TRENDS: Spring 2024

Spring 2024

ABOUTTRENDS

TRENDS is published twice times a year by Great Lakes Association of College and University Housing Officers (GLACUHO) for members of the association.

GLACUHO is a non-profit organization that strives to:

Better prepare housing officers to meet the diverse and changing needs of those we serve with primary concern for students.

Sponsor activities and services which assist housing officers in the exchange and distribution of information and ideas

Advance and communicate professional knowledge and standards in the field of housing

Contribute to the improvement of dining services, residential life, residential services, and residential facilities provided by housing officers.

Support the goals and purposes of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International (ACUHO-I)

Provide opportunities for the education and professional development of housing officers

GLACUHOCommunications&MarketingCommittee

AmandaMientus

MiamiUniversity

DexterEarney

GrandValleyStateUniversity

KyraDeLoach

SouthwesternMichiganCollege

AnnabelLeonova

WayneStateUniversity

KelleeSteffen

IndianaUniversity

DavidBinkley

NorthernIllinoisUniversity

MariahSlaughter

MiamiUniversity

StephanieDanaEly

IndianaUniversityBloomington

HaileyKowalski

IndianaUniversity-Bloomington

NicoleVonDrasek

DePaulUniversity

DrennanSorrell

IndianaInstituteofTechnology

AmarahByakweli

MiamiUniversity

GLACUHOBoardofDirectors&CommitteeChairs

President

JeremyAlexander

EasternIllinoisUniversity PastPresident

JoshLawrie,Ph.D.

BowlingGreenStateUniversity

President-Elect

VickaBell-Robinson,Ph.D.

IndianaUniversityBloomington

Secretary

AmyBrown

UniversityofCincinnati

Treasurer

SarahMeaney

MiamiUniversity

ExhibitorLiaison

LaurenSewell

PurdueUniversityFortWayne

TechnologyCoordinator

GretaDieter

WesternIllinoisUniversity CommitteeChairDelegate

ZacBirch,Ed.D.

UniversityofIllinoisChicago

ConferenceHostChair

LoveyMarshall

UniversityofIllinois-Chicago

HealthandWellnessChair

NickSchiller

UniversityofIllinois-Chicago

StudentLearning

BradfordPeace

BallStateUniversity

Inclusion&EquityChair

RobertKing

OaklandUniversity

ProfessionalFoundationsChairs

AmyFitzjarrald

UniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign

CampusSafety&CrisisManagementChair

CarolineMurray

MichiganStateUniversity

ConferenceHostAssistantChair

RodWaters

DePaulUniversity

Facilities&OperationsChair

SamanthaKaetzel

UniversityofCincinnati

Communications&MarketingChair

BrandonPerjak

SouthernIllinoisUniversityEdwardsville

ContemporaryIssuesChair

AlisonSinadinos

IndianaUniversity

sTATE dELEGATES

IllinoisDelegate

DaveArnold

UniversityofIllinois

Indiana Delegate

Maegen Wallaker

Indiana UniversityBloomington

Editorial Guidelines

Michigan Delegate

Alexis Straub

Michigan Technological University

OhioDelegate

MellieDerry

WittenbergUniversity

All members of GLACUHO institutions are encouraged to submit articles for publication. Be sure to indicate the name of author(s), institutions(s), email address(es), and GLACUHO committee or board affiliation, if applicable. Articles not received on time or not published will be considered for the next issue. Submitted content may also be published at any time based on editorial needs and focus of edition.

Necessary editorial revisions will be made to ensure publication quality and to meet space requirements. Authors must submit work with GLACUHO to make necessary edits for publication to TRENDS and to maintain consistency across the publication. Submitted content ma\y or may not be published at the discretion of GLACUHO.

Material that has been submitted to other publications is discouraged. Authors bear full responsibility of the accuracy of references, quotations, tables, and figures submitted for publication.

Authors further hold GLACUHO harmless from any liability resulting from publication of articles. Any editorial mention of commercial interests is intended entirely as an information service and should not be construed as an endorsement, actual or implied, by GLACUHO.

Submission should be made at www.glacuho.org/?Trends_Submissions

Comments and questions for TRENDS can be sent to trends@GLACUHO.org

Brandon Perjak - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville brandon.perjak@glacuho.org

GLACUHO Communications and Marketing Chair

Advertisements

For information, please contact the GLACUHO Communications and Marketing Chair. GLACUHO reserves the right to reject any advertisement not in consonance with the GLACUHO Diversity Statement (revised 2018). Advertising of a product or service in this publication should not be construed as an endorsement.

KNOW

GLACUHO GLACUHO GLACUHOcommittees GET TO

Facilities&Operations

Reviews facility trends and sustainability options for housing operations.

ContemporaryIssues

TOPIC: Adapting to the Evolving Needs and Wants of our Professionals to Create a Sustainable Future

StudentLearning

Inclusion&Equity

Provides resources and opportunities on various multicultural and diversity-related topics.

Researches trends and provides resources and best practices in the area of student learning.

Health&Wellness

Creates resources for students and staff members in the area of Health and Wellness.

Communcations&Marketing

Creates our GLACUHO publications and is responsible for the marketing and social media of the association.

ProfessionalsFoundations

To provide resources and opportunities for the education and professional development of Residence Life professionals in the foundational skills of the housing profession

CampusSafety&CrisisMgmt.

Researches trends and provides resources and best practices in the area of campus safety and crisis response.

ConferenceHost

The annual conference planning and coordination will be performed by this committee, taking the place of host institutions under our old structure.

INTRODUCTION TO THE EDITORS

Dear GLACUHO,

GreetingsfromtheeditingteamofTRENDS!Wehopethis letterfindsyouwell(forreal)andbrimmingwithenthusiasm fortheexcitingworldofhousingandresidencelife.

Astheeditorsofthisdynamicpublication,we'renotyour averagegroupofacademicshidingbehindstacksofpapers anddust-coveredtextbooks.We'reabunchoffun-loving, quirkyindividualswhobelieveininfusinghumor,honesty, andapproachabilityintoeverythingwedo.

Now,youmightbewondering,"What'ssofunnyabout housingandresidencelife?"Well,dearreader,letusassure youthatbehindeveryfiredrill,midnightpizzaparty,and impromptukaraokesessioninthecommunallounge,there liesatreasuretroveofhilariousanecdotesjustwaitingtobe shared.

Butit'snotallaboutthelaughs.Wealsobelieveinkeepingitreal. Collegelifeisn'talwayssunshineandrainbows,andwe'renothereto sugarcoattheexperience.Whetherit'stacklingthechallengesof roommateconflictsornavigatingthemurkywatersofcommunal bathrooms,we 'reheretoprovidehonestinsightsandpractical advicethatyouwon'tfindinyourtypicalglossybrochure.

Dexter,Nicoleand StephanieatWinter Meeting.NotPictured: Annabel

Andfinally,approachabilityisourmiddlename(well,notliterally,but yougettheidea).WewantTRENDStofeellikeawarm,welcoming hugfromyourfavoriteauntwhoalwaysknowsjustwhattosay.So whetheryou'reaseasonedhousingprofessionalorawide-eyed graduatestudentembarkingonyourfirstyearofRAdrama,know thatourdoors(andpages)arealwaysopentoyou.

Sothereyouhaveit,folks.Funny,honest,andapproachable–that's ourmotto,andwe'restickingtoit.Wehopeyou'lljoinusonthiswild andwackyjourneythroughthewonderfulworldofGLACUHO.

Yoursinlaughterandcamaraderie!

YourGLACUHOTRENDSEditors

Written by: ChatGPT

Edited by: Stephanie Dana Ely, Nicole Von Drasek, Annabel Leonova, Dexter Earney

Professional Development Institute Review 2024

ElijahZagorski|SouthernIllinoisUniversityEdwardsville

AmandaTumbarello|AugustanaCollege

ElyseHolguin|DominicanUniversity

ProfessionalDevelopmentInstitute(PDI)wasestablishedin2009to provideprofessionaldevelopmentwithintheregion.Overtheyears,it hasexpandedfromtwo-to-threedays,andover175professionals haveparticipatedintheinstitute.PDIisgenerouslysponsoredby SouthwestContract Theinstituteisgearedtowardsprofessionalswith atleastoneyearoffull-timeexperiencewhotypicallysupervise paraprofessionalstaffmembersand/orgraduatestaffmembers.PDIis recommendedforprofessionalswhoarelookingtodeveloptheskills necessarytopersistinstudentaffairs,exploretheirpotentialniches,or whoarelookingtomoveintoapositionofmoreresponsibilitywithin housingand/orstudentaffairs.PDIallowsparticipantstohaveinformal interactionsinsmallgroups,alongwithfacultyleadsessions.

PicturedaboveisthePDI2024cohortattheirgraduationonFebruary4,2024along withthefacultyandthetwoOn-SiteCoordinators

TheweekendbeganwitheveryonearrivingfortheProfessionalDevelopmentInstituteon Friday, February 2, 2024. Participants met up at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana.Roughly22participantsfrom16institutionsthroughoutOhio,Illinois,Indiana,and Michigan attended and broke into cohorts with one of the five faculty. The first presentation was given by Chris Smith on Motivation and Morale: Staying Focused in Student Affairs. The second presentation was given by Eric Musselman on Facilities Management101:AnOverviewforStudentHousingProfessionals.Fridayconcludedwitha socialfortheparticipantsandfaculty.SaturdaykickedoffwithbreakfastintheSycamore Dining hall. Mike Perry presented on The Intersections of Budgeting, Assessment, and Personnel Management. After lunch, Jocelyn Maul presented Occupancy, Software, and Making Puzzles Work. Jullian was the last faculty presentation on Sunday, February 4, presentingonherownjourneyinstudentaffairstitled“NotallWhoWanderAreLost:Your StudentAffairsJourney.”

After PDI 2024, participants and faculty had some thoughts from the institute to share abouttheirexperiences.

What made you apply for PDI?

RachelBailey, AreaCoordinatorforLivingLearning Communities,BaldwinWallaceUniversity

“Mysupervisorencouragedmetoapply!She participatedinPDIearlyoninhercareer,and sharedtheimpactthatithadonherpersonally andprofessionally.Shemetalotofpeoplethat shestillhasconnectionswithtothisday,andI wantedthatsamekindofexperienceformyself.”

JillianPhillips, AssociateDirectorofResidenceLife,Ohio University

JillianservedasoneofPDI’sfivefacultymembers andsharedthatshehasalwaysenjoyedgettingto know/supervise/mentoryoungprofessionals.

“Asafirstgengraduateandstudentaffairs professional,Ihavebenefitedgreatlyfromfolks takingmeundertheirwingandgivingmesome much-neededadviceanddirection.Iwantedto givebacktothefieldandhelpothersmaketheir pathalittlemoreclear.”

ElijahZagorski, CommunityDirector,SouthernIllinoisUniversity Edwardsville

“Assomeonewhograduatedfromtheirmasters program(both)4yearsagoandintotheheightof apandemicin2020,IrealizedIwasitchingtoget readyformynextmove.IfeltlikePDIcateredtome asanentry-levelprofessionalwhilestillelevating measIamwithouttheneedto“moveon/up.”

What were some of the biggest takeaways from PDI?

RachelBailey, AreaCoordinatorforLivingLearningCommunitiesatBaldwinWallaceUniversity

“Itwassointerestingtolearnfromthefacultyandtheirsessions,butIloved connectingwithotherparticipants.Weallsharesimilarexperiencesinthefieldand just"getit."ItwassorefreshingtoconnectwithothersinsimilarpositionsasIam, butfromacrosstheregion.”

CatieWitt-Danner, AssistantDirectorofLivingLearningCommunities andLeadershipDevelopmentatEasternIllinois University

Catiestatedthatherbiggesttakeawayswere networkingandlearningalotaboutareasin Housingthatshetypicallydoesnotworkwith, includingassignments,facilities,andbudgets.

ElijahZagorski, CommunityDirector,SouthernIllinoisUniversityEdwardsville

“HonestlyitmadememorereassuredthatIalreadyhadsomeknowledgeonmost ofthethingsthefacultyhadtopresenton.”Xecontinued,”I'dbeenlisteningto differentpeopleandhangingoutindifferentoffices,exploringshareddrives,and askingtheBiggerPictureQuestionsconcerningbudgets,purchasing,10-yearplans, managementstrategies,etc.,asanundergraduateandfoundmentorsearlyon wholovedtosharetheirknowledgewithme.Sincethattime,alotofthementorsI hadearlyonhaveleftthefield,andIfeelabitalone,butPDIremindedmeitisn't all-or-nothinginhighereducation,andit'sokaytotakethat10-month appointmentjobbecausehavinga2-monthvacationeveryyearisn'tabadidea foreveryoneandalthoughIfindithardtoconsiderthatlifestyle,IrealizedIcould doitifIwantedto.I'mprettyhappyinmycurrentroleandPDIhelpedrecenterme inthat,whilealsohelpingmetoassessifmyminimumistrulybeing"met"ornot.”

Itwasnotonlyparticipantswhofeltthattheywereabletotakeawaylessonsfrom theProfessionalDevelopmentInstitute.

JillianPhillips, AssociateDirectorofResidenceLifeatOhioUniversityandoneof theInstitute’sfacultymembers,notedthatsheleftPDIfeelingthefollowing,“The kidsarealright!Wehearsomuchaboutpeopleleavingthefield.Thisexperience provedtomethatthefutureofthefieldisbrightandstillfullofenergy.”

What would you tell someone wh th fence of whether or not to apply why they should?

KarenGunalan, ResidenceLifeCoordinatoratUniversityof Toledo

Karensuggestedapplyingto“openyour horizonstowhatHousingandresidencelife reallyisandmaybeawaytofindyour‘why’ back”.Karenalsonotedthat,“theconnections yougetareamazing”.

BrookeMcDaniel, ComplexDirectoratWesternIllinoisUniversity

BrookeechoedKaren’sideaofforming connections.Brookestatedthat“youwilltalkto somanydifferentstafffromotherschoolsthat youwillgettoknowmanydifferentindividuals fromdifferentuniversities.Inadditiontothe smallgroupcommunityofeveryoneinthe room,everyoneistheirtolearnandgrow!So whynot!”

ElijahZagorski, CommunityDirectoratSouthernIllinoisUniversityEdwardsville

Elijah’sadviceforfutureapplicantsisthat,“Ifyouareanydegreeofunsureofwhy youappliedforyourcurrentjob,fellinlovewithhighereducation,orHousingasa profession,thisislikeaweekendretreatwithanewgradschoolcohortwithacluster ofexperiencedandopenfaculty-mentors.”

Ifthe2024PDIcohorthasn’tconvincedyoutoapplyforPDIasaparticipantyet,take itfromoneofthefacultymemberstoo!

PDIfaculty,JillianPhillips,AssociateDirectorofResidenceLifeatOhioUniversity suggestedtofutureapplicantsthat“Thisisagreatopportunitytomakeconnections withpeersandchallengeyourknowledge,comfortzone,andopinions”. Jillianalso reflectedandsaidthatparticipantswill“leavewithnewideasaboutwhereyour studentaffairspathwilllead." Jillian’sadvicedidn’tstopthere. Shealsohadadvice forfolkswhomightconsiderapplyingforthefacultyrole.“Everyonehasinsightand advicetooffer”. PDIiscurrentlybeinghostedasabiennialexperience hostedbyGLAUCHO’sProfessionalFoundationsCommittee. ThenextPDIexperiencewillbeinFebruary2026. Nextyear, theProfessionalFoundationsCommitteewillhostMLI2025.

The Rise in Private Space Accommodations in Campus Housing

FacilitiesandOperationsCommittee

AshleyAndrews|KentStateUniversity

JenniferArgumedo|IndianaUniversityBloomington

JaydenBauer|UniversityofIllinoisChicago

Youaren’timaginingit;anincreasingnumberofUniversityHousingresidentsarerequesting private/singleresidences.Moreover,thisdemandisdirectlytiedtoanincreaseinAmericans withDisabilitiesAct(ADA)relatedaccommodations.Particularlyfollowingquarantineand theCOVID-19pandemic,therehasbeenanoticeableuptickinrequestsforsinglesorprivate spaces Oftenthenarrativearoundtheserequestsisoneofconflictavoidance “Kidsthese daysjustdon’twanttotalktopeople.”However,itisvitaltorecognizethattheseADA accommodationsareinplacetoensurethatallstudents,regardlessofdisability,areentitled tothesameeducationalopportunities.Thisarticleseekstoutilizeacasestudytoobserve theincreasingdemandforsinglesanddiscussthecommunityimpactsandimplicationsof lesscommunalresidentialhousing.

Lookingatoneinstitution’sdata,itiscleartherehasbeenasignificantincreaseinthe requestsforsingleorprivateaccommodationsaswehavetransitionedintoapost-COVID-19 world.KentStateUniversity,establishedin1910,housesover6000students,across24 residencehalls.Theseresidencehallsarebrokendownintosixdifferentcommunities,each withdifferentroomtypesandbathroomstyles.Oncampustherearefourresidencehalls thatarespecificallycomposedofsingleorprivatebedrooms:LeebrickHall(builtin1968, housesapproximately325students,co-edfloors),BeallandMcDowellHalls(builtin1966, housesapp.495students,intwo-bedroomssuiteswithsharedbathrooms,co-edfloors), andCentennialCourtC(builtin2002,housesapp 206studentsintwobedroomsuiteswith privatebathrooms) Whilenotalltheroomsineachofthesecommunitiesareused exclusivelyforthosewithaccommodations,theydomakeupasignificantnumberofrooms thatstudentswithaccommodationsforsingleorprivatebedroomsarehoused.

HousingaccommodationsatKentStateUniversityareapprovedthroughtheOfficeof StudentAccessibilityServices(SAS).SASmeetswitheachstudentindividuallythat submitsarequestforanaccommodation,anddetermines,basedontheinformation andsupportingdocumentation,whataccommodationsarebestsuitedtoaidinthe student’ssuccessduringeachacademicyear Accommodationsmustberenewedeach academicyear,andmayencompassneedsin“physicalstructures,classroomand learningenvironments,andsocialandinterpersonalactivities,”(KentStateUniversity, 2024).suchasthoseinandoutsideoftheclassroom,inourresidentialspaces.For housingaccommodations,therequestsrangefromsingle(asinglepersonroom)or deluxesinglerooms(asinglepersonroomthatislargerthanastandardsingle),shared orprivatebathroomswithinaroom,assistanceanimals(alsocommonlyknownas emotionalsupportanimals),needforanautomaticdooropenertoenter/exitabuilding doororresidencehallroomdoor,aswellasmanyothers.

LookingbackfromAcademicYear(AY)2017-2018throughourcurrentyearofAY20232024,thenumberofapprovedaccommodationsincreasedfromlessthan1%to5.3%of totalstudentslivingoncampus(Figure1).

Figure 1

Note:FromKentStateUniversity–AccommodationsData2017-2025.(2024).

BasedondatakeptbyUniversityHousing,therewere121approvedaccommodationsin20172018.Ofthose,almost43.8%wereforsinglerooms.Thisisaconsistenttrendthatcanbeseen throughoutthecomingyears,asseeninFigure2.Thedemandforsingleshasremainedthe highestnumberofaccommodationsrequested,withthepercentagesfallingslightlyin20222023(60.3%)butincreasingonceagainin2023-2024(69.4%).

Note:FromKentStateUniversity–AccommodationsData2017-2025.(2024). InTable3,youcanseeacomparisonbetweenthenumberofapprovedsingle accommodationscomparedtothetotalnumberofapprovedaccommodations Some contributingfactorstotheshiftin2022-2023and2023-2024include:2022-2023,theuniversity sawthelargestincomingfirstyearclasssince2017-2018,whichresultedinminimalopen spacesoncampustoprovidenewapprovedaccommodationsattheverybeginningofthe academicyear In2023-2024,KentStatesawasignificantdemandforcontractrenewal (currentstudentslivingoncampuswantingtorenewtheirhousingcontractforthefollowing academicyear),whichresultedineffortstoencouragestudentstoconsideroff-campus housing,toallowforanotherlargeincomingclasstobeassigned.

Figure 3

Note:FromKentStateUniversity–AccommodationsData2017-2025.(2024).

Withtheincreaseinrequestsforsingles,especiallypost-COVID-19,therehasbeenadiminished interestincommunitybuildingwithintheseresidentialcommunities.Lowerparticipationinfloor programs,largerscaleprograms,interactionswithin-hallstaff,etc hasbeenanincreasing concern,alsoresultinginanincreasednumberofmentalhealthconcerns Amajorquestionwe askedwhenexaminingthetopicwashowdoweprovidethesameopportunitiestoengagewith thecommunitywhilerespectingthesestudents'needforprivatespaces?SociologistRay OldenburgwroteinhisbookTheGreatGoodPlacethathumansneedmorethanjustaplacefor restandwork,thefirstandsecondplace,butalsoathirdplacethat“anchors”theindividualinto theircommunity(Oldenburg,1999) Oneproposalistocreatespaces,suchasLearningResource Centersandotherhigh-trafficcommunalspaces,thatserveashubsforindividualsto‘opt’to jointheircommunityandhavereliablesourcesofconnectionstotheirpeers.Thesetypesof spacesmaynothavebeenconsideredorincludedintheblueprintsforsomeolderresidential buildingsbutmayhavetheopportunitytobeaddedasnewcommunitiesaredesigned.

Communityincollegeisclearlyimportant,it’sthereasonweinResidenceLifeallhave jobs.Formany,havinglivedincommunalsettingsthatprovidedasenseofbelonging wasinstrumentaltotheeducationalexperienceofattendingcollege.Livingwitha roommateprovidestheopportunitytogainconflictmediationskillsandHowever, particularlyfollowingtheCOVID-19pandemic,wherestudentsspentyearsof developmentisolated,wemusthaveempathyforallstudentsanddoourbestto accommodatetheirneeds.

Weurgefellowprofessionalstotakeintoconsiderationtheindividualexperienceofthe student.Whilesomeindividualsmayhavefoundsharedlivingspacestobean opportunitytomakelifelongfriendships,thatexperienceisnotalwaysobtainable.While werecognizethatsharingspacesdoesbuildimportantskillslikeconflictmanagement, cooperation,andcommunication,thatisn’ttheonlywaytobuildthoseskills.By engagingstudentsandaccommodating,wecanprovideamoreholisticstudent supportsystemthatbothdevelopsthoseskillswhilemaintainingahealthy,accessible spaceforall

References

Kent state university: accommodation data: 2017-2025. (2024). Google Sheets. Retrieved March 5, 2024 from https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1H55boS5sAWsy9OqODRqq_TAE4G9FJI5M9Q2ns5TTFeY/ edit?usp=sharing

Kent State University (2024). About Us. Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Retrieved March 5, 2024, from https://www.kent.edu/sas/about-us

Oldenburg R. (1999). The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other

Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. Marlowe; Distributed by Publishers Group West.

UseofAIinHigherEducation andResidenceLife

ZacharyWilson|BallStateUniversity

WhatisArtificialIntelligence(AI)?

Artificialintelligence(AI)isrevolutionizingthewayweliveandwork.It'sabranchofcomputer sciencefocusedondevelopingintelligentmachinesthatcansimulatehumancapabilitieslike problem-solvingandlearning.MachinelearninganddeeplearningaresubfieldsofAIoften mentionedinconjunction.Thesedisciplinesinvolvecreatingalgorithmsinspiredbythehuman brain'sdecision-makingprocesses.Thealgorithmsthen"learn"fromdataandimprovetheir accuracyintaskslikeclassificationandpredictionovertime.AIcanoperateindependentlyor becombinedwithothertechnologieslikesensors,GPS,androbotics.Thisallowsmachinesto tackletaskstraditionallyrequiringhumanintervention.FromdigitalassistantsandGPS navigationtoself-drivingcarsandAI-poweredcontentcreationtools,AIiswovenintothe fabricofourdailylives.

HowisAIcurrentlybeingusedinHigherEducationandResidenceLifesettings?

Intherealmofhighereducation,AIisfindingusecasesinareaslikesupportinginan administrativecapacity,assistingwiththeteachingandlearningofcoursematerial,support researchandmore.

Supportingadministrativetasks:

Repetitivetaskslikedataentry,scheduling,andformprocessingcanbeautomated, freeingyourselfupforotherprojects.AI-poweredchatbotscanbecomethefirstlineof defenseforstudent,faculty,andstaffinquiries,offering24/7supportandpersonalized communication.Furthermore,AIcananalyzevastdatasetstooptimizeresource allocation,coursescheduling,andstudentsupportservices.Thisdata-drivenapproach canalsobeusedtopersonalizetheadministrativeexperienceforstudents,withAI recommendingrelevantresourcesbasedonindividualneeds AIoffersapowerful toolboxforstreamliningadministrativetasks,improvingaccuracy,andpersonalizingthe educationalexperienceforeveryoneinvolved

Assistancewithteaching:

Imagineasystemthatcananalyzestudentperformancedatatoidentifyareasof difficultyandrecommendpersonalizedlearningpathways.AI-poweredtutorscan providestudentswithsupplementalinstructionandanswerbasicquestions,freeingup professorsformorein-depthdiscussionsandone-on-onementorship.Furthermore,AI canautomatetaskslikegradingmultiple-choicequizzesandplagiarismchecks, allowingprofessorstodedicatemoretimetocraftingengaginglecturesandproviding insightfulfeedbackoncomplexassignments.Thistechnologycanempowerprofessors tobecomemoreeffectiveeducatorsbypersonalizingthelearningexperienceand focusingtheirexpertiseonlecturing,maximizingtheirimpactonstudents.

AssistancewithLearning:

AIisemergingasapowerfulallyforstudents.AIcanserveasavirtualtutorthattailors learningmaterialstoyourindividualneeds,pinpointingareaswhereyouexceland offeringtargetedsupportforchallenges.AI-poweredtoolscananalyzeyour performance,recommendinginteractiveexercisesandpracticeproblemstosolidify concepts Thispersonalizedapproachkeepsstudentsengagedandfostersadeeper understandingofthesubjectmatter AIcanalsobreakdowncomplextopicsinto digestiblechunksandpresentinformationinavarietyofformats,cateringtodifferent learningstyles Thisoffersflexibilitytoallowstudentstograspconceptsinawaythat canmosteffectivelysupportthem,thuspromotingamoreefficientandsuccessful learningjourney

AssistancewithResearch:

ThecurrentresearchlandscapeinhighereducationisbeingreshapedbyAI.AI-powered toolscansiftthroughmountainsofdata,uncoveringhiddenpatternsandrelationships thatmightbemissedbyhumans.Thisallowsresearcherstoformulatemoreinformed hypothesesanddesignmoretargetedexperiments.Additionally,AIcanautomate tedioustaskslikeliteraturereviewsanddataanalysis,freeingupresearchers'timefor creativeproblem-solvingandinterpretationofresults.AIcanalsoassistintaskslike grantproposalwritingbyanalyzingpastsuccessfulproposalsandsuggestingrelevant keywordsandresearchdirections.Bystreamliningworkflows,uncoveringhidden insights,andofferingstrategicguidance,AIisbecominganindispensablepartnerinthe pursuitofknowledge.

ApplicationofAIwithinResidenceLife

AIcananalyzestudentdatatoproactivelyidentifythoseneedingacademic,social,or emotionalsupport.Chatbotscanprovide24/7assistancewithbasicinformation,FAQs, andeveninitialmentalhealthresources Furthermore,AIstreamlinesoperationsby creatingbetterroommatematches,handlingroutinemaintenancerequests,and deliveringpersonalizedcommunicationtargetedtostudents'interests AIcaneven improvesafetythroughsmartsecuritysystemsandnoisedetection AI-poweredtools canhelpquicklyidentifyandalertstafftopotentialcrisissituations,facilitatingfaster andmoreeffectiveresponsesinmentalhealthemergenciesorotherurgentscenarios Byhandlingroutineadministrativetasksandbasicstudentinquiries,AIgivesresident advisors(RAs)moretimetofocusonbuildingrelationshipsandprovidingindividualized support.

ResponsibleUseofAI:

AIinacademiacanbeadouble-edgedsword!Whileitcanbeatoolforplagiarismand misrepresentation,italsoholdsimmensepotentialforethicallearning.Topreventcheating, institutionsneedclearAIusepoliciesandopencommunication.AIcanbeagreatfor brainstorming,research,andpersonalizedlearningjourneys.

ByusingAIforfeedback,revision,andtargetedpractice,studentscanstrengthentheirskills withoutcompromisingacademicintegrity.ThekeyliesinusingAIcollaborativelyand responsibly.It'snotamatterofAIreplacingemployees,butratherAIalteringtheexperience andservingasahelpfulaid.Inthisevolvinglandscapeoftechnologicaladvancements,those whoembraceAIanditspotentialwillthrive,whilethosewhoresistlearningtheseinnovative toolsriskfallingbehind.AIisthefuture,andeducationisnoexception.ByusingAIresponsibly, institutionscancreateamoresupportive,efficient,andsecurelivingenvironmentforstudents. However,privacyconcernsmustbeaddressed,andAIshouldbeusedtoenhancehuman interaction,notreplaceit.

Source:https://www.bridgeport.edu/news/how-is-ai-technology-used-in-higher-education/ Source:https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence GuideforhowtouseAItowriteanemailfor you: 1.

aChooseanAIWritingTool: .

SeveralAIwritingtoolsareavailable; somepopularoptionsinclude: i.

1Gemini

2MicrosoftCopilot

3ChatGPT

2ProvideClearInstructions(thePrompt):

ThesuccessofyourAI-generatedemail dependsonyourinstructions Here'sa strongpromptexample: a

"Writeafriendlyandinformativeemailfrom aResidentDirectortodormresidents.The emailshouldannounceupcominghealth andsafetyinspectionsofdormrooms. Mentionthedateandtimeframeofthe inspections,andemphasizetheimportance ofmaintainingacleanandsafeliving environment.Includeashortlistofcommon issuestolookoutfortohelpresidents prepare. " b.

3.

ReviewandEdittheDraft:AItoolswillgenerate text,butit'sessentialthatyoucarefullyread andeditthedraftto:

Ensuretone:Makesureitsoundslikeit's comingfromyou. a.

Checkforaccuracy:Verifyanyspecific dates,policies,orproceduresmentioned b

Personalize:Addaspecifictouchor referencerelevanttoyourresidential community c

Subject: Upcoming Dorm Room Health & Safety Checks

DearResidents, Ihopethisemailfindsyouwell

Pleasebeawarethatannualhealthandsafety checksofallresidencehallroomswillbe conductedon[Date]betweenthehoursof [StartTime]and[EndTime] Theseinspections areimportanttoensureourlivingspaces remainsafe,clean,andingoodcondition.

Duringtheinspection,we'llbecheckingfor: Maintenanceissues:Anyleaks,broken appliances,etc.

Cleanliness:Pleasemakesureyourroomistidy. Prohibiteditems:(Reminderofanyspecificrules foryourcampus/community)

Yourcooperationisgreatlyappreciatedin helpingusmaintainacomfortableandsafe environmentforeveryone

4 Here'sapossibledraftthatGeminiprovided (seefiguretoright)

ExampleEmailGeneratedbyAI(Let'sassume weusedChatGPT)

Thankyou, [YourName] ResidentDirector

5. Send

COMMUNICATING THE CRISIS: REFLECTIONS ON NARRATIVE AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN HOUSING

Housingprofessionalsarenostrangerstothe conceptofcrisismanagement.However,while therearedutyphonesbeingheld,reports beingwritten,andstudentsbeingconsoled, oftenforgottenisthecrucialroleplayedbythe communicatorsofcrisis Conceptslike reactiontimelines,socialmedia,andnarrative ownershipdefinehowacrisisisperceivedby thecampuscommunityandexternal stakeholders.Toexaminetherolethat communicationsplaysincrisis,Iinterviewed threeprofessionalstaffmembersat institutionsofvaryingsizeswithinthesame Midweststate:

AnAssociateDeanforResidentialLife& Housingwith20+yearsinthefieldata small,privateinstitution-referredtointhe articleas“PrivateAdmin”

AnAssociateDirectorforCommunications inaHousingandResidenceLife departmentwith10+yearsinthefieldata Big10researchinstitution-referredtoin thearticleas“ResearchAdmin”

AnAssistantDirectorforHousingEnrollment with12+yearsinthefieldatamid-sized institution-referredtointhearticleas “PublicAdmin”

Inmyinterviews,Iaskedtheseprofessionals fortheirperspectivesoncommunicating crises.Wediscussedhowhousing communicationsdifferandintersectacross variedstakeholders,includingexternal departments,parentsandsupporters,and theresidentsthemselves Theprofessionals alsoreflectedontheevolvingimpactthat socialmediahashadonthese communications,andwhatexpectationsexist fortheirstaffinvocalizingperspectiveson crises.Lastly,eachinterviewersharedwhatit means,intheirunderstanding,forahousing officetotakeownershipoftheirnarrative.

Howdowedefineacrisis?

Eachprofessionalwasaskedtodefinecrisisin theirinstitutionalcontext,andhowthis definitionmaydifferfromthatofother stakeholders.Allthreeemployeesdiscussed centeringstudentimpact.ResearchAdmin shared“Ifastudentisworriedabout something,it’sacrisisforthem.Andthey’re goingtodefineitthatway,andweneedto manageitinthatway”Similarly,PublicAdmin sharedthat,forthem,acrisiswouldbe definedasanythingthatwouldresultinan immediateimpactonastudentortheir experience

CarolineMurray|MichiganStateUniversity

Thisimpactcanhavearangeofdefinitionsfromemotional,physical,social,and academicconsequencesforstudents. Emotionalimpactwasalsohighlightedby PrivateAdmin,whoaddresseda misconceptionthatcrisisdefinitionislimitedto scopeofimpact.PrivateAdminsharedthat,to them,acrisisisanysituationwheretheironcallteammembersarerespondingfor20-30+ minutes,sharingthatthiscaninclude individualmomentsofcrisisexperiencedbya student.Anexampleofthiswouldbeastudent navigatingamentalhealthcrisis.

ResearchAdminsharedthatthecreationand activationofanofficialemergencyplanalso helpstheirofficedefineasituationtobea crisis Furthermore,ResearchAdmincitedthe valuesoftheirdepartmentinpursuitofbeing anti-racistandanti-oppressive,sharingthat biasconcernsimpactingastudent’sidentityis acrisis.

Thisdefinition,whilesalienttohousing departments,candifferfromwhatstudents,or evenourowncampuspartners,considertobe acrisis.PublicAdminalludedtothis dissonance,citinganexampleofaweekend poweroutage-wheretheimpactona residentialspaceismuchmoreseverethanit wouldbeonnon-residentialacademicspaces Inasituationwherethisoutageoccursonthe weekend,PublicAdminsharedthathousing departmentswouldseeconcerns,likestudents needingtheinternettostudyduringastressful finalsweek,thatcampuspartnersnotliving withstudentsmaynotconsider.Inasituation ofconcern,non-housingpartnershavethe abilitytoalterordelaytheirservices Public Adminpointedoutthathousingdepartments donothavethisluxury

Inthevariationofdefinition,student perspectivesandpersonalimpactswere discussedbytheprofessionals.“Tothe students,theirperception[ofcrisis]isdeeply personalized,”statedPublicAdmin.“Ofany generation,thisisthemostself-interested generationIhavemetyet So,anythingthat happensishappeningtothem Sowhena crisisoccurs,it’s,ofcourse,thatamplified,and soIthinkforthem,they’rethinkingaboutallthe thingswe’rethinkingabout,butfromamuch moreemotional,frightenedstate.”Inthisidea ofmismatcheddefinition,PrivateAdmin reflectedontheneedforempathywhen helpingastudentcontextualizeacrisis.

PrivateAdmindescribedacommunication strategyof“putting[theunderstandingof whatacrisisis]inawaythatisunderstood andgentleandgraciousenoughforastudent whofeelslikeit'sacrisistofeelheardandto feelcaredfor.”

ResearchAdminsharedthat,ifstudentssaw theamountofeffortthatgoesintothe developmentofemergencyplanningand preparation,theymightbesurprisedand confused.ResearchAdmincitedplansaround topicssuchasfloods,publicdisturbances, andweather.“I’msureifstudentsknewabout thedocumentationandmeetings surroundingthesepotentialsituations,they’d belike,‘thatdoesn’tseemlikenecessarilya crisis’Butwehavetobeprepared”

Howdowecommunicatecrises?

Howdowenormallyplanforcommunications onhousingcrisestoreachthecampus community-andhowcantheseplansbe alteredbyreality?Allpartiessharedadesire tohavecommunicationstargetedtowhois mostimpacted.PrivateAdminsharedhow thisimpactisusedtomakedecisionson communications Forexample,ifapipebursts inaresidentialroom,communicationswould onlybelimitedtothoseroomoccupants, whereasapipe’smalfunctionthatimpacts thebuilding’ssprinklersystemwouldwarrant alargerspanofnotification.PrivateAdmin sharedthattheyaironthesideof“whoneeds toknow,”sharingthatastudentmaynotneed toknoweverythinginvolvedinasituationjust becausetheyliveinthehall.PrivateAdmin statedthattheyalsoworktoloopincritical partners,liketheirstaffmemberwhoworksin familyrelationswhomaybetaskedwith sharinganticipatedanswerstoquestionsand resourcesthatmayneedtobedisseminated.

ResearchAdminsharedthattheyattemptto keepcommunicationstargetedandfocused, butthisissometimeschallengedbythe accesstoinformationmadeavailable throughsocialplatforms Aneedcanemerge forhousingdepartmentstocommunicate withstudentsandstakeholderspurelytoshow departmentalawarenessofanissue.“Evenif wecan’tsayalotabouthowwe’readdressing something,westillneedtosaythatweare addressingsomething Andnottobe performative,butjusttobereally transparent.”

PublicAdminreflectedonhowleadershipbasedconflictcanhinderamessage’simpact anddelivery.Thisemployeesharedthatideal andintentionalpracticescanbedisruptedby pressuresofimmediacyfromleadership, bolsteredbyalackofconsensuswithhighrankingstaff

Allthreeemployeesindependentlybroughtup studentsuicideasasituationinwhich communicationmusthavesignificant consideration.ResearchAdminsharedthat,in asituationwhereastudenthaspassed,a largeamountoftimeisspenttakinginto considerationanunderstandingofwho actuallyneedstobenotifiedaboutthe passing Thisnotificationisinrespecttothe individualstudentandtheprivacyofthemand theirfamilies,whilestillensuringthatpeople areinformedandhavetheresourcesthatthey need.PrivateAdminreflectedonthe challengesthatcanarisewhenthereis deferringopinionsonwhatneedstobelooped intothiscommunication.

CommunicationImpactsofSocialMedia

Indiscussingtherealityofhowcrisesare disclosedtothestudentbody,thetopicof socialmediaemerged Iaskedour professionalshowsocialmediasiteslike Snapchat,Reddit,andYikYakhaveimpacted theintentionalandunintentional disseminationofcrisesontheircampuses.

PrivateAdminsharedthatsocialmedia,for theirinstitution,shouldnotbeutilizedunless managedbyanoffice However,PrivateAdmin hasstatedthatit,whenusedtopointtoofficial communications,canassistwiththeoverall process.Ourprofessionalssharedan understandingthatsocialmediacanbeused totakeapulseofhowthestudentpopulation isperceivingacrisissituation,whichcanbe usedinshapingfuturemessaging.Research Adminstatedthatsocialmediacan miscommunicatethenarrativeofacrisis “Snapchatissovisual,”reflectedtheResearch Admin,

“Snapchat is so visual,” reflected the Research Admin, “people are given a photo or video with a little caption and get to interpret that how they want to, and I think it doesn't give a full picture or the best picture of what’s going on.”

Theysharedhow,whileacampusmayknow thattherehasbeenastudentsuicide, communicatorsneedtoquestionifthe campushasarighttothewho,why,andhow ofthesituation “Theywanttoknowbecause theyarecurious,theydon’tneedtoknow,” sharedPrivateAdmin,“that’s,Ithink,avery hardpilltoswallow.AndIthinktheotherthing thatpeopledon’tthinkaboutinthatcontextis thatthere’safamily.Thereareotherpeople thatneedtoknowmore,andneedtomakethe decisionsonwhocanknowinformationand whocan’t”

PublicAdminsharedthattheyarecautious aboutwhatisdisclosedintheeventofa student’spassing,citingthattheseeventsare notjusttraumaticforthosedirectlyonthefloor ofthestudent,butalsocanraiseconcernsfor studentswhoseethequantityofemergency vehicleswhoarecalledupontorespond. PrivateAdminstatedthattheyarecarefulin balancingwhatisprivatetothestudentand thedesiresofthefamilywhilekeepingthe publicinformedenoughtoknowthatthereis notapublicconcernandthatnooneisin immediatedanger

“peoplearegivenaphotoorvideowithalittle captionandgettointerpretthathowthey wantto,andIthinkitdoesn'tgiveafullpicture orthebestpictureofwhat’sgoingon.” ResearchAdminsharedthatthechanging shapeofsocialmediahasdiminishedonline spaceswhereinstitutionscandirectlyinteract withthestudentbody.ResearchAdminshared thatX(formerlyTwitter)usedtobeaplatform wheretheirdepartmentcouldreplytothe postsofstudentstoclarifyinformation With theriseofplatformslikeSnapchatandReddit, ResearchAdminreflectedthat“thestudents arenotlookingtohearfromus.”

Inthinkingofsocialmedia,PrivateAdmin reflectedonthepressureitcausestodevelop animmediateresponse-acreationofan “initialvoice”Withoutimmediateresponse, socialmediacreatesariskofsomeoneelse becomingthatinitialresponse “Expectthatif youlosecontrolofthenarrative,disinformation anddiscontentaregoingtobealmostinstant”

ExpectationsofHallStaffinCrisis Communications

Indiscussingexpectationsofhallstaffin communications,therewasaconsensusthat itcanbebeneficialtohallstafftonotbethe primaryvoiceofcrisis “WhatIsaytomystaff sometimesis:it’seasierforyoutonotknow someofthisstuff,”reflectedPrivateAdmin “It iseasierforyoutositwithastudentandsay‘I don’tevenknow,whyshouldyouknow?’oritis easierforyoutosay‘well,whatif’andtalk aboutitabstractly-anditmightbeaccurate -butyoudon’tknow.Soit’sawholeloteasier sometimestonotknowtheinformation, becausethatputsyouinaplacetobealittle moreauthenticwiththestudentwhoalso doesn’t”PrivateAdminsharedhowtheyare upfrontaboutthisduringRAtraining,stating thatsometimesexpectationscanbeknowing whatnottoexpectwhenitcomestocrisisbasedinformation.

ResearchAdminsharedthatitisidealtokeep communicationstoonespokesperson.Public Adminsharedthat,whiletheydon’ttryto silenceanyone,ResidentAssistantwork agreementsareatoolusedtohelpstudent staffunderstandtheirroleindisseminating narrative RAsareremindedoftheir responsibilityasaleaderamongstpeers,and encouragedtofocustheircommunications aroundcrisestowardswhatcanbedoneto improvesituations.

OwningtheNarrative

Theprofessionalswereaskedwhatitmeans forahousingdepartmenttoowntheir narrative PublicAdminstatedthatanarrative cangohaywireinacrisiswhenpeopledonot knowwheretoturnforanswers.

Theysharedthattheirroleinowningnarrative isthroughexpectationsettingand understandingthatpeoplehavearightto knowaboutprocesses.ResearchAdmin sharedthat,whenitcomestocrisis communications,thegoalshouldbetobe concise,succinct,anddirect“Thereisadesire tobeabletoleadthenarrative,”Research Adminreflected,“toprovidethemostessential informationtoeveryoneaboutwhatisgoing on.Thereisalotofnoisethatcanhappen aroundit.So,yesthereisadesire-ownership isastrongword,butthereisadesiretobeable todirectlyspeaktothoseimpacted,andas necessary,toinformthepublicastowhatis goingonandwhattheycando,orwhatthey needtodo,inthatsituation Usually,youdon’t gettohavefullcontrolofwhatissharedout there,andwerecognizethistoo”

PublicAdminsharedthatowningtheir narrativeisimportantevenwithinthecampus community.“Ithinkveryfewpeopleatthe universityunderstandwhatit’sliketobein universityhousing,andsocontrollingthe narrativeformemeansthattheoneswhoare makingthedecisionsaboutwhatgetssaid andhowaregoingtobethebootsonthe groundversussomebodyatthecabinetlevel” Overall,theprofessionalsagreedthat,whenit comestocrisis,itisimperativetomanagea truthful,direct,andempatheticnarrativeto supportallstudentsandstakeholders.

Withinhousingdepartments,itiscriticalto discussthedefinitions,processes,and intentionsbehindourdisseminationof knowledgeandnarrative Asperceptionis realityforourstudentsandstakeholders,the rolethatcrisiscommunicationsplaysin creatingthisperceptioncannotbe understated.

OURWORKSHOULDN’TBEASURPRISE

JakeMcLean,KnoxCollege

AustinShaw,UniversityofIllinoisChicago

Withinthescopeofresidencelifeandhousing,thecyclicalnatureofourworkisan undeniablereality,yetoftenapproachedwithareactiveratherthanproactivemindset Asa ResidentDirector,theaxiom"thenatureofourworkshouldn'tbeasurprise"resonates deeply,reflectingtheneedforstrategicforesightanddeliberateplanning.Thissentiment wasunderscoredduringarecentfacultypresentationwhenI(Austin)attendedthe2024 ProfessionalDevelopmentInstitute(PDI).Hence,thisarticleseekstoexpounduponthe significanceofpre-emptiveaction,advocatingfortheadoptionofproactivemeasures suchasdelineatinganddisseminatinganoperationalcalendar12-18monthsinadvance. Byproactivelypublishingsuchschedules,housingprofessionalsempowertheirteamsto planeffectively,mitigatingthedisruptioncausedbyunforeseenexigenciesandfacilitating theallocationofresources,includingpaidtimeoff(PTO).Byembracingthisethosof foresightandpreparedness,housingprofessionalscannavigatethecyclicalnatureoftheir workwithgreaterefficacy,fosteringacultureofproactiveengagementandstrategic resiliencewithinthehighereducationlandscape.

Whiletheconceptofcreatinganoperationalcalendarforahousingorresidencelifeunit mayseemstraightforwardatfirstglance,therealitycanbemorenuanced Craftingan effectivecalendarinvolvesaprocessthatextendsbeyondmerescheduling StrategicAlignment:Creatinganoperationalcalendarentailsmorethanjust markingdatesonyourfavoritecalendartemplate.Itrequiresastrategic alignmentofyourinstitutionalgoals,departmentalpriorities,andstudentneeds. Teamsmustcarefullyconsiderhoweachevent,deadline,orinitiative contributestooverarchingobjectivessuchasstudentretention,community engagement,andacademicsuccess.Thisstrategicalignmentensuresthatthe calendarservesasacohesiveroadmap,guidingeffortstowardsmeaningful outcomes.

StakeholderCollaboration:Buildinganoperationalcalendarnecessitates collaborationacrossmultiplestakeholders.Consideryourcampuspartners: facilitiesmanagement,studentaffairs,academicdepartments,athletics, businessoffice,etc.Eachgroupbringsuniqueperspectives,resources,and constraintstothetable,requiringcarefulcoordinationtoaccommodatethe variedneedsandinterests.Effectivecommunicationandconsensus-building areessentialfornavigatingthecomplexitiesofinterdepartmentalcollaboration andensuringthatthecalendarreflectsacollectivevisionforthestudent experience.

ResourceAllocation:Developinganoperationalcalendarinvolvesallocationof resources,includingstaffing,facilitiesandevenpossiblyfunding.Teamsmust assesstheavailabilityandcapacityofresourcestosupportvariouseventsand initiativesthroughouttheacademicyear.Balancingcompetingdemandsand prioritiesrequiresstrategicdecision-makingtooptimizeresourceutilization whilemaintainingqualityandsustainabilityofstaffandservices.Considerwhat sourcesofdatayoucandrawfromtofurthersupporttheteam’sconsideration ofresources.Whatinformationareyougettingfromyourcasemanagement process:whetheryouareusingMaxientoranotherplatform,whatinformation mightyoubegettingfromotherstructuresofstudentsupportthatmighthelp youbetterprepareforthosepeakperiodsofintervention.

FlexibilityandAdaptability:Despitemeticulousplanning,operational calendarsmustremainflexibleandadaptabletounforeseencircumstances andevolvingneeds.Whetherrespondingtoemergencies,adjusting programminginlightoffeedback,oraccommodatingchangesinacademic calendars,teamsmustpossesstheagilitytoreviseandrefinethecalendaras needed.Thisflexibilityenablesoursystemstoremainresponsivetodynamic changesinthecommunity,ensuringthatthecalendarremainsrelevantand effectiveovertime.

EvaluationandIteration:Anoperationalcalendarisnotastaticdocumentbut ratheradynamictoolthatevolvesthroughcontinuousevaluationanditeration. Teamsshouldregularlyassesstheeffectivenessofcalendarinitiatives,soliciting feedbackfromresidents,staff,andothercampuspartnerstoidentifystrengths, weaknesses,andareasforimprovement.Thisongoingevaluationinforms potentialimprovementstothecalendar,allowingadministratorstofine-tune strategies,enhanceoutcomes,andadapttochangingneedsandpreferences withinthecommunity.

Operationalcalendarsarenotjusttoolsforscheduling;theyareblueprintsforsuccess, guidingustowardsbettersupportforthestudentsweserveandensuringthecollective achievementofourteam'sobjectives Byinvolvingstaffandothercampuspartnersinthis process,wenotonlyenhanceouroperationalefficiencybutalsofosterasenseof ownershipandalignmenttowardoursharedgoals.Let'sembracethebenefitsofproactive planningandcollaboration,andindoingso,takethe“surprising”feelingoutofourwork!

BeeapresenteratGLACUHO!

Do you know of anyone who would be a great presenter? If you want to nominate another professional to submit a program proposal, please fill out the Nomination Form so the committee can contact those you have nominated.

The Program Proposal Form is now live, and all proposals are due by Friday, June 20, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. (CDT). Please contact Michele Renaud at programming@glacuho.org with any questions.

Presenter Nomination Program Submission

WHAT DOES THE CONTEMPORARY ISSUE MEAN TO YOU?

ContemporaryIssuesCommittee

IsaRamirez|EasternMichiganUniversity

BenuelPost|EasternMichiganUniversity

OctaviaHubert|MiamiUniversity

Areweadequatelytrainingandpreparingprofessionalsforthedemandsoftheposition?What structuresorexpectationsarenolongerrelevantthatwecouldleaveinthepast?Whatwillthismean forourprofessionandorganizationsmovingforward?Aswereflectonthisyear’sContemporaryIssue, adaptingtotheevolvingneedsandwantsofourprofessionalstocreateasustainablefuture,wewere abletogaininsightfromseveralcolleaguesonwhatthismeans Theconsensuswashope andthat thefoundationisourWhy.

Togainanunderstandingofotherperspectivesonthecontemporaryissue,thefollowingfivepeople fromfivedifferentuniversitieswereinterviewedonwhattheirwhyis,whatdoesthecontemporaryissue meantothem,andwhatdotheyhopeforthefutureofourprofession.

ElyseHolguin-DirectorofResidenceLifeatDominicanUniversity

TresaBarlage-Zianno-AssociateDirectoratMiamiUniversity

EliseoSandoval-ResidenceHallDirectoratGovernorsStateUniversity

AlisonSinadinos-AssistantDirectorfortheWomeninSTEMLivingLearningCenteratIUBloomington NicoleVonDrasek-ResidentDirectoratDePaulUniversity

What is your Why?

Elyse:I'msomeonewholeftthefieldandthenreturned.Iam blessedthatI[gotto]seelifeoutsideofhousing Ispentfour yearsintheDeanofStudentOfficeand[in]StudentConduct, whichismyotherlove ThenIdidoneyearduringthe pandemicworkinginthementalhealthfieldandrealizedthat wasnotforme Iveryhappilycamebackwhentheposition thatI'minnowwashiring Ifeltthatcalltoreturntoresidence life.AbigpartisIlikenothavingthesamethingtodoevery daysothat'sbeenreallyhelpful.

Alison:IdotheworkbecauseIwanttogivevoicestoourfolkswhodon’thavethemallthetime. Specifically,IworkwithwomeninSTEM,sotheytendtobeadisenfranchisedgroupintheirstudiesthat theydo.TheytendtogetdiscriminatedagainstalotintheirclassroomsandIwanttohelpthemfeel empoweredthattheymatter,areimportant,andthattheyneedtotakeupthespacethattheyshouldbe takingup.Ialsobelievethatforourprofessionals.Ourprofessionalsareimportant;theirneedsandwants needtobevaluedandrecognized.Theyneedtobeadaptedtobecausewecannotrunouruniversities withoutourstaff.

Nicole:Ireallylovehelpingotherpeople.Ithinkcollegeissuchafascinatingtimewhereyoumeetpeople whoareatverydifferentlevelsofmaturityandtryingtohelpeveryonegrow.It’ssorewarding,asa residentdirector,IlovehelpingtheresidentsandmyRAstaff;havingthoseregularinteractionswiththem andseeinghowmuchtheygrowintheirconfidencethroughouttheyear

Tresa:Supporting,mentoring,anddevelopingprofessionalsthatinturnmentor,support,anddevelop collegestudents

Eliseo:IaminthisfieldbecauseIwanttoinspirestudentstoimmersethemselvesintothecampus culturealongwithlearningwheretheylive.Ithinkitisessentialthattheylearnoutsideoftheclassroom, aswell.Iappreciatestudentsbeingabletogrownotonlyasstudentsbutasindividuals.

What does the Contemporary Issue mean to you?

Alison:Ithinkthatforalongtime,wefocusedonmentalhealth beingtheindividual’sresponsibility,butIthinkthatweneedtodo better.Ithinkitisalsotheresponsibilityofourinstitutionstoadapt thepoliciesandpracticesthatwehavetoensurethatthemental healthofourprofessionalsisbeingprotected.

Elyse:WhenIwasenteringthefield,everyoneneededtohaveamaster'sdegreetobeinanentrylevelposition.Ithinkwhatwe'reseeingnow[is]that[havingamaster’sdegree]wasn'talwaysreally necessary.Ithinkit'sveryfeasibleforsomeonetopursuetheirmaster'swhileinahalldirectorrole andthatthingsliketuitionremissionforschoolswouldhelpwithattainingthat.Ifwewantmasterslevelprofessionals,wecanhelpthempayforthat.

Also,unlearningsomethingsthatmaybedatedinformationandpractices.Forexample,Istruggle withthethoughtofstudentsbeingforcedalmosttogotocollege.Somestudentsmaybeweren't goodfits[forcollege],butwe'resoworriedaboutonlythebottomlinethatwemaybetryingtoretain themwhenit'snotin[their]bestinterest.Ifit'sthebestchoiceforastudenttostop[college]and workontheirmentalhealth,forexample,theyneedtobeallowedtodothat.Itwouldonlymake themstrongerinthelongrun.

Tresa:Becauseofmyprofessionaltenure,Ithinkabouthowtheneedsofstudentsandprofessionals havechangedoverthelastalmostthreedecadesandhowsocietyhaschanged.There'sbeenso manytechnologicaladvancesthathavemadeinformationinstantlyaccessible.How[is]thatbotha curseandabenefit?Becauseinformationisreadilyavailablepeopleexpectinstantaccesstothings, topeople,[and]toresources That'snotalwaysinalignmentwithdevelopment

Howhastheroleofthehousingandresidencelifeprofessionalchanged?Arejobdescriptionsstill thesametodayin2024astheywerein1995?Andifso,isthatstillappropriate?Ithinkaboutpeople whoareintheprofession;isthejobthatinstitutionsareaskingthemtodostillappropriate?Isitstill whatpeoplewanttodo?Isitstillwhatpeopleneedtodo?ThoseareallquestionsthatIthinkabout aswecontinuetothinkabouttheprofessionalsinthefield.

Nicole:Comingoutofthepandemic,mentalhealthisabigtopicthatwekeepdiscussinginourhalls. Whatwecouldbedoingtobeproactiveaboutmentalhealthandgettingpeopletowanttoreach outtothoseresources.Ifeellikeourbiggeststruggle,though,withtryingtogetpeopletotakecareof theirmentalhealthisstillthestigmasurroundingmentalhealth.There’sstillsuchabarrierandabig askofpeopletobevulnerable.Gettingpeopletoverbalizewhatthey'reexperiencingisachallengein itself.Weknowthatpeoplesuffernowmorethaneverwiththeirmentalhealthwhiletryingtopursue theireducation.Theycan'ttackletheiremotionalissuesontopofbecomingmoreacademically successfulandstartingtheircareers. .

Elyse:Mybiggesthopeisthatwearemoreunderstandingofwhat ourstudentsaregoingthroughandtheissuesthatthey'refacing. Inthepast,there'sbeenalotofmakingstudentsfittheneedsof [their]universitiesasopposedtohelpinguniversitiesfittheneeds ofthestudents Ithink[weneed]tobeadaptableandalsomake surethatwe'rechanging[howwedothings]andofferingthe servicesthatstudentsneed

What do you hope for the future of our profession?

Tresa:Myhopeisthatwecontinuetoprovideopportunitiesforpeopletolearnandgrowandbe successfulcitizensastheymoveon,invariousways.Iamalwaysabigcheerleader.Inmyrole,Iwant peopletobehappyandIwantthemtobesuccessful.Ialsorecognizethatmightmeanthatthey needtoleavewherethey'reatandgosomeplaceelse,andthat'sokay.

.

Eliseo:Myhopefortheprofessionismoreacknowledgmentfortheamountofworkthatwedo. Comingfromabusinessperspective,Ithinkthatknowinghowmuchhousingandhighereducation jobsgetpaidandknowinghowmuchmoneyschoolsmakeisunfortunate.Ithinkthatwithout housingespecially,thereisnocampus,sofairandequitablepayisimportant.

Alison:Myhopeisthatwecanthinkcreativelyaboutthethingsthatwehavealwaysdoneandthat wecanbeopentochangingthose Beingopentoactuallydoingbigchangestomakesurethatour staffmembershaveafutureinthiswork,iftheywanttocontinuetohaveafutureinthework

Nicole:Ihopethatwehelppeoplerealizethevalueofcommunity It'sreallyhardtogetpeopleto interactwitheachotherinpersonandbalancetheperksofhavingeverythingonline Whilebeing abletoeasilycommunicate,westillneedtobehavingconversationsinperson Thisbringsus togethertounderstandthatweallarehumanandallofourexperiencesarevalid.

Aswereflectandlookattheresponsesfromthefiveindividualsthatwereinterviewed,thereisone commontheme–tocontinuetosupporteachotherandtheworkthatwedo.Highereducation professionalsputinalotofworktoensurethatourdepartmentsandinstitutionsareoperating smoothlyandefficiently.Itisalsojustasimportantthatwearetakingthetimetorecognizethosethat weworkwithandtheworkthattheydo.

REPHRASING “BEHIND CLOSED DOORS” TO“TRAININGINTOPRACTICE”

RachelBailey|BaldwinWallaceUniversity

LaurenBrewer|BaldwinWallaceUniversity

BehindClosedDoors,alsoknownasBCDs,isan importantexperientiallearningopportunityin ResidentAssistant(RA)Training.BCDsallownewly trainedRAstopracticewhattheylearnedduring traininginacontrolledandsafeenvironment,and forreturningRAstohavearefresheronpoliciesand procedureswhileactingoutscenarios Althoughthe goalisforRAstopracticeandhaveanimpactful experience,RAsmayconsiderBCDsashazingwith thenegativeconnotationsthattheymayentail LaurenBrewer,aGraduateHallDirectoratBaldwin WallaceUniversity,reflectedonhertimeasanRA andherexperiencewithBCDs.

Aboutfouryearsago,duringmyfirstRAtrainingas anundergrad,IrememberedseeingBehindClosed DoorsonthetrainingscheduleandreturningRAs talkingabouthowtheycouldnotwaittomakeit funnyandchallengingforusnewRAsonstaff I rememberbeingsonervousbecauseitwasfellow RAsIwasjustgettingtoknowactingoutscenarios andthatmysupervisorwaswatchingmehandle themforthefirsttimeever.Iwassoscaredtomess upbecauseIthoughtIwouldbejudgedfornot handlingthescenariosperfectlybythebooks.I thinkhavingBCDsreframedtotheTIPsmodelwould haveeasedthenervousfeelingstowardsthe practicesessions

ItwasfinallymytimetobeanactorasareturningRA, andIhadagreattimemakingmemorieswithfellow returningRAs.However,withusbeingseasoned veteransatwitnessingandhandlingincidents,wewere abitextremewithhowweactedoutscenarios.Wehad thestandardscenariowithplayingfakegamesand props,butastimepassed,wegotalittlecrazywiththe actingportion.Lookingbackonthat,I’msureitwasnot idealforthenewRAstolearnthebasicsofgetting comfortableknockingondoorsandnavigatingan incident

ToddHeft,AssistantDirectorofResidenceLifeand HousingatBaldwinWallaceUniversity,completedan assessmentbasedondatacollectedfromevaluations duringRAtrainingforthe2019-2020academicyear.The assessmentshowedthatnewRAsfeltthatBCDscaused anxietyanduneasinessduringthedaysspenttraining forthescenarios ThenewRAsdreaded,werenervous, andscaredtocompleteBCDs However,oncenewRAs completedBCDs,theyrealizedthatthepracticewasnot asscaryastheythoughtitwouldbe Theyfeltthat practicingthescenarioswasimportantforthemtodo, especiallyinacontrolledenvironment.They appreciatedbeingabletodothis,withsupervisors readilyavailabletodebriefandassistasneeded.Bythe endofcompletingBCDs,newRAsfoundthemtonotbe asnervewrackingastheywerebuiltuptobeandwere moreconfidentintheirabilities

Asaresultofthisassessment,thedepartment changedthenameofthepractice,butkeptthe scenarios,learningoutcomes,expectationsforthose acting,aswellaspointersandquestionsforfacilitators totouchbaseonwhiledebriefingeachscenario. BehindClosedDoorsbecameTrainingintoPractice, alsoknownas“TIPs” Theswitchwasmadeandwent intoeffectforRAtraininginthefallof2020.

Ithasbeen4yearssincethedepartmentrenamedthe practicetoTIPs,andtheRAsinthedepartmentare morefamiliarwithitbeingconsideredassimply practicingwhattheyknow.TheRAsvaluethe experienceandabilitytopracticesituationsthatthey maycomeacrossasanRA.

CassidyMrakuzic,aLeadResidentAssistantforour department,sharedthatalthoughshewasnervousto practiceaddressingsituationswhileshewasanewRA, sheunderstoodwhyit’snecessary.“Iwasnervousto addresssituationsthatIhadjustlearnedaboutand haveneverbeeninthiskindofpositionbeforewhereI wouldneedtoconfrontsituations Ithelpedme becomemorecomfortable,andIknewIcouldaskfor helpifIneededit”

Inrecentyearsafterthechange,RAshavesharedthat TIPswerelightheartedenoughtonotfeelnerveinvoking,butrealistictoprovidehelpfulpracticein whattheymayencounterintheirroles.Theyhavefun doingTIPsandfeelmorecomfortableaddressing scenarios.

Inourdepartment’sexperience,TIPshavechangedthe overallattitudetowardsexperientiallearning.When giventhephrases“TrainingIntoPractice”and“Behind ClosedDoors”,GraceBowman,aLeadResident Assistantforourdepartment,sharedthattherewasa differenceinconnotationsbetweenthephrases, especiallyintoday’ssociety.“WhenIhear“Behind ClosedDoors”,Ithinkofeitherbadthingsorsecrets thatshouldn’tbeexposed WhenIhear“TrainingInto Practice”,Ithinkoftakingwhatyou’velearnedand practicingtobebetterforwhenthescenarioactually happens.”

ByrephrasingBCDsintoTIPs,ithashelpedeasethe f RA Th id TIP h

GLACUHO SOCIAL MEDIA

Ribbiting Content Awaits