M A C mUagazin H Oe
www.macuho.org
Mid-Atlantic Association of College & University Housing Officers
SUMMER TIME! 2014
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
BACK TO BASICS MASCULINITY TOPICS REBRANDING YOUR
Delaware • District of Columbia • Maryland • New jersey • Pennsylvania • West Virginia
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLE Back to Basics The Bigger We Are the Harder We Fall: Community Intervention and Bullying
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Psychological Privilege
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True Staff Development
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Masculinity Topics
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Rebranding Your
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Personal & Professional Development Committee
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Spotlight on Women in Housing Network
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A Cry for Two-Ply
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It’s the little things that count… One Turtle at a Time
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1 on 1 Environment
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THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Steven C. Sweat, M. Ed. Sinclair Preston Ceasar III David Stuebing Rhett Burden Max Schuster Amy LoSacco Jacqueline Hodes Lisa Ruchti Thomas Jay Benjamin Joshua Reda Joe Mercadante EDITORS Christina Moran Philadelphia University DESIGNER Kate Cassidy katecassidydesign.com
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Back to Basics
By Steven C. Sweat, M.Ed. Residence Life Coordinator, Towson University
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As our departments and institutions finalize transitions from Spring to Summer (many of us already open for summer camps and conferences), I want to share with the association some thoughts I have on preparing for diversity conversations during Summer training and development days in July and August. By no means am I an expert, but I certainly want to share the wealth of knowledge that I have accumulated over time, as I’m sure many of you would do the same for your fellow MACUHO members.
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When planning for diversity conversations this summer,
think about these 5 tips: 1. Start with the "why?" Why is diversity important? Why talk about it? Why is it integral in residential life? It is beneficial to share some context for both student staff and professional staff within your department in order to understand how diversity awareness came to the forefront for many college campuses these days. Even more important is showing your staffers where these conversations are going over time within your department's growth and development. 2. S hape the path of your diversity journey. Create learning outcomes and objectives to help to navigate the conversation planning in the right direction and to arrive at the right destinations. There are always frustrations when we say we want a particular result, and, without proper guidance, we can end up somewhere completely different and unintentionally miss our mark. Let's not miss our mark and stay that course! 3. Think outside the box. This can be taken in two ways: A. Over the years, from undergrad to grad to professional, I've had opportunities to participate in various types of diversity awareness seminars, workshops, and trainings. Depending on the needs of each staff or department and any lingering diversity issues within the organization and campus environment, sometimes lecture-style conversations are not the best way to get one's point across. Think about having engaging roundtables, small group discussions, and evencase studies. The primary piece here is to have the staffers talking and making connections between concepts! B. T he second piece is about the actual content within the conversations taking place. What is there to talk about relating to diversity awareness and education? Social and personal identities, the intersection of those identities, inclusive language, microaggressions, hate bias and hate speech, and social justice education are just a few topics to think about. Be mindful, though, to not pack too much into one or few sessions. There's a reason why later.
4. T hink about the big picture! Help your staff (student and professional alike) AND resident students learn about and appreciate their place in the larger plan of creating and sustaining inclusive and welcoming environments within the residence halls and across campus. Show your various department levels what roles they can genuinely play within the overall inclusive and welcoming environment plan. Better yet, ask them what they think they can do and empower them to take that charge! 5. The most important piece is helping students and staff prompt reflection about what they've learned from their diversity learning experience. It further solidifies teachings and concepts by making personal connections and applications. The cool thing is...wait for it...it's really not that hard! Start with questions like, "What was something new that you learned?" "How will you plan to use your new knowledge in your (para)professional life?" or, "How will you use what you've learned when engaging with residents or colleagues within your building communities?" But wait! There's more! I have a BONUS TIP! 6. C onversations about diversity, identity, inclusion, and welcoming communities shouldn't stop at summer training and development sessions. Think about planning departmental in-services, adding discussion sessions within your RA classes, and further enhancing the "theory to practice" of diversity education within overall residential engagement. Remember that "reason why later" from the end of tip #3? You honestly cannot pack so much within a summer session. It will lead to mental exhaustion and all that hardwork from planning would sadly be for naught. You and your department have an entire year (and more) to educate, reflect, and act upon that new knowledge. I hope many of you were able to take in some of these tips to heart and are able to use some or all of them within your summer planning meetings and future staff development opportunities. I look forward to hearing what some folks are doing or hope to do throughout future training and development sessions; possibly within the next MACUHO magazine edition (hint, hint). Have a great summer, stay safe, and, as always, stay amazing. (But MACUHO folks already know how to do that—and very well.)
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The Bigger We Are the Harder We Fall: Community Intervention and Bullying Sinclair Preston Ceasar III Stephen S. Leff, Ph.D. is a nationally-recognized expert and leader on bullying, peer aggression, and physical aggression prevention. I had the opportunity to join my student affairs colleagues and attend The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s “Evening with the Experts” event and hear Leff’s talk. Before his presentation, Leff sat with me and my colleagues to break the ice and he quickly answered a question we’d been discussing for the past 20 minutes: “How do you define bullying?” Leff told us that bullying was continual verbal/physical aggression towards another individual. During his presentation, he provided more insight and said bullying usually takes place during unstructured time. While Leff’s work is mostly with K-8 students, we know our college students face similar bouts with intimidation and are increasingly struggling with conflict resolution and general communication skills. We also know our college student spend a considerable amount of unstructured time outside of the classroom, programs, events, and athletics. Leff suggested several solutions to help end the bullying crisis one day at a time:
1. Educate the bystanders:
How many times have you walked up to an incident to be met with swarms of students who have nothing to do with the case? Leff says to increase the empathy and resourcefulness of potential bystanders. While we don’t know what students will end up at an incident of bullying, we can still work to teach students to care a little bit more about the victim. Leff spoke about painting a vase red on one side and blue on the other sideHe would call students in to sit at a table and then put the vase in front of them. Then it was the audiences’ job to get to two students to agree on the color of the vase. When our students have the opportunity to gain another perspective, they are more likely to utilize said perspective to the benefit of others. Ideally, students could eventually view incidents of bullying as unfortunate and inappropriate rather than add fuel to the fire or feel paralyzed.
2. The power of play:
Leff and team launched initiatives which added structure to recess. What he observed was an immediate decrease in incidents of fighting and bullying. This is not a far reach from the programming we do with our students. Sometimes, it is enough to have them moving, interacting, and engaging in a light-hearted and seemingly impromptu activity. We can kick this up a notch by being intentional about having our students engage in dialogues in which they will discover more about the beauty of their peers’ differences.
3. Practice what we preach:
At one point in the presentation, Leff spoke about a resolved conflict between a middle school student and his teacher. The student had a history of disrupting the classroom. Once during one of Leff’s classroom workshops, an incident occurred and the teacher immediately blamed the student. The student called the teacher out during one of Leff’s classroom workshops, addressed his own behavior, and told the teacher how he felt about being wrongfully blamed. The teacher was apologetic and returned to the lesson. The work of ending bullying takes humility and understanding on all fronts. As professionals, we get burnt out from time to time, and need to remember to recharge so we can make fair and ethical actions towards our students. When we mess up, our next move should be sincerely apologizing and discovering how we can correct our behavior.
I left Dr. Leff’s presentation feeling more hopeful and with a sense of more responsibility. My focus was no longer solely on the victims of bullying or the bully, it was on the greater community as well. The mperative is for us to work together to chip away at the factors which cause hostile environments on our campusand for us to do the best we can to educate others in the process.
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Psychological Privilege By David K. Stuebing
Having just returned to Maryland from the ACPA convention in Indianapolis, I have many ideas and thoughts floating around my head. One of the presentations I attended got me thinking in some new ways around psychological privilege. Just as we take seriously topics of white privilege, thin privilege, straight privilege, and so on, there exists the fact that I, as a (reasonably) psychologically-able person, generally do not experience the same stress levels or pressure to think and plan ahead when entering into various meetings and/or social situations. Thinking about even the convention itself, I was suddenly more aware of the implications. Someone dealing with social anxiety or one of a host of other challenges may find the social nature of the con-
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ference daunting or even overwhelming—limiting their access to networking, education, and further professional opportunities. Not having to muster psychological energy to overcome such challenges naturally puts others in a position of privilege—poised to capitalize on the experience and benefit from the multitude of opportunities present. I thought further back to our RAs and our love of icebreakers. I value icebreakers and enjoy educating staff on them. I began to think, however, about how some of those habits may cause stress or added challenge to someone who is less psychologically-able. Just as
we work hard on accessibility for those who face physical challenges, there is a burden to provide access to those who face psychological challenges. There is always the issue of students fabricating psychological challenges in pursuit of smoothed paths through college or the ever desirable single room. I do not know exactly where the balance falls, especially since I am not a psychologist, but I do know that I am more aware than I was previously regarding access to resources and opportunities for those who are less psychologically-able than their peers. And that’s my goal - to always increase my awareness and then do my best to weave that awareness into solid practices that most benefit the full spectrum of students on my campus.
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Life Skills + Professional Development / Interpersonal Skills =
True Staff Development (9 Ways to Improve Paraprofessional Social Skills) Written by: Rhett Burden Summer is my favorite time of year, but not for the reason you might think. Yes, we all enjoy the consistent warm weather, break from the day-to-day of housing operations, and the ability to rejuvenate. For me, I enjoy catching up on personal projects that had to be put on the back burner, attending professional wellness conferences, and brainstorming ways to teach, inspire and motivate my fall staff. We all know that as soon as the students and paraprofessionals leave, we are seemingly preparing for their return and, of course, fall training. Certain aspects of training are given—policy enforcement, Title IX education, confidentiality, and the list goes on. One key aspect that can sometimes fall to the wayside is the true staff development needed to prepare our paraprofessionals for being professionals in their several different industries of choice. In my office,
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I have a picture framed of Albert Einstein and one his timeliest quotes; “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” This quote helps to guide my day-to-day interaction with everyone I come in contact with. I believe that this quote speaks directly to kind of staff development each residential team member needs. I find myself telling my staff every year that the amount of work you put into developing yourself as a person and professional has a direct correlation with your ability to do this job well and the amount of professional integrity you bring to the team. I use this list of nine tools for improvement to help my staff in the sort of development I want to see manifest over the course of their professional lifespan with me as their supervisor.
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Tools for Improvement
1. Whenever a resident is angry and confrontational, stand next to them instead of in front of them. You won’t appear as so much of a threat and they eventually calm down. 2. Open with “I need your help.” Most people don’t like the guilt of not helping someone out. When asking a resident for a favor or trying to win them to your point of view, begin your request by saying “I need your help.” It greatly increases your chances of getting that favor done. 3. R ephrase what the other person says and repeat it back to them. Reflective listening is a powerful tool to make them think you’re listening and really interested in what they’re saying. It makes them feel validated. 4. I f you want someone to agree with you, nod while you talk. This gets the other person to nod too, and they begin to subconsciously think they agree with you.
5. If you ask someone a question and they only partially answer just wait. If you stay silent and keep eye contact they will usually continue talking. 6. Fold your arms to determine interest. If someone is observing you, they will likely mimic you. Fold your arms, and see if they do it, too. 7. U se their name. People love nothing more than to hear the sound of their own name. Use their name and use it often. 8. Flatter them. Compliments go a long way. Be detailed and specific. 9. Start with something they agree with. Even if what they agree with has nothing to do with what you want from them, get them thinking you’re on the same page.
This list is adapted from Cris Nikolov founder of MotivationGrid. I have seen these tools transform struggling paraprofessionals into superstars. It is my hope that any reader of this article will gain the same level of insight that I received from this list and start putting these tools into practice.
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Masculinity Topics in Resident Assistant Training Background Men’s studies in higher education have gained traction in recent years. This increased attention results from men falling behind their female peers. First, research suggests that men underachieve academically when compared to their female counterparts; this highlights disparities in overall student success. Second, studies also indicate that men engage in fewer campus activities than female students. Finally, men participate in higher risk behaviors with alcohol when compared to women on campus. On college campuses across the country, countless residence halls are organized by sex. It is no surprise that many college men live with other college men and have a male resident assistant.
Resident assistant training is the primary way that residence life administrators prepare resident assistants for a wide range of situations, policies, and procedures. While cultural diversity is almost always addressed during resident assistant training, discussions about masculinity are often neglected. However, hegemonic masculinity—or dominant masculine behaviors and characteristics that are societally embedded, championed, and glorified—largely influence the way in which groups form and college men experience campus. Hegemonic masculinity is connected to destructive behaviors that result in discernable outcomes on college campuses: low academic performance, low campus involvement, increased judicial system interaction, and higher risk behaviors
Masculinity Representations "
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By: Max Schuster, University of Pittsburgh
with alcohol. The destructive forces of hegemonic masculinity go on to include the subordination of women, marginalization of gay men, toughness, and competitiveness. Forces Socializing College Men While it is true that men may assume other complex masculine identities, it should be noted that hegemonic masculinity retains potency because of its ubiquity with the societal majority. For example, culture is constructed in such a manner that young boys and young girls participate in different activities based on their sex. These activities can be valued as masculine or feminine. Sports or other traditionally masculine activities, for instance, embrace toughness, aggression, athleticism, dominance, and control. These invisible socialization forces remain prevalent among college students and college men. Failing to provide training resources for resident assistants who will be working with college men impoverishes their ability to establish an environment of inclusivity and to model positive alternative masculine identities. As representatives of the institution, resident assistants have the potential to send clear, underlying messages to students in their communities. For example, what invisible messages are departmentally being sent to students when resident assistants plan a football video game tournament to target male floor members? What might some students construe from a male talent show that allows audience members to openly laugh at men par-
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odying feminine traits by wearing pink dresses? These questions can easily remain unchallenged, and administrators may not even realize the implications that seemingly small events can have in perpetuating forms of marginalization typically associated with hegemonic masculinity. Creating Dialogue through Training In order to remedy this issue, it is essential to enact meaningfully constructed training discourses related to issues of men’s sex, sexuality, and gender in resident assistant training. Creating a training platform for these complicated and societally enmeshed topics is by no means an invocation that such a program is the undeniable solution. However, it is a beginning and a step in the right direction. There are a few training activities that may stimulate discussions and draw attention to hegemonic masculinity, its power, its privileges, and its negative costs. Cards and Context. Cards Against Humanity is a free card game that makes fun of marginalized or oppressed groups. To begin, pass out one (or more) card from the game to each resident assistant. Allow participants to share what is on their card. After all participants have
shared, allow respondents to discuss what similarities they noticed on their cards. Consider the issues of power and privilege, pointing out that forms of hegemonic masculinity are absent from the game. Challenge participants to consider how they might respond if residents are playing the game on the floor or if residents are communicating these types of harmful messages in jest. Online Videos YouTube and TEDx provide a wealth of informative, quick, and entertaining videos that provide a starting point for lively discussion. Online clips from Ash Beckham, Guante, and The Mask You Live In allow for students to listen to experts succinctly describe their experiences with harmful hegemonic discourses. Allowing participants to record their responses and feelings to these clips before sharing with the group allows for further introspection and reflection. Cultural Artifacts There are a number of cultural items (toys, advertisements, magazines, and commercials) that celebrate men for toughness and denigrate women through subordination or sexualization. Collecting these items (for instance an image of an army
action figure and a fashion doll) and analyzing their cultural messages provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the cultural messages surrounding gender that are often unnoticed. Inclusion Statement Challenge staff members to author a residence hall inclusion statement. The statement has the potential to describe the way in which inclusivity will be fostered by staff, by residents, by programs, and by floor dynamics. It also allows students to directly address the negative repercussions of hegemonic masculinity by openly opposing its systemic boundaries. Conclusion Unearthing the subversive messages of hegemonic masculinity is an intense and weighty endeavor. Working with students through these complicated and power-laden topics is challenging. However, crafting opportunities for students to grow into mature, socially responsibly, and socially just citizens provides a reward that is far-reaching. Perhaps by beginning to train students on these timely topics, we can author a new hegemonic discourse centered on socially just principles instead of complacency.
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Rebranding Your By: Amy LoSacco, Residence Director, Rider University
The following year, it was decided that Poyda would gain two brand-new learning communities. First, the Psychology Learning Community was housed in Poyda. This greatly increased academic involvement within the residence hall. Faculty members teamed up with RAs to put on lectures in the lounges, mentoring hours were offered daily in the building, and tutoring sessions were held twice a week. Second, Poyda Hall became a First Year Experience building. With this new implementation,
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When focusing on getting ready for the start of a new year, consider rebranding your Residence Hall. Poyda Hall, the building that I oversee, has never been the most popular choice among residence halls on Rider University’s Lawrenceville campus. I can explain why by describing the campus map. On one side of Rider’s campus are the dining hall, the student recreation center, and most of the residence halls. In the middle of the campus are all of the administrative buildings, the library, and the academic buildings. The other side of the campus (far, far away in the students’ eyes) contains fraternity and sorority houses, a beautiful apartment building, and a lackluster Poyda Hall. Poyda is just “too far away from the dining hall and the rest of the world,” to quote some of our students. Shortly after I was hired as a full-time Residence Director at Rider, I knew that I had to change the culture of my building. Fortunately, the administration already had the same idea.
Step 1: I ncorporating Learning Communities Before I came to Rider, Poyda had been a building that housed freshmen through seniors and did not have any particular learning communities. When I first arrived on staff, it was decided that the existing freshman Community Service Learning Community would be moved into Poyda. This learning community brought a new life to the building by offering many different community service pportunities/activities for the residents.
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Poyda became an all first-year residence hall. This building went from being a residence hall that housed students of all four years to an all first-year building with three different learning communities in just two short years. If you cannot easily incorporate a new learning community into your building, then try incorporating other initiatives to achieve the same result. For instance, invite faculty members to the residence hall, increase meaningful programs/events for the residents, and integrate academic support within your building. Once we had the groundwork laid out for our learning communities in Poyda, I decided that we needed to ignite a brand for the building.
Step 2: Igniting a Brand With the departmental changes that were going on with Poyda gaining and expanding on three different learning communities, I knew that I had to make this building even more special. I tasked my staff to come up with an acronym meaning for “P.O.Y.D.A.,” decide on building colors, and pick a mascot. While the acronym seemed difficult to imagine at first, once we focused on the idea of inclusiveness, the words seemed to roll right off our tongues. Together as a staff we came up with, “Promoting: Openness, Your Differences, & Acceptance.” Our colors quickly became purple and green and we were the Poyda Panthers. We also came up with a logo for our building (a paw print, of course) that was very important to igniting the brand. If your residence hall is lacking pride, I strongly suggest coming up with a brand for your building. This gives something for your staff and students to invest in and be proud of. Once the learning communities and brand were created in Poyda, it was time to fully take charge in changing the culture of this seemingly unwanted building.
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Step 3: Changing the Culture
board with our acronym on it that stayed up all year long (with the help of some craft cellophane).
One thing I learned as a Residence Director is that if you want your students to buy-in to something, you must first get your staff members on-board. Having each member of the team work together to come up with a brand for Poyda made them feel invested in the building and dedicated to the brand. Our first step in changing the culture of the building was to ensure that all of the residents knew that they were a Poyda Panther.
In order to show our building pride outside of Poyda, we decided to design t-shirts for the building. I tasked my residence hall association with designing a t-shirt and collecting money from the building. By the end of the year, we had a sea of students wearing purple and green t-shirts to show their building pride across campus. We even created magnets with our logo on them to give away to students during each of the programs.
We began our mission on move-in day. The night before move-in my RAs decorated the lounge with purple and green streamers, balloons, and hung up fun signs. These made our students feel welcome and special. We also created a welcome packet that was placed in each room for move-in day.
It was truly amazing to see what a difference our efforts made. Making the building into an all first-year residence hall brought a new energy to the building. The learning communities brought the feeling of a higher purpose to the building, and the brand, which every student quickly picked up on and embraced, helped to boost building morale The aftermath was unlike what we had even imagined. The students started speaking highly of living in Poyda and, surprisingly, the number of incidents had actually gone down from previous years. If your residence hall is struggling with building pride then I highly suggest incorporating learning communities, igniting a brand, and/or changing the culture.
The welcome packets had the students’ mailbox combinations, instructions on how to put in a work order, FAQs and, most importantly, what it meant to be a Poyda Panther. From that point on, we addressed building-wide emails “Dear Poyda Panthers,� put our logo on every flier that was hung up, started a Poyda Instagram Page for programming announcements, and one of my RAs created a huge bulletin
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SUMMER MEETING PHOTOS
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Personal & Professional Development Committee Sub-Committees In reviewing the MACUHO calendar year, the PPD Co-Chairs have established the following sub-committees in the hope of providing on-going development opportunities for the membership. Each committee with be responsible for their specific tasks, working with one or both PPD Co-Chairs. Additionally, the structuring of these committees allows for there to be flexibility in the commitment that individual members can make to the committee and overall membership based on their professional and personal commitments. Webinars (2-4 members, preparation: year-round; execution: each quarter) This sub-committee focuses on providing year-round professional development opportunities to the membership through a webinars that highlights current trends in the field, preparation for membership opportunities (such as prepping for MAPC or on presenting a program for examples). Magazine (2-4 members, preparation: year-round; execution: each quarter) This committee generates ideas on subject matter to submit to the MACUHO Magazine. Additionally, sub-committee members submits, or works with other MACUHO members to submit, articles about their experiences in the field, the organization, or about their personal experiences. Case Study Competition (2-3 members, preparation: April – October ; execution: November) This committee supports the Annual Case Study Competition from creation to execution, including: creating, or recruits writers to create, the Annual Case Study; recruiting judges; participants, and a competition host; planning and facilitating the case study orientation. Annual Conference Common Ground Room (1-3 members, preparation (June – October; execution: November) This committee plans and implements finalized ideas for the Common Ground Room in conjunction with the Diversity Committee. Fun Run-Walk-&-Roll (2-4 members, preparation: February – October; execution: November) This committee organizes, markets, and executes the Fun Run-Walk-& -Roll at the Annual Conferences, or another designated activity depending on conference location. Personal Development (2-4 members, preparation: year-round; execution year-round) This committee generates ideas for personal development activities and periodically works in coordination with other committees (especially regional coordinators) to plan and execute opportunities. Join PPD today! Email uter@cua.edu or otteyc@moravian.edu for more details.
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he Women in Housing network currently reaches over 1,000 followers on Twitter and Facebook, and is looking for more! The Women in Housing professional networking group is dedicated to the education of the ACUHO-I group on issues and needs of women staff as it relates to on campus student housing. Women who work in housing systems on college and university campuses are met with specific issues and challenges, and this network dedicates itself to highlighting these issues and educating the general population. On a daily basis, one will find inspirational messages and quotes, motivational posts, networking questions, blog articles, advice, job postings, and much more on several social media platforms directed at the thousands of women who are involved in the network. The members of the Women in Housing network are a committed group of members who strive to lift other women up in their daily professional lives.
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The network is also committed to the education on issues pertaining to women within housing systems and is currently working to develop knowledge-based opportunities for women to share their expertise on certain hot topics in college and university housing systems. The Women in Housing network also provides wide opportunities for members to connect and expand their professional network within ACUHO-I. Currently the network is planning several networking opportunities at the Annual Conference and Exposition, held in Washington DC this coming June. The network is looking forward to providing an opportunity for ACUHO-I members too meet, connect, and develop their knowledge on current issues for women in housing. Interested in learning more? Connect with the Women in Housing network through Twitter at @wihsng and #wihsng and on Facebook by searching the Women in Housing group. Ideas for future networking and educational opportunities are also being solicited and can be submitted via Twitter, Facebook, or email at sbann@ksu.edu. Finally, new members can join the Women in Housing network via the ACUHO-I Network at http://network.acuho-i.org/.
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Teaching and Training Tips: Surprise Lessons From the Gym By: Jacqueline Hodes and Lisa Ruchti As long time university employees and good friends, we signed up to join a gym close to campus with fitness and stress relief in mind. Little did we know that our “respite” would turn into a workshop on education and training techniques! We took our first class, Body Combat, a martial arts group fitness class. As we stumbled through it together, it was immediately clear we were hooked. We enjoyed the routine of working our bodies and resting our brains. Even though this activity was supposed to get our minds off work, we analyzed the instructors, the instruction and our experience as students after each class in spite of ourselves. That is when we realized we weren’t resting at all. We were in fact being schooled about teaching by our fitness instructor--a dynamic, energetic, thoughtful teacher. She was our fitness inspiration! We learned several important lessons from observing our instructor each week from a student perspective. We then practiced these lessons in our classes this past year. We also used these lessons in various training sessions we facilitated for students, faculty, and staff on campus. As you take time this summer to develop your residence life training for student paraprofessionals, we encourage you to reflect on the following lessons. The material is new and can be intimidating. New situations can be intimidating, especially when you don’t know what you are doing. When the instructor asked us who was new in class, we were both relieved. We relaxed knowing that because we were new, we need not be perfect. We were acknowledged as students, not experts.
Using names is important Our instructor asked us our names. She didn’t need to; there was no attendance sheet. But it felt great to be known and to make the relationship. We felt as if our presence mattered. The individual attention and encouragement made a difference to us and it does to students too!
the power of metaphors and imagery in teaching and training. We were encouraged to “Make a bigger box”, “dig deeper”, and “envision our opponent”. We heard these over and over in different ways and were reminded about the importance of repetition in teaching and training.
Find the passion Cue the next concept Cueing became very important as we embarked on the exercise classes. The classes were high paced and the instructor told the students the “move” a few seconds prior to having to make the move…all while doing the “move” herself. It is clear to us how important using cues is when teaching paraprofessional students new concepts.
Encourage effective ways to learn Some of the tips we give to students in training, hold true in exercise class as well. a) Position yourself in the “T” (the front and the middle) to be the most engaged. b) Ask questions when you don’t understand. Someone else probably has the same question. c) See the instructor after class.
Use imagery, metaphors & illustrations We remembered while we took these classes about
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We were impressed with the high energy and passion our instructor exhibited. Without her excitement, the class would have been less than effective. We watched the class, ourselves included, react to the passion and excitement of the instructor by working harder, by digging deep, and pushing to the limit. To facilitate growth and development an instructor needs to challenge and support students. This concept was reinforced in each class. It is evidenced by our more refined muscles and our increased endurance.
Find the fun The work was hard and at times even felt impossible, but it was fun. Our instructor helped us to learn and to delight in the process of learning. Remember that in the midst of imparting important lessons about fire safety, roommate conflicts, mental health issues, etc. it is essential to create fun opportunities for paraprofessional students.
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Our time at the gym has given us a renewed understanding of how to engage our students both in the classroom and in the co-curricular venue. We understand learning can take place in the most unpredictable places. Who would have thought that our “respite” would become our learning lab?
university students for ten years. Dr. Jacqueline Hodes is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education and specializes in higher education counseling/student affairs. She worked as a student affairs administrator for 26 years. She has taught as an adjunct professor since 1992. In 2012, she transitioned to a full-time, tenure-track faculty position.
Dr. Lisa Ruchti is an Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and Sociology. She has been teaching
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A Cry for Two-Ply A Hall Council’s Journey to Improve Toilet Paper Quality
Thomas Jay Benjamin, former Residence Director, Russell Hall, Westminster College
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ike many hall councils, the Russell Hall Council has a two-fold mission: to provide Russell Hall with fun and exciting all-building social programming and to advocate for the needs of the Russell Hall community. With this year’s group, I challenged the members of the hall council to identify something that they would like to change that would improve the experience in the residence hall and work towards advocating for that change. Almost immediately, they discussed the quality of the toilet paper and declared the current one-ply paper as insufficient for their daily needs. Together, we discussed a path forward that included formulating specific reasons to improve the quality of toilet paper, working with the Student Government Association Student Concerns Chair, and speaking with key college administrators.
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Taking the case to the campus During their discussion with the SGA Student Concerns Chair, my hall council was asked to develop a petition for better toilet paper and gather signatures from the student body. Launching their efforts at a campus-wide video game event, they began to gather support from floormates, classmates, and friends, which required them to concisely explain their cause and path to achieving it. As the petition made its way around the student body, The Holcad, Westminster College’s student newspaper, took note. An article about the effort made the front page of the February 28th edition of the newspaper. In just over one month, they gathered over 650 signatures, nearly half of the campus population, an impressive effort for ten first-year students. The hall council decided to write a cover letter for the submission of their petition to the administration outlining their reasoning for better toilet paper for the campus. In a brainstorming session during one weekly meeting, members divided up topics including sanitation, waste, health concerns, and comfort in order to research and add to the cover letter. Many followed through, strengthening their case and providing an educational challenge. Working with the administration Following spring break a group of hall council members met with the Vice-President for Finance and Management Services and administrators from Physical Plant to discuss their petition alongside the SGA Student Concerns chair. While it was a successful meeting in that they were able to share the petition and discuss their concerns about one-ply toilet paper and the need to improve, there were concerns about cost. First, two-ply toilet paper is more expensive, and second, the campus might use the same length of toilet paper. To clear up concerns around the increased cost, the hall council devised a plan to determine the actual usage difference between one- and two-ply toilet paper. Student Government would provide funding for a test run of two-ply toilet paper to take place in Russell Hall.
board inner roll and the edge of the paper (eliminating the need to unravel any rolls). Though the experiment suffered a disappointing setback (one stairwell was vandalized with toilet paper during the two-ply run), the experiment did provide promising results. Usage was only slightly higher for the two-ply run compared with the one-ply run. The hall council formulated the argument that after considering the setback and the fact that it was a blind study (other residents did not know when the switch to two-ply would happen, and presumably used extra paper the first day of the run) that they believed was convincing.
Wrapping it up During finals week, I arranged a short, 30-minute meeting for my council to present their findings to administrators. I invited anyone who had been involved with prior meetings or that had expressed interest, which included the Vice-President for Student Affairs, the Vice-President for Finance and Management Services, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs (and SGA advisor), the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and the Director of Residence Life, the Director of Physical Plant and the Custodial Supervisor, and the SGA Student Concerns Chair. I was surprised when I received RSVPs from all invitees, and the council members seemed a little intimidated to present to such an audience. The presentation went very well, and members answered questions about the experiment and when asked about their recommendation, confidently responded that the college should move to using two-ply. Days later, the hall council president, the RA liaison, and I were asked to meet with the Vice-President for Student Affairs. He shared that at the President’s cabinet our toilet paper presentation was discussed, and it was decided that the college would switch to two-ply toilet paper beginning in the fall. While it certainly was a successful end to a yearlong effort, it also signified a powerful learning experience for my council: with effort and determination, a small group can make a big difference.
Designing an experimental study With little over a month remaining in the academic year, members set out to design the experimental study. First, full rolls of one-ply toilet paper would be installed early Monday morning one week in each of Russell’s thirteen stalls. Working with Russell’s custodian, any rolls that were fully used and needed to be replaced during the week would be recorded, and exactly one week later the rolls would be removed for measurement and then replaced. Next, this method would be repeated for the run of two-ply toilet paper. Using geometry, we derived a formula to determine the length of paper remaining on the roll from the distance between the card-
Russell Hall Council at the oldest college Relay for Life in Pennsylvania, from right to left: Rep. Eric Mills, President Cory Mills, RA Liaison Ryan Dowdell, Rep Coty Gander, RD/ Advisor Thomas Jay Benjamin  Members of Russell Hall Council pose for the front page of Westminster College’s student newspaper. Photo courtesy of The Holcad. Deriving the formula for determining the length of toilet paper remaining on a roll.
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It’s the little things that count…
One Turtle at a Time. Joshua Reda Residence Hall Director Seton Hall University In terms of staff development, the above mentioned phrase remains the cornerstone of staff development for me. At the start of each academic year, there is always the struggle to decide how to initially make a staff a team. Some things will come develop naturally as the chemistry is balanced and new relationships formed, but what can we do as coworkers or staff supervisors? When our groups get together there is usually a theme for training or something to bond over. One of the easiest things is to create a connection that comes from something they make together. Giving them that chance to start the year with what they create with brings them closer and can aid in providing an underlying bond throughout the academic semesters. For example, during a recent resident assistant training, the resident assistants were asked to create a mascot. This mascot became a turtle and that theme remained at the front of various activities that were done. It instilled a sense of pride for the student staff. On one occasion, they decorated their own turtle drawings to symbolize who they are as students and people on staff. Each person was asked to share it with one another and a “turtle tank”
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was made in the window of the office to showcase who they are. The semester closed out by giving them little books entitled “Lessons of a Turtle” as an end of the year gift. There was a beginning, middle, and end for staff development that kept the turtle energy alive. It could be applied to their duties and responsibilities as well as who they were as college students. Staff development should address who they are beyond the residence hall or office. That is how we get to know one another’s strengths and weaknesses. Eventually, it shines light to who we all are on this one small staff. Having a theme for the staff helped, but there were moments of inactivity, too. You have to be invested in it, and also, ultimately, enjoy what you do. Otherwise, without your investment, the enthusiasm falters off. It is your chance to have fun too, so make the most of it without forgetting the main purpose is the staff or team. One thing that has helped keep me motivated was seeking outside help. Often, a supervisor or coworker may have an outside perspective that can be beneficial to the group. Heed their advice! It is worth a try, and do not be
afraid to tweak it to fit your team. The idea of the “turtle tank” would have never come to fruition without my supervisor’s feedback! The field speaks a lot on collaboration so do not forget to communicate with other people who may have a fresh perspective. Ultimately, it is what you make of it and the dedication you show will impact those around you. When it comes down to it, it truly is the little things that count. Perhaps even more important is the idea that one needs to start out determined and motivated. These reminders are purely from past experiences, and there are more to try. I consider myself a slight introvert so the small things are an easier way to express my support of the student staff. It gets the message across and also gives them the opportunity to create the bonds they would like too. Find what fits you and go with it. It is ok to be zany and goofy at times (some seriousness works as well). Whether it’s a mascot or a rock star anthem, it comes down to the willingness of all to build staff development. It will not be easy, and there may be some obstacles. However, the end result will be completely worth it. Good luck! You got this—from one turtle to another!
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1 on 1 Environment Joe Mercadante Complex Residence Director Drew University in Madison, NJ
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s a new professional who is only a year out of my student affairs graduate program, I am still learning so many new things and have been experimenting with my practice in order to benefit my students the most. Particularly in Residence Life, where I have easy and constant access to my students, I am always thinking about the best ways to foster their development (both personal and professional) and provide the best opportunity for them to learn and grow, as well as identifying better ways for me to support them.
Now, after I transitioned into my full time position as a Residence Director, I have my one-on-ones in the dining hall during lunch with my RAs. I do this because unfortunately, I do not have my own office, and it allows me to integrate with the community more. Although this environment provides for a more casual setting and conversation, I have realized there is less privacy and a less professional atmosphere. I found it easier to get to know my RAs better in this environment, but I noticed they are less likely to open up about personal issues.
One part of my practice that I have been trying to better recently has been my one-on-one style. I have noticed throughout my years in one-on-ones that environment plays a big part in the outcome of the one-on-one. To me, the best environment to have one on ones with my RAs is one that provides a space to be open and comfortable while also being secluded at the same time. I have tried a few different locations and have seen dramatic differences in the conversations, but I am still unsure of the ideal place.
I spoke to colleagues about how they feel about one-onone environments, and I have found others notice students have had trouble accepting constructive criticism while in the dining hall because they take it less seriously. Additionally, other supervisors have noticed a difference between having a one-on-one in their office versus their apartment living room.
During my time in graduate school, I would have one-onones in my office. This space would be great for private conversations and allow the students to feel comfortable opening up about personal issues without anyone else hearing. However, at times I felt it was too stiff and “business like.� It sounds small, but having a desk in between me and my RA made our one on one feel more like an interview than a conversation. Even though I had great relationships with my RAs, and we were able to have some deep conversations, I still felt conversation was limited because of these barriers and our surroundings.
I am not sure what the ideal location for a one on one is. Some options given by friends in the field would be to have a comfy couch in your office where you and your RA could chat, but this only works if you actually have your own office. Another option would be to find a place on campus that is semi-private but comfortable at the same time where you can relax and have an open conversation but also be taken seriously when giving constructive feedback. Another struggle is finding what places work best for your style and the personality of the student. You want to make sure the environment allows you to be comfortable having both serious and light conversations but also makes the student feel comfortable. As a supervisor, this is an ongoing process that I hope to continually improve at and would love to hear what others have to say about this topic.
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