The LINK | October 2016

THE LINK VOLUME 2, NUMBER 1

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN HOST?

PHOTO CREDIT: NACURH 2011

BID TO HOST NACURH 2018 Letters of Intent | Due Thursday, December 1, 2016 @ 11:59PM EST Pre-Bids | Due Thursday, December 1, 2016 @ 11:59 PM EST Contact Christina Aichele, NACURH Conference Resource Consultant, at crc@nacurh.org with any questions!

OCTOBER 2016

THE LINK The Link is a publication of NACURH, Incorporated created to educate and inform students, administrators, alumni, and partners on happenings within and beyond the corporation.

Special Thanks To: The Central Atlantic Affiliate The Great Lakes Affiliate The Intermountain Affiliate The Midwest Affiliate The North East Affiliate The Pacific Affiliate The South Atlantic Affiliate The Southwest Affiliate The NACURH Corporate Office at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kent State University The NACURH 2017 Annual Conference Staff On Campus Marketing

CONNECT NACURH, INC. | NRHH @NACURH | @NACURHNRHH NACURH

15

WE ALWAYS FIND A WAY BACK HOME.

FROM THE DESK OF NACURH

03

A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVES

By: Shannon Mulqueen, NACURH Chairperson

QUICK READS

05

ADVISING AT CONFERENCES THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A DIAMOND

ALUMNI CORNER As an organization, NACURH empowers, motivates, and equips residence hall leaders by providing them with skills and resources in order for them to excel and positively impact their campus communities.

THE LINK | 1

26 27

LIFE AFTER NACURH Translating your NACURH experience.

NACURH VOTES Why vote?

NACURH UPDATES

NACURH & BEYOND

20 22 23 24 25

LOCKED UP AND AWAY The irony of being a student leader.

PRIORITIZING EDUCATION As a student leader.

EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH THE TOOLS OF SUCCESS Live and Learn with RHA

SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMMING Be a greener programmer.

GENDER INCLUSIVE RESTROOMS A story at Mizzou.

4 10 11 12 14 16 17

NACURH BY THE NUMBERS All the facts.

AFFILIATE All the info.

ON CAMPUS MARKETING You’re home from the regional conference… now what?

IT’S ON US. NACURH’s New Partner.

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE HONORY NRHH’s Strategic Plan.

AWARDS Recognition of NACURH 2016 award winners.

THE NACURH STRATEGIC PLAN A quick update on our progress.

REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

07

55TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MIDWEST How MACURH is celebrating.

08

PEOPLE FIRST: CONNECTING WITH YOUR MEMBERS

19

CAACURH BUDDIES & OHANAS

Recognition for the Southwest.

How CAACURH utilizes buddies & ohanas to build community.

FROM THE DESK OF NACURH

BY SHANNON MULQUEEN, NACURH CHAIRPERSON

Dear Members and Friends of NACURH,

NACURH is a corporation founded and sustained by the work of excellent students. This is a reputation and responsibility that we are proud to carry throughout multiple generations of students. There are many things that we value – leadership, advocacy, growth, and dedication – that all help craft the unique experience of being in NACURH. More than anything, this corporation is an opportunity.

This corporation is committed to providing opportunities for residence hall students to become empowered and engaged leaders by equipping them with the skills to positively impact their communities. In this, NACURH has created countless occasions for growth on the campus level and beyond. We are proud to have the opportunity to support a network of engaged students and professionals.

The Link is a chance for students, alumni, and corporate partners to explore what is happening in NACURH now. We are excited to present a publication filled with achievements of member institutions and resources to increase engagement.

This corporation is rapidly changing to reflect a rapidly changing world and we are excited to share these advancements with our members and partners.

From the NACURH executive team, we sincerely hope that you take the opportunities that are provided to you and use them to promote your personal growth and perpetuate success for others on your campus. It is important to understand the direction that NACURH is planning to take in the future to make progress in the present.

THE LINK | 3

Right now, NACURH is preparing to enter the Regional Leadership Conference season. We are proud to introduce our seven host institutions, in addition into our very first neutral host site conference in Milwaukee, WI. I encourage all students attending conferences this fall to lean in to the experience and work to establish a network with people from across borders. Together, students can create something larger than any individual and improve the collegiate experience for all.

As always, I want to thank you for your support and dedication to NACURH. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need anything. We wish you great success in the year ahead.

On behalf of the NACURH Executives,

Shannon Mulqueen NACURH Chairperson

390

NACURH Represents Over 1,238,000 Students

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM NACURH

$1,435,353.31 (April 2016)

$1,339,074.00 (April 2015)

THE LINK | 4

2017 ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATE

INCOMING TRANSMISSION… BEN KLINKER, ANNUAL CONFERENCE CHAIR

where we want delegates to push their own boundaries and explore their own new frontiers at the conference. To make this possible, we’ve put together a hard working and fun conference staff. We have been prepping Purdue to be the delegates’ launch pad for their upcoming journey.

Hey NACURH!

Our Annual Conference Staff is fueled by an out-ofthis world team of Purdue’s best student leaders. We come from across the globe and each member of our team has brought their passion to the conference.

This has generated totally new and unparalleled ideas and provided a fresh spin on old traditions.

One of these unique experiences is the Executive-inResidence Program. This will be an opportunity for delegates and advisors to learn from successful individuals who were a part of Residence Life during their time as a student and have gone on to have successful careers in their field. The guest speakers will talk about ways in which Residence Life has impacted who and where they are today.

Purdue is excited to host NACURH 2017 with the theme of Project Leadership: Your New Frontier. It is going to be a blast! To help you understand our theme we want to share a bit about Purdue’s history.

In Purdue’s early days, a campus landmark featuring a bell tower was destroyed by a fire. The University President declared that the building would be rebuilt except “One Brick Higher” and this mentality has defined the Boilermaker spirit ever since. It serves as a reminder that we can always push our own boundaries and strive even higher to achieve our goals.

Purdue also has a rich history in space exploration.

Twenty three Astronauts have had degrees from Purdue including the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, and the last man on the moon, Eugene Cernan. The “One Brick Higher” mentality and idea of space exploration have been melded together into the theme of Project Leadership: Your New Frontier

THE LINK | 5

We are so excited to meet delegates from all over the world and share with them what Purdue University has to offer. As the year progresses, check in on the NACURH conference social media platforms for updates about all aspects of the conference.

Keep up all your hard work in school!

Boiler up! Over and Out! … End Transmission.

QUICK READS

ADVISING AT CONFERENCES

BY JEN O’BRIEN, IACURH NRHH ADVISOR It's almost that time of year again. Conference Season!

Student conferences are not just about cheers, awards, and legislation, but also a place for you to be able to learn more about yourself and your place in this field. Student Conferences are a great way to continue to build your own professional development. Conferences help you with is building stronger relationships with students and other Advisors. Through these relationships you are able to truly connect with those you meet and build relationships that may last a lifetime. During conferences you are building shared experiences with those around you, but you are also building your Student Affairs brand. Are you someone who goes from person to person getting to know them or are you a person who enjoys sitting for an hour having a deep conversation?

For newer Student Affairs Professionals, conferences is a great testing ground to better understand your style and strengths. Conferences are also a great way to test out what types of institutions you would like to work at in the future. When going to a conference you are able to sleep, eat, and breathe that institution's culture. Remember to take advantage of the opportunity to view somewhere new. Conferences are also Professional Development within itself. Being able to attend ART sessions, round tables, and boardroom are all ways to learn something new. Remember to challenge yourself to grow at every conference you attend, no matter if it's for Professionals or for Students.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A DIAMOND

BY PATRICK BUSSIERE, SOUTHWEST AFFILIATE , COORDINATING OFFICER FOR RECOGNITION AND NRHH DEVELOPMENT

Within being a member of NRHH, we strive to include our values of recognition and service into our daily lives.

Recognition is a unique motivator that improves performance in all aspects of life. It is something that helps promote a positive environment and leaves a lasting footprint of that nominee. Though this is something that may be received in different methods, the end result is always appreciation and acknowledgment of a tremendous job or impact. Recognition is something that could be done through many ways such as writing an OTM, creating a bid, or doing simple things such as a shout out or writing a thank you note.

As a student leader, it is a priority to try to impact the residents and their lives. Through highlighting achievements or hard work, it brings encouragement and this is something that is done Within recognition. It is important to also highlight the smaller things just as highly as the huge accomplishments. This is because no good THE LINK | 6

dead should go unnoticed, and when recognizing, it is the impact that stands out. This impact sends a message of hope and re-sparks ones motivation, passion, determination, and most importantly self-esteem.

Though we often do not realize the lasting effects of recognition when it is occurring, those effects often leave a deep impact on everyone's lives. Recognition is not something to do to make oneself feel better but rather focus on things that may go unnoticed and to bring awareness to ones' commitment to a cause. The most important thing about recognition is to give it frequently and genuinely. While it may seem like a simple thing to say thank you to the little things, the impact will be what makes the difference. That is why recognition is a key value of NRHH, and it is important to strive to apply this to our daily lives.

REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

55th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MIDWEST

BY BECCA COLE, MIDWEST AFFILIATE COORDINATING OFFICER FOR OUTREACH & BILLY DONLEY, MIDWEST REGIONAL DIRECTOR It’s Molly’s birthday! And you know what goes great with birthday cake? Milk! This year, MACURH is celebrating its 55th anniversary. In the spirit of this occasion, the Regional Board is lighting a candle to usher in a new year for the Midwest.

In the spirit of excitement, MACURH has started reaching out to its members and alumni to join in the celebration! We’ve started new efforts to collect contact information for our alumni, ensuring that they’re able to keep up-to-date with the region. The hope is that these alums are able to connect with and foster growth in the region's current membership, not only by coming home to the FARM, but in everyday interactions that can happen throughout the year!

The Midwest also wants to strengthen ties with these alumni and embrace their experience to better understand the region’s history and traditions. The RBD has been working diligently to better preserve our history by collecting and publishing information in a new regional history book. We’ve also been taking steps to ensure that better records are kept not only of conferences and minutes, but of regional spirit, practices, and efforts.

THE LINK | 7

Additionally, the Midwest is making a final push to strengthen its brand. In the past few years, members of the RBD have made exceptional strides in updating the face of MACURH, and we want to ensure that we are following through with a dedicated effort as we continue to look towards the future. To do this, we’ve not only updated our regional documents, but members of the region have just recently voted to update our regional logo to fit firmly within our branding guidelines.

In the writing of this article, our Director, Billy Donley, said of our efforts, “It’s part of moving forward as a stronger MACURH.” This statement alone reflects every effort the RBD has made in the last few months to make sure all of our institutions are getting the support and development that they deserve. Even though Molly might be getting older, the Midwest is excited to start a new year with our family and welcome new members to the herd!

REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

PEOPLE FIRST: CONNECTING WITH YOUR MEMBERS

BY PATRICK BUSSIERE, SOUTHWEST AFFILIATE COORDINATE OFFICER OF RECOGNITION AND NRHH

"Many people might say that you are a student first, but foremost you are a person first and you cannot preform well if you do not focus on yourself.”

SWACURH has been given the incredible opportunity of having a tremendous hardworking CO for Presidential Relations such as Connor Dizor for a second term. He has shown outstanding interest in perusing leadership development of his presidents and helping evolve them into impactful student leaders on campus. He has continually focused on the personal development within his presidents through showing true compassion for their well-being through reminding them that they are always a person first.

Being the CO-PR, Connor coordinates chats and the boardroom with his presidents and offers his presidents two chats that provide critical and crucial information. He hosts a “Coffee with the CO-PR” which allows presidents to lead roundtable discussions and develop leadership skills such as delegation, communication, and most importantly confidence. Through leading these roundtables presidents are able to develop their skills and be able to preform to their optimal ability. Furthermore, he extends a guiding hand through president chats and including a Leadership Development task that focuses on the leadership style of each president and how to make that applicable in all situations.

THE LINK | 8

Connor also firmly believes in leading through individualization and strengthening ones’ skills. Through always providing a resource, a helping hand, and open communication to his presidents he serves, he builds an incredibly unique bond with them. As one of his fellow COs I hold an incredible amount of respect and admiration for his hard work and dedication to his presidents and cannot wait to see him grow even more this year.

THE NACURH CORPORATE OFFICE

LEADERSHIP AWAITS.

The NACURH Corporate Office, which handles all of NACURH’s administrative affairs is up for bid at the upcoming annual conference. Consider the benefits of the office being hosted at your institution!

We are all LEADers

L.E.A.D. LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

LEAD is a program designed to promote and recognize the outstanding achievements of residence hall student leaders throughout their collegiate and NACURH career. By completing LEAD, individuals may earn their NACURH Links.

Residence hall students at NACURH affiliated institutions are eligible to participate. The link to the website and the submission form can be found at lead.nacurh.org. Congratulations to Tyler Sherman, Stephanie Oldano, and Meg Freeman, who all received their Third Link at the NACURH Annual Conference.

To submit your links, go to nacurh.org/lead Questions? Email lead@nacurh.org THE LINK | 9

THE NACURH CORPORATE OFFICE

AFFILIATE.

BY REGEN SMITH, NACURH CORPORATE OFFICE COORDINATING OFFICER FOR MARKETING So you want to affiliate with NACURH to reap the benefits and develop as a leader?

Well we have some helpful tips that will help save you from any lost sleep over affiliating! First, it is important to point out that all of the steps can be found at nacurh.org/joinus , under the Steps to Join Us tab.

Second, it is important to get all of our parts of the affiliation in order before you start the process, it makes it so much easier if your RFI, census questions answered, and all NRHH things are in one spot since you have to upload them when you begin the affiliation process.

What is an RFI (Resource File Index)? An RFI is a document that contains an program or activity that your school did in the last year or can also be a Regional or NACURH level bid, all appropriate topics can be found on the website. It is important to note that this document should be at least 5 pages long, PDF format, and be in compliance with all of the requirements stated on the website. You can submit the RFI at step one while you begin the affiliation process.

If your school has not affiliated with NACURH in the last three years, you do not have to submit an RFI, but do need to email nco_rha@nacurh.org with your school name, region, and that you are a new affiliate so that will be exempt for the year.

NACURH passed the idea to have a census questions to better understand and help the organization as a whole.

Answering this questions takes place after you have submitted the required documents. This year we will have the general housing, RHA related questions, and as well as the NRHH specific questions. The NRHH Census questions can be accessed by clicking here.

NRHH has a few more things to complete in order to be fully completed.

THE LINK | 10

In addition to the NRHH census questions, NRHH representatives will need to submit their NRHH Constitution and the Members List for the 2016-2017 year.

All constitutions must meet the requirements of the NRHH Constitution Checklist found here. If you are a new affiliate for NRHH you can submit your initiatives in place of the Members List. These documents need to be submitted to through the website when you are you are going through the affiliating process. It is important to submit these before your regional conference if you want to have voting rights in board room as the AD for NRHH has to approve the constitution.

If you or your school has any questions when affiliating please feel to reach out to me at nco_nrhh@nacurh.org!

We are excited to have you affiliate with us and I hope these insights help your process go a little smoother.

ON CAMPUS MARKETING

WE’RE HOME FROM OUR REGIONAL CONFERENCE… NOW WHAT?

BY ANGELA POWELL AND SCOTT SINGLETON ON CAMPUS MARKETING, NACURH CORPORATE PARTNER Conference season is right around the corner. RHA’s and NRHH Chapters are getting their delegations pulled together and planning for a great conference.

What is it that makes a conference great?

Of course there is the fun surrounding the conference; the prep meetings, the van rides, taking and posting all kinds of photos, cheering at opening ceremonies and celebrating award winners at the closing banquet. But among all the fun are so many valuable lessons and tools to be utilized by delegates when they return to their home campuses!! That’s the key . . . everyone returns to their home campus with valuable experience that lives on after the conference and makes NACURH a valuable part of your RHA and NRHH. How does a group keep the NACURH spirit alive once they’ve returned home? What can you as leaders do to support the on-going learning from conferences? They say there is no ‘I’ in Team, but here are three ‘I’s’ that can help you make the most of your conference experience.

Inspire Others Think about the conference as you might think of the last best movie you saw. You can’t help but tell others about it. Treat your conference experience the same way. Share what you learned from programs and have hall and group mates that weren’t able to go brainstorm how ideas shared at the conference can be adapted to work on your campus. Inspiring others also lets the group know that it is ok to share ideas.

Traditions are great, but generating new ideas creates the traditions of tomorrow.

THE LINK | 11

Involve Others Don’t allow others to feel left out! Encourage delegates that attended the conference to share their experience at your next meeting. Each week, pick a topic and have a member speak about that topic and share what came out of the RLC. Try to mix the fun with more serious topics. This will show the group the variety of learning that took place, as well as speak to your members’ interests. A program on ice breakers can be great fun for all, but a session on sustainability might spark a new initiative for your campus.

Initiate Ideas Getting back to campus and catching up on work and classes, it becomes easy to put ideas on the back burner. On your van ride home or while you are waiting for your flight, pick one or two ideas that seem to click with your group and commit to initiating plans to share and implement them on your campus. As an additional bonus from initiating an idea, you can reach out to the school/person that shared this information at the conference and stay connected. Connecting with others is a key component of NACURH. The ‘I’s’ have it!! These are a few ways that your delegation can keep the NACURH spirit alive following your Regional Leadership Conference. Have fun exchanging new ideas with your regional compadres!

IT’S ON US

It’s On Us, NACURH. Take the pledge at itsonus.org.

THE LINK | 12

STRATEGIC PLANNING

for the honorary

BY AARON RINGSBY NACURH ASSOCIATE FOR NRHH PHOTO CREDIT: NATHAN TACK

NRHH STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE My name is Aaron Ringsby, and I currently serve as the NACURH Associate for NRHH. As many of you know, NACURH entered an intense strategic planning phase where every aspect of the corporation is being evaluated and improved upon. This began with the implementation of the NACURH Strategic Plan in the 2015-2016 affiliation year, and is continuing with the implementation of regional and NRHH strategic plans in the 2016-2017 affiliation year.

This year is the first year of implementation for the NRHH Strategic Plan, and I am happy to report that the NRHH National Board (NNB) is hard at work to fully implement the first year of the NRHH Strategic Plan. This year focuses mostly on building a basis for NRHH to grow upon by improving and creating NRHH services. Specifically, we are focusing on NRHH Membership and OTMs this year.

For NRHH Membership, we are evaluating the NRHH membership statuses as well as researching the feasibility of an NRHH Member Database. The NRHH Census is our foundation for how well the NRHH membership statuses are working. After all regional conferences are completed, the NNB will examine the data, and at the NACURH SemiAnnual Conference will propose and needed changes to the statuses. These proposed changes will be discussed at regional business conferences, edited, and then finalized at NACURH 2017. As for the NRHH Database, specific members of the NNB are looking at possible hosts for the database. After we look at hosts, we will examine cost feasibility and analyze next moves.

For OTMs, we currently are assigning NRHH members to an OTM Database Evaluation and OTM Category Evaluation task force. These task forces will release and analyze assessments on the functionality of the OTM Database and the effectiveness of the OTM categories,

THE LINK | 14

respectively. After examining feedback, both taskforces will identify key changes that need to take place to ensure for the success of the OTM program. Based off of these changes, conversations and legislation will take place to implement these changes.

“NACURH is shifting to value assessment driven changes, and as a branch of NACURH, NRHH is as well.�

Although the current plan seems somewhat vague, it is important that we are going into these assessments with an open mind. NACURH is shifting to value assessment driven changes, and as a branch of NACURH, NRHH is as well. The key component of the success of these changes is this assessment data, so it is imperative that you take these assessments and encourage other people within your region to take them too. The larger the population of our assessment, the more accurate our results will be. Be on the lookout later this year for these assessments for you to participate in!

I am very excited to see how NRHH will grow in the coming years, and I know that as NRHH advances on the NACURH level, all of our chapters will further establish themselves.

With Diamond Love,

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016

NACURH & BEYOND

NACURH 2016 AWARD RECIPIENTS FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE AWARD Geneva Magsino | Case Western Reserve University STUDENT OF THE YEAR Jared Kimbrell | Oklahoma State University NRHH MEMBER OF THE YEAR Monica Maly | University of Colorado Boulder NACURH ADVISOR OF THE YEAR Eli Trenado | Texas State University NACURH PRESIDENT OF THE YEAR Katie Bartel | The University of British Columbia NACURH NCC OF THE YEAR Becca Lynch | Arizona State University

2015 NRHH DIAMOND AWARDS Kaylee Boice Ashleigh Bowers Brendan Cody Sara Collins William Hsu Meaghan Shaw Aspen Shackleford STARS COLLEGE HONORARIUMS Hannah Aksamit | University of Arizona Sara Collins | University of New Mexico Rebecca Smith | University of Northern Colorado Kenton Westerfield | University of Northern Colorado

NACURH OTM TRAVELING AWARD University of California, San Diego

NACURH ADVANCEMENT SOCIETY INDUCTEES Nathan Tack Rachel Zolotarsky Ethan Schwarten Breta Moore

2015 NACURH/ACUHO-I PROGRAM OF THE YEAR AWARD Colorado School of Mines

NACURH SERVICE AWARD Jacob Crosetto Danielle Melidona

NACURH OUTSTANDING ADVOCACY INITIATIVE New York University

KEN STONER DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Dan Ocampo

NRHH BUILDING BLOCK CHAPTER OF THE YEAR University of Arizona

GOLD PINS Kenneth Hughes Danielle Melidona Jacob Crosetto Kaley Van Zile Ethan Schwarten Abbas Hill Molly McKinstry Justin M.G. Schwendeman

NACURH BUILDING BLOCK RHA OF THE YEAR University of Nebraska at Omaha OUTSTANDING NRHH CHAPTER OF THE YEAR University of California, San Diego NACURH SCHOOL OF THE YEAR Towson University

THE LINK | 16

NACURH 2017 CONFERENCE HOST Purdue University

NACURH & BEYOND

STRATEGIC PLAN | YEAR TWO

BY SHANNON MULQUEEN, NACURH CHAIRPERSON

The 2016-2017 affiliation marks the beginning of the second year of implementation of NACURH’s Strategic Plan. The purpose of the NACURH Strategic Plan is to provide a clear direction for the future of the corporation and demonstrate further commit to providing residence hall leaders with the skills and resources to foster engaged communities and create positive impact. NACURH is a continuously growing corporation, and it is important to ensure that we are actively working for present and future success.

One of the largest facets of Year Two is the implementation of regional strategic plans.

Throughout the 2015-2016 affiliation year, regional leadership was tasked with creating a region specific strategic plan to set the course for the upcoming years. This implementation begins in 2016-2017.

Member schools will be able to see the advancements and changes made to regional practices, and we encourage you to reach out to NACURH & Regional Leadership if you have any questions or would like to learn more about each affiliate’s strategic plan.

On the NACURH level, we are tasked with fulfilling ten major tasks, in addition to any tasks remaining from Year One. These tasks are listed below.

• • • • • • • • • •

Evaluate executive roles and titles Develop accountability methods Implement transition methods Develop practices to support RHA presidents Introduce leadership development funds Develop conference sponsorship practices NACURH corporate partners Increase capital gains Increase cross-regional networking Implement standard social media accounts Transition NACURH Corporate Office

THE LINK | 17

At this point, we have made progress on the majority of these ten goals, and all are projected to be completed by the close of the affiliation year.

NACURH level task forces have been assigned to focus on corporate structure, cross-regional networking, financial procedures, and RHA President role. Many other aspects of the strategic plan will be addressed in discussion surrounding the implementation of new policies and procedures at the Semi Annual Business meeting in January. The NACURH Corporate Office transition is in process and will continue throughout the bid process for the new host site of the NACURH Corporate Office. NACURH has already entered new corporate partnerships and business relationships with relevant companies and is currently exploring more options to benefit our member schools.

The implementation of the Strategic plan will continue through 2018. During the 2017-2018 year, the 2019-2022 strategic plan will be established for NACURH leadership based off of assessment outcomes and current corporate direction.

If anyone has any questions about the NACURH Strategic Plan, it can be found in entirety on the NACURH website under the ‘About’ tab. You can also feel free to reach out to any member of the NACURH Executive Team with questions or comments.

NACURH & BEYOND

TIMELINE | 2015 - 2018

! ere H re

A We

http://www.nacurh.org/strategic THE LINK | 18

REGIONAL HAPPENINGS

CAACURH BUDDIES & OHANAS

BY CLAUDINE MCKINNEY & NICOLE MACHOVINA, CENTRAL ATLANTIC AFFILIATE COORDINATING OFFICE FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATING OFFICER FOR NRHH

As said in Lilo and Stitch, “Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”

The first-year of implementation of the Central Atlantic Strategic Plan called for the review and reorganization of our Buddy Schools system. In the Central Atlantic region, we have a very unique and honestly, fun way of grouping our member schools to initiate and encourage cross-regional communication. This year, a group of us worked so incredibly hard to ensure we were being as intentional as possible, and not cutting any corners to restructure our Buddy School systems.

In addition to Buddy Schools, we have Ohana’s which are groups of member schools who work together for challenges that ultimately lead to collaboration and Paw Points.

Following a meeting via Zoom, we hit the ground running with new ideas and generating our new system. Our system is now a three-tier design, which also includes an old initiative that was made new, RBD Buddy Schools. Each member of the Regional Board of Directors was assigned with an even number (6-8) schools within the region. As the RBD member, we act as the “link” for any questions and support our buddy schools may need. The second tier is the Institutional Buddy Schools. RBD Members buddy schools were paired up with each other to give schools contact with another institution close-by in location, who

THE LINK | 19

can also provide support, ideas, and experience.

Finally, two RBD members were assigned to an Ohana. We paired RBD members who were not close-by in location so even though there were schools close by in each Ohana, there were also schools from other parts of the region. We hope that Ohana’s will be used to collaborate with members of the region and help each other solve problems that may arise in their respective RHA and/or NRHH Chapters.

Over the past month, we have been working hard to get these initiative off the ground and streamline them in an organized way; a way that gives representatives a chance to connect and feel supported as they begin the year. The initiative will not stop at the beginning, we have so many plans to continue to keep these thriving throughout the year.

So far, the initiative has proven to be beneficial and representatives are thankful for the support they are receiving from their RBD Buddies, Buddy Schools, and their Ohana. We look forward to continuing the implementation of this three-tiered system and seeing how our member schools benefit from it.

NACURH & BEYOND

LOCKED UP AND AWAY: THE IRONY OF SERVING STUDENTS

BY REBECCA SMITH, INTERMOUNTAIN AFFILIATE DIRECTOR

It can be all too easy to lock ourselves away in our offices or our rooms and dedicate our nights, early mornings, and weekends to our work as student leaders. There are times where we sit down to answer one email and look up three hours later, not realizing we forgot to eat dinner. One of the beautiful faults we sometimes have as student leaders is that our passion for serving students can sometimes ironically keep us away from them.

We talk all the time about work-life-student-person balance, and I think it’s safe to say we all know we can improve on this. Yet, how often is it that our selfcare time involves us being in our rooms watching Netflix or catching up on homework we didn’t do the week before? How often do we attend our campus programs or sit in the common spaces with residents during our free time? How many of those times are we “required” to attend? I’ve personally found it interesting that the more I become involved with my campus, the region, or NACURH, the less time I spend with students .

Many of us within NACURH hold several roles as student leaders, from resident assistants, to executive board members, Fraternity and Sorority Life leaders, Student Activities coordinators, and many more. Within these roles, we may talk with students and meet with students, but we don’t always spend time with students. This is a balance we should be aware of. In order to serve our students in the best ways that we can, it’s important to keep a balance between serving them and getting to know them.

THE LINK | 20

There is a difference between seeing students in meetings and talking with them in a lounge or over a meal. As student leaders, it is important that we find ways to balance the conversations we have with students in our roles and the conversations we have with students as human beings. This human connection is vital to our success in leadership, and thus their experience as students. Students who connect with other leaders on their campus are more likely to see them as human, and recognize that they matter even if they aren’t part of a specific organization. Connections create buy-in.

True connections also help make the work of a student leader easier. Sure, talking to a resident over cookies and milk won’t decrease the number of emails you have to respond to, but it adds humanity back into the work that we do. By spending time with residents, we are engaging in a direct reminder as to why we spend hours on end staring into the abyss of our computers, and why that matters. Making relationships with students outside of our roles as student leaders or outside of our organizations helps us feel human too. By seeing the impacts of what we do first hand, it helps give us energy to keep going.

While the work we do answering emails, sitting in meetings, and writing documents is important and valuable, we can’t lose the relationships we have with the students we are working so incredibly hard for.

So the next time a resident invites you to play a board game or go for a walk take the challenge and go. Make the cognitive effort to talk to students outside of your role (or roles) on campus, and remember what it’s like to be human.

SHOW US WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF

BID FOR PROGRAM OF THE YEAR NACURH/ACUHO-I Daniel Silver 2017 Program of the Year Applications Now Available!

Applications & Bids Due | Due Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016 @ 11:59PM EST Contact Christina Aichele, NACURH Conference Resource Consultant, at crc@nacurh.org with any questions!

NACURH & BEYOND

PRIORITIZING EDUCATION [AS A STUDENT LEADER]

BY ROBERT DUNN, PACIFIC AFFILIATE DIRECTOR We are STUDENT Leaders.

To every student leader out there, I would like to say thank you. Thank you for all the hard work you put into your campus. Each time you host a program, post a banner or update a social media status for your RHA/NRHH, you are making a student’s college experience unforgettable.

Often times, student leaders have more than one involvement. We just happen to love overworking ourselves and feeling like we are a part of our greater community. But with more commitments, there is less time for classes or self-care.

A friend once asked me to count the time per week I spend on academics (28), Sleep (42), and work (20).

That was already alarming because I realized I was not getting enough rest. Then she asked me to count how many hours I spend on my extracurricular activities, and I could not. She asked me, “Are you worthy?” It is hard for many student leaders to pinpoint a number because we are constantly working on our projects. We might be in class when a program idea pops in our head or walking back to our res hall while typing an email on our phone. We might even be lying in bed for sleep while reviewing the logistics for an event. But at the end of the day, I am not valuing myself enough as an individual to also dedicate a certain portion of my life to extracurriculars as I do for the rest of my life.

THE LINK | 22

“I have allowed my passions to invade other crucial aspects of my life, especially my classes” In college, it is easy to skip one or two classes, especially when attendance is not mandatory. We might skip a class to attend a program or work a shift at a booth and justify it by equating it to a sick day.

That is not ok.

You can be in lecture, taking notes on your computer when you notice an email from an officer. An email should not take more than five or ten minutes so you decide to answer it in your fifty-minute lecture class.

In reality though, you just missed 10-20% of a class distracted. That is not ok.

When you get back home, you sit down at your desk, and instead of studying, you work on a flyer for the upcoming passive program your RHA is working on.

Even though there is a test in a week and every minute counts. That is not ok.

We need to remember that as student leaders, we are students first. The work we do in our extracurriculars is important but we would not even be here if it were not for our education. We need to reflect and protect our right to focus in class and get a good night’s rest. If you are passionate in your extracurriculars, you will always do a great job. But you can always do better when your mind has less stress and a little more rest.

NACURH & BEYOND

EQUIP RESIDENTS WITH THE TOOLS OF SUCCESS

BY TERRENCE BENARD, TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY

A primary goal of each Residence Hall Association executive board is to ensure that the residents are comfortable enough in their living space to survive the ups and downs of the academic year. Through a program entitled “Live and Learn with RHA & NRHH,” Texas Woman’s University did just that.

I sat down in the spring, prior to getting to work on fall programming, and asked first year students why or why they hadn’t decided to get involved with organizations on campus. I continued to get one response, “I didn’t know how, or who to talk to.”

Freshman year is where the spark is lit to build a flame of leadership, organization dedication, resource understanding, and housing connectivity.

How do we go about providing first year students with the tools to better prepare them for life as residents, and ultimately life as students?

“Live and Learn with RHA and NRHH,” was our solution. A one and a half hour interactive seminar involving segments dedicated to time management, resource understanding, and housing recognition.

Students were lead through an activity challenging them to complete a series of tasks in 30 seconds without any background knowledge in how to do so; surprise no one finished. The activity showed students that planning ahead always pays off in the end, especially in matters of academic and social success.

The following segment was dedicated to residents identifying members of housing, roommates, and peers as resources. We thought it vital to make sure that residents were aware that resources don’t

always come in the form of buildings, but also as real life people ready to assist.

Housing recognition was the focus of our last segment. The ability to identify who the Resident Assistants, Peer Advisers, Student Managers, and Residence Directors are is almost a must, essentially because, these people are your next door neighbors, your future friends, your classmates, and your first cheerleaders on the university’s campus. All of them want you to succeed, and will always be a listening ear to any issues or concerns you may have housing wise, and personally.

The title “Live and Learn with RHA & NRHH,” screams one main principle, equality. Residents were informed from the very moment they stepped into the seminar that we are all just like them. We’ve all been in their shoes at some point, and we encouraged them to take the opportunity to equip themselves with the tools we’ve provided, and then turn around next fall and help someone else do the same.

“Live and Learn with RHA & NRHH,” is a seminar that can be tailored and designed to fit the needs of the residents that live and learn in your halls. This is where the level comfort is built, in making sure you are available to assist them as they continue their year of growth. Allow your residents to grow with you, allow your residents to “Live and Learn” with you.

PHOTO CREDIT: NACURH 2014

THE LINK | 23

NACURH & BEYOND

SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMMING

BY ELLA AZOULEY AND COLLIN HOWARD, NORTHEAST AFFILIATE AND COORDINATING OFFICER FOR PROGRAMMING RESOURCES AND ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR NRHH The purpose of campus programming is threefold: community and individual development, introduction of skills or services, and creation of safer spaces.

These three purposes entail many specific benefits for residents, and meaningful programming is of great value. But while NACURH understands “why” we program, it’s equally important to understand “how” to implement a program. Specifically, how can we follow standard practices to sustain student leadership in an environmentally conscious way?

Given widespread agreement among the scientific community that climate change is not only anthropogenic in cause but alarming in nature, developing sustainable practices is more crucial now than ever before. This is no less true for student leaders; we claim to represent a well-informed, culturally and environmentally aware future citizenry.

What future will we inherit if the oceans are overflowing with plastic refuse and wildlife dies off faster than bioengineering can counteract? Do we want to live in a world where the effects of climate change kill thousands annually – and disproportionately the indigent and marginalized at that? In such a future, our values of preservation and justice are at grave risk.

In order to conduct sustainable programming, and thereby role-model sensible practices for participants, one must undertake three initiatives, commonly espoused by environmentalists but rarely applied to programming: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

First, reduce. Eradicate wherever possible the use of Styrofoam, plastics, glass, and other disposable items. Styrofoam and plastic in particular can take 500 years or more to decompose, or never degrade at all.

When these sit in landfills for centuries, they contaminate water supplies and contribute to the THE LINK | 24

production of greenhouse gases like methane.

Additionally, the main ingredient of these items is petroleum, the drilling for which has major environmental consequences of its own. Avoiding such products altogether decreases demand, telling corporations to adjust their supply.

Also avoid foods that have a large carbon footprint, such as meats and dairy. Substitute these with plantbased alternatives, such as salads, quinoa, and vegan or vegetarian dishes (like pizza, pasta, or nonEuropean cuisines for meals, and chips or vegetables for snacks). Reducing supply and food waste has a major positive environmental impact.

Re-use also has its benefits. If funding permits, provide your community with reusable bottles, utensils, bowls, and plates early on; if not, ask program attendees to bring their own. Reuse is straightforward: reuse whatever supplies you can instead of repurchasing them every year or before every conference, and laminate name placards to encourage preservation.

Finally, be sure not only to provide recycling bins, but also to encourage program participants to recycle.

Recycling, however, should only be emphasized when the item in question cannot be reduced or reused in the first place.

We encourage you to conduct your own research on the matter. In most cases, sustainable practices and alternatives either are the same price as current practices, or require a larger initial investment but have a more than compensatory return. When it comes to our environment, it is imperative to avoid the term “try” and implement sustainable practices in our programming as soon as possible.

NACURH & BEYOND

GENDER INCLUSIVE BATHROOMS

BY MATT BOURKE, RHA PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA For the past month, many who work in or with the University of Missouri’s Department of Residential Life or RHA have had an email containing the subject line with the variation of one word pinned to their inbox: “Bathrooms.” No, it isn’t because there’s a toilet on the third floor of Schurz Hall that’s clogged; it’s because of the newest form of branding that was given to some restrooms maintained by ResLife and Campus Dining Services.

Over the summer, the aforementioned departments made updates to twenty public-facing, singleoccupancy restrooms—ones containing a single sink, toilet, and a lockable door—to change the signage from “Men” and “Women” to “Toilet.” This change came from conversations with representatives of RHA and the Missouri Students Association (MSA), MU’s undergraduate student government, on how to make the living and learning spaces on campus more inclusive to those of differing gender identities. In addition, all new residence hall construction with single-occupancy restrooms containing toilet and shower fixtures will be labeled as “Shower.”

Since 2008, housing environments have used the term “Unisex” for single toilet, shower, and sink restrooms, which representatives asked to change and the department accepted. The reason the words “Toilet” and “Shower” were chosen, as opposed to something the university had used before such as “Unisex” or “Gender-Inclusive,” is because these words eliminate gender from the equation; it doesn’t matter how one identifies, what matters is that you’re a person who needs to use a bathroom. The other benefit of “Toilet” and “Shower” is they both comply with MU standards stating that all restrooms must include signage, a corresponding pictogram, and corresponding braille—all of which these terms can have. Because of this, the terms were agreed to for use in Residential Life facilities.

THE LINK | 25

With change comes backlash. Mizzou has recently received flack from a variety of reporting sources, stating our focuses should be redirected from making spaces inclusive to worrying about the current fiscal issues at hand. Arguments have been sprung left and right that our money is being wasted on a minuscule population that “should be just fine.”

Much of this controversy comes from a place of misunderstanding, specifically where the money to fund this program is coming from. During the spring of last semester, MSA requested $4,000 to be spent on updates to signage of single-occupancy restrooms from our Student Fee Capital Improvement Committee (SFCIC), which oversees distribution of designated student funds with the goal of addressing student-initiated improvements to the university. This request was granted and an immediate $1,000 was sent to Residential Life. Gendered, public singleoccupancy restrooms built or renovated between 2004-2008, as well as one dining hall, experienced a change from a gendered sign to a “Toilet” sign.

Concurrently, Campus Dining Services funded replacement signs at four additional gendered restrooms. In all new building construction since the decision to change signage, Residential Life has incurred the cost and will continue to do so, just as it would to put up signs saying “Men,” “Women,” or “Unisex.” Another misconception has been that they are replacing signs that state “Unisex,” which is not the case as the group asking for change felt that these changes were not immediately necessary, nor fiscally responsible, as they are more inclusive than the specifically-gendered spaces.

The University of Missouri’s Division of Student Affairs and student governments are committed to ensuring all students feel they can be themselves in the spaces provided, this was just one necessary step in the right direction.

ALUMNI CORNER

LIFE AFTER NACURH

BY SAMANTHA STRAZANAC, 2010 ALUMNA OF WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

As hard as it is to believe, there is life after college and a world outside of NACURH. While it can be sad to imagine a world without NACURH and conferences, the truth is that everything you learn from it can be applied to the world outside of college. If you use what you learn each day, then you’ll never really leave the life of residential living and those experiences gained during your time in college.

“The lessons I learned while with NACURH may be different from yours, but the principles and applications are the same.”

I graduated from Western Carolina University of the SAACURH region in 2010 and while I haven’t been in a residential living building or conference since, I use what I learned in my experiences with SAACURH and NACURH as a tool for my success today and would honestly not be where I am with my business and my life without what I learned from the residential living world.

hours writing bids and proposals to ensure they were perfect for boardroom and conferences sessions. I learned to pick my battles when it came to roommate issues, I learned to analyze situations for the best solution and I learned that sometimes you just can’t win. In the end, you may not remember every conference session you attend and you may not remember the legislations you voted for, but you’ll remember other things that matter more. You remember how to respect other’s opinions, how to appreciate those who are different from you and you’ll always have a kind and encouraging phrase or even cheer to brighten up someone’s day.

For me, NACURH was my college experience and I can’t imagine what my life would have turned out like had I not been a part of it. I won the First Year Experience Award for SAACURH, was NCC for 2 years, co-chaired the state conference (NCARH) my freshman year and even served 2 years on the state board. I created the NACURH National Conference Scholarship and was inducted into the Alumni and Friends of NACURH (AAFN) my junior year by the National Board. I learned more leadership skills from working with a team and spending long hours in boardroom than any leadership book I read for class.

Patience, organization, time management and compromise are probably the top 4 skills I learned in my 4 years in school and all those skills came from NACURH and my residential living experiences.

The lessons I learned while with NACURH may be different from yours, but the principles and applications are the same. I had to room with people I didn’t like, I had advisors who never put me on their favorite student list and I spent

THE LINK | 26

When you tell a potential employer specific examples of conflict resolution, proposal and bid writing and even public speaking experiences your empty resume no longer seems so empty and you will become a much more valuable candidate for jobs because of your NACURH experiences. Don’t discrete NACURH as simply an extra curricular activity, it is far more than that and you will only learn how valuable NACURH is once you use it as a building block to your success. Happy goal setting!

ALUMNI CORNER

NACURH VOTES

BY JACOB CROSETTO, CITY TREASURER AND CITY CLERK, REEDSBURG, WI; NACURH ASSOCIATE FOR FINANCE 2015-2016; GLACURH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION 2013-2015

The 2016 Presidential Election could possibly be one the most consequential elections of our lifetime. There are many things at stake, as the next President will likely nominate two or more Supreme Court Justices, potentially swaying the balance of the High Court for the next twenty-plus years, as well as the Executive actions of President Obama that could be in limbo. These include the Iran nuclear deal, climate agreement, gunsafety changes, and requirements of companies that do business with the federal government to pay a minimum wage of $10.10 per hour and barring them from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, just to name a few. Additionally, it is not unrealistic that the Senate may be split 50-50 after the election, leaving the next Vice President to have the tiebreaking vote. These are just a few of the changes that are at stake when you are considering your decision.

Regardless of your feelings on any of the above, it is your civic duty to vote and express your opinion. Voting is privilege that was long-fought for many demographics and it is privilege that not all people have.

When looking at 2014, 21% of the eligible voting population was between 18 and 29, while only 17% of cast a ballot. Nearly two million Americans between 18 and 24 didn’t know how to vote, where to go, or what the deadlines were to register (Campus Vote Project, 2016).

THE LINK | 27

So why should you, as a college student, vote?

1. No one else votes with college students in mind.

That’s changed slightly there year, but key demographics for voters typically exclude college students. However, there are 44 million college-aged people eligible to vote!

2. Millennial voters are more diverse than any constituency. 61% white, 17% Hispanic, 15% black, and 4% Asian, with 3% of other races.

3. The youth can make – and has made – the difference in close elections. In 2004, senior voters only outpaced the youth vote by 2.2 million. In 2006, over 5 states in Senate and House races were decided by the number of millennial voters.

4. Within the next 4 years, do you plan to get a job, own or rent a home, get married, start a family, pay for healthcare, or start a business? Chances are, yes.

The people who you entrust with your support will decide policies that dictate your life after and during college.

5. 48 states are still spending less on students than there were pre-recession. Additionally, college tuition has increased by 28% on average for public institutions just since 2007.

PHOTO CREDIT: CANVA

THE NACURH STORE

www.nacurh.org/store

Annual Conference 2017 | MAY 26-28 | Purdue University

P: 424-262-2874

1115 North 16th St, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588

nco@nacurh.org www.nacurh.org

Property of NACURH Inc. All rights reserved.