstate why you actually work so hard. The idea of work life balance can be difficult to implement, but it’s very important.

NIPISSING UNIVERSITY

For most of us, our job is not a nine to five sort of deal.

Working within a system that is open 24 hours a day can take it’s toll on the life side of your work life balance. Being able to balance work and life tends to be a challenge but if I had a philosophy to share it would be this: 1. Do what you love 2. Take time off and 3. Remember why you love your job. The first piece is an important one, I think it’s important to set aside time do what you love. For me, it’s directing. Since I’ve moved to North Bay from Guelph I have been actively involved in the theatre guild where I’ve directed a show last season and am in the process of completing my show this season. When I’m in the theatre, I’m reenergized, clearheaded and happy. Being able to be involved in theatre is important to me, and I’m glad I’ve Brian Cunha been doing it. Find what does this for you and do it. The Residence Life Supervisor second piece is to take time off. Recognizing when you

WILFRED LAURIER UNIVERSITY Everyone has to learn the lesson of work life balance at their own pace. For me it took me until the winter holidays of my first year on the job to realize that I was absolutely going at a pace that was not sustainable. I went home to my parents’ house for the holiday for a much needed break and I slept. I slept like I had never slept before. 12-13 hours a night for the whole break. I was completely and utterly exhausted from my first semester and it finally caught up to me.

at my apartment. Most nights of the week I would have my team around until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning and then finally kick them out, get 5 or 6 hours of sleep and try to go about my day the next day.

I think it is important for new professionals to try and find a balance that works for them. Everyone in residence life has a unique style and threshold of what they can handle.

The bottom line of our field especially for those that live-in is that the line between work and life can be very blurry. I would highly encourage everyone to find something outside of work that they have a passion towards, something to draw their focus away from work at some point each day or at least a couple times a week. Everyone will find their rhythm at some point, I just hope you aren’t as tired as I was when you finally do.

I got myself into this situation as a bright eyed and enthusiastic new professional, I had just moved away from friends and family and was starting over in the new city, and my staff team became my outlet, my thing to do at the end of the day. I lived alone in my University provided apartment surrounded by my team and I had no idea how Chris Eley Manager of Residence to balance “team socials” and just having them hang out Acting Manager of Student Life & Engagement

UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO Work/Life Balance is a constant area of focus for conversations in the UW ResLife Management team. With such a large program ongoing all year round, it can be easy to get caught up in the never-ending ResLife To Do list! A few intentional new strategies to help encourage work/life balance this year include: scheduling in once-a-month “Conduct Catch Up Days”. These are one or two days at the end of each month, when RLCs take an entire day away from the office in order to focus specifically on

catching up with administrative duties. They have proved to be useful in preventing accumulation of administrative tasks which can sometimes be placed on the backburner.

This also helps designate time within working hours to focus on these items which may have piled up from the previous month. Long term, ongoing conversations about bigger projects, such as efficiency of hiring, are always helping to ensure maximizing time in all areas Franco Solimano Residence Life Coordinator

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RYERSON UNIVERSITY YORK UNIVERSITY U OF T MISSISSAUGA

@mattyorku tweets “@sarahmemme @DanCanThinks #ihearya #hmm #Wellness- sounds like we have an article for the Pulse in the making! #oacuho”

In an almost serendipitous foreshadowing the following Twitter @sarahmemme tweets “@mattyorku @DanCanThinks I’m with ya! Ohhh the beauty of twitter convos #oacuho360” conversation occurred on 4 October, 2012: @DanCanThinks tweets “@sarahmemme @mattyorku Nice! @DanCanThinks tweets “Some caring professions are worst at caring for their employees. #SJW12 #workplacementalhealth Let’s def continue the conversation. Are you both coming to #Ryerson for #oacuho Fall Business Meeting?

Can we promote healthier workplaces? @mattyorku tweets “@DanCanThink- sometimes it is because From the conversation the authors determined that for them a fruitful work/life balance comes from the joining of three sucwe are not caring for ourselves. If you are not caring for you cessful actions: how can you care for others?”

1. Knowing who you are and how you can best plan to ensure that you are caring for yourself. @DanCanThinks tweets “@mattyorku good point. Who’s 2.

Having the support of your colleagues to hold you accountresponsibility is it to support/ ensure self-care happens? Does able to caring for yourself. work structure allow these needs to be voiced?

3. Clear communication with your institution’s leaders as to what is needed to ensure that your needs are met.hen @mattyorku tweets “@DanCanThinks I think it is a shared 4.

Role model self-care to your staff to show that you underresp and a good workplace will support staff as needed” stand what you have been cheerleading for your staff to do.

Recognize time of stress where work/ life balance may be @sarahmemme tweets “@DanCanThinks @mattyorku lovin out of balance and give resources and strategies to how to this convo u two! #greatthoughts successfully cope with the stresses. @mattyorku tweets “@sarahmemme @DanCanThinks Thanks! What are your thoughts? #sharingiscaring” @sarahmemme tweets “@mattyorku @dancanthinks I’m in agreement with the fact that good workplace/support system at work is key.”

With that let’s continue the conversation, follow us on Twitter @sarahmemme, @mattyorku and @DanCanThinks and be sure to use #Wellness and #oacuho360. Let’s tweet about how you balance work and life.

Stay healthy!

@sarahmemme tweets “@mattyorku @DanCanThinks...Also feel that we need 2 practice what we preach- realize when to take a step back/ put some self-care time in.”

Dan Cantiller Academic Link Facilitator (Ryerson) Matt Harris @DanCanThinks tweets “@sarahmemme @mattyorku Great Residence Life Coordinator (York) sharing! #Wellness not always easiest task, esp during Training, Sarah Memme Community Development Coordinator (UTM) OWeek, Hiring. Advanced planning helpful.” @sarahmemme tweets “@DanCanThinks @mattyorku #ihearya- have to be proactive! Aka I make all protein shakes & meals in advance during training #hmm #Wellness

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I walked away from the podium at our banquet and received immediate feedback from members. Some excitedly told me about their plans for contributing to our committees. Others chose to run for vacant positions on the Board of Directors, and many, said nothing at all. A few members approached me and asked: “Why, why should I serve the association?”

I felt like I was an RA trying to convince a student to attend an educational program. I cited various reasons and communicated the vision of the 20122013 board as established in our freshly finished transition meetings. I attempted to leverage my knowledge of those members’ skills and match them to board initiatives in describing tangible ways they could contribute. I noted their involvement would help to increase their professional network and build their profile. All of these thoughts were met back with blank stares, and in some cases, pure skepticism. I reverted back to ONE last reason, again reminding myself of years as a student staff member and professional working to inspire engagement among my students- “You will have fun.” I said. The blank stares continued.

Finally, I communicated my gut response, the response that connected my cerebral reasoning with my heartfelt feeling of gratitude and connection that came in being in a room filled with OACUHO colleagues. I responded: “I serve the association, because someone served FOR ME- and that has made all the difference.”

I thought of how engaged and fulfilled I felt as a student staff member as a delegate at OACUHO’s annual Residence Life Conference. I remembered how attending the student conferences allowed me to practice my facilitation skills, networking skills, and ultimately lead to my feeling called to serve in our profession. I thought of how deeply indebted I am to the countless OACUHO members who dreamed of creating this opportunity for student leaders, and did the planning for this event year after year. Their service made a difference.

I thought of my 1st week in my 1st professional Residence Manager job at the University of Guelph and how it was actually spent at Queen’s University at the New Professional Training Institute. In that week I learned things from expert faculty that set the foundation for my work as a professional in housing. I also happened to meet the foundation of my professional network in this field. OACUHO members planned, implemented, taught at and attended this institute. I benefited from their service.

I thought of the countless hours OACUHO volunteer contributors have invested in writing for our newsletter the Pulse, our blog, and how their sharing of research, and best practices makes my practice better. I benefit from the contributions of these OACUHO members.

I thought of the 1-1 connections made, the phone calls to ask and answer questions, share experiences, and have trusted colleagues from around the province contribute to my practice. I benefit from this OACUHO community.

I thought of the fact that 7 years after the University of Windsor hosted their spring conference in 2005 with the theme “Rev it up” I still carry my keys on the carabeener that came in our swag bag- not because of how pretty it looks now, but because it reminds me of my 1st ever professional conference and the connection I felt to this field, this community, and the network of professionals I continue to be a part of. I benefited from the service of the OACUHO members who planned and attended that conference.

This year as president, I have made it my mission to ensure our membership is engaged and connected to OACUHO. This comes best, when members from all facets of housing at all levels are actively engaged and are actively serving the association.

My first strategy in accomplishing this goal was to build a strong Board of Directors team through active training, goal setting and bonding. This was with the ultimate vision of creating an atmosphere of high commitment, accountability and engagement for the 2012-2013 Board to do their work.

Today, each board member will give an update in their specific portfolios during our fall business meeting. I am thrilled to report that we are working hard, and are getting things DONE.

2012 – 2013 Board. I am also extremely privileged to be learning and growing as a professional from working with a group of smart, talented, capable and passionate professionals. I wish to thank them for embodying OACUHO 360 this year.

However, we are not the only ones serving OACUHO and we are definitely not doing this work alone.

We have 4 active committees and 3 active task forces with up to 40 members contributing to the work of the association. I would like for those members serving on a committee or task force to please raise their hands- thank you for all of your work. If you would, please keep your hands up as I tell you about your colleagues who have engaged in OACUHO service this year.

We have secured hosts for all upcoming conferences for the 2012-2013 academic year, and have benefited from the service of several members finishing their hosting duties. Please raise your hand if you were involved in hosting an OACUHO event from April 2012, and/or will be hosting an event before June 2013. Thank you for providing excellent events and opportunities for our membership to meet face to face. A particular thank you to my Ryerson family for all of their help in developing today’s program.

Please put your hand up if you have attended an OACUHO event- choosing to invest in our conferences and events adds to our community and helps deepen our networks. Thank you for choosing OACUHO in an ever competitive market for your own personal professional development.

Please put your hand up if you have tweeted, read a blog post or Pulse, or made a facebook post regarding OACUHO this year. Thank you for contributing to our online community and for adding to our conversations. Bonus points if you have hash-tagged #OACUHO360 to help catalogue our conversations.

I would like us to have a look at the level of involvement and engagement we have seen this year. Thank you for choosing to serve.

As you can see there are multiple ways to embody OACUHO 360. I challenge you in the next 205 days until our spring conference to consider how you might serve the association. Will you keep up your committee involvement? Will you consider hosting a future OACUHO event? Will you write for the Pulse or our blog? Will you simply take that stack of business cards left from our conference and make a call to an OACUHO friend?

I encourage you to consider your OACUHO contributions and share what your service will be today. Speaking our commitments out loud help to make it real and allows this network to truly flourish with energy. It is our professional responsibility to serve and add to our community as many have done before us.

I also invite you to share about OACUHO with our videographer Chris standing in the back of the room. We are asking that you share OACUHO stories, particularly what OACUHO means to you today on video. It is becoming increasingly important for OACUHO to be able to share our own story of impact and in creating this video, we hope to gather input from our membership in a creative way. We are particularly interested in answering the question- “What does OACUHO mean to you?”

To me, OACUHO means home and family. I could not do the work I do on my own campus without the expertise and collegial relationships I have through OACUHO. So, some final questions: “Are you willing to serve? And of course, are you having fun?”

I know the association will benefit greatly from you serving in ways that are unique to you! I anticipate our members, present and future will be deeply grateful for the difference your contributions will make.

Thank you.

In the midst of our dedicated service, I am also thrilled to report that we are having a whole lot of FUN. I am extremely proud of all of the members of the - PAGE 6 -

Fall Business Meeting 2012 Recap Hosted by Ryerson University #OACUHO360 The Ryerson team hosted 93 delegates at the 2012 OACUHO Fall Business Meeting on Friday, October 19th at their beautiful campus in downtown Toronto. The energy level was tangible and there was lots of opportunity to catch up with old friends and create new connections.

Highlights from the morning included an inspiring welcome from OACUHO’s president, Jen Gonzales and an amazing keynote speaker, Tom Ellett, who flew in from New York University where he’s the Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. Tom shared his knowledge and discussed current hot topics that are integral to our work as Housing professionals. Tom’s keynote was partially inspired by conversations at a recent ACUHO-I Board meeting, where he is currently serving as the Vice President.

Following the Fall Business Meeting that was full of updates and exciting things coming up for OACUHO, we enjoyed networking over lunch. Breakout sessions in the afternoon included a chance to speak one-on-one with Tom Ellett, sessions on Residence Life Student Staff Hiring and Off-Campus Housing, as well as opportunities to get connected with an OACUHO network. The CHO meeting also took place throughout the afternoon.

At the end of the day, delegates had an amazing opportunity to see Ryerson’s newly transformed Mattamy Athletic Centre (formerly Maple Leaf Gardens), socialize with fellow OACUHO members, connect with some of our corporate sponsors, and last but not least take in the atmosphere of a Ryerson Rams hockey game!

Thank you so much to the Ryerson team for hosting and to all the presenters who added to the program - it was an amazing opportunity for OACUHO members to reconnect and come away with new knowledge and ideas! #OACUHO360

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Alumni Corner Jen Coulter Tim Tang

with

and

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s with many student affairs professionals, I entered the field as a result of an incredible student experience.

Experiences in student government at Wilfrid Laurier University and in residence life at Humber College spurred my interest in a career in post-secondary education.

Entry level residence life professional roles at Humber College and the University of Guelph soon followed suit. At Humber and Guelph, I learned of the incredible influence that professionals have on student learning and the student experience. I appreciated getting to know students. I loved learning about students individually and within the broader context of the institution and provincial culture. OACUHO played a large role in my education, helping me find and share resources with professionals from across the province.

At the end of my third year at the University of Guelph, I left Canada to pursue a master’s degree in student affairs administration at Michigan State University. Without a doubt, my decision to go back to school was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only did I get the theory that I sought, but I had an opportunity to immerse myself in student affairs. I embraced opportunities to work as an academic advisor, a classroom instructor, a hearing officer in the university student conduct office, and as an advisor to a service-learning group. I loved what I learned in the classroom, and relished in the opportunity to refine many of the tools and techniques that I learned while in Ontario.

Since graduating in May, I have recently embraced a new path. I currently serve as the Recruitment, Training, and Selection Coordinator for the 1,000 employees in Residence Education and Housing Services at Michigan State University. In my role, I construct intentional learning-centered opportunities and environments for our employees, in support of the 15,000 students living on our campus. While my student affairs practice is informed by theory, research, and assessment data, it is also shaped by the lessons I learned while working in Ontario and as an OACUHO member. I think daily about relationship building and collaboration, supporting academic achievement, and creating intentional learning opportunities for students and employees. My OACUHO colleagues, who helped to shape my thinking and values, continue to be critical individuals in my student affairs network.

In thinking about networks and learning, Kegan (1994) suggests a bridge metaphor for linking educational goals to a student’s learning. Students begin on one end of the bridge, with the intent of the educator to move them toward the other end. The task of an educator is to know and respect where the bridge begins, and help students take the journey to the other side. I feel lucky to have had many OACUHO mentors, colleagues, and friends help me on my own journey across the bridge.

Best wishes!

Jen.

Jen Coulter, M.A. is the Recruitment, Training, and Selection Coordinator for Residence Education and Housing Services at Michigan State University. For more about MSU's ResEd training follow Jen on twitter @jen_coulter, and check out #MSUResEd. Jen can also be reached at coulte31@rhs.msu.edu.

References Kegan, R. (1994). In over our heads: The mental demands of modern life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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I

t’s true when they say, “you never know where you’ll be in ten years”. When I was growing up, I really wanted to be a scientist. I studied Molecular Genetics and Microbiology in my undergraduate studies, and was committed to developing my skills in research. I didn’t fully realize the value of co-curricular involvement until I participated in student leadership roles during undergrad. I was involved with orientation, student government, and registrarial services at Victoria College in the University of Toronto. When I graduated, I decided to explore the possibility of a career in student affairs.

I had the pleasure of beginning my career at Queen’s University, where I learned all about residence life. Prior to arriving in Kingston, I had never lived in residence, nor had I been a don. I felt completely out of my comfort zone at first, as I hadn’t anticipated how challenging it would be to make the transition to a new field, in a new city, filled with unfamiliar faces. As I delved into the work, I was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming feeling of support and encouragement all around me. The people I worked with in residence life and OACUHO are some of the warmest and most welcoming individuals I have ever met. In addition, I was inspired by their commitment to making a difference by fostering a positive, safe, and inclusive residential community.

After three years of residence life, I transitioned into a role in the newly constituted Student Experience unit at Queen’s, with a particular focus on orientation and transition programs. Our work has included the planning, implementation, and evaluation of numerous new initiatives, including a Summer Orientation, Common Reading Program, and Co-Curricular Opportunities Directory. My favourite part of this job is that our projects are constantly evolving. We are constantly trying new things, evaluating outcomes and effectiveness, modifying existing models to adapt to context, and gathering feedback and best practices. This process requires adaptability, as well as openness to change and action.

This need to be adaptable to change is something I learned very well in residence life. In fact, my motto in those days was “expect the unexpected” because you never knew what you would have to deal with on any given day. I think this ability to respond to spontaneity and change has played a key role in my development as a student affairs professional, and continues to help me in my work.

It’s funny where life takes you sometimes. Ten years ago, I was going to be a scientist. Now, I am looking forward to a career where I can continue to support the student learning experience by considering innovative ways to connect with and engage students.

Who knows where I’ll be in ten years?

Tim

A Message from Corporate Member Relations Thank you to everyone who attended the Fall Business Meeting Social on Friday and especially to those who took the time to interact with out Corporate Members in attendance. This was the first time that we have invited our Corporate Members to attend an OACUHO Social and we will continue this in the future, in order to provide engagement opportunities between the association membership and our Corporate Sponsors. Remember that even if your position does not incorporate buying power at your institution getting to know these individuals is still a great way to network with people who work hard everyday to provide our work places with their product and services. If you have any feedback or suggestions on how to provide more engagement opportunities please let me know.

Thanks, Brent Corporate Members Relations Director - PAGE 9 -

oakudos

Tweet Tweet!

Interested in sending kudos to a fellow oacuho member?

Use #oakudos to show your appreciation!

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#oacuho360 Be sure to hashtag #oacuho360 to keep other OACUHO members informed about what you are up to at your institution and what you are doing to serve the association 360 days of the year, with the Spring Conference lasting approximately 5 of the days of the year. Our President, Jen Gonzales has challenged us to look at housing through a 360 degree view and to consider all facets so we encourage you to share with the rest of the membership!

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the little things

Vladimir Smiljanic

by

When living within an environment where your work and personal lives overlap, it is important to find ways to separate the two to ensure you lead a healthy and productive lifestyle. When entering into the world of Residence Life, there is the understanding it comes with a certain lifestyle you must lead. Working with students and student staff day in and day out is a rewarding experience and one that few get to enjoy in their regular work life. These are just a few small examples of what I do during the year to help me balance out the little things in life to ensure that I am always putting my best foot forward.

For my personal health, I choose to exercise on a regular basis. Though I have been part of intramural sports teams with student staff, I join sports programs outside of my institution's rec leagues because it gives me more opportunities to get off campus and meet and interact with people out of the normal work/life setting. Though cost and convenience should factor into everything anyone does, I believe it is important to join fitness clubs and recreation sports leagues outside of the school environment.

In the social media realm, I have created a second Facebook profile that I use for students to add me as a friend. I use this to communicate information to groups and for students to contact me with questions/concerns. My typical posts are usually pictures, videos and other items with a Residence Life focus. This allows for promotion of our Residence Life program to capture the attention of future student leaders and creates more enthusiasm around our current staff.

The final, and probably hardest thing for myself to follow through on, is to turn off forwarding emails to work phone on weekends away. When you take a weekend away it should be just that ‌ a weekend away. Being able to be successful in your work environment means turning off when you have the opportunity. An example of this is German automobile manufacturer Volkswagon which is considered one of the most successful car companies on the planet.

Volkswagon wanted to ensure that their employees were not neglecting the work/life balance.

They saw the consequences in employees work and personal life as a result of an unhealthy balance. As a result, Volkswagon put a system in place where there union workers email accunts on Blackberries turn off half an hour after a shift ends and turn back on half an hour before the next shift begins. Volkswagon understands what it means to have a productive workforce and taking cues from one of the most successful companies on the planet is not a bad idea.

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RESIDENCE LIFE CONFERENCE January 25 - 27, 2013

www.housing.uoguelph.ca/rlc2013 Registration Costs: Early Bird (until Dec. 1, 2012) Professional Delegates: $175.00 + GST ($197.75) each Student Delegates: $150.00 + GST ($169.50) each Costs increases by $10.00/person after Dec, 1, 2012

Delegate Numbers: Institutions with 1-29 Residence Life Staff members may register up to 5 delegates.

Institutions with 30-60 Residence Life Staff members may register up to 7 delegates.

Institutions with 61-99 Residence Life Staff members may register up to 9 delegates.

Institutions with over 100 Residence Life Staff members may register up to 12 delegates.

Professional Development December 5th, 2012 FREE Webinar for student leaders - Well Being and Mental Health

December 7th, 2012 Learning Community Development Workshop (Drive-In) at Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning

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