The Pulse - 2022 Edition

ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFICERS

JUNE 2022

T H E

OACUHO PULSE ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE EDITION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2021-2022

PRESIDENT Brian Cunha

MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

University of Toronto Mississauga

Kristen Mendonca

PRESIDENT-ELECT & FINANCE DIRECTOR

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Carleton University

University of Waterloo

PAST-PRESIDENT

ADVANCED MEMBER AT LARGE

Laura Storey

Diane Rawlings

Carleton University

Jenny Tabar

University of Windsor

Melissa Steadman

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

MEMBER AT LARGE

Bianca Anderson

University of Toronto Mississauga

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR Kelsey Doherty Fleming College

CORPORATE PARTNER DIRECTOR Chad McKenzie

Carleton University

Western University

Nethmi Kulatilake York University

MEMBER AT LARGE Megha Manvi University of Toronto Mississauga

ASSOCIATION MANAGER Carol Ford

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Hello OACUHO Colleagues, Welcome, welcome, welcome to the OACUHO Spring Conference! One of the events many of us look forward to every year is finally back in person. I’ve always looked forward to attending the OACUHO Spring Conference since my first attendance at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay in the spring of 2010. It was there that I began to develop my understanding of this unique industry we work in and meet the passionate people that make up OACUHO’s membership. If you’ve attended an OACUHO Spring Conference in the past, you’re probably like me, excited for a sense of normalcy, seeing colleagues you haven’t seen in person for years, and sharing and receiving valuable information that contributes to the work we do. If this is your first Spring Conference, welcome – we’re so happy to have you here. I recommend you soak up as much knowledge as you have space for, and don’t be afraid to meet someone new from a different college/university and create a new connection. I sat beside someone I didn’t know at the 2010 conference banquet, a friendly guy with a big laugh from Ryerson. 12 years later, he’s now my boss (shout out to Chad Nuttall).

This conference will be different than we’ve seen in previous years for obvious reasons. However, this is an opportunity to reinvent and redevelop ourselves, our departments, and this association. As President of OACUHO, it was important for me to understand how our industry has changed throughout the pandemic and what are the major issues we need to address moving forward. I feel that it’s OACUHO’s responsibility to help uncover these issues and create space for our members to work together to develop strategies to solve them. In February, OACUHO administered a Check In Survey to help the Board of Directors get a pulse on understanding barriers to sustaining our housing operations and barriers to retaining housing professionals in the field. We received approximately 150 responses and noticed many trends including on call challenges, workload/boundaries, and career progression barriers especially for equity deserving individuals. In April, I hosted The State of Our Profession panel discussion with industry leaders to insight a discourse on the trends presented from the survey, and to shed light on the challenges our industry has faced in the last few years. Now that the aggregate data from the survey has been shared widely to the association, we are continuing the State of Our Profession series at the Spring Conference. I will be hosting a two-part series that focuses on three of the major themes we uncovered from the Check In Survey. These themes are: on call capacity, burnout and understaffing, and mobility for BIPOC staff. During the conference we will unpack the data from the Check In Survey and have three panels addressing the themes listed. We hope that you will be able to attend and contribute to this important conversation.

I would be remiss if I didn’t end my presidency without highlighting the support and guidance I’ve received from two remarkable leaders in our field, Diane Rawlings and Laura Storey. These two women (like many women in our field) have provided me with incredible insight, experience, and knowledge as I navigated this tumultuous year of my presidency. I also want to thank the OACUHO Board of Directors, who continuously championed OACUHO projects, initiatives, and our members. Lastly, thank you to the wonderful support and engagement from you, our members. We’ve have shown exceptional resilience the last few years and I truly believe that OACUHO is a place where we can continue to support one another and lift our industry and field up from the unprecedented repercussions of this pandemic.

Respectfully yours, Brian Cunha President, OACUHO

WELCOME TO UOTTAWA! OACUHO SPRING CONFERENCE 2022 On behalf of the OACUHO 2022 Spring Conference Organizing Committee and the University of Ottawa, we would like to welcome you to what promises to be an exciting return to in person learning and networking for housing professionals. We are eager to welcome you to our campus this June and look forward to seeing many familiar faces and even more new faces.

The theme for this year’s conference, « Nous Nous Reconnectons ! » | “We Reconnect!”, is centred around encouraging OACUHO members from all functional areas of housing to share ideas, successes, challenges, best practices, and even thought-provoking questions that don’t yet have answers. OACUHO Spring Conference is one of the largest opportunities for us to connect as an association, and we look forward to creating space for learning, networking, growing and fun to take place.

We have an incredible line up of keynote speakers and learning experiences and there is a little something for everyone this year, whether you work in assignments, residence life, business operations, residence education or facilities.

On the fun side (not that learning isn’t fun!), we can’t wait to explore all that Ottawa has to offer with you. The underlying theme of the conference this year will be “disconnect to reconnect” and we might become stranded on a deserted island together. Cue Gilligan’s Island theme music now....

Take care and see you soon!

Julie Tam and Ariane Thibault Co-Chairs, OACUHO 2022 Spring Conference Organizing Committee

TUESDAY JUNE 21

WEDNESDAY JUNE 22

THURSDAY JUNE 23

BREAKFAST 7:00AM - 9:00AM

BREAKFAST 7:00AM - 9:00AM

OPENING KEYNOTE 9:00AM - 10:00AM

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 9:00AM - 11:00AM

BREAK 10:00AM-10:30AM

HOT TOPICS IN HOUSING 10:30AM - 11:30AM

BREAK 11:00AM - 11:30AM

HOT TOPICS IN HOUSING 11:30AM - 12:30AM LUNCH 11:30AM 1:00PM

CHECK IN 12:00PM - 6:00PM

SENIOR HOUSING OFFICER CALL 11:30AM 1:00PM

CONCURRENT SESSION 1 1:00PM - 2:00PM

CONCURRENT SESSION 2 2:15PM - 3:15PM NEW DELEGATES RECEPTION 6:00PM - 7:00PM

LUNCH 12:30PM 2:00PM

EXHIBITOR FAIR 12:30PM 2:00PM

CONCURRENT SESSION 3 2:00PM 3:00PM

SHO BUYER'S CLUB 2:00PM 3:00PM

CONCURRENT SESSION 4 3:15PM - 4:15PM

BREAK 3:15PM - 3:45PM

OPENING RECEPTION 7:00PM - 8:00PM

NETWORKING SESSIONS 3:45PM - 4:45PM

SOCIAL 8:00PM - 10:00PM

SOCIAL 7:00PM - 11:00PM

PAST PRESIDENTS' RECEPTION 5:30PM - 6:30PM

BANQUET 6:00PM - 11:00M

FRIDAY JUNE 24 BREAKFAST 7:00AM 9:00AM CONCURRENT SESSION 5 9:00AM 10:00AM

BREAK 10:00AM 10:30AM CLOSING KEYNOTE 10:30AM 11:30AM

BOXED LUNCH 11:30AM12:00PM

CHECKOUT 7:00AM 12:00PM

DR. MIKE DÉGAGNÉ

President & CEO, Indspire Mike DeGagné, President and CEO of Indspire, will be joining our OACUHO conference on June 22nd, delivering a keynote address highlighting the organization's work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students from across Canada. He will be sharing stories from students who have been funded by Indspire, discussing their educational journeys and the various needs for support that exist for all students during their post-secondary studies. As the first Indigenous President at a Canadian university, Dr. DeGagné will share experiences and insights from his time at Nipissing, specifically the role that housing and housing officers play in helping students feel at home and supporting their success.

SAJEL BELLON Sajel Bellon (Ed.D, CTSS) is an Occupational Stress and Trauma Specialist and Mental Health Professional. She is a professional speaker who specializes in the sciences of well-being, human connection, positive transformation and growth for individuals and organizations. Bellon has developed and delivered programs around the globe for a variety of postsecondary institutions and organizations, educating and inspiring others about the benefits of “Co-Creating Cultures that foster Psychological Safety and Connection”, “The Permission to be Human” and “Whole Systems Thinking for Extraordinary Change” to help organizations and families redefine their approach to mental health and its stigma.

HAUNTED WALK OF OTTAWA & PUB NIGHT The outdoor tour that started it all! Follow the guide’s lantern light while listening to the most chilling ghost stories from the area. The Haunted Walk will lead you to some of Ottawa’s spookiest haunted spots, including the Bytown Museum, the Fairmont Château Laurier, and the haunted high school. You will never look at the city and these buildings the same again! A pub night will follow for those who want to unwind after such a frightful experience. We cannot guarantee that you will walk out of there curse free though, so join at your risks and perils!

PAUL’S BOAT LINE – ROUTE CHAMPLAIN As the sun goes down on a beautiful summer day, come share the finest sights along the Ottawa River with Paul’s Boat Line! Board the Paula D. and enjoy a nice cold beverage on the large upper deck while gazing at spectacular views of Parliament Hill, the Ottawa Locks, Rideau Falls, and many more landmarks. Travel back in time and understand what captured Samuel de Champlain’s imagination when he navigated these waters more than 400 years ago!

OT TA WA

WELCOME | BIENVENUE Make the most of your visit, click here for Ottawa's Best Attractions.

OACUHO’S STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR ANTI-RACISM AND INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY – REFLECTIONS & UPDATES OACUHO’s Strategic Imperative for Anti-Racism and Indigenous Sovereignty (SIARIS) serves as a call to action to provide support, accountability and measurability to particular elements of the 2020-23 OACUHO Strategic Plan. With the lens of equity & racial justice, this imperative is designed to advance the key strategies of education, knowledge management and membership engagement with the distinct purpose of moving from words to action.

The core of this work is rooted in OACUHO’s 2018 Ethnic Diversity Report (led by Jenny Tabar, Ife Kolade, Carmen Law and Dirk Rodricks) which provided a seminal and comprehensive collection of the voices regarding the lived experience of BIPOC members of our Association.

With the intent of bringing multiple voices to the table on this effort, in the summer of 2021, we pulled together a group of passionate BIPOC and white-identified colleagues to start this journey together. When we first began thinking about how to make a positive contribution towards anti-racism and Indigenous sovereignty within our association, there were some important things for us to talk through. Many of these early discussions focused on who would be involved, and how we would articulate what we are trying to do. We knew that the language we were using to describe this work would be critical. Language regarding racism and anti-racism is consistently evolving. These concepts can also be deeply personal, and there aren’t necessarily universally accepted definitions. We recognize that the nuances of language can sometimes make it challenging to know how to talk about and engage with these important topics. However, it’s important to make efforts to understand the evolution of relevant terms as it demonstrates respect for others and a commitment to the continual learning process of equity work.

As we began to talk more about this, we felt it was important to establish a shared understanding regarding the keywords which are at the centre of this imperative. For our purposes, we look to the following definitions to guide our work: Anti-racism is the practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures and behaviours that perpetuate systemic racism (Ontario Anti-Racism Secretariat, 2015) Indigenous sovereignty is the right to self-determination for Indigenous peoples as it relates to political status, economic, social and cultural development. (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 2007)

The intent of bringing together BIPOC and white-identified colleagues to this work was intentional. The balance, however, of doing so effectively is something we wanted to pay particular attention to. SIARIS was created under the premise that this type of initiative should be developed with the full and direct participation of our members. Much of our discussions have centred on how BIPOC individuals can leverage their white colleagues and how OACUHO should be encouraging our white members to “take the pressure off” of others by being willing to do the work themselves. Our aim is to balance being a voice of advocacy, while creating space for others with a sense of mutual accountability.

Since its initial inception, this committee, led by Dorcas Mensah and Rachel Cabunoc, has engaged in ongoing consultation with members and has established the following commitments and calls to action: 1. Develop a glossary of terms and resources related to anti-oppression to provide the membership with consistent language and tools 2. Continue the provision of paid roles within OACUHO dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion 3. Regularly collect data regarding membership demographic information These calls to action were presented to the OACUHO Board of Directors in February 2022 and we are excited to present and receive feedback from members on next steps at the 2022 Spring Conference. As a follow-up to the updates provided at the Annual General Meeting, we invite members to join us in conversation throughout the conference as we look forward to having an open discussion regarding your goals or desires as we advance the priorities of SIARIS. All members are welcome and encouraged to join the session titled Strategic Imperative on Anti-Racism and Indigenous Sovereignty: Membership Feedback and Discussion at this year’s Spring Conference.

Throughout the Spring Conference and beyond, our encouragement to our fellow members is to get involved. Consider attending a PD session that challenges you or commit to facilitating a discussion with your colleagues. Take a look at who is engaging in the work around equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization and if there is a role you can play, or if you can take the first step, we encourage you to do so. It’s important to include the voices of those who may be impacted by the work, however privileged allies are integral to the efforts of anti-racism and Indigenous sovereignty. OACUHO’s history has been defined by our ability to come together, build, and share knowledge as a community and we look forward to learning more about the good work happening on each other's home campuses as we build and advance these priorities together.

Rachel Cabunoc Western University rcabunoc@housing.uwo.ca

Chris Lengyell Western University christopher.lengyell@housing.uwo.ca

CONCURRENT SESSION #1

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022 | 1:00PM - 2:00PM CASE MANAGEMENT MODEL SUPPORT OF COMPLEX STUDENT NEEDS IN RESIDENCE JACLYNE MOONEY: UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA IN THE FALL 2021, UOTTAWA LAUNCHED A NEW CASE MANAGEMENT MODEL TO SUPPORT STUDENTS ON CAMPUS. THE MODEL CONSISTS OF A MANAGER AND SIX STUDENT SUPPORT COORDINATORS, WHO OFFER NON-CLINICAL WRAPAROUND CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WITH COMPLEX NEEDS. DURING THIS SESSION, PARTICIPANTS WILL: GAIN UNDERSTANDING INTO THE PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A UNIVERSITY CASE MANAGEMENT MODEL. LEARN ABOUT THE WAYS THAT A UNIVERSITY CASE MANAGEMENT MODEL WORKS TO SUPPORT COMPLEX CASES IN RESIDENCES. PRACTICE PROBLEM SOLVING AND COLLABORATION SKILLS TO WORK ON CASE STUDIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW A CASE MANAGEMENT APPROACH CAN BENEFIT STUDENTS LIVING IN RESIDENCE.

CREATING HISTORY BY SHARING HISTORY: HOW SELF EXPRESSION CREATES SAFE SPACES MERCY AYESHA ALOHAN-EKE: SENECA COLLEGE JULIANNE PETTIGREW AWARD WINNER (RESIDENCE LIFE CONFERENCE 2022) HISTORY IS MADE SINGLE EVERY DAY - IN LOTS OF LITTLE MOMENTS THAT MAKE UP ONE BIG STORY. LET'S CREATE HISTORY BY CREATING PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE SPACES FOR EVERYONE TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL STORIES AND BY SHOWING SOLIDARITY TO OTHERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY DURING THESE SMALL EVERYDAY INTERACTIONS. PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ASKED TO BRING AN OBJECT WITH THEM TO THE PRESENTATION THAT HAS A STORY BEHIND IT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE.

INTO OUR MULTI-VERSE: FRONT DESK TRAINING INTEGRATION JESS HUANG, ALYSSA LATIF & JEN BRYDEN: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA THE MULTIVERSE IS REAL…WHERE RES LIFE, RES EDUCATION, AND RES ADMIN TRAINING CAN CO-EXIST AND THAT’S WHERE WE’RE TAKING YOU! TRAINING STUDENT STAFF IS PIVOTAL TO LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR. OUR TRAINING MODEL ALLOWS FOR ALL STUDENT STAFF IN OUR DEPARTMENT TO GET TO TRAIN TOGETHER IN ORDER TO WEAVE A WEB OF COHESION, TEAM BUILDING, AND PUTTING STUDENTS FIRST. JOIN US AS WE SHARE HOW WE TRAIN OUR FRONT DESK STAFF AND OUR JOURNEY TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. REMEMBER…WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!

REBUILDING IN THE GAPS: UNITED VISIONING THROUGH A CURRICULAR APPROACH SAMANTHA KING & MICHELLE LIDKA: WESTERN UNIVERSITY THIS LEARNING EXPERIENCE SHOWCASES A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO FIRST-YEAR STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH A VARIETY OF CURRICULUM COMPONENTS. USING STORYTELLING AS A TOOL, FACILITATORS WILL USE A MIXED APPROACH OF PRESENTATION AND WORKSHOP STYLE TO ENGAGE HOUSING PROFESSIONALS IN UNDERSTANDING THE WAYS CURRICULUM CAN ADAPT AND EXPAND TO NEW AND EMERGING NEEDS IN OUR STUDENT COMMUNITIES. WITH AN OVERVIEW OF STRATEGIES USED AT OUR INSTITUTION, FACILITATORS WILL ALSO PRESENT A MAP FOR NEXT STEPS IN EFFORTS TO INDIGENIZE AND DECOLONIZE OUR CURRICULUM, DEVELOP A MORE ROBUST SET OF LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR OUR LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITIES, AND SCAFFOLD THE LEARNING OF EQUITY-SEEKING GROUPS.

YOU’RE CANCELLED! MARK MARINER: WESTERN UNIVERSITY | JENNIFER GREENE: WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY CANCEL CULTURE HAS UNDOUBTEDLY ADDED A BARRIER WHEN RESOLVING CONFLICT. NOW MORE THAN EVER, THERE IS A TREND AMONGST OUR STUDENTS TO “CANCEL” SOMEONE INSTEAD OF ENGAGING IN DIALOGUE WHEN THEY ARE IN DISAGREEMENT OR EXPERIENCING CONFLICT. OUR WORKSHOP IS INTENDED TO BE A SPACE WHERE PARTICIPANTS CAN DISCUSS THE DIFFICULTIES THEY HAVE FACED, SHARE IDEAS, LEARN FROM EXPERT FRAMEWORKS AND DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO USE IN THEIR PRACTICE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADDING TO YOUR CONFLICT RESOLUTION TOOLKIT AND OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITY TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE THROUGH HONEST AND RESPECTFUL DIALOGUE, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT OUR WORKSHOP.

CONCURRENT SESSION #2

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022 | 2:15PM - 3:15PM

A REVIEW OF STUDENT STAFF TRAINING ASSESSMENT PRACTICES: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES LEAH WALES, SHAELA JALAVA & KATE MURRAY: QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY LIVE-IN STUDENT STAFF MUST DEMONSTRATE COMPETENCY IN COMMUNITY BUILDING, MAINTAINING SAFETY AND SECURITY, LEADERSHIP, ADMINISTRATION AND MORE. DOES OUR TRAINING PROGRAM PREPARE STUDENT STAFF TO MEET THESE RESPONSIBILITIES? HOW CAN WE ASSESS WHETHER THE TRAINING IS MEETING THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE LAID OUT? WE HIRED A PHD INTERN TO HELP US UNCOVER WHAT WAS WORKING AND WHAT WASN’T WORKING IN OUR TRAINING PROGRAM AND ASSESSMENT FOR LIVE-IN STUDENT STAFF. WE WILL SHARE HOW WE REVIEWED OUR STUDENT STAFF TRAINING PROGRAM, ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CONDUCTED A SECTOR SCAN. WE’LL DISCUSS OUR RESULTS AND PROVIDE SOME TOOLS TO GET YOU STARTED WITH YOUR OWN REVIEW.

IMPLICATIONS OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT TRAUMA IN POST-SECONDARY HOUSING (FLIPPED CLASSROOM) JACOB CLARKE: WESTERN UNIVERSITY THIS SESSION IS DESIGNED FOR HOUSING PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN DEVELOPING TRAUMA INFORMED PROCESSES WITHIN THEIR HOUSING OPERATION. LEADING FROM A PLACE OF EMPATHY, PARTICIPANTS WILL EXAMINE THEIR PROGRAM FROM THE LENS OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMA AND EXPLORE TRAUMA THEORY. OUR AIM IS TO GENERATE NEW WAYS OF THINKING IN RESPONSE TO INCOMING STUDENTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED SOCIETAL TRAUMA. PARTICIPANTS WILL AUDIT PROCESSES AT THEIR INSTITUTION IN THEIR CONGRUENCE TO THE “NATIONAL CHILD TRAUMATIC STRESS NETWORK’S 12 CORE CONCEPTS FOR UNDERSTANDING TRAUMATIC STRESS RESPONSES IN CHILDREN AND FAMILIES” - AVAILABLE TO READ PRIOR TO THE SESSION.

LIVING LEARNING PROGRAM DOMINIQUE DA SILVA & MELISSA PRATT MORGAN: WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY LIVING LEARNING PROGRAMS (LLPS) HAVE EXISTED IN RESIDENCE AND HOUSING SPACES FOR DECADES AND ARE CONSIDERED HIGH-IMPACT PRACTICE (HIP). LLPS ARE KNOWN FOR EASING THE TRANSITION TO POST-SECONDARY DUE TO THE ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF HIPS, WHICH INCLUDES BRINGING TOGETHER STUDENTS WITH SIMILAR INTERESTS, LIKE-MINDED PEERS, INFORMAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH FACULTY PARTNERS, AND A COMMUNITY OF STUDENTS WHO ARE NAVIGATING COMPLEXITIES OF A NEW ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT - LIVING AND LEARNING! WITHIN LAURIER’S DEPARTMENT OF RESIDENCE, OUR LIVING LEARNING PROGRAM INCLUDES RESIDENCE LEARNING COMMUNITIES (RLCS) AND LEARNING CLUSTERS (LCS) AND BRING STUDENTS TOGETHER BY CONNECTING THEM THROUGH A COMMON INTEREST, COURSE, OR PROGRAM. THIS PRESENTATION WILL PROVIDE AUDIENCE WITH LAURIER'S LLP CURRICULUM THROUGHOUT THE ACADEMIC YEAR, ALONG WITH GUIDELINES AND STRATEGIES FOR PROGRAM FACILITATION. IN THE DEPARTMENT OF RESIDENCE, WE FOCUS ON STUDENT LEARNING – EMPOWERING STUDENT STAFF TO SEE THEMSELVES AS EDUCATORS AND CONTRIBUTING TO A STUDENT’S LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

RE-IMAGINING THE RLC ROLE PARMVEER MUNDI, MAURA FRUNZA & BECKY SHILLINGTON: QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY THE DEMANDS ON THE RLC ROLE HAVE INCREASED AS WE TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE EVER-CHANGING NEEDS OF INCOMING STUDENTS AND OUR RESIDENCE LIFE OPERATION. THESE COMPETING PRIORITIES HAVE SHIFTED THE FOCUS OF THE RLC ROLE AWAY FROM COMMUNITY BUILDING AND STUDENT STAFF SUPPORT, ULTIMATELY LEADING TO MANY CHALLENGES. IN 2021, AFTER YEARS OF INCREMENTAL SHIFTS, QUEEN’S DECIDED TO COMPLETELY REIMAGINE THE RLC ROLE TO RE-CONNECT THEM TO OUR STUDENTS, RESIDENCE DONS, AND OUR COMMUNITY. OVER THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE USED MANY TOOLS TO MONITOR OUR SUCCESSES AND AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT AS WE LOOK TO REFINE OUR MODEL.

THE VALUE OF AFFINITY GROUPS HARY SHANMUGANATHAN: CARLETON UNIVERSITY AFFINITY GROUPS HELP CREATE A GENUINE SPACE WHERE STUDENTS SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED. THEY FURTHER PROMOTE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN A PEER-GUIDED ENVIRONMENT. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF AFFINITY GROUPS BY HEARING THE EXPERIENCES OF THIS PROGRAM AT CARLETON UNIVERSITY, HIGHLIGHTING THE SUCCESS AND BARRIERS IMPLEMENTING AFFINITY GROUPS. TAKEAWAY TIPS ON HOW YOUR HOME INSTITUTION COULD INCORPORATE THIS INITIATIVE!

CONCURRENT SESSION #3 THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022 | 2:00PM - 3:00PM

BUSINESS OPERATIONS ROUND TABLE-LET’S RECONNECT! JOSEPHINE SAUNDERS: UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC FORCED EVERYONE TO FACE CHALLENGES NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND CANCELLED ALL IN PERSON OPPORTUNITIES FOR NETWORKING AND SHARING BEST PRACTICES. WE CONTINUALLY EVOLVED OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE AND WERE REQUIRED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY SERVICES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND SUPPORT STAFF IN THE FACE OF VIRTUAL REALITIES AND ONGOING COVID CHANGES AND STRESS. WE IMPLEMENTED MULTIPLE INITIATIVES IN THE PAST 2 + YEARS; SOME THAT WILL STAY AND SOME THAT WILL GO. NOW IT IS TIME FOR US TO FILL OUR CUPS! LET’S TAKE SOME TIME TO SHARE WHERE WE’VE BEEN, WHERE WE ARE AT, AND WHERE WE’RE GOING.

THE EVOLUTION OF STUDENT CONDUCT: TEN* YEARS LATER LARA HOF: HOF & ASSOCIATES | KRISTEN LENNAN: UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH ROUGHLY TEN YEARS AGO, LARA HOF, SHARED THEIR ACCOUNT OF THE EVOLVING AND EMERGING PRACTICES WITHIN STUDENT CONDUCT ADMINISTRATION AT AN OACUHO CONFERENCE. JOIN US, THE 2022 CACUSS STUDENT CONDUCT INSTITUTE FACULTY, FOR A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE LAST DECADE. LET’S REFLECT ON THE PAST, RECONNECT WITH CURRENT THEMES, AND LET THE LITERATURE INFORM OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO MOVE US FORWARD. IF YOU REFLECT ON THE LAST TWO YEARS ALONE, IMAGINE THE LAST TEN! WITHIN STUDENT CONDUCT ADMINISTRATION, WE’VE SEEN THE EMERGENCE OF NEW KEY ROLES, COMPETENCIES, APPROACHES, LEGISLATION, AND FINALLY HAVE RESEARCH AND LITERATURE TO GUIDE AND SUPPORT OUR OFTEN-MISUNDERSTOOD WORK.

FACILITIES ROUNDTABLE – BIMODAL SESSION MATT SAVOIE: QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY | CHAD MCKENZIE: CARLETON UNIVERSITY CALLING ALL FACILITIES PROFESSIONALS! WE ARE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE FACILITIES ROUNDTABLE EVENT AT THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE! THE INTENT OF THIS EVENT IS TO BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR A FACILITIES NETWORK WITHIN THE OACUHO MEMBERSHIP. THE EVENT WILL ALLOW FACILITIES MEMBERS FROM A VARIETY OF INSTITUTIONS TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO DISCUSS OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES, EXPLORE SOLUTIONS AND DISCOVER ESTABLISHED BEST PRACTICES. POTENTIAL TOPICS WILL INCLUDE (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): RELATIONSHIP WITH CENTRAL FACILITIES, STAFF RECOGNITION/ RETENTION CHALLENGES, CUSTODIAL/ MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS & CAPITAL INVESTMENT PRIORITIZATION. THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN A TRADITIONAL PRESENTATION ROOM BUT WE WILL HAVE REMOTE ACCESS AVAILABLE.

HIRING BEST PRACTICES - ROUND TABLE – BIMODAL SESSION KENDALL MIRRLEES, CAROLYN HOUGH, JESSIE FEHRMAN & WILL DURWARD: BROCK UNIVERSITY WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF STUDENT STAFF HIRING LOOK LIKE? WHEN MAKING CHANGES TO HIRING PROCESSES, DO YOU MAKE TWEAKS, OR DOES CHANGE REQUIRE AN OVERHAUL? WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT OUR HIRING PROCESSES ARE INTENTIONAL, MEANINGFUL, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE FOR THE STUDENTS AND STAFF INVOLVED. JOIN US FOR A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HIRING PRACTICES, CURRENT HIRING BEST PRACTICES, AND THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF EACH OF OUR HIRING PROCESSES. WE ARE EXCITED TO LEARN TOGETHER TO BRING TANGIBLE IDEAS AND FEEDBACK HOME TO OUR INSTITUTIONS!

STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE ON ANTI-RACISM AND INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY: MEMBERSHIP FEEDBACK AND DISCUSSION SIARIS COMMITTEE RACHEL CABUNOC: WESTERN UNIVERSITY | DORCAS MENSAH: CAMPUS LIVING CENTRES AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE ON ANTI-RACISM AND INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY UPDATE AT THE AGM, WE INVITE MEMBERS TO JOIN US IN CONVERSATION. WE HOPE TO REFLECT ON WHAT WORK HAS OCCURRED WITHIN OACUHO THUS FAR, HAVE AN OPEN DISCUSSION ON THE LATEST RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND BRAINSTORM NEW GOALS OR DESIRES TO MOVE FORWARD THE PRIORITIES OF SIARIS. ANY MEMBER OR ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF OACUHO IS INVITED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THE STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE AT THIS SESSION, REGARDLESS OF IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE.

CONCURRENT SESSION#4 THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022 | 3:15PM - 4:15PM

LET'S TALK ACCESSIBILITY! – VIRTUAL SESSION NOURAN ABDELRAZIK: UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA- OKANAGAN (UBCO) ACCESSIBILITY IS AS MUCH ABOUT ANTICIPATING AND PREVENTING BARRIERS AS IT IS ABOUT IDENTIFYING AND REMOVING EXISTING BARRIERS. BARRIERS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE SINCE WE NOW KNOW THAT WHAT “DISABLES” PEOPLE IS NOT A DISABILITY BUT RATHER AN INACCESSIBLE ENVIRONMENT. 'LET'S TALK ACCESSIBILITY' IS A SESSION MEANT TO SPARK CONVERSATIONS, REFLECTION AND RESOURCE SHARING AMONGST RESIDENCE LIFE PROFESSIONALS TO IMPLEMENT THEIR OWN TRAINING FOR STUDENT STAFF TO UNDERSTAND ABLEISM, BECOME ANTI-ABLEIST AND ADAPT BEST PRACTICES FOR ACCESSIBLE EVENT PLANNING AND MEETINGS.

CRITICAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR COMPLEX STUDENT CASE LARA HOF: HOF & ASSOCIATES | KRISTEN LENNAN: UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH WE KNOW THAT COMPLEX STUDENT CASES KEEP US AWAKE AT NIGHT; WHETHER ON CALL RESPONDING TO THEM ON THE FRONT LINE OR BEING ULTIMATELY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE INCIDENT OR THE STUDENT. NAVIGATING THESE COMPLEX STUDENT CASES CANNOT BE DONE WITHOUT COLLABORATIVE CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT EXIST BEYOND OUR HOUSING OPERATIONS. JOIN YOUR PRESENTERS AS THEY UNVEIL AND CONNECT YOU TO THE MUST-HAVE! LET’S GO BEYOND THE OBVIOUS – WE ALL NEED THE COUNSELLING STAFF! – TO NAME SOME OF THE LESS OBVIOUS, YET CRITICAL PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE COMPLEX STUDENTS OF CONCERN. WE WILL DISCUSS HOW TO OPTIMIZE THESE PARTNERSHIPS TO ALSO BUILD CAPACITY IN A TIME WHEN RESOURCES ARE LIMITED.

THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM - WHERE IS THE DISCONNECT? MEGHA MANVI: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, MISSISSAUGA THIS SESSION HOPES TO ADDRESS THE BARRIERS BIPOC STUDENT STAFF FACE WHEN CONSIDERING A PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN HOUSING. WHY IS THE DIVERSITY AMONGST STUDENT STAFF TEAMS IN ONTARIO NOT REFLECTED AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL? WHY DO WE SEE FAR FEWER BIPOC NEW GRADUATES APPLYING TO ENTRY-LEVEL HOUSING ROLES? THIS SESSION HOPES TO SHARE SOME OF OUR LEARNING FROM PILOTING THE PATHWAYS PROGRAM AND TAKE THAT LEARNING FURTHER TO DISCUSS POTENTIAL STANDARDIZED METHODS OF SUPPORT.

SELF-SELECT YOUR RESIDENCE ROOM LINDSAY STONESS & KATE MURRAY: QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY JOIN US AS WE SHARE OUR JOURNEY TO IMPLEMENT OUR SELF-SELECTION ROOM ASSIGNMENT PROCESS ACROSS OUR 4600 BED INVENTORY. WE WILL SHARE ABOUT OUR TRANSITION FROM THE MANUAL ASSIGNMENT PROCESS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SELFSELECTION AND FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM STUDENTS ABOUT THE PROCESS. WE'LL ALSO SHARE THE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE YEARS.

TRAINING AND ASSESSMENT ROUND TABLE MELISSA PRATT MORGAN: WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY THE TRAINING & ASSESSMENT COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (COP) WILL BE FACILITATING A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS. FOUR TABLES WILL STRUCTURE AROUND THE FOLLOWING TOPICS: PRE-SERVICE TRAINING, IN-SERVICE TRAINING, ASSESSMENT STRATEGY AND UTILIZATION OF ASSESSMENT. THIS WILL BE A TIME FOR PARTICIPANTS TO DISCUSS: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS, EXISTING PAIN POINTS/OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND RESOURCES AND TOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN HELPFUL. WHETHER YOU HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE COP THIS YEAR OR NOT, ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND!

CONCURRENT SESSION#5 FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2022 | 9:00AM - 10:00AM

AN ANALYSIS OF BUILDING AND IMPLEMENTING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO FOR STUDENT-STAFF MELANIE HOWARD & CAROLINE PAPPLE: YORK UNIVERSITY GUIDED BY ANDRAGOGICAL PRACTICES, WE PLAN TO ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE BY REFLECTING ON THEIR CURRENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO IMPLEMENT A STRUCTURED PROGRAM FOR STUDENT – STAFF. BY ATTENDING THIS SESSION, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE ABLE TO: RECOGNIZE AND LIST STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THEORIES THAT APPLY TO A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM; DESCRIBE AN EXAMPLE OF A SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FROM YORK UNIVERSITY; LEARN ABOUT CURRENT AND BEST PRACTICES FOR STUDENT-STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT; IDENTIFY ELEMENTS THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THEIR OWN INSTITUTION FOR STUDENT STAFF AND/OR PARAPROFESSIONAL ROLES.

FROM ZOOM DATES TO ROOMMATES: RE-INTEGRATION OF LIFE SKILLS IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD MELISSA OSTROWSKI & MIRANDA HUESTON: WESTERN UNIVERSITY THE ISOLATED ENVIRONMENT CREATED BY A VIRTUAL LEARNING FORMAT IN THE PAST TWO AND HALF YEARS HAS CREATED AN EXTRAORDINARY DEFICIT IN MANY LIFE SKILLS, INCLUDING CONFLICT RESOLUTION, SETTING AND RESPECTING PERSONAL BOUNDARIES, ACTIVE LISTENING, AND MUCH MORE. AS RESIDENCE PROFESSIONALS, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RE-EXAMINE AND UPDATE OUR MODELS OF SUPPORT AND EDUCATION TO ASSIST INCOMING STUDENTS WITH THEIR REINTEGRATION INTO AN IN-PERSON ENVIRONMENT

BY FOSTERING THESE SKILL SETS. IN OUR SESSION, WE WILL UNPACK AND EXPLORE THE VARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT OUR INCOMING STUDENTS FACE, AND WORK PROACTIVELY TO UPDATE AND ENHANCE OUR SUPPORTS TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.

PRIORITIZING STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC SUCCESS: IMPLEMENTING ACADEMIC INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN STUDENT HOUSING BIANCA ANDERSON: UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA RESIDENCE STUDENTS ARE JUST THAT, STUDENTS FIRST. AS A RESULT, THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS IS IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT AND FOSTER WITHIN THE RESIDENCE ENVIRONMENT. WITH A CHANGING STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO BE ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THEIR ACADEMIC SUCCESS, BOTH PROACTIVELY AND REACTIVELY. ACADEMIC INTERVENTION IS A UNIQUE MECHANISM TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS AT ACADEMIC RISK AND ASSIST THEM IN GETTING BACK ON TRACK. THIS SESSION AIMS TO PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA HAS BEEN ABLE TO IMPLEMENT AN ACADEMIC INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR FIRST-YEAR AND UPPER-YEAR RESIDENCE STUDENTS. THIS INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACADEMIC RISK MATRIX USED TO ASSESS A STUDENT’S ACADEMIC CIRCUMSTANCE AND PLAN FOR INTENTIONAL FOLLOW UP WORKING ALONGSIDE THE STUDENT AND CAMPUS STAKEHOLDERS.

STUDENT HOMELESSNESS ON CAMPUS AND THE CREATION OF THE EMERGENCY HOUSING REFERRAL POLICY BRITTANIE WALKER-REID: ALGONQUIN COLLEGE, CAMPUS LIVING CENTRES TO ADDRESS A GROWING URGENT NEED OF THEIR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS, ALGONQUIN COLLEGE’S RESIDENCE, SECURITY SERVICES, STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES, AND STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE AN EMERGENCY HOUSING REFERRAL POLICY. THIS EFFORT PROVIDES HOLISTIC SUPPORT TO STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSECURITY. COME SEE OUR SURVEY RESULTS, FUNDING SOURCE, REFERRAL FORM WITH ADMITTANCE CRITERIA, AND ROADMAP THAT ALIGNS ALL CROSS-CAMPUS PARTNERS ON THE JOURNEY OF A STUDENT’S EMERGENCY STAY IN RESIDENCE. PARTICIPATE IN A ‘SELF-AUDIT’ CHECKLIST TO DETERMINE READINESS OF YOUR CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH YOUR STUDENTS. OUR EMERGENCY HOUSING REFERRAL GUIDE WILL BRING CONFIDENCE TO MEMBERS OF YOUR POST-SECONDARY COMMUNITY IN PREPAREDNESS FOR THIS UNIQUE FORM OF CRISIS INTERVENTION.

WORK SMARTER WITH MICROSOFT 365 MONIQUE BOUCHER & KAFIA BARKAT: UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA THE PANDEMIC AND THE RESULTING STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS HAVE LED TO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE WAY PEOPLE WORK. TODAY’S DIGITAL WORLD BENEFIT FROM IT IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS AND WHETHER PEOPLE ARE THRILLED OR INTIMIDATED BY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, IT IS UNAVOIDABLE. GIVEN THAT TECHNOLOGY IS CONSTANTLY PRESENT IN OUR LIVES AND EVOLVING, WE MUST REFLECT ON OUR OWN DIGITAL CAPABILITY TO COMMUNICATE, GATHER DATA, ANALYZE INFORMATION, INNOVATE, PARTICIPATE, AND SUPPORT OTHERS IN DIGITAL SPACES. THIS SESSION WILL ALLOW YOU TO DEVELOP YOUR DIGITAL CAPABILITY BY EXPLORING VARIOUS MICROSOFT 365 SOLUTIONS AND HOW THEY CAN ENABLE YOUR TEAM TO WORK EFFICIENTLY.

5 THINGS I WISH I SAID EARLIER IN MY CAREER Looking back at my career, most of which was not in the Housing realm, I rarely felt that I fit the mold. In hindsight, I often feel guilty about how willing I was to conform to society’s subscription of what it means to be “professional”. I use the word “willing” loosely because I’m not sure I perceived it as a choice.

There was and still is this pervasive messaging of how to speak, look, and be, in order to be successful in your career. Even the path to success is so mapped out that it hardly leaves room for off-roading. I, like so many others, internalized these definitions and the process of unlearning is challenging and non-linear.

The optics in our society suggest that we are having more of these conversations now and as we do, the landscape is slowly changing. At the very least, we have the language now to navigate it with more clarity. My rearview mirror holds a panoramic snapshot of how my thinking, behaviour and silence have helped to perpetuate these distorted messages. We have all had those moments when we thought to ourselves “Ugh, I wish I would have said…” or “why didn’t I question that?”.

Over the years, I have been a part of a few interactions, the memories of which have become pebbles in my shoes when I think about them. It is my hope that sharing these now will create the space for others to do some self-reflection and in an ideal world, create some open dialogue.

1. “AM I SUPPOSED TO BE HERE?” How many of you have been asked “how are you?” by your leader and responded “I’m good” when you’re absolutely not good? I think it’s safe to say that every professional has felt the pangs of imposter syndrome, whether at the start of their career, following a promotion or transitioning into something new. Adding identity, can make it more complicated to overcome. Imagine being the only person that looks like you on a team. Maybe you have a lot in common with everyone there anyway. Great! But what if you don’t. What if you don’t share the same customs, celebrations, interests or hobbies? What if you haven’t been exposed to similar experiences and don’t understand certain references? What if you simply feel like you don’t belong? Being able to voice those concerns with your leader is something that can open the door to feeling heard and included. However, the leader also has to be open to having discussions about how identity can impact your work and put the pieces in place for everyone to be successful. This includes being invested in the response to “how are you?”, ensuring onboarding into new roles allows for building meaningful connections but also that realistic expectations are set and that the leader is ready to really listen to the human behind the role.

2. “BEING MYSELF MAKES ME FEEL EXPOSED” I’m embarrassed to admit that for most of my career in Canada, I subconsciously hid my accent. I say subconsciously because it became automatic for me to sound “Canadian” at work. Half the time I didn’t even think about it. So much so, that colleagues would comment about how different I sounded talking to my family. And of course, they were right! To give some background I was born and raised in the Eastern Caribbean. While my first language is English, some words do sound a bit different, and we have a bit of a dialect that most people outside of the Caribbean might not understand. I only learned in the last few years that there was a term for this – Code switching! This is something I still struggle with today and takes a very conscious effort to unlearn. Some of you might read this and think – how strange. I get that. But I challenge you to also ask the question: what makes it difficult for people of different backgrounds to show up as themselves to work? We hear all the time that everyone should bring their authentic selves to work. In an ideal world, that would be amazing. But it may feel/be riskier for some people to show up authentically as it poses more risk. Again, this is where being open to starting this dialogue but also having a leader who will sit in that space with you to help you feel more secure, is really important.

STATE OF OUR PROFESSION

IN HOT TOPICS AT SPRING CONFERENCE 2022!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 22, 2022 - 10:30AM

PRESENTATION ON RESULTS OF THE CHECK IN SURVEY MODERATED BY BRIAN CUNHA, PRESIDENT OACUHO

THURSDAY JUNE 23, 2022 - 11:30AM

SOLUTIONS TO BURNOUT AND UNDERSTAFFING PANEL MODERATED BY LAURA STOREY, PRESIDENT-ELECT & FINANCE DIRECTOR, OACUHO

3. “I HAVE TOO MUCH ON MY PLATE” One of my employers a long time ago used to say I was like a duck – calm above water but working hard underneath. I used to think that was a good thing. I remained calm in times of crisis and stress. What’s wrong with that? But the problem with it is that I almost burned out. I am just getting to a point where I can share vulnerable moments at work and ask for help. This isn’t something I learned in my culture and to be honest I’m not sure it was valued. You worked hard and you got the job done or someone else did. But if you don’t feel safe to say that you have too much on your plate or that you need help, what is the likelihood that you will stay long-term or thrive in that role? Sentences like “I don’t have the capacity” or “I need help with this project” should not be seen as weakness or lack of dedication. Leaders have the ability to influence this by modeling vulnerability to their team. Team members take their cues from you. If you don’t take your lunch, leave on time, or ask for help, consider what messages you might be sending to those who look up to you.

4. “THAT’S NOT FUNNY” I’m sometimes amused by the plethora of microaggressions I allowed colleagues and leaders to get away with at the start of my career. I remember one leader at an organization I worked for calling me Tanya for weeks despite correcting her multiple times. Whether it was comments about my hair (which is curly), indirect jokes about my ethnicity/country of origin or a case of mistaken identity based on assumptions, I wish I would have challenged their thinking in those moments. I’m amused not because it was funny but more so about how unbelievable it was. If I think about my reaction to some of these comments (not all) and the fact that I let it go (again another risk I was trying to avoid) or remained silent about my discomfort, I absolutely did not do myself or the other person any favours. There is no guarantee that when you give feedback it will be heard, absorbed or incorporated. But there is a 100% guarantee that if you say nothing, nothing will change. The person who offended you will not have learned anything and you will continue to hear those offside comments. These are some of the moments that irk me the most. We often feel like we don’t want to make others uncomfortable, create conflict or be the one unable to take a joke but what makes their comfort more important than your own?

5. “SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FEELS ICKY TO ME” Have you ever been part of a work conversation that didn’t feel right? Maybe you were talking about your personal lives, exchanging thoughts about your clients, or in a meeting discussing a policy or process. I would describe this feeling as a tingling in your gut, a sudden level of discomfort or feeling like somehow the figurative camera had just zoomed in on you. It’s not easy being the only one speaking up or being the contrarian in the group. But from my experience, I have had more regret about the things I didn’t say than those I did. It can’t hurt to get more information, right? Asking things like “can you share the context behind creating this policy/process?” or “can you help me understand that reference?” might simply let you know it’s a non-issue. But you won’t ever find out if that icky feeling you’re having is justified, if you don’t question it or give others a chance to share their perspective. And guess what? You don’t have to address it in a group setting at that time, if you’re not comfortable. It’s ok to come back to a topic and share your thoughts after the fact.

I am not an expert in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and De-colonization, but this has been my experience. My hope is that these lessons support both BIPOC students and staff in creating their own positive narrative and career journeys, but also help employers and organizations become more aware and make space for some of this dialogue. As a final thought, representation is important. It has become an overused buzzword lately and we need to be careful that representation does not become tokenism or something shiny that distracts from the underlying issues. Representation is so much more than a box you check to sell an image.

Optics and reputation are important. But my hope is that we are all pushing our organizations to go beyond the surface and implement real change, starting with ourselves and the choices we make. It will take time, and it could be a long road ahead of us, but those road trips are sometimes the best ones.

Taryn Cherman Western University tcherman@uwo.ca

4-PART PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: REFLECTIONS FROM THE EDI PROJECT COORDINATOR Throughout the past academic year, I had the opportunity to facilitate a four-part EDI professional development series to the association. The content included topics ranging from foundational concepts to facilitating difficult conversations and the use of anti-oppression principles in our work.

Participants contributed to a rich dialogue that made me hopeful for the future of our field and, as always, left me wishing we had more time to continue conversations.

The entire series had 138 unique participants across all sessions, with 28 participants attending all four of the workshops. The support from members of the association demonstrates our community’s continuous appetite for engaging in dialogues about social justice and EDI, as well as the shared interest in making sustainable, structural changes at our institutions.

Perhaps this level of interest in EDI conversations is unsurprising given the current political climate and the prevalence of engagement with topic of anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism; state and police violence; and visible mobilization of radicalized white supremacy.

Structural change was a key theme in many of our discussions throughout the series. The COVID19 pandemic has made a definitive impact on our social structures and collective experiences.

Housing has taken on an influx of labour related to health and wellbeing of students that is beyond our previous professional experience. It has shifted the way we facilitate our programs and the perception of our work. Our institutions continue to manage these “unprecedented times,” and it presents a unique opportunity for us to be self-reflexive and innovative.

As we all head into the summer, our collective focus will shift. This is a critical time for review, reflection, and planning for the year ahead. We can interrogate our processes and structures by asking critical questions about what has informed our approach and how we might be able to build more inclusive, aware, and anti-racist practices. I am hopeful that departments will consult with their professional staff regarding everyday practices and consider making formalized commitments to impactful change. We need to make more space for integrated practices of anti-oppression, antiracism, and restorative justice to be more responsive to the cultural shift we are experiencing.

I want to acknowledge the work of the Advisory Committee for the Strategic Imperative for AntiRacism and Indigenous Sovereignty which will support the Board and the Association as it moves forward with recommendations for supporting structural change and growth in our field.

Many participants of the EDI series asked for the opportunity to engage with examples of success stories that we can learn from. I encourage those who have key learnings from new initiatives or examples of structural changes in their operations to share their experiences at the upcoming Spring Conference. The association is invested in continuing to bring EDI learning opportunities and resources forward to members.

For anyone who missed the EDI series or would like to revisit the content, the association will be posting new recordings of the presentation meant to be viewed as a part of individual learning. I have facilitated the content to be accessed as an asynchronous module focused on personal reflection.

These videos will be available in the Resource Directory on the Member Area of the OACUHO website.

Savannah Sloat EDI Project Coordinator, OACUHO savannah.sloat@uwaterloo.ca

INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED IN OACUHO? STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR ANTI-RACISM & INDIGENOUS SOVEREIGNTY (SIARIS) (SIARIS) ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND MEASURABILITY TO PARTICULAR ELEMENTS OF THE OACUHO STRATEGIC PLAN. THE COMMITTEE WILL ACT AN ADVISORY BODY TO THE PRESIDENT OF OACUHO. SEE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

BIPOC STAFF NETWORK THIS NETWORK WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE SELF-IDENTIFIED HOUSING PROFESSIONALS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF IDENTITY AND SOCIAL LOCATION THAT INTERSECT WITH THEIR WORK. SEE HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

COMMITTEES COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (COPS) COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (COPS) EXIST AS A FORUM FOR MEMBERS TO ENGAGE IN SOLVING COMMON CHALLENGES ACROSS INSTITUTIONS. OUR COPS INCLUDE: RESIDENCE EDUCATION & CURRICULAR APPROACH STUDENT CONDUCT ADMISSIONS & BUSINESS OPERATIONS SMALL RESIDENCES & HOUSING UNITS (COMING SOON) TRAINING & ASSESSMENT

TO JOIN, PLEASE VISIT THE OACUHO WEBSITE HERE.

WITHIN OACUHO, WE. HAVE THREE UNIQUE COMMITTEES THAT MEMBERS CAN JOIN TO SUPPORT THE LARGER MEMBERSHIP. OUR COMMITTEES INCLUDE: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS MEMBERSHIPS ENGAGEMENT TO JOIN, PLEASE VISIT THE OACUHO WEBSITE HERE.

AND MORE...

FOR ALL WAYS TO GET INVOLVED, PLEASE VISIT WWW.OACUHO.COM

COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE HIGHLIGHT: TRAINING & ASSESSMENT Chairing the Training & Assessment Community of Practice this past year was a wonderful opportunity to engage with the OACUHO membership in a unique way. As a former member of a Community of Practice, I appreciated the time to connect with peers across shared areas of interest and portfolio work.

This past year, the Training & Assessment CoP met monthly.

Each meeting we began with a different showcase from a variety of institutions, who took some time to share a piece of their program with the team. Examples of the topics we discussed included: Departmental Assessment Strategies, Pre-service training, including: Summer training modules and August Training programs, Professional development of student staff throughout the year, Competency development in first-year student leaders, Recognizing student staff …with more to come!

It was great to have different institutions highlight a piece of their program, discuss areas of success and development, and then have a group discussion about the topic area.

I would also like to acknowledge my peers who volunteered to facilitate showcases and helped to keep the CoP moving forward month to month!

Brad Martin (Carleton University) Monica Geary (University of New Brunswick) Lynn Charron (University of Windsor) Dillon Arruda (Wilfrid Laurier University) Again, more to come before the year wraps-up!

For me, having an hour a month to be with colleagues and talk about key priorities helped to feel engaged with other institutions, build upon existing relationships and build new relationships with others I may not have had the opportunity to interact with otherwise. Whether you decide to chair a CoP next year or join as a member, it is a wonderful opportunity to remain engaged with others across the membership.

If you would like to connect about training, assessment or the Community of Practice, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Melissa Pratt Morgan Wilfrid Laurier University meprattmorgan@wlu.ca

THANKS FROM JAMIE! As I retire and reflect on 40 years of being part of OACUHO, I am struck that each year has been unique, with its own distinct challenges and rewards. At the same time, I’m also aware that so many things have been the same, year after year.

The world of residence life is governed by the Cs: Commitment, Communication, Consistency and, of course, Community. We create community! There’s also Change.

Change happens all the time… and with change comes opportunity.

(An aside: One thing that never seems to change is this: if something is going to go sideways, it will happen at the end of the day…on a Friday…before a long weekend.)

There have been annual cycles, and planning for the days, weeks, even years ahead. Being proactive and often times, being reactive. There’s been the reviewing and revising of procedures and policies. Sometimes there have just been tweaks, but other times, we’ve had to come up with completely different processes, particularly during these past two years. It’s been entertaining and exasperating; exhausting and exciting! We’ve never been bored!

I often say that residence is not about the bricks and mortar, nor is it about whether a student or staff member gets first choice of room or if the building they’re assigned to is the one they think is the best. It’s about the people.

And speaking of people, OACUHO colleagues and work colleagues are wonderful people!

Those of us who work in student housing have a significant impact on those who live within our residences. And our residence students and colleagues have an impact on us. Whether they – or we – realize it, it happens.

I love the collegiality within OACUHO. The supportive sharing of information among colleagues is always done with the knowledge that we’re in this together. It’s something we don’t take for granted I know it sounds cliché to say that the more you put into something, the more you get out of it, but it’s true. I’ve put my entire career into residence, 42 years – two years at Trent and then 40 at Brock – and I’ve been rewarded many times over with a very fulfilling job and great people to work with.

Thank you…each of you…the people in OACUHO – for all you’ve done and are doing to make the experience better for residence students, for each other. And for me.

Thanks, Jamie James R. Fleming Director of Residences, Brock University 1982-2022

INCOMING BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022-2023 PRESIDENT Laura Storey

MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

Carleton University

Kristen Mendonca

PRESIDENT-ELECT & FINANCE DIRECTOR

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

Queen's University

St. Paul's - University of Waterloo

PAST-PRESIDENT

ADVANCED MEMBER AT LARGE

Parmveer Mundi

Brian Cunha University of Toronto Mississauga

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR Bianca Anderson

University of Toronto Mississauga

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

Melissa Steadman Western University

CORPORATE PARTNER DIRECTOR Chad McKenzie

Carleton University

Carleton University

Steve Prentice

VACANT

If you are interested, please contact Laura Storey.

MEMBER AT LARGE Megha Manvi University of Toronto Mississauga

MEMBER AT LARGE Bhavya Dhawan University of Toronto Scarborough

ASSOCIATION MANAGER Carol Ford

2021-2022 POSITIVE CONTRIBUTORS RACHEL CABUNOC

CARLEY WEBB

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

NATALIE ALLAN

PARMVEER MUNDI

CARLETON UNIVERSITY

QUEEN'S UNVIERSITY

DIANE RAWLINGS

MEGHA MANVI

UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR

LYNN CHARRON

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR

MELISSA OSTROWSKI

JAMES MCGINLAY

WESTERN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR

AMANDA LUONGO

JOHN BRUYEA

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

SENECA COLLEGE

CALVIN HYDE

LAURA MAMMONE

SENECA COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

BAILEY HOWELL SENECA COLLEGE

DORCAS MENSAH CAMPUS LIVING CENTRES

BECKY SHILLINGTON QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

NATHAN UTIOH QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

LINDSAY STONESS QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

MAURA FRUNZA

JEN BRYDEN UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

JESS HUANG UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

SUSAN COLLINGWOOD UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH

REHA PURDASY UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR

QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY

TO SUBMIT ADDITIONAL POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS, PLEASE USE THIS FORM.

T H E

OACUHO PULSE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFICERS