The Pulse October 2016

THE PULSE THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFICERS

OCTOBER 2016

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 
 FROM OACUHO!

IN THIS ISSUE Value of Living in Residence Task Force Specializing in a Specialized Field Supporting Staff to Support Results Top 10 Ways to Transition Into a New Role

CUHO

OA

THE PULSE

Board of Directors PRESIDENT

CONFERENCE DIRECTOR

Daryl Nauman

Sara Wills

York University dnauman@yorku.ca

Carleton University sara.wills@carleton.ca

PRESIDENT-ELECT / FINANCE DIRECTOR

CORPORATE PARTNER RELATIONS DIRECTOR

Amanda Ziegler

Jessica Nayda

Brock University dnauman@yorku.ca

University of Guelph jnayda@uoguelph.ca

PAST PRESIDENT

SENIOR-LEVEL MEMBER AT LARGE

Julie West University of Guelph jwest@uoguelph.ca

Christopher Lengyell University of Toronto Mississauga christopher.lengyell@utoronto.ca

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

MEMBER AT LARGE

Brian Cunha

University of Waterloo mary.stefanidis@uwaterloo.ca

University of Toronto brian.cunha@utoronto.ca

Mary Stefanidis

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

MEMBER AT LARGE

Tammy Douglas

Nipissing University genevied@nipissingu.ca

York University douglast@yorku.ca

Genevieve de Bryun

MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

ASSOCIATION MANAGER

Hilary Jandricic

OACUHO info@oacuho.com

Carleton University hilaryjandricic@carletonu.ca

Carol Ford

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

This month's issue of The Pulse focuses on balance, which might conjure up images of individuals striking Eagle Pose (yoga), incredible performances by Olympians in Rio on the balance beam, or Nik Wallenda tightrope walking across Niagara Falls as we all collectively hold our breath.

Although for most of us when it comes to balance it is about how and where we invest our time, energy, and resources at work in student housing and in our personal lives that leads to success, personal and professional growth, happiness, and our overall well-being. Finding balance is a journey, and from time to time we (or our organizations) may find ourselves out of balance, but through planning, reflection, and a bit of resiliency we can obtain the balance we desire more often than not.

Within OACUHO we also strive for balance, for example, we intentionally engage our entire membership through initiatives, such as our Emerging New OACUHO Professionals network, while also creating opportunities at conferences and through other means for Senior level members and Chief Housing Officers to engage and come together. As OACUHO continues to advance as an association, it is important that we maintain balance and do this through our strategic plan by focusing on four keys areas:

education, communication, member engagement and governance. Over the coming months, you will hear about the progress we are making on our strategic plan and have opportunities to help the Board move it forward.

I would like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to the fantastic staff at Trent University for hosting a successful Residence Life Conference, and I look forward to seeing many of you at Humber College for our Fall Business Meeting.

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Value of Living in Residence Task Force Julie West OACUHO Past President

This Task Force was struck after a report from the OACUHO Public Policy Advisory Committee (2012) recommended a series of deliverables that would highlight and promote the work being done within residences of post-secondary institutions located in Ontario and across the Country.

Some of the deliverables included the following:

DELIVERABLE

DELIVERABLE

#1 RELATIONSHIPS #2 AWARENESS

Build relationships with key groups of stakeholders to ensure our message (what we do and why) can be advanced.

Raise awareness through the compilations of information that summarizes characteristics of postsecondary housing in the Province and across the Country and create

DELIVERABLE

#3 IDENTIFY

Identify a group of institutions willing to work together as research partners with the aim of identifying key performance indicators (KPI) for students living in post-secondary housing; and assessment of how their performance compares to those living in off campus housing.

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OSCAR PETERSON HALL UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MISSISSAUGA

Over the course of the next few months and based on a proposal from Academica, a pilot project was developed with several schools who had previously indicated interest. The group gathered to secure funding, outline the study, designate the desired outcomes and define the variables to be used.

OACUHO created The Value of Living and Learning in Residence Task Force to oversee this project.

Since that time, several initiatives have been completed, with the most important being a recent report that will be presented at the Fall Business Meeting.

A proposal was put forward to ACUHO-I for a research project under the Funded Research Grant program and we were fortunate to receive $7000 USD to support this project. In addition, OACUHO provided $3000 over 2 fiscal years to support the project – the rest of the cost was borne by the participating institutions.

Historically, Canadian institutions have relied on mostly US data to show that students in residence have more positive outcomes in terms of retention rates and graduation rates than their off campus counterparts. (Fidler & Moore, 1996; Gaskins, 2009; Dakin, 2008; Thompson, Samiratedu & Rafter, 1993; Schudde, 2011; Whalen et al., 2009). Other studies have shown that students in residence have higher GPAs. (Enochs & Roland, 2006; Pascarella, 1984; Nicpon et al., 2006; although see Kuh et al., 2008). There is a dearth of Canadian studies that show either. In fact one Canadian study (Grayson, 1997) shows contrary results.

Over the following months, ethics documents were prepared (when appropriate) and each school’s representatives met with their campus contacts to ensure the required information could be acquired and transferred to Academica.

In the Spring of 2015, the OACUHO Task Force Chair approached Academica as a possible research partner to help determine whether when using Canadian data, we could confirm the same outcomes.

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Who was included in the study?

ACUHO-I Foundation to improve our understanding of the housing and residence life profession.

Students from: University of British Columbia, University of Guelph, University of Toronto, Mississauga, University of Waterloo, Western University.

Full time first year students (no advanced standing, beginning in fall semesters) 2008 – 2013 (nearly 150,000 students were included from 5 institutions).

Additional funding was provided by the Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers and the participating institutions: University of British Columbia, University of Guelph, University of Toronto, Mississauga, University of Waterloo and Western University.

Demographic information – gender and age.

Academic background – High School GPA, faculty, cohort year and fee status (int’l or domestic).

Academic outcomes – Year 1 GPA, retention to 2nd year, persistence to graduation (within 6 years).

Residence information – residence type (traditional, hybrid, suite, townhouse), room type (private or shared), meal plan required (or not).

What did we learn?

1. Living in residence has a small positive effect on GPA. 2. Living in residence has a large positive effect on retention.

3. Living in residence has a positive effect on graduation.

A formal presentation will be offered at the OACUCHO Fall Business Meeting and will include more information about variables that interact with these outcomes.

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Bibliography Dakin, D. S. (2008). College success among students who reside in different living environments (Doctoral dissertation, Wright State University).

Enochs, W. K., & Roland, C. B. (2006). Social adjustment of college freshmen: The importance of gender and living environment. College Student Journal, 40(1), 63.

Fidler, P., & Moore, P. (1996). A comparison of effects of campus residence and freshman seminar attendance on freshman dropout rates. Journal of The First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 8(2), 7-16.

Gaskins, B. P. (2009). A ten-year study of the conditional effects on student success in the first year of college (Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University).

Grayson, J. P. (1997). Place of residence, student involvement, and first year marks.The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 27(1), 1.

Kuh, G. D., Cruce, T. M., Shoup, R., Kinzie, J., & Gonyea, R. M. (2008). Unmasking the effects of student engagement on first-year college grades and persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 79(5), 540-563.

Nicpon, M. F., Huser, L., Blanks, E. H., Sollenberger, S., Befort, C., & Kurpius, S. E. R. (2006). The relationship of loneliness and social support with college freshmen's academic performance and persistence. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 8(3), 345-358.

Pascarella, E. T. (1984). Reassessing the effects of living on campus versus commuting to college: A causal modelling approach. Review of Higher Education, 7(3), 247-260.

Schudde, L. T. (2011). The causal effect of campus residency on college student retention. The Review of Higher Education, 34(4), 581-610.

Thompson, J., Samiratedu, V., & Rafter, J. (1993). The effects of on-campus residence on first-time college students. NASPA Journal, 31(1), 41-47.

This research was funded in part by the Association of College and University Housing Officers - International and the

Whalen, D., Saunders, K., & Shelley, M. (2009). Leveraging what we know to enhance short-term and long-term retention of university students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 11(3), 407-430.

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Specializing in a Specialized Field Molly Raffan Coordinator, Living Learning Communities Queen’s University

In effort to shed a little more light on specialties within a field that is forever growing and changing, I reached out to Lara Hof and Glenn Matthews to learn more about how they became specialists within their respective fields and what advice they have to share for those considering becoming more involved in both Conduct and Off-Campus Housing.

Q: What is the most important piece of advice you could share for those looking to become more involved in Conduct?

Self-care is always a helpful reminder when it comes to the work that we all do, but Lara specifically pointed out that it is very important for those working with conduct. She shared that the retention of Conduct Administrators is “food for thought” right now, particularly when working cases that involve sexualized violence. She emphasized that prioritizing self-care sets those dealing with conduct on a regular basis up for success.

LARA HOF Manager, Office of Student Conduct Humber College

For those looking to become more involved in conduct related work, Lara advised that though it may be less prominent, there is training out there on this type of work. She shared that places to start looking for training related to conduct can be Human Resources departments, law firms, CACUSS Monograph On Procedural Fairness, The Association Of Student Conduct Administration (ASCA) and The National Behaviour Intervention Team Association (NABITA) who typically offer sessions like investigation training. When Lara started out in conduct she learned by doing but since then more formalized learning has been developed and she recommends that anyone c o n s i d e r i n g t h e fi e l d o f c o n d u c t fi n d opportunities to learn more about it in a formalized setting.

Q: How did you become a specialist in the field of Conduct?

When speaking to this particular question Lara shared that for her, conduct has always been a positive thing, out of which comes the opportunity for students to learn. Working by the “why would people want to call me” philosophy, Lara’s specialization in conduct has developed over the course of her career through research, networking, learning from each interaction she has, and by working diligently to find answers to her own questions. Lara’s patience for difficult conversations and ability to not become flustered by the negative reactions of students, provides her opportunities to meet with good students who make poor decisions and help them use their experience to learn; and with any luck, make wiser choices in the future.

Interested in learning more?

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trendy thing. The best thing I took from my life as a residence staff member was the training that involved listening skills (1980/81) as they are immeasurable when it comes to working in the “helping field”. In addition to my academic training, I began and continue to take various mediation and negotiation workshops as well as reading books on how to resolve differences.

The trend towards life-long learning is critical in any effort to move forward with a career choice.”

Q: What is the most important piece of advice you could share for those looking to become more involved in Off Campus Housing?

“Look around at the community that you are in for opportunities to volunteer in areas that interest you. If the opening relates to housing, even better if that is your chosen field moving forward. Almost all communities have some form of housing to help those that are less fortunate than others and this experience

will give you a perspective on different possible careers. Even if you were not to end up in the Housing field, it certainly gives a good grounding on possible career choices in any profession whereby you are going to be helping individuals with their life skills. I also think it is important to reach out to others that are in a career that interests you. If you are going to invest significant time in yourself, it is better to get as much information from people currently in the role to test yourself against what they indicate are the pros/cons of a particular role.”

GLENN MATTHEWS Housing Mediation Coordinator Western University

Q: How did you become a specialist in the field of Off Campus Housing?

“I believe I had a natural affinity for issues in the community. My degree is in Public Administration and Political Sciences and I specialized in municipal government.

So, when my career as a Residence Manager was beginning to be a little long and my current position became available, I jumped at the chance to forge a different career. While this may sound crazy, I have always had an interest in municipal aspects including doing projects related to the environment in elementary school … which in 1970 wasn’t a

Interested in learning more?

Please contact Glenn: glenn@housing.uwo.ca

Thank you to both Lara and Glenn for taking the time to share their insights and advice with the membership.

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Supporting Staff to Support Results Andrew Natale Residence Life Coordinator Brock University

In

what will hopefully be the first of many, I have read a book and have done a review/summary that will hopefully generate some professional development and discussion. My hope is to try and read 1 book per month to have the article published in time for the pulse so here’s hoping. Feel free to read along, read the book after or perhaps you have read it already and want to offer your own ideas. Message me on twitter and let’s keep the conversation going and the development happening!

The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson.

This book comes from the authors who individually produced Whale Done and Who Moved my Cheese? respectively. For those unfamiliar with those books, all three share a common style of being written in a parable from using very concrete examples and summarizing points to make the ideas clear.

Perhaps the best part: it is only 93 pages with big printing! For the busy professionals that we are, this book was a great way to learn some fresh ideas about managing without having to dedicate large amounts of time to reading. The premise of the book is simple to understand as well as informative in that it outlines characteristics of a strong manager in dedicated sections and allows for some clear takeaways. The main character – simply called young man - is trying to work for and later become a good manager in today’s world and in doing so is really just trying to teach the

reader. The manager he was looking for was one who “encouraged people to balance their work and their life so that each became more meaningful” (1). I found this concept to be so simple but so relatable as the term balance is used often in Housing and Residence operations but we often try and achieve it unrealistic ways. Balance was once explained to me like a scale but not in the conventional way where they are always equal, more that balance is acknowledging that sometimes areas of our lives are busier than others and they balance out more long term. By searching for a manager who would be supportive of this, the young man is acknowledging the world we live in where simply leaving things at work is not always an option. The manager he is looking for is also neither tough nor nice, nor primarily people or results focused. In his description, this new manager would be someone who recognized that results only happen through people so it was therefore important to care about people and results.

The new manager – also aptly named The Manager – shares his secret “People who feel good about themselves produce good results” (9). This tenet underscores how managers can focus on supporting their employees so it supports the results which in the current age of accountability and demonstrating value are key to funding models. Over the course of the book, the young man learns the “three secrets” of The Manager through the company employees: 1 Minute Goals, 1 Minute Praising and 1 Minute Redirects.

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SUPPORTING STAFF TO SUPPORT RESULTS

1 Minute Goals means letting employees know what is expecting of them -with their input – and showing them what it looks like. This isn’t a list of tasks but rather goals with the understanding of 80% of the important results come from 20% of goals. So simplify! Identify a problem and solve it! A problem only exists if there is a difference between what is actually happening and what you desire to be happening because if you don’t know what you want then it is just complaining (20). By reviewing the goals frequently, employees can decide if what they are doing is actually meeting those goals and if not then adjusting behavior. This idea really resonated with me based on an earlier reading of the book Getting Things Done by David Allen which highlighted ways to work smarter not harder. It is a reminder to spend more time on the things that matter which means a connection to goals.

Knowing that it won’t always be praise given, 1 Minute Redirects help employees get back on track with working towards achieving their goals. As I read, I was informed that in the old version of the book, this section was known as 1 Minute Reprimands and I can really get on board with the new title as it focuses not on just the mistake or the behavior but its impact and how to get back to the initial goal. The Manager suggests doing it as quick as possible, review facts and mistake together, pause for reflection then express confidence and trust again (47). With all of this happening in a minute, you make the time meaningful and allow the employee to quickly move forward as not moving on burns energy that could be used for creativity and innovation to solve goals.

An idea that I have always believed in was put into words very nicely in the book by The Manager “the best minute I spend is the one I invest in people” (51). After reading, I can better articulate why and I truly think that no matter which functional area that you are part of or how many students or staff you manage, the greatest assets of the department will always be the people since without them it is impossible to achieve results. Not forgetting how many much money is allocated to staffing and benefits, it is equally important to protect that asset. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick read on management and some very tangible advice how to make a positive difference in the people you oversee and ultimately the departmental bottom line.

1 Minute Praising builds off the goals by providing clear feedback about the work being done and how it is meeting the goals. The book argues that when people know how to do things right, what their goals are when they start and are initially rewarded for it then they will need less feedback down the road.

Investing the time when it is most beneficial means less time down the road and this helps employee and manager. This shows that when praise is given it is earned and necessary.

When people begin to recognize when they would be praised, they can feel good about the work they have done even if they don’t receive the praise. Sometimes this means “catching people doing something right” (27) but it pays off in the end.

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Don’t forget to connect if you want to continue the conversation! @MrNatale

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ways to transition into a new role

by

Matthew Harris Residence Life Coordinator York University

&

Melanie Howard Residence Life Coordinator York University

Over the summer both of us have gone through changes to our respective careers: • •

Melanie has joined the team at York University, taking on the largest building on campus; Matt is now managing two residences on campus;

We have taken the time to reflect on the term to date and have assessed what we feel has been able to lead us to success with our new responsibilities. In the process of doing so, both of us did not want to repeat what previous authors may have done on the topic of transition into a new role.

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YOU KNOW EVERYTHING!! Don’t let them know you don’t know because they don’t know you don’t know – you know?

Ignore staff – Much like learning to swim, if you simply push your staff into the role and allow them splash about they will eventually learn how to do their role. If you have to save them one day they will then see how fantastic you are and what a great “lifesaver” you truly can be for them.

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Procrastinate! – Everyone works better under pressure. Living in a constant state of pressure and having an overwhelming sense that you have forgotten to do something is what makes life worth living. Besides, knowing which character from Friends you resemble and all of the other professional insight you can get from Buzzfeed are what will make you a strong and capable leader for the students and staff;

Dress for the part – Some will say a button down shirt and dress pants are essential to showing that you are the “adult” in the community. It’s all well and good if you want to stick out like a sore thumb. Why not consider the latest in the fashions of today’s youth or better yet jogging pants and a university sweater that says “I feel ya…”

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Self-care – You don’t need it, besides you have all of that work to get done because you are a “Joey” according to that one Buzzfeed quiz after all.

Stay Negative – Keep your chin down because having a negative outlook will truly be of benefit to you and those you work with. People don’t want to be near someone who is constantly happy and finds the positive side in scenarios. Sure it is easy to sit back and reflect on a scenario and determine how that might be a learning opportunity for yourself, but why

Take on more than you can handle - You will impress your boss by showing that you can take on more than you can handle. It shows that you’re a unicorn and your boss shan’t let you go.

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In a new city? - Don’t leave home, there are clowns out there. Just as you would not want to send a student out with their peers to learn about the new city they are residing in, why would you want to do that to yourself. Why would you connect with a new colleague over lunch at their favourite spot and learn all about the great features on campus when everything is there and can also be delivered.

Disorganization is key – The more you have cluttered on your desk the lower the chance that someone is going to want to talk to you about something. It also says, my goodness look how much I have to do, I need an assistant; then BOOM, you have an assistant.

Team building – More like team destruction. What good does it do if your new team enjoys having time together, it just means one more commitment that you will have to attend, one more late night, one more night of laughter, and so on.

Whereas if you slowly start to spread gossip regarding each team member and make them slowly start to dislike each other the more you will learn about their respective hate for each other and gain insight into the inner workings of the team.

Then, when you bring them back together they will once again be forever indebted to you.

We believe that is a fulsome and encompassing list of things that will allow one to be successful in their role and will allow them to be a valued member of their team, assuming they want to be fired within their probationary period and enjoy the thrill of knowing whether or not the next conversation with their supervisor will be about whether or not “this is the role for you”.

Moreover, for both of us, having humour is what has kept us level-headed throughout the change that is happening in our roles and lives. Whether you are taking on new responsibilities or have started on a new role, there are a myriad of ways that you can ensure that your transition is smooth and positive. We want to the membership to take our “Top Ten” and consider how these ten areas are key to success and to apply their experiences to ensure that they are enjoying their role and experience.

Playfully yours, Melanie and Matt

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Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers 312 Oakwood Crt, Newmarket Ontario, L3Y 3C8 
 Telephone: 905-954-0102 Fax: 905-895-1630