Fall 2017 Perspectives by UMR-ACUHO Perspectives

CONTROLLED ACCESS FOR EDUCATION Next-generation education locking solutions for world-class learning environments. Report Card BENEFITS

GRADE

Integrates with 3rd party

A+

Cost-effective

A+

Audit trail

A+

Battery operated locks

A+

Smart campus

A+

Lockdown

A+

Notes: Integrate security for your students and staff with a single card from SALTO

XS4 Platform. Next-generation keyless access control.

SAY GOODBYE TO MECHANICAL KEYS SALTO SYSTEMS INC. 1780 Corporate Drive, Suite 400 Norcross, GA 30093 Toll Free: 866.GO.SALTO Email: info@salto.us www.salto.us

SALTO SYSTEMS INC. 1250 Broadway New York, NY 10001 Toll Free: 866.GO.SALTO Email: info@salto.us www.salto.us

MISSION OF THE UMR-ACUHO MAGAZINE The Communications Committee provides the UMR-ACUHO membership with an opportunity for information-sharing, professional dialogue, and a forum for ideas to increase knowledge, wisdom, and excellence in our field.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Hello UMR-ACUHO! As the chair of the Communications Committee, I am excited to introduce this issue of the Perspectives magazine. This issue focuses on the

Dillon Pearson

Dakota State University Committee Chair

Barbara Braga

Kansas State University

The theme for this magazine is aligned with the theme

Charlie Potts

Gustavus Adolphus College

for the annual conference this fall in Omaha, “Cross-

Craig Miller

Bethel University

Klare Armstrong

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

Matt Diischer

South Dakota State University

Mike Mueller

University of Iowa

ments continue to learn and grow with these advance-

Nathan Ross

Iowa State University

ments. We hope to solicit articles that tie into these

Nick Goffard

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

changes requiring our attention.

Pamela Lisowe

University of Iowa

Our theme for the next issue is, “From Good to Grit:

Phil Neuman

University of Kansas

Roadmaps of Resilience.” This topic came out through

ever-changing landscape of higher education.

roads of Change.” Every year our students change – they become more tech savvy, more open to new experiences, and more involved. Our processes change and adapt to best serve our students, and our depart-

conversations that were had at Winter and Summer

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

meetings. Every year, we face new challenges and new

Articles should be limited to approximately 1,500 words long (may be edited for length or content) and include a separate head shot of the author(s). Articles should be sent preferably through e-mail (in Microsoft Word format). If there are particular fonts or graphics that you would prefer, please include them with your submission. To receive feedback on your article, please be sure to submit 15 days prior to the deadline. Please send articles via e-mail to: umracuho.communications@gmail.com.

lives. We are hoping to solicit articles that focus on how

UMR-ACUHO NON-DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE UMR-ACUHO promotes and provides an environment of full opportunity and service for all persons regardless of ethnicity, creed/ religion, age, gender, disability, sexual/affectional orientation, or any human circumstance. The Association will not arbitrarily discriminate in its programs, procedures, or activities.

obstacles that arise in our personal and professional we address some of these challenges and how resilience is developed and nurtured. The deadline for submissions for our next magazine is November 12th. If you are interested in writing or have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact myself or anyone on the committee. Thank you for your continued involvement in UMRACUHO and your interest in the magazine. On behalf of the Communications Committee, we hope you have a great summer! Dillon Pearson Assistant Director of Residence Life Dakota State University dillon.pearson@dsu.edu

COVER DESIGN & MAGAZINE LAYOUT Able Printing Company 623 N Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502

Inside UMR

The 2017 UMR-ACUHO Executive Committee

President Tracy Gerth Assistant Director for Residence Life Programs Marquette University (414) 397-0183 Tracy.Gerth@marquette.edu Vice President/President Elect Greg Thompson Assistant Director of Residence Education University of Iowa (319) 335-3700 gregory-r-thompson@uiowa.edu Immediate Past President Aaron Macke Associate Dean of Students Director of Residence Life University of St. Thomas (651) 962-6470 ammacke@stthomas.edu Secretary Becky Wilson Assistant Director for Student Success, Residence Education University of Iowa (319) 335-3700 rebecca-wilson@uiowa.edu Treasurer Nicholas F. Rafanello Director of Residence Life University of Northern Iowa (319) 273-2333 nicholas.rafanello@uni.edu Corporate Sponsorships Coordinator Brian Faust Director of Residential Living University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point (715) 346-3511 bfaust@uwsp.edu Inclusion and Equity Coordinator Coree Burton Residence Life Coordinator University of Northern Iowa (319) 273-2080 coree.burton@uni.edu State Membership Coordinator Beth Miller Assistant Director of Residence Life University of Central Missouri (660) 543-8121 bsmiller@ucmo.edu State Membership Coordinator Jolene M. Esterline Associate Director of University Apartments/ Director of Resident Support Services University of Wisconsin-Madison 608-262-8293 jolene.esterline@housing.wisc.edu Technology and Sustainability Coordinator Jordan Baumgardner Residence Hall Director Iowa State University 515-294-9051 jsb@iastate.edu

Inside UMR

UMR-ACUHO Fall 2017, Vol. 53, No. 3

Inside UMR President's Corner: Pre-Conference 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 “AIM on Assessment:Change is Always at a Crossroads” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Case Study Corner: “Life in the Dog House” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Introducing this year’s Keynote Speakers! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

UMR Student Side Settle for Nothing Less . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

UMR Perspectives A Critical Examination of RHA at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Changing Populations, Changing Needs: Considerations for the Emerging Population of Student-Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Leading Through Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 And How do YOU Feel About That? Cultivating a Holistic Approach to Mental Health Awareness at the Crossroads of Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 At the Crossroads of Change, RELI Provides a Guidepost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Creating Intentionality with Intersectionality: A Framework for LGBT Inclusion in On-Campus Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Recalculating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Three Lies That Could Ruin Our Students’ Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Vonversations, Fall 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

UMR Business Side Remaining A Professional-In-Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 So Much Training, So Little Time: Iowa's Perspective on RA Training . . . . 42

UMR Personal Side When Living with ESAs Opens the Door for Mental Health Conversations with Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

President’s Corner Pre-Conference 2017 By Tracy Gerth, Assistant Director for Residence Life Programs, Marquette University

ello UMR-ACUHO! I am so excited for the upcoming conference in Omaha and hope you are as well. Between the Host team and the various committees there are some exciting new initiatives in place that should make for an outstanding conference experience for all who can attend. I just returned from ACUHO-I and was honored to represent UMR-ACUHO in the regional leadership meeting with all current Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the regional organizations. There was a strong showing from UMR in attendance, and if you see Keniese Evans from the University of Iowa and Nick Mulholland from the University of Northern Iowa congratulate them on presenting UMR-ACUHO’s best program with a Tale of Two Towers: Fighting through stigma and crisis. The conference theme of the Crossroads of Change couldn’t be more timely or appropriate. Looking back over the last 10 years of the higher education landscape, it is easy to see some shifting terrain. It can be easy to fall into the trap of reminiscing about the ‘good old days’ and certainly, things were a little easier when we all had more staff and larger budgets, but the good old days weren’t always that good, especially for those with underrepresented identities. Change is always scary when we are in the midst of the unknown, but there is quote by George Bernard Shaw that says “Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” I think we all aspire to be a positive change for good, but to do so we must be willing to change our thinking. To help facilitate some of this change at the annual conference, thanks to the great work of the Social Justice and Professional Development and Training Committees, we will have two high quality keynotes centered on social justice and inclusion. The two keynote speakers will be Z Nicolazzo and Jamie Washington, both social justice educators. These two trailblazers in education can help us continue the ever important work of ensuring that we are educated so we can help educate our students. In order for that to happen

we need to be open to the challenge, and be willing to change our thinking to truly make progress instead of simply weathering the changes. All the UMR committees have done significant and outstanding work throughout the year and I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight some of their innovative work. The AIM committee conducted a climate survey; this is large undertaking, but so important, especially as we head into Strategic Planning. Membership Involvement recruited an outstanding group of professionals for leadership within the organization. In addition to their work with the keynote, PD&T and Social Justice are looking for new ways to provide ongoing education outside of the conference, like a book club. Program again is offering the Encore Series, and has engaged some unique offerings for the conference. Sponsors and Exhibits is hard at work recruiting our longtime vendors along with some new potential Corporate Partners. Finally last, but not at all least, is the continued high quality of our magazine put together by our Communications Committee, which diligently supports authors and tirelessly edits to provide a high quality publication. As I write this last article while serving in my President role, I wanted to thank so many individuals who have helped and supported me over the last year. I owe a huge thank you to the Executive committee, the Committee Chairs, all my colleagues at Marquette University, and my partner Keith. Without all these individuals I wouldn’t have been able to focus on UMR, take the time away, or continue the great work of the organization.Thank you, thank you, thank you! Hopefully I will see you in Omaha for the Crossroads of Change.

Tracy Gerth Assistant Director for Residence Life Programs Marquette University (414) 397-0183 Tracy.Gerth@marquette.edu

Inside UMR

“AIM on Assessment: Change is Always at a Crossroads” By Joshua Lee, Member, UMR Assessment & Information Management Committee, and Assistant Director of Residence Life, St. Olaf College

o a quick google search with the phrase “Crossroads of Change” and you will find over 1.5 million links to articles, videos, and research on the ever-present changes throughout human history. Some of the first results listed provide perspective on our society’s priorities. Topics include:  History: Crossroads of Change; Clarksville, Tennessee from 1861-18651  Sustainability: The World is at a Crossroads2  Technology: Innovation: At the Crossroads of Technology and Regulation3  Health: Conscious Leadership at the Crossroads of Change4  Music: Vienna, Crossroads of Change5  Sports: High School Football at a Crossroads6 Humans are constantly discovering new ways to think about and understand the world around them. Did anyone hear about T-Rex? According to a study published in PeerJ (Sellers, 2017), the ferocious dinosaur previously thought to run at speeds of 40 mph can now be outrun by a giraffe! Jurassic Park is all a lie… Next scientists will tell us that T-Rex didn’t even live in the Jurassic period (science joke, look it up) - but I digress. Thankfully there are individuals interested in documenting this evolution of knowledge as illustrated in the examples above. Residence Life professionals are no different in their efforts to use data to predict and react to the constantly changing needs of our students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders. UMR-ACUHO is now in its 48th year and the association has surveyed member institutions about current housing trends since the beginning. As one might expect, the survey topics selected over time match closely to national and global headlines. For example, two of the first surveys on record ask institutions about disciplinary sanctions in relation to alcohol and the effects of the drinking age on campus. These surveys came in the wake of state governments raising the legal drinking age as a result of the Drinking Age Act 4

Inside UMR

of 1984. Another example of this correlation can be seen in the late 80s and early 90s when AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases became part of the national spotlight; UMR followed suit and surveyed institutions about campus education and condom distribution. The UMR-ACUHO Assessment and Information Management Committee (AIM) has the important task of keeping a pulse on the changing needs of our students. AIM is also charged with keeping historical records accessible and relevant to the region. The chart below lists all of the survey topics conducted since 1984. Results of these surveys can be distributed upon request to the AIM Committee. Additionally, if there is a topical area that has not been tackled, let the AIM Committee know how a future survey could be beneficial to you. Year

UMR-ACUHO Survey Completed

1984

 Computer Use  Disciplinary Sanctions  Room and Board Costs

1985

 Alcohol – Changes in the Drinking Age  Residence GPA  Room and Board Costs

1986

 ACUHO Salaries  Food Service Programs

1987

 Alcohol and Drug  Computers in Student Housing  Discipline Systems and their Perspective Effectiveness  In Room Construction  Maintenance Concerns in Student Housing  Non-Traditional and Graduate Students  Professional Residence Hall Staff Compensation  Promoting Residence Hall Programs  RA Information  Room and Board  Student Employee  Student Leadership in the Halls  Student Satisfaction  Weekend Programming

1988

 Career Tracks for Chief Housing Officers  Hall Council/Government Training  Institutional Policies Related to Mental Health Disorders  Maintaining Academic Environments  RA to Student Ratios  RA Ethics  Room and Board Survey  Retention Efforts  Sexually Transmitted Diseases

1989

      

Condom Availability on Campus Diversity Training Programs Hall Director Compensation Paraprofessional Staff Recruiting Residence Hall Computer Facilities Residence Life Marketing Strategies Room and Board Survey

1990

     

Confidentiality Issues Non-Member Survey Non-Traditional Students in Housing Residence Hall Security Programs Room and Board Single Sex Residence Halls

1991

       

Alcohol Survey Alternative Housing Survey Chief Housing Officer Skills Survey Hall Government Compensation Harassment Policy Statements Residential Life Training Programs Room and Board Survey Sexual Assault Survey

1992

 Building Accessibility Classes for RA’s  Inventory Control Systems Recycling Programs  Relationship Violence

1993

 CA/RA Duties, Compensation, & Ethical Behavior  Interim Housing for Semester/Spring Break  Room Assignment and Room Transfers

1994

 Condom Availability  Discipline Systems  Involvement & Academic Support Programs in the Residence  Faculty Halls

1995

 Membership Survey  Narcotics Use, Training & Procedures Security

 Regional Research and Information Committees  Special Interest Housing

1996

 Litigation  Quality of Life for Residence Life Professional Staff  Residence Hall Activity/Programming Fees  Special Interest Housing Resource List  Technology in the Residence Halls

1997

   

1998

 CA/RA Duties, Compensation, & Ethical Behavior  CA/RA Selection and Recruitment Processes  Discipline Systems  Diversity at UMR-ACUHO Member Institutions  Room and Board Rates  Sophomore-Year Programs

1999

    

Alcohol Policies Compensation for Entry Level Professionals Conduct and Discipline Faculty Involvement in the Residence Halls Training for Professional and Paraprofessional Staff

2000

    

Diversity Recruitment & Satisfaction Environmental Assessments Facilities & Renovations Living Learning Communities Programming Models & Student Involvement

2001

   

Assessments and Their Application Hall Director Recruitment Technology in the Residence Halls Training for Paraprofessional Staff

2002

 Compensation for Entry Level Professionals  Participation In UMR-ACUHO  Programming Targeted Audiences

Campus Cards First Year Experience Resident Assistant Classes Why Current Housing Professionals Entered the Field

1997-2002

 Room Changes/Consolidations

2003

 CA/RA Duties, Compensation, and Ethical Behavior  UMR-ACUHO Mission Survey  OPE Trends Analysis

2004

 Budgets Inside UMR

 Room and Board Rates  Full-Time, Live-In, Residence Hall Director

2014

 Gender and Student Staffing

2015

 Gender Inclusive/Neutral Housing

2005

 Residence Hall Governance Organizations  Environmental Assessments  Facilities and Renovations

2016

 Affordable Care Act  Assistance/Support Animals  Conflict Mediation

2006

 On-line Media Usage

2007

 Alcohol Usage and Policies  Pandemic/Crisis Management

2017

 Bias in Student Staff Selection  Student Staff Cultural Competency

2008

   

2009

 Economic Impact  Quality of Life  Technology

2010

 Comprehensive Facilities Conduct  Gender Neutral Housing  Living Learning Communities

2011

   

Grant Writing Live in/Live on Personal Technology Successful RA/CA

2012

   

Changing Faces of Conduct Pet Policies for Live-in Staff Professional Development (RA/HD) RA Selection

2013

 Emergency Management  Social Media

Environmental Sustainability Membership Diversity Mental Health Issues RA/CA Administration

Inside UMR

1. https://youtu.be/pxJSJyjlVLo 2. h t t p : / / w w w. g c i n t . o rg / t h e - wo r l d - i s- a t - a - c ro s s ro a d slet%E2%80%99s-choose-the-pathway-to-sustainability-in-2013/ 3. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/innovation-crossroads-technology-regulation-pranav-kumar-1 4. http://library.noetic.org/library/publication-articles/conscious-leadership-crossroads-change 5. https://hampsongfoundation.org/resource/song-mirror-of-theworld-program-2-vienna-crossroads-of-change/ 6. http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/11/23/high-schools-dropping-and-adding-football-safety-concerns 7. http://umr-acuho.org/assessment Sellers et al. (2017), PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.3420

Joshua Lee Member, UMR Assessment & Information Management Committee Assistant Director of Residence Life St. Olaf College lee8@stolaf.edu @JoshuaDLee

The Possibilities Are Endless...

866-SWContract (866.792.6687) â&#x20AC;¢ SWContract.com

Case Study Corner: “Life in the Dog House” By Emily Harris Feddes, Resident Director, UW-Platteville

 Intro: Welcome to the first installment of the Case Study Corner sponsored by the UMR Professional Development & Training (PD&T) committee! Within each issue of Perspectives, we hope to bring you a new case study to think through with colleagues or just within your own office space and consider what you would do in that situation. This is a free, efficient, and accessible way to build some professional development into your daily work. So, let’s get started with our first one!

 Setting: Farmville University is a small state institution in the Midwest. It is comprised of 15 residence halls, each housing between 200 and 600 students, making a total on-campus student population of 4,000. Farmville University’s residence halls recently implemented a policy permitting students to house an emotional support animal within their residence hall room assignment, provided they supply all necessary documentation and follow existing pet policies. These rules include always keeping the animal on a leash or contained when it is not inside the residence hall room, cleaning up after the animal, and ensuring ‘reasonable accommodations’ regarding the animal’s residency around other roommates.

Inside UMR

 Case: In the middle of the fall semester, after having an emotional support animal on campus since August, resident Alexis Johnson begins to become comfortable in her animal ownership and starts to relax on the policies. Alexis’ roommates have reported her opening the door from the suite to the hallway and allowing the dog to run down the hall, unleashed, after she told the dog, “Go find Daddy!” Alexis has reportedly left the dog alone in the common area of the suite for hours at a time, violating her roommate contract she had arranged with her roommates, agreeing to keep the dog in her personal room when she was not home. Alexis’ roommates have also experienced Alexis asking them to take care of the dog far more often than usual. On one specific incident, during the World Series, Alexis’ roommate was annoyed by the dog crying in the common space, so she put the dog back in Alexis’ room. Upon finding out about this action when she returned home, Alexis proceeded to yell at the roommate, stating, “This isn’t your dog!” and “How dare you touch Fido!” After feeling uncomfortable around the dog and Alexis the whole semester, the two roommates decided to move out at the end of the semester. During their move out, the roommates explained to their RA all of the events that happened that semester. This information was passed along to Kelly Harmon, the Resident Director. Upon hearing this information, Kelly requested a meeting with Alexis to discuss the pet policy and consequences for her apparent violations. At the end of the meeting, Kelly explained to Alexis that her animal privileges would be revoked if another incident like these occurred. At the beginning of the spring semester, Resident Katie Collins moved into her new suite, 314, after transferring from another college. After attempting to work with her roommates for the first couple of weeks, Katie requested a roommate mediation with RD Kelly to assist in solving a few hygiene issues in the suite. During this meeting, Katie talked about a few concerns she had, including: dirty dishes in the sink, moldy food on the counter, a lack of vacuuming in the suite, and concerns with an abundance of dog toys around the common area. Katie also noted that Alexis’ boyfriend

was keying into the room when Alexis wasn’t home so he could take Fido outside, thus violating the key and visitor policies. Upon hearing these concerns, Alexis said, “Why do you hate my dog so much?” to which Katie responded, “I just want the suite to be clean.” Three weeks after the mediation, Katie reached back out to RD Kelly to say nothing in the suite had changed and she really just wants to have a comfortable place to live. Alexis’ boyfriend saw Katie go into RD Kelly’s office and alerted Alexis that she was being “ratted out.” Later that day as Katie was lying down in her room for a nap, she heard Alexis and their other suitemate come into the common area of the suite. Alexis said, “I’m so sick of Katie. She’s such a drama queen who can’t handle a little mess and just wants everyone to cater to her. We were here first and this is OUR suite!” Katie then reached out to RD Kelly to state she was uncomfortable in the suite and wanted to leave immediately.

 Questions to Consider: 1. State the major problem(s) of the case. 2. What are the rights of each student? 3. What next steps would you take to resolve the issues at hand? 4. What are the pros/cons of moving Katie to a new suite in the hall? 5. What would you do if the residence hall was full and you were unable to move Katie from her assignment? 6. Moving forward, do you feel Alexis’ support animal privileges should be revoked? Emily Harris Feddes Resident Director UW-Platteville harrise@uwplatt.edu

Inside UMR

Room Goals #nailedit

DISCOVER... THE CHAPPS ROOM INSPECTOR APP THE ONE AND ONLY APP SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR DORMITORY INSPECTIONS!

FIND OUT MORE @ WWW.CHAPPS.COM contact us for a free demo M.C@CHAPPS.COM 10

Inside UMR

Introducing this year’s Keynote Speakers!

ow, y’all. You ready for this? The Social Justice and Professional Development & Training committees are collaborating to bring you something new and exciting for this year’s conference. We are bringing to you not just one but TWO keynote speakers!!! We are excited to announce that Dr. Z Nicolazzo and Dr. Jamie Washington will be our keynotes. Please take a moment to read a little bit more about both keynotes below. Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington serves as the President and Founder of the Washington Consulting Group, a Multicultural Organizational Development Firm out of Baltimore, MD. Dr. Washington has served as an educator, administrator, and consultant in higher education for over 30 years. Dr. Washington is the President and a Founder of the Social Justice Training Institute. He also serves as Visiting Assistant Professor of Religion and Social Ethics at Winston Salem State University.  Dr. Washington serves on the board of Many Voices, A Black Church Movement for LGBT person: and Campus Pride, and Beyond Diversity. He serves as a trustee for the American College Personnel Association.  Dr. Washington earned his B.S. degree from Slippery Rock State College, and a double Master’s of Science degrees from Indiana University/Bloomington. He holds a Ph.D. is in College Student Development, from the University of Maryland College Park. Dr. Washington also holds a Master of Divinity from Howard University School of Divinity.  He is a writer, speaker, coach, consultant, teacher and trainer. He has spoken all over the US, as well as in Canada and South Africa. He serves as the Co Pastor of Unity Fellowship and is the proud grandfather of 5 and great uncle to 3.  Known as “The Engagement Specialist”, he sees himself as an instrument of change. He works everyday to help people find the best in themselves and others. He lives by the words of one of his favorite songs: "If I can help somebody as I Pass along, If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, If I can show somebody that he’s or she has traveled wrong, Then my Living Shall Not BE in Vain"

r. Z Nicolazzo is a distinguished author, scholar, and activist, we could go on about the incredible work that Z is doing, but we thought it would make sense for Z to share hir own words: “My name is Dr. Z Nicolazzo, and I am an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling, Adult, and Higher Education and faculty association the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Northern Illinois University. I graduated with my Ph.D. in Student Affairs in Higher Education and a Graduate Certificate in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Miami University (2015), my M.S. in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University (2006), and my B.A. in Philosophy from Roger Williams University (2004). My research agenda focuses on mapping gender across college contexts, with particular attention paid to trans* collegians. My work is also focused on affirmative- and resilience-based approaches to working alongside trans* collegians, as well as promoting the (un)learning of normative gender constructs in higher education. My dissertation study was an 18-month critical collaborative ethnography in which I am working alongside nine trans* college students to explore what strategies they use to successfully navigate their collegiate environment, which I recently had published as my first solo authored book. The book is titled, Trans* in College: Transgender Students' Strategies for Navigating Campus Life and the Institutional Politics of Inclusion, which was published by Stylus Publishing. I am also the curator of the #TransingHigherEdSyllabus. My future research agenda includes exploring the intersections of race, gender, and disability as well as interrogating how postsecondary educators conceptualize and deploy understandings of gender throughout their professional practice. I also consult and speak at colleges and universities about trans* collegians and identities, gender, intersectionality, and issues of equity, inclusion, and access for marginalized populations in higher education.” Alongside the keynote and follow up session available at the conference, we are additionally excited to share that there will be a region-wide common read with Z’s wildly successful book, Trans* in College! Please be attentive to your email for more information coming soon! Inside UMR

A Critical Examination of RHA at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse By Dylan Kersten, Graduate Assistant RHAC Advisor, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

very year, our students change – they become more tech-savvy, more open to new experiences, and more involved. As a result, student affairs educators need to be adept with navigating organizational change. If we aspire for our residence halls to be transformational learning environments, we must become comfortable abandoning ideologies, practices, and structures that exist solely out of tradition. The Office of Residence Life at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse identified the Residence Hall Association Council (RHAC) as a traditional structure that needed to be evaluated. Our department, like many others, prides itself on being student-centered. Student leaders involved in RHAC were empowered by professional staff to critically analyze the RHAC constitution, and decide the future of the organization. I will use the first four stages of the eight-stage process for creating organizational change, as described by Kotter in the book “Leading Change,” to outline the RHAC restructure initiative (2012). Establishing a sense of urgency. No longer requiring hall council meetings served as a significant departmental change that required us to examine the effectiveness of RHAC. For decades, hall council served as the connector between RHAC and the residence halls. The department’s shift to programming boards, referred to as CORE teams, required us to acclimate to a new residence hall environment. April Handtke, Jacque Bollinger, and I used this observation to create a sense of urgency and prompt action from RHAC leadership. After a semester of discussion, the RHAC president assembled a committee to delve into the issue. The minimum expectation of the committee was to find a way for RHAC to connect with the residence halls in the absence of hall councils. Creating a guiding coalition. The committee served as 12

UMR Perspectives

what Kotter referred to as a “guiding coalition.” The committee membership included the RHAC president and National Communications Coordinator (NCC), four hall representatives, and three advisors. We were intentional in the composition of the group because we knew these folks would be crucial for creating meaningful and lasting change. The three advisors were a graduate student (myself), an assistant director (April Handtke), and the director of residence life (Jacque Bollinger). The presence and balance of folks’ positional power, expertise, credibility, and leadership were all factors that were considered (Kotter, 2012). The positional power and leadership of the director and the RHAC president were instrumental in gaining buy-in from people who were not a part of the coalition. Credibility was established by having hall representatives serve as the student voice. Practical and theoretical expertise were brought into the group by the president and three advisors, who had first-hand experience with RHA and knowledge of pertinent theories. Developing a vision and strategy. The committee collected and analyzed data over the course of the semester to develop an informed vision for the future. The committee conducted Qualtrics surveys, focus groups, RHAC involvement surveys, benchmarking, and analyzed themes from literature on Generation Z, in addition to available EBI data. Once all the data was collected, the committee met several times to compile a list of distinct themes. The primary function of creating themes was to condense the purpose of RHAC into points that could be easily articulated. From the themes, the committee delineated the purpose of RHAC into the following functions: communicate information from residence life (and other departments) to students, communicate information from student constituents to residence life, support hall programming, and foster student leadership/involvement in the residence halls. Communicating the change vision. The committee did a wonderful job of communicating

their progress amongst the residence life staff and RHAC. However, we failed to adequately inform external entities of our progress. Communication is instrumental in creating a shared understanding of our vision and maximizing buy-in. As folks move forward with planning and implementing the new structure, they are intentionally reaching out to inform the campus community. Results of the restructuring initiative included the following: The Student Embassy. The restructure initiative resulted in the decision to move to an entirely new structure, known as the Student Embassy. The embassy will have five ambassador positions, that function like an RHA executive board. The five ambassador positions are Technology, Marketing, Groups, Assessment, and Conferences. The Student Embassy is divided into three focus areas: Student Voice, Groups, and Conferences. Student Voice. There is no longer a body of hall representatives. Rather, communication will occur through open forums that will rotate amongst the halls. In-person communication will be supplemented electronically using email and various social media outlets. Money that was allocated for hall fund requests will be equally divided and proportionally allocated to each hall’s programming budget. Requesting funds from RHAC was redundant because requests were almost always approved, and each hall goes through their own expenditure approval process. Groups. The goal of the groups model is to expand residence hall involvement to a larger proportion of on-campus residents. Students felt that the RHAC budget was fiscally irresponsible because only 30 students out of 3,600 were actively being engaged in leadership development. The Groups model will allow residents to gather informally over shared interests. Groups could take the form of a movie night, weekly baking events, study groups, identity-based groups, and even a hall governance group. Conferences. Conferences was one area that went largely unchanged; there will continue to be an NCC and a budget to subsidize the cost of conference attendance. The conference ambassador will oversee a database of compiled program summaries that will be accessible by leaders all over campus. Observations from an emerging student affairs educator. “Sometimes we become so accustomed to one basic organizational design, perhaps because it has been used for decades, that we are blind to the alternatives” (Kotter, 2012, p. 110). RHAC existed at UWL for over three

"If we aspire for our residence halls to be transformational learning environments, we must become comfortable abandoning ideologies, practices, and structures that exist solely out of tradition."

decades, and during that time, underwent very little change to keep up with changing student populations. The process we endured was not meant to undermine or discredit the experience that results from RHA involvement. Rather, we wanted to critically examine our structure to figure out how to best meet the needs of UWL students living on campus. We continually experienced the same challenges year-to-year and our reactive responses were insufficient. We decided to take a proactive approach to preserve the essence of RHA in a structure that will more effectively accomplish the organization’s purpose. The Student Embassy ambassadors are paid positions. As a result, the positions will be more accessible to students who need a source of income while in college to support themselves or their families. With the positions being paid, there is also an added layer of accountability. Since a majority of UWL residents are first-year students, we operated under the informed assumption that one of our main goals should be fostering a sense of community (Blimling, 2015, p. 221). We believe the Groups model will UMR Perspectives

Wisconsin Lutheran College - Milwaukee, WI

HOUSING THAT SUPPORTS STUDENT WELL-BEING We understand student housing design must address many needs: campus goals, student desires, sense of community, sustainability, future growth, revenue and budget objectives. We also understand that when students are able to live in an environment where they feel supported and safe with access to campus amenities, they thrive. Contact our experts today to talk about how your housing experience supports your campus initiatives.

Chris Gallagher, RA, LEED AP 414.291.8151 : chrisg@eua.com Jonathan Parker, RA, LEED AP 608.442.6681 : jonathanp@eua.com

www.eua.com

Varsity Quarters - Madison, WI

2040 Lofts - Milwaukee, WI

UMR Perspectives

University of Wisconsin-Madison - Madison, WI

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse - La Crosse, WI

assist in community development as it will facilitate peer group formation over shared interests. The Groups model also allows for considerable flexibility. With many students being digital natives, programming has become much more difficult as students have an unprecedented number of interests competing for their time and attention. Planning educational programs has become even more difficult; students already have a vast amount of information at the touch of their fingertips. Students in RHAC felt that trying to compete, when there was no need for competition, was pointless. They supported the Groups model because it would provide students with the opportunity to opt in and take ownership of their residence life experience. With the restructure process being student-driven and data-informed, we were confident taking a calculated risk on the Student Embassy. Leaders are not complacent; they constantly strive for ways to improve both themselves and their organizations. Engaging in the restructure initiative was a real-world practice of leadership, which members of RHAC wouldn’t have experienced by attending

y safet need for your rails ? call us! lofts

a leadership program. Fostering a positive environment that empowered students to excel and take risks was the foundation for the initiative’s success. CITATIONS • Blimling, G. S. (2015). Student Learning in College Residence Halls (pp. 1-306). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. • Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading Change (pp. 3-194). Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. • Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2014). The Student Leadership Challenge (2nd ed., pp. 3-267). San Francisco, CA: The Leadership Challenge.

Dylan Kersten Graduate Assistant RHAC Advisor University of Wisconsin – La Crosse Dylan.kersten1@gmail.com

turn res hall rooms into homes with...

Reques On-Cam t an Demons pus tration !

Full Size Mattress Recycable Frame

patented lofts & loft kits

big hoss futons

MicroChill fridgeS & COMBO UNITS

quickey SAFES

FOR QUESTIONS CALL 712-948-3250 or e-mail sales@collegeproducts.com

*300,000.00 in commission paid annually to school partners. UMR Perspectives

Changing Populations, Changing Needs: Considerations for the Emerging Population of Student-Parents By Ashley Lancaster, Madonna Hall Director & Health Education Coordinator, College of Saint Mary and Christine Simone, Director of Residence Life, College of Saint Mary

s the landscape of students and their needs continue to take shape, populations of students with varied backgrounds and needs begin to emerge within the college setting. Per the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, just over a quarter of undergraduate students, 4.8 million individuals, in the United States identify as raising one or more dependent children and, of these, 43 percent of the total student parent population identify as single mothers (Gault, et al.). College of Saint Mary (CSM), a small, female, Catholic, liberal arts institution boasts a high percentage of students who identify as parents and has spent almost 20 years continuing to build upon experiences working with the population of students. Within Residence Life specifically, staff work with residential mothers in a Mothers Living and Learning (MLL) community to create a community that addresses parents’ needs to support their success both as parents and students. CSM’s MLL community offers unmarried, female students seeking an undergraduate degree the opportunity to live on campus in suite-style housing with another mother as a roommate. Residence Life staff partner with the campus’ Single Parent Success office to provide resources and educational programming that targets the needs of both parents and their children, and residents enroll in a first-semester pass/fail course titled “The Successful Single Parent.” Over the course of working with this community, staff have experienced a number of topics to consider when working with residential parents.

Parents Working with Faculty: Parents, particularly those new or returning to the college academic environment, should be encouraged to have proactive conversations with faculty about classes and 16

UMR Personal Side

considerations for parents. For students, having an upfront, realistic idea of what classes and schedules will look like will positively impact the student’s ability to plan childcare, consider how to follow-up when children fall ill, or how to communicate in the event of an unforeseen absence. Many faculty have drafted strict policies against cell phone use during class in their syllabi; however, parents need to remain reachable in the event of emergency regarding their child while they are in someone else’s care. Common solutions include allowing a parent-student to be an exception to the policy or, in some situations, giving a professor’s number as an emergency contact during externships, clinical rotations, or exams.

Parents’ Co-Curricular Involvements: Allowing student-parents to connect with the greater campus community through opportunities for involvement is key to providing the same level of accessibility of services and leadership development offered to traditional students. Failing to consider the times of meetings, practices, or other events with respect to children’s bedtimes or major school district activities can lead to feelings of exclusion. Created varied times for events increases the likelihood that parents with more rigid schedules may be able to attend, or advertising events that are open to families instead of marketed solely to students can help this group connect to co-curricular activities.

Residential Policies: The presence of a significant number of minors residing on campus creates a need for additional residential policies for the safety and security of the parents and their children. Because of the secure nature of residence hall buildings, CSM has revamped its babysitting policy to allow access for pre-approved persons for the purpose of babysitting while limiting the liability of the institution. Policies for longer quiet hours, increased building security, banning of profane language, and reporting of child neglect have been implemented.

“Though the number of unique considerations when working with residential student- parent populations is vast, the opportunities for connecting with these students is a rewarding initiative to consider implementing on any campus.” Coming to College: CSM conducts an interview with each of the women who express interest in the MLL community once they have been accepted to the college. Though partially conducted for the sake of space allocation, the conversations also serve to help prospective parent-students talk through some of the changes to expect when coming to college such as state aid, SNAP, WIC, or childcare. The existence of custody agreements or lack thereof also becomes a consideration for parents who may need to share custody or have dropoff of children. Discussing expectations and hopes for the residential environment help to gain an understanding of students’ goals, while also helping staff determine how to meet the needs of each unique family.

Recognizing Student Stressors: Though not applicable to all residential parents, many who identify as single parents have experienced instability in their lives, whether caused by the absence of the other parent or other factors. Stressors and triggers vary greatly, but common themes arise from differing parenting styling, unfamiliar guests visiting within the building or suite, sharing of personal items, or not having an understanding of the role of Residence Life health and safety checks. Many elements of these stressors can be limited by focusing on communication with residents. Roommate agreements aid in the resolution of unknown triggers within a shared space, and offering a clear explanation of room entry or allowing students to be present can minimize stress.

Language: As higher education professionals, we are taught to be inclusive with our language with students and there are additional considerations when working with parents as students. Every family is unique and has different views

on family dynamics. Some families will identify as having a mother, father, and children as components, while other students may identify with the term single parent. As with many identities, the best course of action is to simply ask. Asking who is important in their child’s life, as well as what their family looks like, helps oneget to know the student as well as identify needs the student may have. If they have limited support raising their child, they may want more support or seek additional resources to help their household succeed. Another important note on the language of family units is recognizing many times their family unit may change. A father who was once very involved may no longer be a part of their child’s life, or a new boyfriend or girlfriend may enter the picture and become an important person in the student’s family. It is important to not assume the dynamics have remained the same since you last spoke with the student, so asking about a significant other that is no longer involved may be a subject a student may not be ready to address. It is important to know that when speaking with the student, allow them to share updates on their family dynamics as they change, and recognize these changes appear often in some student’s lives while other students may have more long-term relationships in their lives.

Parents as Roommates: Pairing roommates who are parents opens the door to a number of additional factors for consideration above and beyond the typical roommate questionnaire. Considerations should include ages of children due to developmental milestones and will be occurring throughout their time residing on campus, parenting styles, and known triggers that may be heightened by particular pairings. Although conflict will arise regardless of how well a roommate pairing is, proactively creating safeguards is ideal. These measures UMR Personal Side

include thorough roommate agreements filled out with their resident advisor present, and initiating conflict resolution training to the incoming students prior to classes beginning. It is also important to consider having staff that is trained and prepared for the differences in having parents as residents and how issues may be addressed differently to take in considerations for the family unit. Benefits of having a parent roommate situation include the ability for parents to create an on-campus support system of other parents going through similar challenges and succeeding together. Parents in this setting often create their own community of raising their children together and are often able to help another parent who needs childcare assistance for an ill child, a trusting friend to talk through situations, and form study groups with people in their classes. Besides taking into consideration the many needs of residential student-parents, it is important to remember that the children are residents within the educational setting, too. On the campus, children are often seen playing outside, and walking the halls in the buildings with their parents. Most children who grow up on a college campus are very well adjusted and willing to start a conversation with just about anyone they come into contact with. For some, it may be hard to see them as a resident, but they are residents who have their own set of needs within residence life. Children may have a large age range on a campus and their needs will need to be met at every milestone. Some needs that they may have include safe places to play, building their own relationships within their community, making their space their home, and adjusting to the changes in their lives. 18

UMR Personal Side

Children are incredibly active and will need to have places to get all of their energy out. Having different locations that are child friendly need to exist on campus and be easily accessible. Ideas for locations include having common spaces within the residence hall that have child appropriate toys, having a large outside space for play, considerations for playground equipment, and study spaces that have toys readily available so their parents are able to complete homework or have study groups. For study spaces this can be included in other building on campus too, for example the library. We often talk about how residents need to learn about communication and learning to fit into a community, and this is no different for children. Children in the community need to learn how to express their feelings appropriately, communicate their needs and wants with their friends, and how to be inclusive of the other children in their building. Although this will largely take place with their parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help, a parent may ask for help when they feel their child has been excluded or when a child in the community is not fitting in. These opportunities will lead to learning how to create inclusive floors that include programming that help to show children to use their voice, having parenting resources available to address parenting concerns, and learning how to mediate between parents for mutual respect on parenting styles. Since children are living on campus, it is important that their room becomes their own space where they can be themselves. This can include decorating their space with their favorite likes, bringing their favorite toys, and having pictures that make them feel like home. It is important to suggest to parents to set up boundaries they see fit to make the residence hall feel like their home. For some parents this may begin by teaching children not to enter another room without knocking, and having children ask their friends to either come out to play or if they are allowed to come inside another home to play. There is a lot of change that occurs for a child who is a resident, their parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schedule will adjust by semester and as the child grows their activities will change also. Encourage parents to take time to focus on their family and form a routine that works for them. This routine can include their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s input if they are old enough, and will help their child to feel included and prepared for changes. Help parents to identify resources to help themselves as well

as their children if adjusting to new changes is not working, so they may find the tools that work best for their family.

Works Cited:

Though the number of unique considerations when

 Barbara Gault, Lindsey Reichlin, and Stephanie Román. 2014.

working with residential student-parent populations is

College Affordability for Low-Income Adults: Improving Re-

vast, the opportunities for connecting with these students

turns on Investment for Families and Society. Report, IWPR

is a rewarding initiative to consider implementing on any

#C412. Washington,

campus. Please join us as we continue the conversation

 DC: Institute for Women’s Policy Research. https://www.lu-

about parents and families as residential students at our

minafoundation.org/files/resources/college-students-rais-

presentation at the UMR Annual Conference in November.

ing-children.pdf

Ashley Lancaster Madonna Hall Director & Health Education Coordinator College of Saint Mary alancaster@csm.edu

Christine Simone Director of Residence Life College of Saint Mary csimone@csm.edu

Have you faced lost keys, re-keying costs or break-ins?

KeyTrak has the solution.

• • Web-based remote access • PackageTrak software

Protect your students. Protect your property. Protect your reputation.

• • Customizable user access levels • 24/7 in-house software support

Want to learn more? Scan here.

• Reduction of loss, theft and liability

keytrak.com/about-us

See the Difference 888.842.4303

UMR Personal Side

Leading Through Change By Charlie Potts, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life, Gustavus Adolphus

aking on a leadership role in higher education takes courage. An unstable market, challenging political climate, rising costs and changing vision of pedagogical practices puts the future of brick and mortar institutions on shaky ground. Think higher ed is too big to fail? You're probably right, but I'm not so sure all aspects of the current landscape are safe. Student affairs and student services in particular need innovation and

“We need to start thinking of change like one of our roommate mediation conversations – you don’t have to be best friends with change, but you have to learn to co-exist in order to be comfortable enough to live with change.” 20

UMR Perspectives

creative thinking in order to survive budget reductions and meet the changing needs of our students. I am surrounded often by leaders in higher education who consider themselves change agents. They strive for adaptability and improving services and methods of delivery. But change is difficult, change takes time, and it's often hard to see through the challenges of change to get a glimpse of the benefits. John Kotter wrote a fantastic book about the process and culture of change called Leading Change. The second chapter of the book discussed some key steps required in creating change - Kotter's aim was the business world, but much of the theory and action behind it translates well to higher education. Kotter provided eight steps to follow in the change process. Admittedly, Kotter noted that these steps can appear over-simplified and generalized, but I still think they are worthy of discussion and application. ESTABLISHING A SENSE OF URGENCY - The requires an analysis of the situation. What's going on in your office or department that needs addressing? What is on the horizon that you know needs to be addressed? Urgency doesn't mean crisis or even that something is completely broken, though. What needs changing or adapting due to staffing changes? Or due to budget challenges? Or maybe due to shifts in philosophy? CREATING THE GUIDING COALITION - Who are your key players? Who has a vested interest and also has enough influence (both in scope of perceived and actual power as well as those with abilities to relate, connect and network)? Calling together the super squad to align behind the issue and develop as a team is vital. Who is your super squad? Have your short-list of colleagues prepared - people you can depend on to think clearly through problems and who are motivated by change and hard work. DEVELOPING A VISION AND STRATEGY - You've assessed the landscape and established a sense of urgency around the issue, so what are you going to do about it? Leverage your group's connections and strengths to

create a guiding focus and from that develop strategies to create change. COMMUNICATING THE CHANGE VISION - Kotter said it's important to "[use] every vehicle possible to constantly communicate the new vision and strategies." Kotter included having the guiding coalition model the behavior expected via the change, but this also involves using communication methods at your disposal - staff meetings, divisional meetings, social media/networking, publicity, etc. Communicating the vision for change can be difficult - it's the method by which we share the valuable information but it also opens us to criticism or doubt. Demonstrating a "united front" and a common message is vital. EMPOWERING BROAD-BASED ACTION - Did you get negative/critical feedback while communicating the vision? Now is the time to change the structures that undermine the change vision, according to Kotter. Move beyond obstacles and empower others to embrace your vision. GENERATING SHORT-TERM WINS - Make tweaks to the plan to promote positive aspects of the change. Acknowledge (publicly!) and reward those who assisted in the process of change. Small victories add up... CONSOLIDATING GAINS AND PRODUCING MORE CHANGE - Use the positive gains from the change process to inspire more change, including modification of structures or processes that aren't aligned with the larger change you helped make. Hire, promote, reward and develop individuals who can continue to implement the vision and affect change. ANCHORING NEW CHANGES IN THE CULTURE - Infuse change into systemic/institutional practices to insure that the change is carried forward and multiplied. Producing successful change gives permission to others to facilitate change. Make the positive gains part of the organizational culture to demonstrate that change can be good and that clear guidance and support through change feeds a culture of strong leadership. A clear connection between positive change and organizational success encourages

continued growth and inspires others to take the risks needed to create change. Anchor change into the culture and let it influence the other decisions you make. The place I see this come to life more than any other is through hiring practices. I was once told to hire to vision, not just fit. If you only look for immediate personality fit or a concrete list of specific experiences, you may not get someone who is ready to adapt, change and thrive. Maintaining past hiring practices may limit your potential - seek those who match your vision and the change you see coming - not just for an immediate fix. TO SUMMARIZE: Kotter's first four steps set the stage for change. Steps five through seven introduce the change and the eighth step ingrains the change into the culture and sets the groundwork for future success through change. We operate in a field where change is inevitable students come and go, staff turns over frequently, funding fluctuates, strategic plans come and go, leadership changes, etc. We need to start thinking of change like one of our roommate mediation conversations – you don’t have to be best friends with change, but you have to learn to co-exist in order to be comfortable enough to live with change. So why does change make us uncomfortable? If change is inspired by a departmental or institutional mission and a well-intended, passionate group of change agents can be assembled to create the strategies for change, the positive power of adapting and evolving can create new energy and sense of purpose for your organization. After all, if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got. That clichéd saying should inspire us to think critically about change and what we can do to create and participate in a culture that can live with change.

Charlie Potts Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life Gustavus Adolphus cpotts@gustavus.edu

UMR Perspectives

And How do YOU Feel About That?

Cultivating a Holistic Approach to Mental Health Awareness at the Crossroads of Change By Pankaj Desai, Residence Director, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kevin Rush, Residence Director, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

n the 2003 family comedy “Freaky Friday,” Lindsay Lohan stars as Anna Coleman, a typical teenage girl who struggles with a tumultuous relationship with her mother, Tess. In a “freak” event while out to dinner, Anna and Tess inhabit the bodies of each other. Tess is a therapist and when Anna plans to attend work as the newly inhabited Tess, she becomes worried about what she should say to Tess’ various clients. Tess teaches her to simply repeat the words, “And how do YOU feel about that?” While rooted in a highly hilarious rendition of a classic movie, it showcases a fundamentally flawed, yet somewhat accurate way mental health is perceived from the perspectives of the students we serve. It is evident across numerous higher education institutions in our country that mental health, and our response to providing effective solutions to students experiencing challenges, is becoming increasingly relevant. In our work within residence life, we often are tasked to become aware of when various “warning signs” exist among our residents. While we can work with a student of concern to strategize a support plan, , we must know our work does not begin and end at this point. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a lifelong humanitarian and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, said: “No work is stressful. It is your inability to manage your body, mind, and emotions that make it stressful.” While stress is a relatively natural facet of our human lives, it is important for professionals, as well as our students, to find strategies to cope with various stressors that become prevalent in our lives. Whilemany of our students will experience stress from their classwork, it is important to acknowledge the stressors for our students are not limited to the classroom. Just as the stressors themselves are complex and multifaceted, the release of stress is equally as varied. Before we can fully understand how our students cope, we need to understand the extent of their struggles. 22

UMR Perspectives

Current state of collegiate mental health and why this is a challenge: Reaching the crossroads The arrival of mental health issues, especially stress in America, is at the crossroads of change. According to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Stress in America survey (2017), “the results of the January 2017 poll show a statistically significant increase in stress for the first time since the survey was first conducted in 2007” (p. 3). Prior to this, there were slight increases in 2013 and 2015, but those increases were not statistically significant. Similarly, the Annual Report of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (2015) reports that “the lifetime prevalence rate for serious suicidal ideation has increased substantially over the last five years from 23.8% to more than 32.9%” in students receiving mental health services (pg. 2). This increasing demand for mental health services in itself is a cause for alarm. This upsurge in the demand for mental health services is intensified when considering our students' increased engagement with social media. In this age of social mediadriven connectedness, students find themselves in the middle of a myriad of issues ranging from political debates to issues of social justice. Yet, “while more than one-third of Millennials (36 percent) report that social media has helped them find their identity, almost half (48 percent) worry about the negative effects of social media on their physical and mental health,” according to the APA report Stress in America 2017: Technology and Social Media (2017, p. 4).

How current approaches are no longer effective: Approaching our road block According to the APA, “Younger Americans report experiencing the most stress and the least relief —they report higher stress levels than older generations and say they are not managing it well” (“stress by generation”, n.d., para. 2). For anyone working on a university campus, this truth hits closer to home. Despite their increased attention on mental health preparedness, universities are struggling

to find and offer resources to mitigate students’ concerns. Field (2016) reports that according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, “Over the past six years, the number of students seeking appointments has grown by an average of 30 percent, five times the average rate of enrollment growth” (para. 5). Certainly, some of this could be attributed to the fact there has been an increase in the number of students seeking mental health assistance in recent times due to the decrease in the stigma surrounding mental health illnesses. Apart from that, “Students who previously would not have been able to attend college can now go because of advanced medication and other forms of treatment, according to Maggie Bertram, Associate Director of Training and Education at Active Minds” (as cited in Simon, 2017, para. 13). Yet, the general tendency amongst student affairs professionals, especially within residence life departments, continues to be attributing this increase to a national trend, which hence generalizes the problem. Otherwise, the effort, often in good nature, is to triage the mental health concerns of their students and then ultimately funnel it to the on-campus mental health center. This is where the crux of the problem lies. Counseling centers in universities across the nation have wait times extending a couple of weeks, if not more. Apart from that, many universities charge their students for counseling sessions, which becomes a reason for students to avoid seeking assistance. On the other hand, increasing the number of counselors is often a problem when universities are facing budget cuts at an unprecedented rate. Moreover, counseling centers demand a permanent and continued commitment to fiscal and spatial resources that universities find difficult to commit to. However, we need to develop a preventative approach, rather that a reactive approach, in addressing this increase in mental health concerns.

Changing the dialogue to a more proactive approach: Changing directions So herein lies the underlying challenge that many residence hall staff come across: It is clear that the body of empirical evidence suggests an uptick of mental health crises that students are experiencing. However, it is equally as important for us to be aware of practical approaches to early detection of mental health challenges, enhancing training for our professional and student staff, and increasing

"Before we can fully understand how our students cope, we need to understand the extent of their struggle."

the education about mental health challenges in order to de-escalate the stigma associated with seeking help. It is time that we begin changing the dialogue from one that seeks to understand why such a problem exists to finding practical solutions for mitigating its effects.

Recommendations/future research direction: The long journey ahead As we move forward in our progress towards providing you with some practical solutions to the challenges, let’s first acknowledge that the body of research to determine the effectiveness of such strategies is not yet complete. In the future, more research should be done on what various departments are doing to support students proactively in order to tie it to better practices. This would help us mitigate the number of crises experienced by students and help us set them up for success. While this dialogue does not begin or end for professionals in residence life nor does it even end from a holistic higher education perspective, the work that we do needs to move forward now, despite inefficient data. One of the greatest avenues we have to helping our students cope with the increased stressors of their college experience is to surround them with a system of support and community. We arguably have no greater role in residence life than to work with our students to find them the connections they need to find success. One of our greatest vehicles to providing this level of support to our students is through the work of our student staff. UMR Perspectives

Our student staff provide our students with valuable tools, resources, and skills for our residents to not only coexist, but thrive in a community of their peers. Additionally, our student staff are often the first to know and respond to situations in which residents are experiencing difficulties. Consequently, it becomes imperative for professional staff to be highly aware of how we are training our student staff to become effective helpers. Therefore it is important that during training, we are not simply regurgitating policies and procedures, but rather engaging them in dialogue about how they would handle specific situations, providing case studies for the staff to practice, or even allowing for time for some role-playing exercises. We expect our student staff

it is fundamentally important for professionals to practice our own self-care. It must be understood that if we are to, in any way, make a lasting impact on mental health outcomes, then we must change our very approach to them. Going forward, we must invest heavily into preventative holistic wellness initiatives and aim at increased student coping skills. By doing so, we will be increasing the likelihood that student attitudes surrounding mental health see a positive uplift. While some students may still see our work in mental health as a person sitting in a chair asking "how do YOU feel about that?", we are starting to turn the dial towards making mental health awareness a necessary and practical stride towards college student success.

to ask some tough questions and we should give them a chance to hear themselves ask them.

REFERENCES

One of the tasks that we often require our staff members

 American Psychological Association. (2017). Stress in America: Cop-

to do in order to work towards unifying a community are

ing with Change, Part 1. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/

educational programs. It is important that stress management

press/releases/stress/2016/coping-with-change.PDF

and coping skills be a focus for some of these programs that

 American Psychological Association. (2017). Stress in America:

our staff have to offer. When we offer these programs to our

Technology and Social Media. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/

residents, we normalize the impact that these challenges

news/press/releases/stress/2017/technology-social-media.PDF

have on their experience. As we begin planning these programs, let us challenge our staff to move past offering stress balls, facials, or smoothies, and move rather towards a direction of dialogue and education. Most health and wellness centers on college campuses offer educational programs to those who ask for it. This is a time where we need to strengthen our collaborations and partnerships with our campus community and provide opportunities and resources to students who could benefit the most from them. Since residence life professionals are often on the front lines of handling mental health crisis within our students,

Pankaj Desai Residence Director University of Nebraska-Lincoln pankajdesai@unl.edu

UMR Perspectives

 Eisenberg, D., Goldrick-Rab, S., Ketchen Lipson, S., & Bronton, K. (2016). Too distressed to learn? Mental health among community college students. Retrieved from http://www.wihopelab.com/publications/Wisconsin_HOPE_Lab-Too_Distressed_To_Learn.pdf  Simon, C. (2017, May 04). More and more students need mental health services. But colleges struggle to keep up. USA Today College. Retrieved from http://college.usatoday.com/2017/05/04/college-students-mental-illness/  Stress by generation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ news/press/releases/stress/2012/generations.aspx

Kevin Rush Residence Director University of Nebraska-Lincoln krush3@unl.edu

UMR RELI Class of 2017

At the Crossroads of Change, RELI Provides a Guidepost By Marcus D’Iorio, Residence Hall Director, Dakota State University; Paige Freeman, Complex Director, University of Kansas; Jackie Lee, Hall Director, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse; Nathan Ross, Apartment Community Manager, Iowa State University and Megan Swingle, Hall Director, Truman State University

n mid-June, 28 entry-level housing professionals went to University of Northern Iowa’s campus for the Regional Entry Level Institute (RELI). According to the RELI website, “The Regional Entry Level Institute for Housing and Residence Life Staff is a 4-day intensive seminar featuring a range of activities for entry-level professionals who aspire to mid-level positions in residence life and beyond. RELI is modeled after the National Housing Training Institute” (https://dor.uni.edu/reli). Many participants decided to come to RELI because they felt like they were at a crossroads of change – preparing to take the next step within their careers. This institute allowed them to learn from ten experienced housing professionals about ten in-depth topics: Theory &

Competencies, Policies & Legal Issues, Facilities Management, Emergency Protocols & Preparation, Budgeting & Finance, Contracting & Occupancy Management, Management & Supervision at the Next Level, Communication & Social Media, Politics & Savviness, and Program Development & Assessment. A few of the RELI participants joined together in order to share their experiences with you: Marcus D’Iorio, Residence Hall Director at Dakota State University. Marcus has been with Dakota State for one year. Paige Freeman, Complex Director at the University of Kansas. Paige has worked for KU Student Housing for one year. She is also a proud native of Louisville, Kentucky. Jackie Lee, Residence Hall Director at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Jackie has been at UWL since July 2015. Nathan Ross, Apartment Community Manager at Iowa State University. Nathan has been at ISU since December 2015. Prior to that, he worked 2 additional years in housing and 2.5 years in academic advising. Megan Swingle, Hall Director at Truman State University. Megan has been in her role for 6 years and is currently working to complete her Master’s Degree from TSU. UMR Perspectives

 How did you hear about RELI? What interested you in RELI? Who encouraged you to apply? Marcus: Around November 2016, my former supervisor, Dave Roberts mentioned that RELI would be a great professional development opportunity as it has a curricular focus on a variety of different topic areas in housing and residence life. During the winter UMR committee meetings in January 2017, when the RELI alumni were asked to stand up, the power that RELI has, in addition to the spirit that each of them showed, convinced me that I needed to apply for this year’s institute. When I looked into the different focus areas of RELI, I realized that not only were the topics extremely structured, but they were also areas that I was interested in learning more about. Paige: RELI captured my attention because of the variety of topics related to housing and residence life that the program offered, the overall objective of gaining a new professional network that would remain near and dear to my professional growth within the field, and the amazing experiences shared from my colleagues at KU who attended. It was no secret that I was the fourth generation of entry level professionals working in KU Student Housing to attend. This was a huge accomplishment that I wanted to achieve simply by gaining knowledge to enhance professionally but also to continue the legacy of KU Complex Directors attending RELI. My first year presented many obstacles; however, I found RELI to be a breath of fresh air. RELI would soon serve as a source of knowledge and opportunity to gain confidence in who I was, and how I wanted to be perceived as a housing professional. 26

UMR Perspectives

Jackie: I heard about RELI at the UMR Summer/Winter Meetings and through fellow UW-L colleagues who have attended in the past. I was very interested in a reasonablypriced, intensive professional development opportunity that covered a variety of topics. RELI seemed to be just what I was looking for, and came highly recommended. Nathan: I first heard about RELI at the UMR Annual Conference. I was then encouraged to attend by my former supervisor. I was interested in attending RELI because I am wanting to transition to a mid-level Residence Life position within the next few years and I felt that RELI would help me to see the bigger picture of Residence Life and Housing, as well as challenge me to continue to improve my skills as a student affairs professional. Megan: I heard about RELI during the UMR-ACUHO Annual Conference. I was interested in RELI because it provided an intensive professional development experience for individuals interested in moving into a mid-level position. I was also interested in the small cohort-style setup of the institute; the opportunity to connect with individuals from around the region while participating in professional development was something I have been looking for. I finally decided to apply during the UMR Winter Meeting while discussing RELI with a fellow committee member.  What were some of your biggest takeaways from RELI? Marcus: I had two big takeaways from RELI. The first was that a department’s budget within residence life is fluid, in that it can change throughout the year. Knowing

this, I have realized that it is important to know what the department priorities are when it comes to budgeting, as well as how a department is able to boost the revenue that comes in throughout the year beyond the housing fees students pay each semester. My second takeaway, and the one that I consider to be my biggest realization, is that residence life works in a circular nature in that housing fees generate revenue to both pay for facilities and the upkeep of facilities. In order for the facilities to be modernized and in line with what students are wishing for, we need to have additional revenue come in throughout the year, with an emphasis on summer conferences. In return, this revenue helps departments bolster facility and program offerings for the residents in order to keep a steady flow of residents. Paige: While attending RELI, I gained a family like no other—my cluster! I was able to be vulnerable in a professional space and receive critical feedback on how to set the tone for my second year at KU. In addition, I was able to network with professionals serving at a range of different levels, and learn first-hand how to be proactive within this field. RELI allowed me to reflect on what success looks like, and challenge my perspective of who defines that—which is me! Networking with different faculty members provided a diverse perspective on topics and life experiences that assured me that everyone’s path is different and I have the ability to create my own. Jackie: Some of the biggest takeaways for me from RELI revolved around the individuals in my cluster. I really enjoyed being able to connect with two other entry-level professionals and learn about their experiences at different institutions, as well as to hear from our faculty member who had a great deal of real-life examples to share with us. All of the sessions at RELI were very focused on how the topical areas are a part of our day-to-day lives in residence life and housing and I gained a lot of insight from this. There was a

solid mix of the “big picture” and the specifics that allowed me to get a good grasps on each topic. Nathan: There are three big takeaways for me. While I have heard of the ACPA/NASPA Competencies prior to attending RELI, I had never looked at them in-depth. Now, I am using them as a roadmap to see what skills I am mastering and what areas I still need to work on. Second, I feel like I have done a fairly good job of developing relationships with those within the Residence Life unit; however, I haven’t established a lot of relationships within other branches of the Department of Residence or the institution as a whole. I want to set up meetings with the heads of the other units within the Department of Residence in order to get a better understanding of the big picture of Housing. Third, the quote “Leave A Place Better Than You Found It” continues to stick with me. As a student affairs professional, I hope that the work I have done in each of the places I’ve worked have made those institutions better places. And I hope that my current efforts at Iowa State are making ISU a better place for students and staff. Megan: There are so many specific takeaways that I have, but I think they can be summed up into two things. The first is the creation of a professional development plan. Throughout the week, we talked extensively about various competencies and opportunities to further our learning in specific areas. Through talking about these concepts, I have a very lengthy list of things in the next year that I would like to do for my own professional development on campus. On the top of that list is becoming more comfortable with budgets and assessment. The second big takeaway that I have is the connections I made with the other RELI Participants and the Faculty. These connections are invaluable – after a week of learning from everyone at RELI, being able to reach out to them for resources and perspective has been, and will continue to be, so helpful.

“Due to my attendance at RELI, I now feel confident in who I am as a professional and my ability to lead my team as an effective supervisor, and I’m aware of my areas of expertise and areas in which I could use more improvement.” UMR Perspectives

 What is one thing that you want to do differently during this next academic year due to attending RELI? Marcus: Over this next academic year, I would like to work on integrating theory into the programing that takes place within my hall. When we look at the trends of where residence education is going, we see a variety of departments using either a community development model or residential curriculum as the basis of their residential education. RELI showed me the value and need for the incorporation of theory into our work. Paige: This upcoming year, I will lead differently regarding my supervisory style by setting clear expectations, offering open communication, and providing (and receiving) critical feedback. Due to my attendance at RELI, I now feel confident in who I am as a professional and my ability to lead my team as an effective supervisor, and I’m aware of my areas of expertise and areas in which I could use more improvement. Jackie: RELI provided a new perspective on our work in housing for me and I would like to continue learning about how the areas of occupancy management, facilities, crisis response, and political savviness impact my work as a Hall Director, in relation to the impact on my campus as a whole. It is a goal of mine to get to know the professionals who specialize in these areas better so that I can more fully understand the work that we do from a broader perspective. Nathan: As a result of attending RELI, there are a few ACPA/NASPA Competencies that I identified as areas for growth for me. I would like to gain some more Assessment experience, so I plan to work with the Senior Research Analyst in Residence Life to see if I can partner with her on a project. I also want to get a better understanding of the Department 28

UMR Perspectives

of Residence (DoR) budget as a whole, so I will be meeting with the Business Manager for the DoR in order to better apprehend where our money comes from, how the money is spent, and where our true priorities lie (because, as I learned at RELI, the budget is a reflection of the priorities). I also want to do some review of Student Development Theories – not just to help inform my practice, but to also critically look at how those theories apply (and maybe don’t apply) to our students. Megan: As I mentioned before, I was able to identify so many opportunities that I have for more in-depth growth, which helped me create my professional development plan. Because of attending RELI, I think I will be more vocal in asking intentional questions and seeking out opportunities to develop more in-depth skills over the course of the next academic year.  Do you feel better prepared for your current/future positions because of RELI? If so, how? Marcus: After attending RELI this past summer, I do feel that I am better prepared for not only my role but also future roles that I hope to have within residence life. By attending RELI, I have found different areas that I wish to explore for professional development so that I may be the best professional I can be. In addition, after I returned from RELI, my confidence level in my work and ability to do my work greatly increased. The discussions that we had, both within our clusters and larger group, have enabled me to think about the different points of view that everyone could be bringing into their work, even before possible discussions. This enables me to recognize sooner the other factors that people may have in order to incorporate them

into my position and allow for a stronger position. Finally, when I look towards the future, RELI has shown me what I need to do and what is expected in order to hopefully move up within residence life in the future. Paige: I look forward to continuing my involvement in the UMR-ACUHO region, leading with a student first vision while embarking upon my second year, and being a product of the impact RELI can have on entry level professionals in the field of student affairs. Jackie: Yes, I do feel better prepared due to the fact that we heard the RELI faculty members share what it is like to currently serve in a mid-level position and what the road to that position looks like in terms of preparation, challenges, successes, etc. I also feel like I have developed a broader network of people that I can rely on for advice and guidance as I change positions in the future. Nathan: I do! I feel like I have a better understanding of the “big picture” of housing. I have a better plan of what I want to do during this upcoming year in order to ensure that I am prepared for the next step of my career. Because of RELI, I have been trying to look at things in the department from a mid-level (and even upper-level) perspective in order

Marcus D’Iorio Residence Hall Director Dakota State University marcus.diorio@dsu.edu Instagram: dioriom

to better understand the big picture. I would strongly recommend attending RELI! Megan: Absolutely! One of the very first things said at RELI was Dr. Kevin Cook asking this question: “Are you Excited? Existing? Or Exhausted?” Because of RELI, I am so excited about what the next year holds in my current position. I have so many ideas on how to expand upon what I have already been doing in my role. Additionally, RELI has made me even more excited for what future positions might bring. The opportunity to think in a “1-Up” mentality (one position higher than what you currently hold) and have Faculty there to challenge you in that allowed for so much insight that I would have never thought about before. I feel much more prepared to transition into a new position when the time comes. As you can see from these authors, RELI was a wonderful experience where the participants learned from experienced housing professionals, discussed issues with others, were challenged to think at the next level, and had fun with professionals from across the UMR region. RELI is a great opportunity for any entry-level professional who finds themselves at a crossroads of change!

Paige Freeman Complex Director University of Kansas pmfreeman@ku.edu

Nathan Ross Apartment Community Manager Iowa State University nross@iastate.edu

Jackie Lee Hall Director University of Wisconsin – La Crosse jlee@uwlax.edu

Megan Swingle Hall Director Truman State University mswingle@truman.edu Twitter: @meganaileen13 UMR Perspectives

Creating Intentionality with Intersectionality: A Framework for LGBT Inclusion in On-Campus Housing By John Hernandez, Coordinator of Upperclass & Special Populations, Northwest Missouri State University and Anthony Ungaro, Residential Community Educator, Oklahoma State University

he start of the academic year is a highlight in higher education due to much excitement and energy - a culmination of months of preparation, training, and operational management. First year and returning students come in with so much enthusiasm, focus on building new relationships, and fulfilling life goals. During this time, many training sessions address community development, programming, and interpersonal relationships between staff and students. Yet in many instances intersectional framework - or the role of the complex identities of our students - is often overlooked. Intersectionality, a term coined by legal and civil rights scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes the overlapping of social identities and the systems of oppression that may impact them (Collins, 2015). The identities that may intersect are gender, race, class, sexuality, education, age, religion/faith, physical (dis)abilities, mental illness, etc. Crenshaw states that each person does not navigate the world from one lens or identity, but rather as a culmination of their identities

and the oppression that each individual faces (Collins, 2015). This article will discuss the importance of weaving intersectionality into Residential Life programming, community development and personal interaction in order to provide for the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. LGBT individuals can face oppression based on gender expression and/or sexuality. Higher Education is made up of various systems that oppress LGBT faculty, staff, and students, which can include cis-privilege and heterosexism. This often gets reinforced in the live-on experience from housing options that are gender specific, documents that do not affirm gender pronouns, use of dead names -the name used by a person prior to their transition- on door decorations, and programs that are gender norming or reinforce heterosexual privilege (i.e.: Battle of the Sexes, Mani/Pedi programs for women, sports or video games for men, etc.). This heterosexist approach often leaves LGBT people feeling unwelcomed, isolated, or uncomfortable. If we approach the training with our professional and student staff from an intersectional standpoint, we may set our communities and its members up for success. In Residential Life, students, as well as employees, live in constant interaction, moments that are limited due to a physical structure and the unknown identities we are yet to understand or be defined. As student developers, we work to overcome the walls between student rooms, but often forget to manage the multiple identities that students are working to understand. We often start to reach out at the time a student arrives for a conduct case or after we receive 6-week grade reports... It is in these instances that genuine interaction and 1-on-1 conversations will be able to provide insight into decision-making processes and possible identities. However, to make these moments more unique and authentic, it is important to acquire perspective that will promote identity development and open conversations.

There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live singe-issue lives.

Audre Lorde 30

UMR Perspectives

According to James Marcia, a developmental psychologist, identity development is a non-linear process and should be classified in statuses rather than stages to communicate a response to developmental stimuli (Butler, 2010). In the first status, identity diffusion, a student has not made a commitment to one identity. It is important to note in this status that, though this may be the case, they can be advanced or committed to others. For example, a student who identifies as Latinx and LGBT might consider involvement in a racebased organization, but not an identity organization such as queers and allies. Identity foreclosure, the second status, is a commitment to identities without experience or exploration. The third status, moratorium, is where the student starts to explore identities, but does so with minimal commitment. This status is when students often come into conflict with others, as exploration is new and might explain actions or thoughts that create conflict due to identities. Students require the time to explore decisions, but also need the guidance to progress through the unknown that this status entails. The final status is the culmination of the conflict and exploration where a student makes a commitment to an identity (Butler, 2010). This process on a repetitive basis is a time where a LGBT student understands ethnic culture, but has no reference to start exploration in their gender or sexual expression or identity. When a student comes into a social setting, what identity will be present and how do identities influence decisions in those spaces? Unfortunately, all identities are not created equal. This is not in reference to importance or saliency, but rather personal differences in development through intersecting identities. To put this into perspective, a student who identifies as LGBT and Christian might live the experiences in two separate spaces. The student could have been submerged and benefitted from various privileges, but due to location or teachings, has not been able to start or sustain adequate LGBT development. As we come into contact with similar students who could be advanced in one identity but trailing in another one, we need to understand the significance of those imbalances. From student to student, we need to learn to be adaptable and ensure the identity we create for them in a social setting does not influence our perceptions in regards to their self-identities. As we communicate, the students intersecting identities will be receiving the information in different forms. Based on identity status, the response will also be distinct. This makes program creation difficult and less important in overall community building. If a student is going to connect to the community, a student first needs to understand the identities that come into a space. As supervisors and advisors to diverse populations, we need to enter these moments with no prepared dialogue or assumptions. This shows complete

"Identities can be

developed, understood, and appreciated, but cannot be duplicated." trust in and understanding of the student. Once we can remove the obligation we allow students to use different strategies to communicate in order to find their authentic voice. When we program for the masses, we lose voices in collective thought and do not allow mistakes to happen. Our advice is to start all conversations as if you are meeting the student for the first time: no assumptions, no plan, and listening to understand, not to respond. Using this strategy, the student’s voice will be authentic each time and we will be able to note the differences, but not use to define them. If the student wants the additional guidance, let them come to the realization, but if not, we need to continue to be supportive in roles that the student defines for us. All experiences and identities are unique. As professionals or students, a similar story does not mean the characters are the same. When going into one-on-one or group interactions, we must be conscious of the social and self-identities present in the space. A student with intersecting identities has equal probability to connect with everyone in a space, but also feel isolated based on where others are in their own development. This is an opportunity to talk and see the vision the student wants for themselves. It is also an opportunity to listen to them without a purpose. Identities can be developed, understood, and appreciated, but cannot be duplicated. When we listen to the student we allow them to reflect on the progression from experiences and comfort. As institutions create programs rather than genuine conventions or status conferences, we push education into mass production and lose the authenticity that unguided conversations give to human understanding. In moving forward with LGBT students in the institutional setting, please do not feel the pressure or obligation to understand the experience or sympathize with it. When a student arrives to talk, sometimes all you need to do is listen. If a student wants to reach out, then it is your responsibility to be vulnerable and learn. Similar to communication and status in development, a student’s identity is unique but it is also delicate. Regardless of our position in the institution, authenticity is the key. Plan on being authentic yourself and create space UMR Perspectives

for authentic exploration of the self. Identity exploration for our students calls for room to allow for fluidity. In order to think critically about the invisible identities that come into our residence halls, it is encouraged that we be intentional during student staff training and meetings, encouraging student staff to plan, program, and develop around gender and sexuality identity and expression in a way that allows for our residents to be authentic or explore in a brave space in the halls. We need to program and develop students in a way that embraces gender and sexual variance. We need to allow for students to share personal pronouns and preferred names on forms, door decorations, and in conduct or one-on-one

John Hernandez Coordinator of Upperclass & Special Populations Northwest Missouri State University jhernan@nwmissouri.edu

meetings. And we need to encourage your staff to broaden their comfort zones in programming that does not assume one’s identity or expression. If we can create an inclusive and intersectional housing program, this will allow students to live authentically and openly. References  Butler, A. (2010, May). Adolescent Identity Development. Retrieved from: http://www.actforyouth.net/adolescence/identity/  Collins, Patricia H. (2015). Intersectionality’s Definitional Dilemmas. Annual Review of Sociology. 41: 1–20.

Anthony Ungaro Residential Community Educator Oklahoma State University anthony.ungaro@okstate.edu

IT’S TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW!

CSC ServiceWorks (formerly ASI/Mac-Gray) gives you the best, most efficient laundry equipment available. Now you will receive even better service and solutions than ever before! Our mobile service app makes placing a service request quick and easy. LaundryView® online monitoring saves students time by letting them check the laundry room before they even leave their building. Contact us today

WWW.CSCSW.COM | 888.274.9274

UMR Perspectives

to find out more about how we can enhance your laundry program!

Recalculating By Lyn Redington, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, University of Iowa

few things you should know about me are that I am a list maker and rule follower. I like to know where I’m going, so I am prepared for any and all possibilities. When I take a trip, I think about what I want to do, where I want to go, and what I will need to get there. This includes looking at a map (a real one, printed on paper) and then plotting my way. I “grew up” in housing and residence life. I thoroughly enjoyed the cyclical nature of housing, including the intense time of training, the non-stop action of opening the residence halls, and, always promoting and supporting student success. I appreciated the variety of my job, including advising student organizations, providing academic guidance, adjudicating conduct cases, and meeting with student leaders. I tell you this because two years ago I accepted a new position in a new area of student affairs. This new job was

"Change can be exhilarating, stressful, and challenging. Learning is always happening. Because of our interactions with students, they are able to make connections between their choices, their behaviors, their academics, and their future selves.”

at a different university in a different community with new and different responsibilities. And all of a sudden, I didn’t know my way. Literally. Without my map to help plot the way, I would get lost on campus as well as on my way home. I met a number of people – often several times because I struggled keeping their names (and their responsibilities) straight. Much of the time, I felt lost and out of place (perhaps because I was). It was around this same time, while at my crossroads of change, I met a new friend. My new friend is Siri. As with any new friendship, Siri and I are getting to know each other. Right now, our relationship seems to be one-sided: I know where I want to go and Siri tells me how to get there. When I deviate from the course, Siri recalculates and tells me how to get back on track. In this new position and new institution, I have needed to recalculate, sometimes on a daily basis. Learning the routes to and from my home and office, the new roles and responsibilities, figuring out the lingo and acronyms, learning how to navigate the political waters, and learning who I could (and should) trust, all took time, energy, and patience. Two years after recalculating my life, navigating changes in multiple ways, and taking a chance on new opportunities, I have learned a few things. The first is that change can be exhilarating, stressful, and challenging. I would often focus on how my new position was impacting me. After a time (I’m ashamed to admit how long it actually took), I realized that my addition to the Hawkeye family meant those I work with were also experiencing change. For some of them, they had a new supervisor. For others, I was simply a curious colleague who was always asking questions. It was helpful to realize we were all experiencing change and needing to, in some way or another, recalculate how we did our jobs. Together. Reaching this crossroads has reaffirmed my belief that every contact with a student is potentially a teachable "Recalculating" continued on page 36 Lyn Redington, Ph.D. Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students University of Iowa lyn-redington@uiowa.edu Twitter: @IowaDOS UMR Perspectives

Three Lies That Could Ruin Our Students’ Lives By Rick Merfeld, M.S.E., Assistant Dean and Director of Residence Life, University of Dubuque

ausing at these cross-roads of change, we could look back and reflect on any number of elements of our work including our sense of identity with our work, or the larger community in which we currently do our work. We could also look ahead and wonder, dream, and address any doubts and fears looming on the horizon. We could also ask ourselves some simple questions: Is our work getting any easier? Is it getting easier to teach an 18 year old to see beyond themselves and respect quiet hours? Is it getting easier for two groups of students to resolve a heated conflict in a healthy and productive manner? Is it getting easier to get a student to give up four hours on a Saturday to help with a service project? Is it getting easier to get students to take ownership of their role in a roommate conflict? Are the number of students struggling with illegal drug and prescription medication addictions declining? Are the number of students coming to college with mental health challenges declining? Is the rate of sexual assaults declining? Is the rate of student suicides declining? It is understood that when you ask a general question, you offer general answers knowing that you could also offer testimonies to the contrary. To the questions above, most of us can agree that the answer is no, and we can agree that our work is not getting easier The flipside of the joy of witnessing a student grow up is the heartache of watching a student struggle. The underlying assumption in higher education is that students begin their collegiate careers with holes in their knowledge base and underdeveloped comprehension of critical ideas and how certain things work. Nurses only graduate once they’ve learned how the body works. Aviators only graduate once they’ve learned how to fly. The assumption is that students who are unable or unwilling to learn basic truths in their field will fail. Is it possible that there are basic truths about freedom, the balance between reason and emotion, and our place in 34

UMR Perspectives

the world that have a significant influence on our students and their degree of struggle or success? Is it possible that if these basic truths are unlearned, students will struggle. But when understood and embraced, they could minimize their struggles, help them move from struggle to success more easily, help them avoid disaster altogether, and make our work a bit easier? In his book, Welcome to College, Dr. Jonathan Morrow outlines three truths that could do just that and three lies that could ruin a student’s life.

Lie Number 1: My Choices and Behavior Only Affect Me. Morrow argues that students who buy into this mindset believe that being free means that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, for whatever reason. He describes a certain unbridled autonomy where students are not concerned about whether their choices and behavior impact other people. Under this mindset, students have a self-centered definition of freedom and believe that “rules don’t apply to me.” We don’t have to look too far to see how this mindset would have a negative impact on a community and our larger campus. We have community standards to help maintain appropriate living and learning environments. Violations happen, in part, when students don’t believe that the rules apply to them and they make decisions without concern for others or possible consequences. To use an analogy, they approach life with the mentality of “I should be able to drive my car through the lake.” However, the reality is that there are rules in our communities, and the successful students recognize them and work within them. Instead of believing that they should be able to drive their car through the lake, successful students recognize that their travels will be easier and they’ll be more likely to reach their destination if they stay on the road. Freedom is about liberty, not license. Our actions and behavior do impact other people (and in big ways), and rules apply to everyone, or should apply to everyone. When students believe this, they avoid certain decisions and the temptations to act in certain ways out of respect for other people and our communities. A personal definition of

freedom which includes recognition of rules and boundaries, and basic respect for other people and property, will help our students succeed this year. And as we prepare them for life beyond college, which definition of freedom would we want them to adopt? Which will be more successful in their place of work and with their key relationships and responsibilities?

Lie Number 2: My Feelings are The Truest Expression of Who I Am. Morrow describes a movement in our culture from being a thinking culture to a feeling culture where what one feels determines what is real. Students identify how they feel about an issue or a situation and make decisions based on the emotion without regard for critical thought about the overall situation, the wellbeing of others, and their overall responsibilities. Our emotions are important elements of who we are and we do well to respect them and their place in our overall humanity and wellness. But, when we stop to think about feelings and emotions, we see the other side of the coin. Emotions can change in a heartbeat. How many times have you been happily driving down the road and get instantly ticked-off when someone cuts in front of you? Have you witnessed students having a fun conversation over lunch only to see the same group up in arms seconds later after another student walks by and says something? Hurt, along with our other emotions, are real and valid feelings, but if we allow our emotions to direct our decisions and dictate our reactions we can end up in hot water. This is when we realize that our emotions can be disloyal to us and don’t care about consequences. In fact, if left unchecked, our emotions can lead us to make bad decisions. Greg Koukl said, “Mark this: Feelings make life beautiful, but careful thinking—reason— makes life safe.”

Lie Number 3: My Life is for Me. Morrow outlines a mindset where the ultimate goal of life is the satisfaction of personal desires. This flows out of the first two lies. It’s the individual pursuit of me. Students who buy into this lie will consume themselves, chasing the object they feel will satisfy their current desire or their next fix, the next high, the next conquest. It might be more money, more status, more friends, more sex, whatever it is andwhatever they’ve bought into. This might make for short-term happiness, but long-term, people often wear themselves out and eventually arrive a place of emptiness. Perhaps you know someone like this. Is that all there is to life, the pursuit of me?

Some of the world’s great leaders offer a different viewpoint. Aristotle said, “What is the essence of life? To serve others and do good.” Mother Teresa said, “There is joy in transcending self to serve others.” Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” Rabindranath Tagore said, “I slept and dreamed that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” In his book, The Case for Servant Leadership, Kent Keith, identifies the universal importance of service. This world-view lines up in stark contrast to the idea that life is about me. The mindset of “I need to make myself happy” is, Morrow argues, a dead end proposition and can lead to depression, drug use, addiction, and even suicide. The alternative view is that we were created to live in community and to serve others and to find meaning in life by grabbing onto a purpose that is bigger than ourselves. As we move into this year and beyond, perhaps there is a tool we should add to our toolbox. Will every situation that you encounter be exacerbated by one or more of these lies? Perhaps not. But the next time you have the privilege of being present with a struggling student, listen and empathize and offer them support but keep in mind that at the other end of Sanford’s theory of support and challenge is… challenge. If a student is struggling, in part, due to errant thinking, is it not our duty to lovingly point out a faulty understanding or a less than complete comprehension of a key concept? Would a nursing faculty member or a flight instructor not correct their student if they were off course? The next time you work with a student, staff member, or colleague, consider walking them through the following assessment of their world-view. Keep in mind that most people don’t normally think in these terms. It will be helpful to ask them key questions or lay out continuums on which they can identify their current mindset. With a more comprehensive understanding of their current situation, they stand a better chance of making effective modifications for the future if they are interested, ready and resourced to do so.

Definition of Freedom. Assessment Number 1: I can do whatever I want, whenever I want; rules don’t apply to me; I should be able to drive my car through the lake. Or… UMR Perspectives

Assessment Number 2: I have the right to choose what I do but decisions have consequences and I think about the rules and situations and figure out what will be best for me; I better stay on the road and follow the rules; I can’t drive my car through the lake. Invite them to consider their underlying definition of freedom and see if it’s contributing to poor choices. Think about the implications not only for the remainder of the year but for their experiences with key relationships and work down the road.

Emotions and Reason. Assessment Number 1: My emotions are the truest expression of who I am; how I feel about something determines what is real. If it feels right, it must be right. Or… Assessment Number 2: My emotions are real and valid but I understand that they are not always the best thing on which to base a decision or course of action; I also think about things and use reason to figure out what path will be the best one for me to take both in the present and down the road. Given the potential sensitive nature of this topic, assess the relationship you have with the person and make sure you are on solid ground.

myself and find a purpose bigger than me that involves serving those around me. If you begin working with students to modify their worldview, be patient. It has taken time for the mindset to develop; it is going to take some time to make the change. And since all of us are still students, too, some of us much older than others, I invite you to reflect on your current degree of happiness and satisfaction, struggle and victory. Then check your own current worldview. How would you define freedom? What is your understanding of the interplay between your emotions and reason? What is your place in the world? As we negotiate these changing times, there will be struggles from time to time and we’ll be called upon to respond. It’s part of our human condition and part of what we consider normal in our work in Student Affairs. I find peace in my worldview which includes the notion that we, along with our students, are all works in progress, so change is not only possible but a healthy part of our growth and development. I invite your feedback as we share our experiences, observations, worldview and helping strategies for the coming year. Citations  Keith, K. (2012). The Case for Servant Leadership. Madison, WI: Terrace Press.

Place in the World. Assessment Number 1: It’s all about me and me getting what I want and getting it now. Or… Assessment Number 2: It’s not all about me. It’s important for me to pursue my goals but I understand I need to keep others in mind; I know that it’s also important for me to look beyond

Rick Merfeld, M.S.E. Assistant Dean and Director of Residence Life University of Dubuque rmerfeld@dbq.edu

"Recalculating" continued from page 33 moment. Learning is always happening. Because of

my “Carl’s Club” friends on a regular basis. I have, however,

our interactions with students, they are able to make

really enjoyed getting to know my new colleagues and

connections between their choices, their behaviors, their

developing new friendships. I have also realized that I should

academics, and their future selves. We may not know

have fully embraced being an empty nester, and not messed

when a small spark becomes a bright flame … but we

that up by getting two puppies (I wish Siri had screamed

don’t need to know. We simply need to light the spark

“RECALCULATE! RECALCULATE!” when I made that decision!).

and fan the flame.

Professionally, I have realized that no matter where I am or

Finally, change can provide clarification. My recalculations

what I do, I am an educator in and out of the classroom. I

have given me a renewed awareness of what I truly care

enjoy working with students and watching them grow and

about, personally and professionally. Personally, I miss seeing

develop. And that will never change.

UMR Perspectives

Settle for Nothing Less By Mustafa Anwar, Senior at Marquette University

y mom always told me, "Shoot for the moon, and if you can't make it, at least you can fall in the stars." Prior to attending STARS College 2017, I was very hesitant about the field of Student Affairs. Despite the recommendations and the acknowledgements, part of me was still unsure if I could abandon my career path for another. I remember the day before I left for Rhode Island, I told myself, “You’re just going to see how it makes you feel. You don’t know anything yet.” That all changed when I returned from STARS. During my time with the faculty and other graduates of STARS, I found myself blissfully educated on the history of housing, as well as the mentality one needs when preparing for graduate school. I was immensely grateful after each session our faculty presented. Whether it was centered on bettering ourselves, our communities, or the field itself, we, as the graduates, were given the opportunity to get a taste of what housing in student affairs means. I was surprised with how much I thought I knew about this field, and how little that truly was. Words cannot even begin to describe how blessed I am to have met my fellow STARS graduates. I remember as we were leaving ACUHO-I’s opening ceremony, we all made promises to stay connected; we talked about google hangouts, meeting up at future conventions, and even the possibility of one day returning to STARS as faculty. I am grateful for each wonderful conversation and adventure with them, and my only regret was that we didn’t have more time to connect. Regardless, I cannot wait to cross paths with them again someday. Amazing things happen when you take a chance and risk into the unknown; that is exactly what happened when I attended STARS College 2017. I had no idea that when I would return from Newport, RI, I would find myself filled with purpose again. Because of ACUHO-I and STARS, I made some of the best connections and relationships I will hold onto the rest of my professional career. I feel more prepared for OPE and graduate school search, and

have the reassurance everything will be okay. I found myself filled with life and the thrill of the future. I have learned many things in my undergraduate career, but thanks to ACUHO-I STARS College I have learned that Student Affairs is for me. In the words of my faculty member Coree, "You each have a passion and the capacity to change the world. Settle for nothing less."

Mustafa Anwar Speech Pathology and Audiology Major Marquette University Mustafa.anwar@marquette.edu

UMR Side UMR Student Perspectives

Remaining A Professional-In-Training By Beth Miller, Assistant Director of Residence Life, University of Central Missouri

here are many things I love about working with a staff of all Graduate Assistant Residence Hall Directors at my institution. I love their passion, energy, and enthusiasm. I love that they come to us from different institutions from all over the country. I love being part of their grad school experience and providing them a home away from home where I can feed them and play board games. They fill my cup until it overflows, and they become my family. I consider it a great privilege to work with them in such a formative time in their professional life. When we bring our grads in for training, we tell them that our philosophy is that they are a professional-in-training. We ask them to be vulnerable, to embrace the cognitive dissonance between what they have always known and what they are currently learning, and we ask them to tell us when they don’t understand something and they need help. I imagine that you also, tell your entry level staff similar things. “Ask questions. Learn. Grow. Get to know your students personally and understand their needs.” I believe this is who we are as professionals and mentorseducators and encouragers. Every year, I tell my staff that I am a professional-in-training as well. I do not know everything (even though you may think I do because I have some sort of title). I am still learning and growing, and I hope to learn as much from you as you learn from me. It is important to me that I don’t get “too old” too quickly. I can already see myself changing into that rational, strategic professional that slowed things down when I was an undergraduate student. I hear myself uttering phrases that my supervisors used to tell me when I was their age,and sometimes I cringe. (Even uttering “when I was their age” feels unpleasant.) So I know that change is happening, and, overall, it’s a good thing. My brain is fully developed (even if it feels like it isn’t all there all the time) and my emotional response is stable. Rather than experiencing huge waves of passion, I’m able to utilize energy management and pick my battles; and my understanding of politics and the bigger picture allow me to approach things in a better way. While 38

UMR Business Side

I embrace this level of professionalism that has developed (and is still developing), I’m not ready to leave behind the passion for learning and the student connectedness. My challenge is for everyone who is mid-level and above: are you still a professional-in-training? Are you learning from the new generation of professionals? What more could you be embracing or doing to say yes? How are you continually changing to meet the new needs of your staff and students? My attitude towards being a professional-in-training centers around three main areas: embracing new technology, educating myself on social justice issues, and getting to know our next generation of professionals. The two newest professional competencies are Technology and Social Justice and Inclusion, so it would make sense that these are two areas that are often the most difficult for us to grow in our skill set, as utilizing new technologies did not exist during our formative professional years, and there are concepts and terminologies in social justice work that are new to our worldviews. Our current staff and students have likely never experienced a ditto machine, a typewriter, or a floppy disk. We don’t use these mediums anymore because there is a faster, better way to do things. If we did use them, our staff and students would have no idea how to engage with those items because they are unknown to them. In the area of social justice and inclusion, a lot has changed since 16 years ago when I went through SAFE Zone training as an undergraduate student. Cisgender wasn’t a term that existed. At that time, Black Lives Matter wasn’t a movement. The White Privilege Conference and Social Justice Training Institute were in their infancy. The profession has stated that these are the important core competencies all professionals should have, and we cannot expect our staff to be proficient in areas like ethics, law, student learning, and leadership while giving ourselves a pass at the items that are new and different to us. Let me give you some ideas about how continue to learn and grow in these areas. Not to say that I am perfect, but hopefully this will spark something that resonates with you and that will be easy for you to implement. For technology, I try to pay attention to new things as much as possible. When Pokemon Go hit last summer,

"Grow. Stay current. Ask questions. Be vulnerable. Sit with your cognitive dissonance. Join your student and entry-level staff in their vulnerability and knowledge acquisition." I downloaded it, even though I could name maybe 1-2 Pokemon, because I knew my students and staff would be talking about it. I needed to get a basic understanding of what it was and how it worked. I didn’t necessarily have extra time to devote to learning it, but I made it a priority so I could stay current. And then I stopped playing; I learned just enough and it wasn’t really “a thing” when students came back. This year I have also fully embraced Snapchat. When I first got it, it was fine but I didn’t really “get” it. It’s a medium where you have to really engage to get a lot out of it. Now that I use it regularly, I absolutely love it. It’s a way to be funny and silly (something adults need to spend more time doing); my kids love the filters; and I get insight into the mundane, ordinary, everyday experiences of my staff—the things that wouldn’t come up in one-on-ones or on Facebook posts. I feel more connected to who they are as individuals and how they are doing, and they get to know more about me and who I am outside of the office. Add me-I’ll be your friend! I am also figuring out how we can use it during staff training to have more engagement, and I am excited about those possibilities. I also ask my staff what they are doing with their student staffs. They put a lot of things on Google Drive for their CAs, so I know that we need to evaluate how we give them items and documents, and try to do the same so as not to duplicate work for them and give things to them in a “language” that they and their staffs will use and understand. We can’t do this with everything, but we can be strategically selective. I keep adding to my list of things to learn. I think Instagram is next on the list. And who knows, we may even get a Netflix or Hulu subscription (see-I still have a long way to go). It’s better to be successful through taking small, manageable steps instead of trying to do it all at once and becoming overwhelmed.

For social justice and inclusion, I read a lot of articles. I am in several Facebook groups and also am lucky enough to have friends that are much smarter than I am. These mediums provide me with a lot of articles to read about concepts that are new to me and make me think about how I and others interact with the world. I read things that upset me and I disagree with, and then I sit with it for awhile and keep reading and reflecting, trying to understand it from a different point of view. I follow certain accounts on Twitter. I get books from our library or through ILL. I attended the White Privilege Conference in Kansas City. I have relationships with people with many identities I do not have, and I ask them about their lives, not just the surfacey “how was your day,” but truly engaging in conversations about them and their lived experiences. The very least I can do as an ally is listen, and there is no ability to be an ally without continuing to learn. It is only through our continued learning that we can understand our students’ experiences and provide them with the type of college experience they deserve. Perhaps an experience they can’t get at home. It is through that knowledge, as well as an examination of my own identities and privileges, that I examine our documents and processes in new ways and advocate for changes that would better serve and include our students. Finally, getting to know new professionals challenges me in new ways all the time. It started as an insecurity of not knowing anyone at conferences (an extrovert’s nightmare) because many of the people who began in the field at the same time as me have left the profession or left the region, so I began to intentionally network and meet new people at every new conference or gathering I attended. Usually my goal is 3 new people that I’ve had significant conversation with, not just someone I meet in passing or am simply introduced to. This initial experiment has grown into something much more substantial and meaningful, far UMR Business Side

more than I anticipated. I get to know more about others and their experiences at campuses and communities that are not my own. This helps me bring a broader perspective into the work I do at my campus and it feeds my input. It allows me to be more approachable because they don’t see me as a title or a position, but as a quirky, normal, flawed human being just like everyone else. Many of them have become dear friends and wonderful colleagues, and I miss seeing them in between conferences. I get to practice vulnerability when I am learning something new from them, and I get to practice talking to strangers. Sometimes we forget how difficult it is for our hall staff to extend a hand and introduce themselves, as there is a lot of awkwardness and uncertainty in that moment, so I try to continue to practice it so I remember the discomfort and can empathize and provide strategies to my staff. I also go to their sessions. I try to limit the number of program proposals I submit because I still want to learn. The landscape of my students and staff is ever-changing. Being vulnerable in a space where you are looked up to because of a title or position or

years of experience is difficult, but I think it’s important for us to embrace our own humanity while empowering the voices of our younger professionals. They have something to teach us, too. So, this is my plea to you: Be a professional-in-training, regardless of the number of years of experience you have. Learn. Grow. Stay current. Ask questions. Be vulnerable. Sit with your cognitive dissonance. Join your student and entrylevel staff in their vulnerability and knowledge acquisition. I hear babies cry, I watch them grow They'll learn much more than I'll never know And I think to myself what a wonderful world! Beth Miller Assistant Director of Residence Life University of Central Missouri bsmiller@ucmo.edu Twitter: @Beth__Miller Snapchat: bethsmiller

We’re Here to Make Your Life Easy. Industry-Best Furniture | Spec Sheets | Floor Plans/3D Drawings | Custom Presentations | Factory-Managed Installs

www.savoyfurniture.com | Montoursville, PA | 800.233.8953 | sales@savoyfurniture.com Savoy Contract Furniture® is a registered trademark of John Savoy and Son, Inc.

UMR Business Side

So Much Training, So Little Time: Iowa's Perspective on RA Training By Annise Richard, Residence Education Coordinator, University of Iowa and Pamela Lisowe, Hall Coordinator, University of Iowa

obby Knight once said, "The will to succeed is important, but what's more important is the will to prepare." Every August, Residence Life professionals prepare for Resident Assistant (RA) Training, knowing it will be long days overflowing with information and resources that we want our RAs to utilize for the rest of the year. However, we know these days are few and time is essential. We started to find our student staff and professional staff were growing overwhelmed and fatigued by the long days and information overload. We were cramming stuff in just to say we covered it, but were missing the key components of true education. We were creating 12-hour days of training presentations, and leaving very little time for balance and self-care. So, we decided to spice it up. We broke our training into the following timeline: new hire RA class, online training, RA Training, first staff meeting agendas, and in-services for ongoing training throughout the year. In revamping our training plan, one of the first things we took a look at was our mandatory RA class that we require all of our new hires to take in the spring before their first semester as an RA. We were able extend this class from six to eight weeks, which allowed us to cover more content. We also completely rewrote the curriculum for the class, allowing us to introduce some components to our new RAs earlier then we had previously. This class focused on four key competencies essential to the RA role, including personal development, community development, multicultural competence, and ethical leadership. The class was designed to spend two class periods discussing 42

UMR Business Side

each of these topics. The goal was to better equip our new RAs with some of the basic skills and knowledge to prepare them for the loads of information they would receive at RA training. In this class we were able to review the following: each person's strengths and how they would apply to their leadership style, our LLC community development model, and explain the importance of an LLC in their position as an RA, lay the groundwork for some fruitful intentional conversations around identity and acceptance of differences, and review scenarios around ethical decision making. The members of the class also had the opportunity to put together a community action plan where they brainstormed ideas for bulletin boards, door decorations and floor events for the upcoming year. Wanting to bring in some of the learning benefits of a flipped classroom model, we recognized there were some components of RA training that it would be best for RAs to come in with some previous knowledge of. We had already been using the online format for many of our HR Trainings, so continuing down that line of thinking, we worked with our University IT department to create a site on our classroom management system ICON. We figured this would be helpful because RAs should be familiar with this site, as it is used for many of their other classes. Another benefit of moving to this kind of site was that we could store resources or information that the RAs could access at a later time when they may need to review or refresh. We were able to upload the content to the site, and create quizzes and reflections for the RAs to complete to assist with the assessment of learning. Some of the topics we moved to online were administrative tasks like budget requests, room reservations, and policies and protocols. This allowed for more application during our time with training and campus resources.

Diving into our in-person RA Training, we focused on more hands-on activities and discussions for our RAs. We designated days for Community Development, Social Justice and Difficult Dialogues, Mental and Physical Health and Safety, Behind Closed Doors, Emergency Protocols and Incident Follow Up, and of course, mandatory staff bonding. Our days begin with breakfast at 8am and end with dinner at 6pm. On our weekends, we focused on more in-hall and building specific procedures. We hope to maintain flexibility on the weekend schedule to help with balance and self-care for student and professional staff. To keep spirits engaged and active, we re-created a spirit challenge, and we brought back a training theme to add in energy for staffs to bond with other building staffs. To wrap up the end of RA Training, we planned a trip to a local recreational park & lake to celebrate the end of training and the beginning of the year. We also have saved the day right before move-in for last minute building prep and for our student staffs to prepare for their academics to begin. Moving into the school year, our hope is to be very intentional about our first staff meetings with our RAs. The meeting agendas will include helpful information that wasn't necessary during move-in, but will be helpful once students are in the building. We also hope to continue our staff development during our staff meeting times for follow up conversations, clarity on procedures, and student concerns. We also will utilize this time to help our RAs become more familiar with Excelling@Iowa, our student retention system. This allows us more flexibility to move some topics from RA Training to after Opening to assist with information dissemination and to avoid overload. Finally, we wanted to ensure we were doing a better job of providing ongoing trainings to staff throughout the year. We wanted our RAs to recognize that learning is a continual process, and that they should be seeking out new information and opportunities throughout the year. In order to accomplish this we will be piloting a new continuing training program over the next academic year. The training committee will work with Residence Education professional staff and campus partners to provide monthly workshops. RAs will be required

Pamela Lisowe Hall Coordinator University of Iowa pamela-lisowe@uiowa.edu

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted our RAs to recognize that learning is a continual ongoing process, and that they should be seeking out new information and opportunities throughout the year.â&#x20AC;? to attend a total of two continuing education workshops of their choice. Their supervisors may highly encourage the attendance at a specific workshop based on the performance of the RA. Some topics we are planning on covering through the workshops are mental health, continuing StrengthsQuest exploration, homesickness and belonging on campus, and student health and wellness. Moving forward, we are aware this is not the perfect schedule for RA Training, but we are hoping to tinker and adapt to best educate our student staff while taking into consideration their self-care and personal balance. Our hope is to utilize our assessments from our multiple training touchpoints to continue to better serve our students and professional staff. Partnering with our campus partners, we also will attempt to hone in on specific learning outcomes and goals to be efficient. We also are examining our new RA class and online training components to continue to develop plans to utilize our staffsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time to the best of our abilities. Our returning RAs also have challenged us to develop their skills more and to mentor incoming new RAs. We also will continue to provide multiple avenues for educating our RAs to accommodate various learning styles and experiences. While we have cut back some of the long days and focused on intentional content, we recognize we still have more work to do.

Annise Richard Residence Education Coordinator University of Iowa annise-richard@uiowa.edu

UMR Business Side

When Living with ESAs Opens the Door for Mental Health Conversations with Students By Barbara Braga, Community Coordinator, Kansas State University and Elisa Wilson, Assistant Community Coordinator, Kansas State University

uring the past academic year, both of the senior staff of Wefald Hall at Kansas State University had Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). Our experience having our animals and working with students with mental health concerns was very beneficial, and has taught us that being open and authentic goes a long way. Elisa, the Assistant Residence Director, was in her senior year at her undergraduate institution. She worked alongside a graduate student in overseeing a residence hall of approximately 360 students. Elisa came to the realization that she needed some extra support in her living space due to her struggles with depression. Because of this, she went through the process of finding, obtaining, and seeking approval to have an Emotional Support Animal live in her residence hall room. Once her ESA was approved, Elisa realized that she could use her position as an Assistant Residence Director so that students could reap the benefits of having an ESA. That year,

"We can use our experiences with seeking help to empower our students to advocate for themselves.â&#x20AC;? 44

UMR Personal Side

Elisa lived in an all-womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wing and had worked to build relationships with the students. However, once she allowed the students to help in raising her new puppy, as well as play with the puppy in the common space, Elisa was able to overcome any discomfort the students may have had in talking to her. Students became less and less afraid to knock on her door to ask for help or to spend time with her. The animal helped give them a reason to come knocking besides the issues underneath they wanted to reveal. During times of stress, namely around finals or after a student suicide on campus, Elisa made a concerted effort to make her ESA available for others. She would take her puppy to various halls in her community per resident request. Additionally, she ensured students could express their concern about having a dog come to their hall and plan accordingly. She used her own ESA to emotionally support others. Because of this, Karlie Perry, the puppy, had become well known in the community. This became helpful in regards to connecting with campus partners and how they could give strategies to the students they were helping. I had strong connections with the Case Managers who specifically handled cases of students in crisis as it relates to mental or physical health. Because of Elisa's relationship with those Case Managers, they knew they could refer students who lived in Elisa's residence hall to her. They informed students that Elisa had an ESA and that she would let them visit her when they needed or wanted. This was an additional resource that our Case Managers could use, which also gave students an excuse to come talk to Elisa and overcome the discomfort of discussing mental health with someone in my position. Additionally, if a student had been considering the possibility or necessity of getting an ESA, Elisa was a direct resource with personal experience of the process. This trend continued into Elisa's graduate school experience. Due to different rules on our campus surrounding ESAs, Elisa was unable to create the same amount of space for my emotional support animal to support others, but she

wanted to ensure that I could still help students through her own life experience. Because of this, Elisa became a resource for students who were seeking ESAs. Staff in other communities referred students to me and walked students to my office so that Elisa could talk about the benefits of an ESA and what that process looks like. This made students feel more comfortable in advocating for themselves and what they think they need. For Barbara, coping with the diagnosis of a family member with a terminal illness, new transitions, and anxiety and depression turned out to be very difficult. In the Fall 2016, Barbara attained permission to have an ESA as a part of her coping mechanism. From day one, her puppy was welcomed into the community. Seldom would there be a time that students would NOT stop to pet the puppy when out for a walk. Additionally, many students would recognize her as the lady with the puppy in the building, allowing for a natural conversation starter and community builder. Around the same time, Barbara started noticing a few trends with some students in her building. Two students, in particular, were on their way to becoming "regulars" in her office for repeated behavioral issues and mental health concern follow ups. One of these students was a student that would consistently stop Barbara and her ESA while on walks. Shortly after welcoming her puppy into the community, Barbara had to meet with this student. The conversation started with a heavy emphasis on the puppy, per the student's lead, and it became clear to Barbara that the student had some attachment to animals as a form of comfort. After talking about the incident and the concern, the student shared with Barbara that she was struggling with some anxiety, adjusting to life away from her, and being in college in general. This was a perfect segway for Barbara to share with the student the reason why she had an ESA and share resources for her to address and work

Barbara Braga Community Coordinator Kansas State University bbraga@ksu.edu Twitter: @babbiebraga

on some of her concerns. Ultimately, the connection the student had with Barbara's ESA built trust between Barbara and the student, and helped uncover some of the reasons why the behavioral issues were happening. The other student Barbara had met with for mental health concerns wanted to be very independent in her transition to college and being away from home, but was clearly struggling. This student was very reluctant to take on the resources that Barbara was offering to her. In one of the meetings this student, when asked why she was unwilling to go to see a counselor for her anxiety, she replied with "I just want to have it all together. Like you do." Barbara shared with the student that it is OK to not have it all together all the time and after sharing her own personal struggles, and sharing why she had an animal in the building, Barbara was able to connect deeper with the student. Through sharing her experience, Barbara was able to destigmatize going to counseling and seeking help for the student. This authentic sharing allowed for the student to start being more receptive to accepting that sometimes help is needed, and the student shared that she felt more comfortable talking to Barbara about her struggles. As professionals who have ESAs, we learned the importance and necessity in us deintensifying the process of obtaining permission for an ESA, as well as supporting students in their own journey to understand what â&#x20AC;&#x153;helping yourselfâ&#x20AC;? looks like. Often, students see us as being puttogether and without any struggle; however, that is rarely the case. We are human and we need help, too. Thus, we can use our experiences with seeking help to empower our students to advocate for themselves. By having an ESA, making them available to students, and being a resource so students can further understand the process of obtaining an ESA, we have seen students become more comfortable with the reality of their mental health concerns and with their need to advocate further for themselves.

Elisa Wilson Assistant Community Coordinator Kansas State University elisawilson@ksu.edu

UMR Personal Side

Vonversations, Fall 2017 By Von Stange, Assistant Vice President and Executive Director, University of Iowa, Facilitator “The times, they are a-changing.” - Bob Dylan tudent preferences and perspectives have certainly changed over the years. I went to college before the personal computer, turning in paper generated on a typewriter (“what’s that?”, some of you might ask). To generate a cross breeze in our residence hall without air conditioning, we would keep our doors open with the room across the hallway to stay cool. This was in a building that didn’t have locked exterior doors! How many of our students (and their parents) would not have issues with that today! I admit this may be extreme, but many things that occurred when I lived in the residence halls would probably get a student kicked out today! Students attending college today have different expectations. They are digital natives, savvy consumers, and have no problem having their parents advocate for them. They are into study abroad experiences, full schedules, and emotional support animals. This didn’t happen magically overnight. Our students have expectations about their university and residence hall experience, whether they are realistic or not, but they’re ours, and we need to adapt to them as those students become our newest customers. This issue’s Vonversations focuses on how our students have changed and how we support them in our residence halls. Joining in the conversation are Frank Bartlett, Director of University Housing at UW-Whitewater (with assistance from Amanda Krier-Jenkins), Dana Fritz, Coordinator of Assignments and Summer Operations at UW-Stout, Virginia Ibrahim-Olin, Assistant Director for Contracts and Assignments at the University of Iowa, Adam Neveau, Director of Residence Life at Peru State College (NE), and Nicole Wilburn, Assistant Director for Education and Development at Missouri State University.

 What experiences are students coming to college with that they weren’t before? Bartlett: The breadth of issues incoming students have been dealing with prior to coming to college is an ever 46

UMR Perspectives

expanding list, including family hardships, personal issues & homelessness. It is sometimes heartbreaking to hear the challenges they have faced or are facing. Yet, it is amazing to witness their courage as they continue forward each day. This is also a conversation that I have been regularly having with my colleagues for some time now, so I know it isn’t limited to our institution. Fritz: We have seen an increased population of students with disabilities. Some students are able to self-advocate and know prior to attending how important being connected to campus resources is. For others, they see this as a time where they can try things out without resources, or are worried about stigma attached to using resources. Having a good working relationship with Disability Services and a clear path for students to share accommodation needs is important to best meet student needs. Staff should be trained on how to talk about resources on campus and normalize the use of those resources to help create a culture where students feel comfortable utilizing them. Neveau: When I think back to when I went to college, I didn’t know much about my roommate other than his name and a brief phone call we had. This allowed me to come to campus with an open mind and excitement for getting to know my roommate. Now, with social media, students tend to know too much information about their roommate. While this can help make a smoother transition for some, for others it can be a challenge to overcome prejudices and other loosely informed opinions gathered through social media. Ibrahim-Olin: Students are coming to college with three experiences that they may not have had a decade ago: a) personalized recruitment efforts beginning as early as middle school. Prospect management is important for achieving admissions class goals, and potential students can explore their own unique path on campus with targeted marketing, not unlike customizing a phone, backpack, or pair of shoes online. This is helpful to find one's way on our Big Ten campus, but also can set very high expectations for the university to "fulfill its promise" to students once they arrive. Quite related is b) a level of specificity regarding their course of study and expectations for a particular job upon graduation. In my experience, this evolution from a broad liberal arts education to job skill readiness is directly linked

to c) a focus on the total cost of attending college. Students (and their families) have modified their roles to that of a consumer. Our challenge is to help them understand that they are consuming opportunities available on campus, not specific hall amenities or services. It is also our role to aid students in taking full advantage of all their fees cover - whether that be eating the full meal plan, working out at the rec center, or visiting with a mental health counselor.  Has student involvement or requests changed over time? How so? Wilburn: Students are much more willing to speak up and ask for what they need. Actually, it’s often the parents who are making the requests and the bigger challenge is helping the parents learn to let their student advocate for themselves. Neveau: Our advances in technology have made it a lot easier for students to disappear from involvement opportunities, yet still get the things done that they need to do. In the past, we had many chances to interact with students, as they had to come to the front desk, the office, or the mail room, etc. Now, most of our processes and tasks are online, so a student never has to leave their room. This has made the role of the RA even more important in connecting with these residents. Bartlett: Over my career, student involvement has times when it is vibrant, and other times when it isn’t. Campus involvement and activity attendance on our campus is actually trending downward. Requests, on the other hand, have become more and more frequent over the years. I hear more about unrealistic requests such as storing our room furniture at their home (so they can bring their own furniture in), or asking us to ensure their son or daughter’s medication is taken. The challenge is that they don’t perceive these requests as unrealistic. Ibrahim-Olin: In my experience, student requests are both similar and very different from previous years. On one hand, the requests remain rooted in a desire for a sense of belonging, and affirmation of their collegiate decision. Students want to know that they will make friends and fit in on campus, so concerns about hall placement or potential roommates have remained fairly constant. On the other hand, the method students utilize to submit their requests has evolved. Social media is leveraged to garner an immediate personal response at high levels on campus, where a phone call or email may have been utilized before. Additionally, students welcome their parents to act on their behalf in a majority of basic requests. I see this as related to generational

norms of high parental involvement in high school, and the consumer mentality I referenced above.  How have YOU needed to adapt or do things differently to keep up with your students? Neveau: I tend to stay up to date on the latest trends and hot topics, which helps give context to my conversations with students. I have adjusted how much I interact with students on social media, but still haven’t found a happy medium. I think a lot of student affairs professionals struggle with this, as there is obviously a need for privacy, but it is hard not to use such a strong tool to connect with students and meet them where they are. Ibrahim-Olin: I have needed to maintain my education and awareness of emerging student trends and concerns. This begins by reading our industry’s publications, following movers and shakers on Twitter, and attending lunch and learn sessions with colleagues on campus. I also pay attention beyond housing and higher education to learn what is happening at the local and state government that could impact our work. In turn, it is my responsibility to have conversations with my staff and keep them up to date on compliance with ADA regulations, supporting identity-based living learning communities, and technology platforms. To me, supporting our students means voting in local elections, volunteering for professional organizations, and attending conferences as time and funding allows.

"Whatever happens in the coming years, we cannot forget that our students are the reason we are here, and our decisions need to reflect this." UMR Perspectives

Wilburn: Students and their parents surprise me every day! I’ve had to learn not to be shocked by anything, and understand that any request we receive is important to that student or they wouldn’t take the time to ask the question.  What policies, procedures, or processes have you changed in order to better serve your students? Fritz: We seek opportunities to provide options and flexibility because students expect this level of customer service from the University. We have been reviewing our contracting and room selection processes to better meet students expectations. We chose to lengthen the time that continuing students had to sign their housing contract by three months. This provided students additional time to consider if they wanted to live on campus prior to signing a contract, but a student could not cancel their contract once signed. This allowed us to have a clear and simple marketing message while providing students with more time and flexibility. For the 2018-2019 school year, we are moving towards incoming first-year students selecting their rooms. We currently assign students’ spaces and allow moving to occur. While allowing moves has provided flexibility, their options are limited because of space needs. We plan to provide more viable options for students in their room choice when allowing first-year students to select their own spaces. Neveau: Overall, we have tried to simplify many of our processes as much as possible. Our students expect things easy and fast, as this is how they consume their information on a daily basis. An example of this would be using express check-outs at the end of the year. While “fast and easy” works for many processes, others need the time, attention, and understanding of the student. In these cases we have actually made it a requirement that the student stops in to the Residence Life Office. This allows us to interact with the student, answer questions, and - most importantly - ensure they understand and complete the process. Wilburn: So many things have changed even in just the last few years! We have had to create a process to respond to requests for emotional support animals. We now offer fewer single gender communities to accommodate students’ needs and wants, including those that don’t identify on the gender binary. We also offer break housing options, because we know that students may not have a place to go over the breaks. Bartlett: In our residence halls, we included the cost of laundry in our room rates. In order to change this practice, I worked with laundry vendors to gather information on 48

UMR Perspectives

the potential costs and impacts to our students. I brought that information to our Residence Hall Association (RHA), to see what questions they might have and to solicit their approval. Once RHA approved it, I went through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process to move our laundry services in that direction. The change has been highly popular, as students are doing more laundry in our facilities and overstuffing our machines less. Ibrahim-Olin: The most recent update our office has done is to update how we make ADA-related accommodations in the room assignment process. We evaluated all communication sent to students, drafted a protocol for the most common accommodations requested, and updated our billing process. This update will ensure that our Contracts & Assignments staff are providing students with clear and consistent communication, allow us to track individual needs and annual trends, and offer equitable rates. The other process that we have updated is our general partnership between Contracts & Assignments and Marketing. We are fortunate to have a great team of marketing specialists that work for UH&D, and we have worked on numerous projects together. We teach them about processes, and they help us hone our message with grammar and awesome graphics.  How do you advocate for students who wish to make changes at your institution? Wilburn: Luckily, I work at a great institution that is willing to work with students one-on-one. If I’m not the person who can make the change, I can reach out to a colleague and find the right person. For larger, systemic changes we have active RHA and SGA organizations that advocate on students’ behalf. Our University president is very willing to listen to students and address their concerns. Bartlett: I do my best to listen to what students are saying. Based on our conversations, I provide them with my insights on how to best continue their passion in regards to changes they would like to make. Currently I am working with a student who has created a new ride sharing service for the community. He wants to get his information out on campus, and I am providing him with insights as to how he can properly and effectively get his message out to our students. Ibrahim-Olin: I believe there are a few ways to advocate for and with students: a) recognize and reach out to those that are not currently represented and on the radar. We do not have to wait for students to ask for our assistance, especially when our interactions and

data indicate there is a community in need of support. b) Listen to their concerns and aid in identifying and creating sustainable solutions. Can we make a change within housing to better support their needs? Can we support campus partners in an initiative to help the community/ student population? c) Recruit them into employment and leadership positions. Nothing says "We value your contributions" better than a formal position and welcome onto staff. Additionally, the daily face time with our staff help folks resistant to change understand the personal need to evolve policies/programs/funding goals. I recognize that these seem easy on paper, but in practice require relationships, connection to mission and vision, and a willingness to learn and grow as a department - which can be hard.  What do you anticipate as the next big changes to occur with students, and how should we as housing profession adapt to that change? Wilburn: With the polarizing politics occurring in our nation, I think it’s inevitable that we’ll see the effects of that on our campuses. Continuing to encourage civil discourse will be vital to everyone engaging in difficult conversations. As housing professionals, we will need to continue to hone our mediation skills. Fritz: I anticipate that students will be willing to transfer schools more readily in the future. We are already seeing this increase happen where students attend one institution, transfer, then return to an institution or transfer to a third. Housing can play a large role in retention and help to prevent the loss of students transferring. We need to increase our focus on efforts, innovation, and intentionality to connect students to campus. This will require us to continue to work with campus partners, analyze data and create proven retention based best practices. Neveau: We all wish we knew the definitive answer to this question! Students are expecting more and more from housing each year. At the same time, our budgets continue to shrink. Each campus will have a breaking point that needs to be navigated, with some campuses already working through these challenges today. I think we are seeing a “business focused” approach become more prevalent in housing departments around the country, but I worry that we are losing the “student focused” approach that will help our students be most successful. Whatever

happens in the coming years, we cannot forget that our students are the reason we are here, and our decisions need to reflect this. Bartlett: It is always hard to say what the future holds in regards to changes with students. One question that is on my mind is what will be the future of cable TV? When there are questions as to what the future should hold for students, I believe it makes the most sense to go to the students and get their input. Make the question part of the department’s annual assessment process and use the student residential leadership group. Our RHA has helped us to make decisions to remove phone service in our rooms, to support our gender neutral housing efforts, and to include the cost of laundry service within the room rate, just to name a few. Ibrahim-Olin: The next big change I anticipate is a shift in our demographics. Our nation is evolving with some states rising in population while others begin to dwindle. Thankfully, in higher education and housing, we have some time to prepare for these changes in class sizes, racial makeup, and socioeconomic backgrounds. As our campuses evolve, we need to determine how we can best support our institution's academic goals outside the classroom. Do we strictly focus on meeting Maslow's physiological needs of food, shelter, and wifi, or do we challenge our students towards self-actualization? I can make strong arguments in either direction - sometimes keeping it simple is wonderful, and sometimes we need to push beyond basic. Both can be right, and each institution will need to make that determination. Along with our programmatic offerings, we will need to flush out if our budget and staffing patterns need to evolve, as well. P.S. from Von: I’m interested in hearing about what Vonversations you would like to read about. If you have a topic you would like me to explore with members of our region, e-mail me at vonstange@uiowa.edu with the idea. The names of some people whose thoughts you might find valuable would also be welcomed. Von Stange Assistant Vice President and Executive Director University of Iowa Facilitator von-stange@uiowa.edu

UMR Perspectives

Dillon Pearson Committee Chair 1120 N 14th St. Lincoln, NE 68508

Please deliver to the housing office if undeliverable.

Visit the new and improved

ULOFT.COM MAKERS OF COOL FURNITURE

30 YEARS “Time-Tested, Parent Approved”

MAKERS OF COOL FURNITURE

Visit Our World Headquarters • 2588 Jannetides Blvd., Greenfield, IN 46140 800.423.LOFT (5638) • 317.866.LOFT (5638) • www.uloft.com

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps

Facebook “f ” Logo

CMYK / .eps