2011 June Navigator
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THE NAVIGATOR It’s hard to believe that an entire year has gone by already. It feels like I was just standing before you at the Annual Conference at Roger Williams University telling you about my plans for the year. And now I look around and the year is gone. As an Executive Board and organization it has been a productive year and a lot has been accomplished. I plan to speak about much of that during the Annual Conference, for this article I would like to take a few minutes to thank all those who have been supportive this year. I would like to thank the Executive Board for all their hard work and dedication to our organization this year. Without them, NEACUHO would not have so many outstanding events or would have kept running. I would also like to thank Pete Galloway for his willingness to dedicate time to NEACUHO, even though his home organization is MACUHO. I appreciate all the time you spent getting to meetings and events, collecting information and going through it. I also would like to thank the Self-Study Task Force, Kim Schmidl-Gagne, Jon Conlogue, and Sonya Alexander for their time and hard work in completing the study. I would especially like to thank Raz and Jeff for their support in their ―P‖ roles; I appreciate your consistent support and willingness to talk through everything and anything that comes up. My staff has been outstanding this year in keeping me sane and being understanding of my absence at different points in the year. Mark, Casey, Pete, Orrin, Karen, and Pat, your help throughout this year has been very much appreciated and I have realized more and more how lucky I am to have you all behind me. I also would like to thank my supervisors, Suzanne Howell and Sharon O’Neill, for their support of my involvement in NEACUHO throughout my time at Binghamton. I appreciate your understanding of my time away and need to be involved. 3 Letter From The Editor 4 District & Committee Updates 15 Self-Study Update 17 Foundation Remarks 22 Women’s Winter Renewal Retreat 2011 23 Frequent Writers 24 Reslife 2.0 25 Cathy’s Column 27 Membership Spotlight 30 Transitions/ Recognitions June 2011 A Message From The President Jen Hapgood, Binghamton University Photo of, and provided by, Jen Hapgood. “I have learned a great deal as president, and my time has been unforgettable.” Continued on next page...
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NEACUHO Navigator Newsletter
Transcript of 2011 June Navigator
THE NAVIGATOR It’s hard to believe that an entire year has gone by already. It feels like I was just standing before you at the Annual Conference at Roger Williams University telling you about my plans for the year. And now I look around and the year is gone. As an Executive Board and organization it has been a productive year and a lot has been
accomplished. I plan to speak about much of that during the Annual Conference, for this article I would like to take a few minutes to thank all those who have been supportive this year. I would like to thank the Executive Board for all their hard work and dedication to our organization this year.
Without them, NEACUHO would not have so many outstanding events or would have kept running. I would also like to thank Pete Galloway for his willingness to dedicate time to NEACUHO, even though his home organization is MACUHO. I appreciate all the time you spent getting to meetings and events, collecting information and going through it. I also would like to thank the Self-Study Task Force, Kim Schmidl-Gagne, Jon
Conlogue, and Sonya Alexander for their time and hard work in completing the study. I would especially like to thank Raz and Jeff for their support in their ―P‖ roles; I appreciate your consistent support and willingness to talk through everything and anything that comes up. My staff has been outstanding this year in keeping me sane and being understanding of my absence at different points in the year. Mark, Casey, Pete, Orrin, Karen, and Pat, your help throughout this year has been very much appreciated and I have realized more and more how lucky I am to have you all behind me. I also would like to thank my supervisors, Suzanne Howell and Sharon O’Neill, for their support of my involvement in NEACUHO throughout my time at Binghamton. I appreciate your understanding of my time away and need to be involved.
3 Letter From The Editor
4 District & Committee
Updates
15 Self-Study Update
17 Foundation Remarks
22 Women’s Winter
Renewal Retreat 2011
23 Frequent Writers
24 Reslife 2.0
25 Cathy’s Column
27 Membership Spotlight
30 Transitions/Recognitions
June 2011
A Message From The President Jen Hapgood,
Binghamton University
Photo of, and provided by, Jen Hapgood.
“I have learned a great deal as president, and my time has
been unforgettable.”
Continued on next page...
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Finally, thank you to all of you, NEACUHO members for giving me the opportunity to lead this organization. I am grateful and appreciate the experience. I have learned a great deal in my year as president, and my time has been unforgettable.
Jen Hapgood is the Business Manager and Assessment Specialist at Binghamton University. To contact Jen, please email her at [email protected].
NEACUHO Would Like to Thank Our Corporate Partners, Corporate Associates and
Educational Consultants!
Please visit the websites of our Corporate Partners and Corporate Associates! Corporate Partners: ASI Campus Laundry (www.asicampuslaundry.com) Foliot, Inc. (www.foliot.com) John Savoy & Son, Inc. (www.johnsavoyfurniture.com) Proforma—Shrader and Shrader (shraderandshrader.com) Butler Woodcrafters (www.butlerwoodcrafters.com) Corporate Associates: Adirondack Solutions (adirondackservices.com) BBDR Services LLC (www.bbdrservices.com) Dubois Wood Products (duboiswood.com) University Loft CO. (uloft.com) Educational Consultants: Dr. Maura Cullen
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“Helping to keep you connected to the needs of your students’ world.”
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Letter From The Editor
Summer Time… Greetings NEACUHO! First and foremost I wanted to say thank you for another great year. This year The Media & Publications Committee produced 6 amazing newsletters, and our success as a committee falls on you the membership. We received so many wonderful
articles this year making each and every issue of The Navigator packed with a wealth of knowledge. Articles stretched from best practices and hot topics, a plethora of innovative and creative submissions, articles highlighting personal and professional wellness and the development of several columns. We had a strong focus on technology and social media through our ―Reslife 2.0‖ column and brought the membership an opportunity to get personal and professional advice through ―Cathy’s Column‖. Other areas of focus were on continuing to highlight our membership through the ―Membership Spotlight‖, and recognizing our professionals transitioning throughout the Northeast. As a committee we were able to meet several key goals including keeping up to date with trends in the newsletter, producing a survey and developing recognition categories for our submissions. Overall, it was a great year! As we have now closed out another year, and head toward summer, we say good bye to a lot of things. It is a time of change and transition, graduating staff, staff transitioning to other positions and job opportunities and the list continues. But through this, it is important to stay motivated and stay involved! What do I mean? Well, with our biggest conference of the year upon us, this year at RIT, there is so much passion and excitement for the profession that our willingness to succeed and stay motivated needs to continue. We bring so many strengths to our positions and these need to be highlighting in our work throughout the summer. Whether you are on a 10-month contract or are working throughout the summer it’s a great time to re-charge and continue to bring our excitement and positive energy each day in the work we do. The presentations we put together for conferences this past year, the great ideas which have been discussed and the articles which have come from our writings, need to continue and continue strong into the summer. As we anxiously anticipate the start of the upcoming academic year, it’s also important to remember to live in this moment. As an organization we have done a lot of great things and relish in how much each one of us has given to our institutions and NEACUHO. I wish you a relaxing summer, regardless of what you do and remember to keep writing down all your passions and ideas. There is so much we have to offer one another and I look forward to another amazing year ahead. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have about The Navigator or the Media & Publications Committee at [email protected]. Peter Nardone (Media & Publications Committee Chair)
Photo of, and provided by, Peter Nardone.
June Issue
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Connecticut & Rhode Island—Megan Houlihan Happy Summer CT & RI! I hope your summer vacation is going well and things have settled on all your campuses. Another great year has come to an end, which also marks the end of my District Coordinator position. It was fantastic to see so many active and qualified Connecticut & Rhode Island colleagues step up to the plate and run for the District Coordinator position. Congratulations to Jennifer Crane from Quinnipiac University, I wish her all the best as she serves this great district. We had an extremely successful year here in Connecticut & Rhode Island largely due to our active members. Please think about hosting a roundtable or social at your institution next year. I’m sure Jennifer Crane would be interested in hearing from you. Thank you to all that are listed below in helping to organize and plan our past events. August 20-CT & RI District RA Conference, located at Quinnipiac University, paraprofessional conference. Committee: Megan Houlihan (Post University), Shawn McQuillan & John Hernandez (University of Hartford), Jennifer Crane & Megan Igoe (Quinnipiac University), Ryan Greelish (Sacred Heart), Tia Fester & Jessica Miller (St. Joseph’s), & Jennifer Durocher (Albertus Magnus). November 5-Roundtable discussion at Post University, Waterbury CT, host Erica Kluge. December 3- Social held in Providence, RI hosted by Rhode Island College, host Thomas Kelley. March 24- Roundtable discussion at UCONN, CT, host Nikki Cole. April 8-ASCA & NEACUHO Drive-In at Quinnipiac University, organized by Shawn Kalagher (ASCA), Kristen Eldridge (RMLI), Megan Houlihan (CT/RI). May 26- Social held in Hartford, CT. To contact Megan, please email her at [email protected].
Eastern New York & Vermont—Joe Murphy Hello Eastern NY & VT! I hope your summers are starting off well and you’re taking the deserved vacation time we have all earned this year. I’d like to thank everyone once again for a great year in E-NY & VT! We had a lot of great opportunities to bond, share, and learn. Below are some of the programs we were able to put on in our region this past year:
District Social @ Wolf’s 1-11 in Albany, NY (8-5-10) District Round Table Discussion @ Castleton State College in Castleton, VT (12-10-10)
Hosted an RD2B Conference @ Siena College in Loudonville, NY (2-12-11) Hosted Program Committee Selection Day @ Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY (3-18-11)
District WebEx Online Discussion (4-1-11) I look forward to our 2011-12 year together and the professional development opportunities we will
District & Committee Updates
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be able to share with one another. Keep an eye out for a district email from me shortly recapping the Annual Conference at RIT and Executive Board meeting highlights from June. I am also in the planning phase for another District Social to kick off the year prior to August training, so stay tuned!
To contact Joe, please email him at [email protected].
Maine & New Hampshire—Nate Gordon Greetings ME/NH NEACUHO! I hope that your end of the semester closing went well and that the summer is off to a fantastic start. As we gear up
for another NEACUHO Annual, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who attended one of the District
Socials this year. I especially would like to acknowledge David Lewis from Husson University in Bangor, ME, as he
has been elected to take over as your DC when my term ends at the conclusion of the Annual Conference. I
enjoyed connecting with as many of you as I could during my time as your District Coordinator and for those
attending the Annual Conference, I will introduce David at the District Dessert Social as he will take over at the
conclusion of the conference. The Dessert Social will be a time for us to connect with one another, have a
delicious dessert and have our long-standing tradition of our book raffle. If you have any suggestions for which
books should be raffled off, feel free to send them my way. See you at the Annual Conference!
To contact Nate, please email him at [email protected].
Massachusetts—Eric Rollo While the year has come to a close for most of us, NEACUHO has not…in fact, some of the busiest times for our organization occurred when our halls are closed. Be on the lookout for emails from me shortly after the Annual Conference with important information on get-togethers, roundtables, and information as to how you can get involved with NEACUHO, as well as information about the voting that occurs at the Annual Conference. Also, as new hires begin and folks head off to pursue other endeavors, feel free to email me their names and any relevant information that you would like published in The Navigator updates.
To contact Eric, please email him at [email protected].
Media and Publications—Pete Nardone Happy June NEACUHO! The Media & Publications Committee has been hard at work the past several weeks putting together our last issue of The Navigator for the academic year! This issue you will find several innovative articles as we transition into the summer, Cathy’s Column, Membership Spotlight and the final Self-Study Update of the year. The committee has also been hard at work reviewing articles from the past year in coming to a decision on article recognition awards! Also, an extensive review from the online survey will be conducted this summer in hopes to only improve our newsletter to the membership. Thank you this year for all your contributions, and it was great seeing everyone at the Annual Conference at RIT! To contact Pete, please email him at [email protected].
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Western New York—Darese Doskal-Scaffido Hey there Western NY! Hope you are all enjoying the end of the year and all that it brings. This is my last update as your Western New York district representative. We just had our last district event on April 29, 2011 at St. John Fisher college. The wonderful Stephanie Ketterl and St. John Fisher staff hosted us for a morning of conversation on online issues. We discussed issues from Facebook, various crush sites, and some new, controversial games that will be hitting the markets. It was a terrific morning and I hope all 35 in attendance enjoyed it as much as I did! If you have not yet registered for the Annual Conference, do it now! The conference will be right in our backyard at RIT so we expect to see a lot of you there. And make sure to introduce yourself to our new Western NY DC – Kristen Eldridge. Kristen is looking forward to getting to know more of you in the next couple years and to visiting your campuses for some professional development events. See you very soon!
To contact Darese, please email her at [email protected].
Metro NY— Angela Kang Hello Metro NY, Hope you had a smooth closing back in May and are looking forward to having some down time. I hope to see many of you at the Annual Conference at RIT and don’t forget to attend the District Social at 8:30 pm on Wednesday, June 8, right after the Opening Banquet. I am hoping to make some connections at the Annual Conference with our district folks that I haven’t met so please do say ―hi‖ to me if I don’t get to you first. Summer around NYC is beautiful so I’m hoping to take advantage of that and plan a get together. Please look out for that! As always, please feel free to contact me with suggestions, questions, feedbacks, and whatever you feel to share with me. Happy Summer!
To contact Angela, please email her at [email protected].
Corporate Relations—Kathi Bradford & Rich Bova To contact Kathi, please email her at [email protected] or to contact Rich, please email him at [email protected].
Program—Michael Guthrie To contact Mike, please email him at [email protected].
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Annual Conference—Bill St. Jean The Annual Conference Host Committee is excited to see many of you at the Annual Conference, June 8-11, at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Check out the Annual Conference website for the schedule of events, programs interest sessions, and the Night on the Town activities. www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/neacuho.
To contact Bill, 2011 Annual Conference Chair, please email him at [email protected].
New Professionals Development—Ryan Young
Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed your spring semesters. Overall, the NPDC has had an amazing year. Our events were extremely successful and, hopefully, had an impact on many of the new professionals in the region. We’re excited for the great turn out of new professionals at Rochester Institute of Technology for the Annual Conference. A large amount of new professionals will participate in our New Professionals Orientation, as well as the Program Committee’s Case Study Competition. It’s great to see so many folks getting involved and challenging themselves! Now that we’re headed into summer, this is a great time to get rejuvenated and start planning for the year ahead. Next year, the NPDC will continue to host our RD2B conferences and our New Professionals Conference. I hope while you’re looking to the future, you consider participating in NEACUHO-if not with the NPDC, with another committee. Don’t forget to sign up and get involved in any way you can! Finally, I am very excited that Casey Wall will be taking over as the New Professional Development Committee Chair for 2011-12. I am sure she will continue working with the committee members to be just as productive and effective as in the past few years. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or comments on how we can better serve our New Professionals in the coming year, you can always contact the NPDC!
To contact Ryan, please email him at [email protected].
Professional Development—Jennifer Crane Attention Midlevel Professionals and CHOs: You are all invited to the Midlevel/CHO Social at the Annual
Conference. Please join us on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 at 5 pm (Just before the opening reception). For further
details watch your email and the registration table at the conference. See you then.
The NEACUHO year is coming to coming to an end as well as my term as the chair of the Professional
Development committee. I want to thank all of those who have supported me and the efforts the committee; the
NEACUHO executive board, my committee members who work tirelessly to get things done, and the staff at
Quinnipiac who works hard to allow me to focus attention on NEACUHO when needed. My goal was to revive
some of the efforts of the committee. I look forward to supporting the committee in any way I can in the future
and know that goods things will come from the Professional Development Committee.
To contact Jen, please email her at [email protected].
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Residential Operations—Shruti Tekwani I would like to give a big shout out to Richard Bova who will be the incoming Residential Operations Committee Chair for the 2011-12 year!
To contact Shruti, please email her at [email protected].
Social Issues Committee—Cathy Raynis Meeker The Social Issues Committee will lead a Book Discussion at the NEACUHO 2011 Annual Conference. We will focus on Corey Guyton's book, "Through the Eyes of a Man: The Truth about college dating revealed to Women," with special attention to Abusive, LGBTQ, inter-class and inter-collegiate dating. We encourage you to read the book. Get your copy (hard or Kindle) and read about the author:http://www.coreyguyton.com/. To contact Cathy, please email her at [email protected].
Risk Management and Legal Issues—Kristen Eldridge As things are winding down for the summer….Risk Management and Legal Issues as been focusing on the Annual
Conference and offering CHOs more sessions to attend during the conference this year at RIT! The ASCA/
NEACUHO Drive in on April 8 was a success with 35 people in attendance, about equal mix from both
organizations! Thank you to everyone who organized and participated. Please look forward to attending
presentations sponsored by Risk Management at the Annual Conference, as conference attendees who do attend our
sessions will be entered into a drawing to win a book prize. Our first raffle entries were entered in at the Fall Drive
-In. If you have any ideas, would like to join or just have questions please look for the new RMLI committee chair
contact coming soon. Thank you to all RMLI committee members who made amazing things happen this year and
thank you to all NEACUHO members who are reading this as we are looking forward to a great Annual Conference
and a tremendous year to follow!
To contact Kristen, please email her at [email protected].
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June Issue
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SPONSORED BY RISK MANAGEMENT AND LEGAL ISSUES
COMMITTEE BOOK PRIZE RAFFLE!
Attend presentations
sponsored by Risk
Management and Legal
Issues committee at the
Annual at RIT June 8-11
and be entered in to win a prize!
Winners were announced at the
Annual Conference in June at
RIT!
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THE NAVIGATOR
FEBRUARY ISSUE
I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. I love this time of year for its celebratory nature, for the opportunity to reflect upon an entire year’s worth of work and for the ability to take pride in what has been accomplished. But, with that said, I hate this time of year because you’re celebrating something that is ending; regardless of the connections and memories that have been made, they were created knowing the year in which they existed would eventually end. Now it has. And now the challenge becomes what happens next. What happens to those relationships? Do you work to maintain them or relegate them to infrequent Facebook messages? What happens to those memories? Do you work to continue making more of them or to allow them to stay within the picture frames on your walls? Most importantly, what happens to you? Do you work to compartmentalize your year by simultaneously appreciating what was and looking forward to what will be? Do you genuinely take the time to actively process and synthesize your year? Do you acknowledge your areas of improvement and work to make the necessary changes? And do you acknowledge what you already do well and make plans to do those things even better?
Perhaps more challenging than seeing everyone leave at this time of year is preparing for another staff to return in only a few months. I use the word ―challenging‖ not because it is difficult to envision the start of another year, but because it is difficult to prepare for it. We all know what we don’t do well, so making the plans to make those changes should be fairly obvious. If they’re not, you and/or your supervisor need to be paying more attention. It’s in what we already do well where the real challenge lies. What do you do well? We know what we do well, but don’t like talking about it because we always want to sound modest and always want to role model that constant desire to improve. But why must we spend so much time focusing on trying to improve the things we struggle with? Why not spend some time focusing on trying to improve the things we are successful at with as well? For each area of improvement you’d like to work on this summer, list two areas of strength you’d like to work on. Regardless of how long one column ends up being, take pride in knowing the second column will be at least twice as long. While that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be twice as easy to accomplish, that is to say it will reflect what we are so hesitant to acknowledge about ourselves. For all that we struggle with and need to work to improve, there are so many more things we succeed at and could work to improve, too. What’s the harm in trying to better your best when you are trying to better yourself? Gregory Steele is an Assistant Director at Binghamton University. To contact Gregory, please email him [email protected].
“Why not spend some time focusing on trying to improve
the things we are successful at with as well?”
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June Issue
Love-Hate Relationship Gregory Steele, Binghamton University
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FEBRUARY ISSUE
As students enter college, their parents enter into a new role which they (and we) are sometimes unfamiliar with. In partnering together, we can
successfully help students become educated and reach their full potential in the future. Currently, it is more common for Student Affairs professionals to interact with parents than in past generations. There are many different reasons for this new relationship and it is important for us to recognize it and understand how we can guide, support, empower, and inspire the students together. There is also a lot more support available for parents to maintain healthy relationships with their students throughout their college lives.
In reading an article from 2006, ―Reenacted Calls Let Parents Eavesdrop on Overinvolvement,‖ I became interested in learning how to support this partnership of Student Affairs and parents. Virginia Tech offers a parent session during their New Student Orientation that plays out scripted conversations between a parent and housing staff member, a parent and faculty member, and a parent and their student. The conversations mentioned are common occurrences, which make them universal and easily relatable. In one call, a mother asks a housing staff member to give her son a new roommate by Monday that has the same major and from the same part of the state – which may help him not come home every weekend. Another conversation is between a father and the Dean of
Students’ Office where the father is concerned that the son has not been attending class (which he knows) and continues to ask the school how they let this happen and that someone should call to wake up the student after the professor takes attendance.
The third conversation mentioned in the article is between a parent and their student, where the student is trying to have the parent fight their battles for them so that they don’t have to deal with their own issues. This effort to reenact conversations is to help parents become educated and understand how to have a balanced and constructive role in the affairs of their college student. In researching surrounding schools that provide support to parents, I came across Bridgewater State University and the University of New Haven. These universities were randomly selected, as there are so many universities in the surrounding area. Both universities provide support on their web pages of available resources, and resources for parents through their webpages. This is a great start in partnering with parents, which will open doors in the future for perhaps creating new Student Affairs positions. Bridgewater State University has two sections used by parents managed by Student Activities and Residence
Life and Housing. The support provided in both sections is very useful for new college parents. The Student Activities web page offers links to several of the university sites in a way that is clear and
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June Issue
Providing Support To Parents Ryan Greelish, Sacred Heart University
“There are many different reasons for this new relationship and it is important for us to recognize and understand how we can
guide, support, empower, and inspire the students together.”
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Photo of, and provided by, Ryan Greelish.
Continued on next page...
“This effort to reenact conversations is to help parents become educated and understand how to have a balanced
and constructive role in the affairs of their college student.”
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FEBRUARY ISSUE
easy to find. This section stresses the importance of student and family support stated in the university’s mission statement. The Parent Association of the university can also be found there with information regarding elections, events, and meetings, along with a parent blog. The Residence Life and Housing webpage offers a message with several links to university webpages such as important dates and cost of living It also highlights web pages containing advice for new college parents, helping their student with a roommate conflict and suggested reading material (a book I recommend- You’re On Your Own (but I’m here if you need me)).Bridgewater State University has shown a very supportive approach to being proactive rather than reactive in partnering with parents. The University of New Haven presents information to parents for each class year to understand their role as their student progresses through college. For example, parents of first year students can discover the three aspects of career planning – academic, work, and involvement outside of the classroom while the parents of ―mid-career‖ students can learn how to provide names of people to contact, rather than doing the entire job search for them. There are also two other web pages, one addressing parent over-involvement through cartoons and the other contains three prerecorded panel presentations to assist parents in understanding their role in college students’ job search. Above are just three examples of what some institutions are doing to provide support for parents of new college students; Virginia Tech has implemented a fantastic interactive activity that sparks necessary conversations, Bridgewater State has a division and department
offering pertinent information that parents can use, and the University of New Haven provides clear information that is easily accessible and easy to comprehend. I do not represent Virginia Tech, Bridgewater State University, or the University of New Haven – but I wanted to share the positive contributions they have made to the field. I hope that all institutions begin to provide more support for parents, after all – Parents Are Partners!
Ryan Greelish is a Resident Director at Sacred Heart University. To contact Ryan, please email her at [email protected].
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June Issue
“Bridgewater State University has shown a supportive approach being
proactive rather than reactive in partnering with parents.”
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FEBRUARY ISSUE
Allowing firearms on college campuses is a highly controversial topic that is one
step closer to becoming state law in Texas. The Texas senate recently approved a measure that could allow people who are licensed to carry concealed firearms the opportunity to bring them onto a public college campuses. Similar bills are also making their way through the legislative system in other states around the nation, including Utah and Arizona, among others. Under the controversial proposal in Texas, students with concealed handgun licenses would be allowed to bring their guns into both college classrooms and buildings. Although the house in Texas has yet to vote on a similar measure, the Governor of Texas has said he supports guns on campus, and is expected to sign it into law if it reaches his desk. Supporters of the bills say that the possession of concealed weapons would add to the overall protection of all individuals on a college campus. In the horrific event of an active shooter on a college campus, individuals would be able to defend themselves if they were allowed to carry a concealed weapon. Some students involved with school shootings at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech have said that they would have fired back at the gunmen if they had the opportunity and the means to do so. People who have spoken out against the bill say it is dangerous and will lead to increased violence on college
campuses. I do not feel allowing college-aged students to carry weapons on campus is a smart idea. Although I can empathize with both parties, I believe it is a recipe for disaster to allow still-developing individuals to carry firearms. As a live-on college administrator, I can attest to students still making many rash decisions, struggling with various mental health issues, and generally speaking, often times still needing further development as individuals. Allowing heavily-increased access to firearms for someone who does not have a license to carry a concealed weapon also poses a large problem. This would make it much easier for an individual who does not have a gun license, and has not passed the screening procedures, to obtain access to a firearm. As the debate continues in many states around the nation, one could offer a simple move that would be a step in the right direction for parties on both sides of the issue: increased awareness and training for police and first-responders to an active-shooter situation. Regardless of the outcome of this legislation, it is clear that the make-up and sense of security on a college campus has been shaken in recent memory following the events at Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech. What that make-up now becomes is in the hands of lawmakers and college administrators around the country. Ryan DePesa is an Area Coordinator at Clark University. To contact Ryan, please email him at [email protected].
“Although I can empathize with both parties, I believe it is a recipe
for disaster to allow still-developing individuals to carry firearms.”
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June Issue
Guns and College Campuses Don’t Mix Ryan DePesa, Clark University
Photo of, and provided by, Ryan DePesa.
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We use the word so loosely; we mock the concept in so many situations, but when I woke up one morning last year for an 8 am class and discovered a man I had never seen before asleep on one of the couches, the word ―creeper‖ took on a whole new meaning for me. I approached the sleeping man, and he explained he was just trying to visit his female friend who lived on our floor, but she was not answering her phone and appeared not to be home. I copied his information from his driver’s license and told him I would be following up on his story. I asked him to leave because he was not allowed to be in the common room unaccompanied by a host. I later followed up with my resident, and she verified the story, but she also giggled and told me that he was a ―real creep.‖ The reason she had not returned home that night or answered his persistent phone calls: she had asked him not to come over in the first place. I consoled her, confided in my Resident Director, and took my resident down to Public Safety to help her report the incident. While I was down at the station, I thought back to the trivial manner in which my resident had described this so-called ―creeper,‖ and decided that I wanted to do an educational program on the dangers of stalking. I teamed up with a public safety officer and I worked with the Director of Health and Wellness on campus who did a lot of research on ―stalking‖ and ―stalker-related crimes,‖ and then produced an elaborate plan for an educational program about stalking. It was at this moment, I realize now, that my interest in interactive programming for an educational
purpose was sparked. To start off my program, I concocted a game to break the ice right off the bat. I split my attendees into two groups and blindfolded one volunteer from each group. I then had the remaining participants of each group lay down masking tape in any fashion, but with a clear start and finish. Once that task was completed, they were directed to lead their blindfolded team member through. the maze with any method they desired. The first team who made it through was very pleased with themselves, until I told them that they had not won: the purpose of the exercise, I explained, was to show how easy and readily we succumb to trust; directed to participate in an activity as sketchy as blindfolding an excited volunteer to be led by strangers, was a metaphor for how readily we trust one another right off the bat. The real winner, I explained, would have waited to put on the blindfold until they had seen the path and weighed its consequences. As the residents took their seats, one participant still seemed a little skeptical about the activity and remarked that she knew trust should be earned, ―but aren’t you supposed to be innocent only until proven guilty?‖ I then introduced the Health and Wellness Director to speak about trust and intimacy as related to stalking. I dedicated the second portion of the program to an open discussion about multiple video clips I had compiled that ―romanticize‖ stalking and ―creeper‖ behaviors. I did this to show the growing trend in the media to depict love at such high extremes has begun to make obsessive and possessive behaviors more socially accepted, normalized, and perhaps even desirable. I started the montage with a clip from Love Actually (directed by Richard Curtis, 2003) where the prime minister, played by Hugh Grant, goes knocking door to door to find his newly fired household staff member, played by Martine McCutcheon, to confess his love for
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“I did this to show the growing trend in the media to depict love at
such high extremes has begun to make obsessive and possessive
behaviors more socially accepted.”
Stop Creepin’ Daryl Julie Rothman, University of Hartford
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her. Although a real tear-jerking scene in the movie, those who attended my program mostly felt that it would be really inappropriate and disturbing if that happened to them in real life. My program ended with a presentation by a public safety officer, who presented on how to prevent and protect yourself from a legal standpoint against potential ―creeps‖ or predators of stalker related crimes. My program was overall quite successful. It was very long, and if I am to do it again in the future, I plan to cut it down significantly in length. I would also make the media’s romanticized portrayal of stalking-behaviors the main focus, as that is what seemed to provoke the most interest in the residents who attended my program. In reviewing my stalking program, overall the program was successful not just because of its powerful and under-discussed message, but also because it inspired me personally, and exemplified the impact of thoughtful, interactive, and educational programs to inform students about controversial and prevalent issues. In my experiences as a Resident Assistant and student at the University of Hartford, it is the lessons learned from both the academic and residential living components of college combined that make for the full experience. To me, it is through educational programs, and specifically those that address students’ needs (like my program about stalking), that form the connection
between academic learning and residential life. Daryl Julie Rothman is a Resident Assistant at the University of Hartford. To contact Daryl, please email her at [email protected].
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New Professionals New Professionals
DevelopmentDevelopment
CommitteeCommittee
©iStockphoto.com/Phil Date
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As reported in the April edition of the Navigator, a draft report of the Self Study Task Force was presented to the Executive Board at their meeting in late February. Based on feedback received from that session and from some other sources, a final report is now being developed. Once it is complete, both the full report as well as an Executive Summary will be posted on the NEACUHO website for the entire membership to review. For those of you who are attending the Annual Conference at the Rochester Institute of Technology in June, information about the Self Study will be included in the program booklet. There will also be a brief presentation on the results at the Annual Business Meeting, followed by an opportunity for questions and answers. All four members of the Self Study Task Force will also be present throughout the conference and would be happy to talk with anyone about the process we followed or the recommendations we developed. So, what happens next? One outcome of our discussion with the Executive Board and some follow up with the Association Officers was that the recommendations of the Task Force seemed to fall into two categories: operational or process changes that could be implemented fairly easily and quickly; and structural, cultural, or mission related items that would need more in depth study and input from NEACUHO members.
In order to capture the enthusiasm generated by the Self Study process, the Officers (with the concurrence of the Executive Board), have chosen to move forward with some of the operational/process changes even before the Self Study is formally presented. Examples of actions that have been taken already or will be in the short term are:
A modest restructuring of the membership dues categories for the 2011-12 academic year. However, this topic will also be included as part of the in depth review and additional changes may be instituted for future years.
A new member orientation will be offered before the start of the 2011 Annual Conference, which will include information about our organization’s history.
Incorporating professional etiquette and conference training during executive board training in July.
Executive Board meeting minutes summary’s which are posted on the website and distributed through the Google group. Annual Business meeting format will be changed for 2011, with reports from only key executive board members and business.
For those recommendations that need additional study, President-Elect Paula Randazza will be appointing a Strategic Planning Task Force to review these items and make decisions on how to take action to address them. Examples of the topics that this group will be charged with considering are:
Review and revision (if necessary) the NEACUHO Mission Statement
Creation of a Vision Statement and Strategic Plan
Development of a communication plan
The Self-Study is Complete-Now What? Jen Hapgood, Binghamton University &
Pete Galloway, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
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“Throughout the upcoming year, information will be shared with the
membership about the progress of this new Task Force, including opportunities
for members to provide feedback and participate in focus groups.”
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Review the structure of the Executive Board to ensure it reflects the confirmed or revised Mission, Vision, and needs of the membership; restructure if necessary.
Assessment of all current Association events and activities and development of business plans for all events that continue to be sponsored.
Throughout the upcoming year, information will be shared with the membership about the progress of this new Task Force, including opportunities for members to provide feedback and participate in focus groups.
On behalf of the Self Study Task Force and the Executive Board, we want to thank every NEACUHO member who took time to participate in the Self Study process. We are confident that the outcomes generated by the report will strengthen the Association to better serve the membership and will promote the investment of time and talent in the organization into the future. Jen Hapgood is the Business Manger & Assessment Specialist at Binghamton University. To contact Jen, please email her at [email protected].
Peter Galloway is the Director of Housing Services at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. To contact Peter, please email him at [email protected].
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“We are confident that the outcomes generated by the report will strengthen
the Association to better serve the membership and will promote the
investment of time and talent in the organization into the future.”
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Hello there, NEACUHO and I hope your year has concluded
on a positive note. I have the honor of representing NEACUHO by serving as a Foundation Board Trustee for the ACUHO-I Foundation. Are you a former RAs or student leaders? A former graduate assistant? A housing professionals with over 25 years of experience? Do you aspire to become an Assistant Director and move off campus? How about a CHO? A VPSA? Thought about going for your Doctorate? Volunteering for NEACUHO? For ACUHO-I? Have you thought about the assistance you may need to achieve your professional goals? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then have you thought about giving to your profession? Reinvesting in your professional future?
Has this profession been good to you so far? Does what you do provide you with satisfaction, grati-tude, appreciation, and challenges? If so, then donate to your profession, your future, your career
via the ACUHO-I Foundation. Like you I fully understand the economic challenges we are now facing. I ask that you think about donating one Venti Starbucks per month or one Saturday night movie per month with a contribution to YOUR ACUHO-I Foundation. Did you know that you can direct your donation to STARS, NHTI, CHO Institute, or unrestricted fund (which provides the ability to fund research, speakers, journals, globalization, etc?) Like NEACUHO and all of the other regional housing associations, the ACUHO-I Foundation provides
resources and opportunities for all of us as RAs and student leaders through Housing Officers with over 25 years of experience through funding projects, research, scholarships, awards, workshops, and institutes.
Let me share with you some of the initiatives that have been realized in recent years due to the hard work of the ACUHO-I Foundation and the generosity of those who have donated their time and funds to it. In the area of Publications and Resources, the Foundation has provided funding for the Talking Stick magazine, The Journal of College and University Student Housing, the ACUHO-I Online Library, and Learning Reconsidered II in which ACUHO-I partnered with NASPA, ACPA, and other Student Affairs associations. The generous donation of Foundation funds also allows ACUHO-I to honor the best and brightest of our profession at the annual conference through awards. The Foundation also supports the growth of our profession by awarding scholarships to the James C. Grimm National Housing Training Institute, the Chief Housing Officer’s Institute, and the Best of Presentations at regional conferences and the conference workshops. The Best of Scholarships allows those presenters to expose their ideas and concepts to a broader, international audience at the ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition.
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Proposed NEACUHO 2011 Foundation Remarks Chuck Lamb, Rochester Institute of Technology
“The Best Of Scholarships allows those presenters to expose their ideas and concepts to a broader, international
audience at the ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition.”
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Photo of, and provided by, Chuck Lamb.
Photo of, and provided by, Chuck Lamb.
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We will have a Best Of at NEACUHO and last year’s recipient, Beth Moriarity from Bridgewater State, will have the opportunity to present at the Annual ACUHO-I Conference and Exposition in New Orleans in July. I know many of you have heard about, read about or participated in NHTI, the CHO institute, STARS College, and many in the region have been honored with one of NEACUHO’s Best Of Programs.
The Foundation has also supported Commissioned Research. Two major projects have been the National Survey of Living Learning Programs and the ACUHO-I Workforce Development research project. As you all know, comparisons and benchmarking have become increasingly important on our campuses. Thanks to Foundation funding, ACUHO-I launched in
2008 a survey and research project to c o m p i l e a n e l e c t r o n i c i n f o r m a t i o n repository that has provided members the ability to track staffing ratios, a ccommoda t ion
standards, amenities, and features. Through the Foundation’s support in past years, ACUHO-I was able to do work in developing locales such as South Africa. At the Annual Conference in New Orleans in July 2011 you may see and meet our international delegates from South Africa, Canada, and Australia just to name a few of our international colleagues. There are so many wonderful projects and initiatives that the Foundation supports for the housing profession. I welcome you to visit the Foundation table at this year’s conference to learn more and discover in what
ways you can support the future of the housing profession, how you can support the creation and innovation of new knowledge, how you can mentor and support new professionals, and how you can benefit from the research that Foundation supports. Many of our NEACUHO colleagues currently donate monthly or yearly to the Foundation. Below is a list of those who contribute regularly: Gary Bice (SUNY Fredonia) Rich Bova (Brown University) Tom Ellett (NYU) Eddie Hull (UMASS-Amherst) Carmen Vance (retired-UCONN) Herb Zucker (Safe Decisions) All have generously donated to the Foundation and are 2011 Major Donors. I ask that you please consider your profession as they have, because giving matters. I love our student housing and residence life profession and look forward to giving back to a profession that has been so good to me since I was an RA. Now it is time for me to give back and I hope that you will join me.
I look forward to sharing with you at this year’s conference all the wonderful work the Foundation does for our profession with your continued support. Chuck Lamb is the Director of Residence Life at Rochester Institute of Technology. To contact Chuck, please email him at
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“I love our student housing and residence life profession and look
forward to giving back to a profession that has been so good
to me since I was an RA.”
Photo provided by Chuck Lamb.
“There are so many wonderful projects and initiatives that the Foundation supports for
the housing profession.”
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This series (at least I’m hopeful it will be a series) aims to tackle pretty important subjects in higher
education in one page or less. It will also aim to provide some concrete things you can do in a brief amount of time to improve your work as a higher education professional. This might be an arrogant goal – but let’s give it a go.
Five-Minute Exercises to Improve Your Work As the academic year wraps up it can be something of a mad dash to the finish line. Check-outs, completing student conduct cases, end of the year receptions – there is a lot going on and sometimes it is difficult to build in time for the extra stuff, but I believe this is a great time of year for reflection. Where did I succeed? Where could I have done better? What is something new I want to do next year? This academic year is fresh in your mind, now is the time to ask these questions. Self Improvement I passionately believe that the little things count and that changes are made incrementally. Next year I want to be more outgoing and accessible to students. The goal can’t just be ―Be More Outgoing‖ – the goal needs an action plan. I created a list that included things I can do in less than a minute: greeting as many students as I can at opening, shake hands, re-connect that first month, spend more time on my campus and less in my office, amongst others. ―Be More Outgoing‖ is a big foundational shift; saying ―hi‖ is easy stuff. Projects for Next Year and Making Your Mark What is something – think an event or a program – that
your institution needs? Start planning now. Groups on campus are making their schedules now, it might not be as easy as you’d hope to add some fun, new event to the schedule right before it’s set to go. Who on your campus might be interested in working on this with you? Who on campus has the necessary skill-set or serves as a gatekeeper? There are some projects or arenas that you’ll venture into that require you work with other people on campus so you’re not stepping on toes or offending others. Make steps during the summer where many offices slow down. If you can get a lot of the work done now, your new project will be better suited to turn into an annual part of your campus culture. This is your campus – original projects like this will make it feel like it really is yours.
Take a Break This career demands a lot of us all and it’s becoming closer to a 12-month commitment with each year. It’s not only important to take a break – it’s necessary. An overworked, tired, cranky higher education professional is no good to anyone – especially not our students and colleagues. Take a day off – read a book that has nothing to do with higher education, watch a stupid movie, and appreciate the successful year you’ve just completed. Mike McCarthy is a Residence Director at Lesley University. To contact Mike, please email him at [email protected].
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Big Ideas In Short Order Mike McCarthy, Lesley University
“I passionately believe that the little things count and that changes are
made incrementally.”
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Photo of, and provided by, Mike McCarthy.
“If you can get a lot of the work done now, your new project will be better suited to turn into an annual
part of your campus culture.”
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Hello friends, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss the interview process from the candidate perspective. Every year it seems we have articles in various publications from the perspective of the folks hiring. They discuss in great detail what you should and should not do to land that perfect position and in most cases the information is valuable. I do however think an important part is missing, namely the candidates perspective. Remember, the candidate is just as important to the hiring process as the search committee and their situation should be taken into account. So here for your consideration are some thoughts from a once and future candidate: 1. Read my resume. You hear all the time that as a candidate you should do research regarding the institution you hope to work for and most if not all of us will. What about the other side of the coin? It is my belief that the search committee should first and foremost read my resume! Hey, there’s a lot of good stuff in there. Now granted it’s down there at the bottom past all of the usual job stuff but still, it’s there and most of the good stuff about who I am and what I do is as well. If you expect me to sing your school’s fight song, please at least read my entire resume. Some of the stuff in there may surprise you. 2. Don’t have me spend the week. We all know the hiring process in higher ed is unlike any other in the world. It takes longer than any of us
ever expect and being contacted for a phone interview in April usually means that you will be invited to campus sometime in May and hired (or not) by late June or early July. Heaven forbid if the process begins in May with a phone call. In addition to the resume submission and phone interviews the great on campus interview must occur. This process, due to our inclusive nature in higher education will usually include everyone, yes I said everyone. I’ll leave it at that...and will take a full day, maybe two. Again, I said maybe TWO! Realize please as an employer that most of us have current jobs. Jobs that we would like to retain if your institution does not find us suitable or the right fit. It would be a wonderful world if those seeking a new job could simply quit their current position or let everyone know at our current institution that we’re searching but that isn’t always reality so cut us a break. Try as best you can to streamline the interview process to one day. Heck, Fortune 500 Companies interview in less time than higher education. 3. I won’t be singing for my supper. As a higher education professional for a good number of years I have experienced multiple interview styles and techniques. Some interviewers are very involved in the process and this usually includes the primary residence life or student life staff. For others, not so much. At best it’s a nice chance to meet a candidate and at worst an incredible burden that takes away from their daily schedules. Please be aware of who is interested and who isn’t. I would prefer as a candidate to interact with people who will interact back. I would prefer not to sit at a table discussing my lengthy and illustrious career with folks who couldn’t care less and want to get back to their eBay auctions.
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I’m Not Singing For My Supper! Secrets From The Interviewee Side of The Table
William Villineau
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“Remember, the candidate is just as important to the hiring process as the search committee and their situation
should be taken into account.”
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Photo of, and provided by, Bill Villineau.
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Another disturbing and more recent component of the day long interview is the ―presentation‖ component. No way, I ain’t doing it. I’ve been in this field too long to sing and dance for my supper. You would think that would be apparent by looking at my resume. New folks, I’m sorry, you might have to present. It makes sense. You are going to need to interact with RA’s and student leaders on a direct and day to day basis and while I will also, I’ve done more presentations for training and in a professional capacity than I can count and won’t have a problem with them in the future. Let’s face it interviewers, everyone gets nervous. An interview is an unnatural situation and to add the pressure of a presentation just isn’t right. Too much can and will go wrong and a full day or two of questioning and lost vacation days is bad enough. A community Q&A for those interested in meeting a candidate would be more appropriate. 4. Pay attention: In addition to actually reading my resume and gathering a group of interested professionals to interview me please pay attention. Eliminate as many distractions as you can prior to our meeting. Have someone answer your phone, have someone baby sit. Yes, I have actually been interviewed with a baby sitting in the lap of a Dean. If I am devoting my full attention to you, your institution and your staff, please extend me the same courtesy. I understand that things happen, emergencies
arise and everyone needs to see you yesterday. Just try as best you can to clear the decks for a small window of time. 5. Communicate As professionals in higher education we pride ourselves on our ability to communicate with one another, with faculty, with parents, students, and staff. It should be no different with your candidates. Communication is a key factor in a candidate deciding which fit is right for them (and please remember that this IS a mutual process). From the initial response to their resume the tone is set. Sometimes there is no response. How many of us have applied for a position and didn’t know if our resume was even received? Even worse, we complete the phone call, the on campus interview and the waiting…and never hear another word! It happens. Ok, so I’m not who you want to hire, that’s fine and I understand. At least drop a letter in the mail or give me a call to let me know. There you have it. My five candidate perspective points regarding interviews. Agree? Disagree? Let me know. I’m not trying to get on anyone’s nerves here, just pointing out some inconsistencies between what’s expected of the interviewer vs. the interviewee. Take them for what they are worth and if you have transgressed, make amends. I’ll be watching and I won’t be singing for my supper. William Villineau was the last Director of Residence Life & Housing at Curry College and Director of Housing & Conference at the Marine and Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole Massachusetts. To contact William, please email him at [email protected].
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“As professionals in higher education we pride ourselves on our ability to
communicate with one another, with faculty, with parents, students and staff.
It should be no different with your candidates.”
June Issue
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The Social Issues Committee in conjunction with NASPA Regions
I and II hosted NEACUHO’s 11th Annual Women’s Winter Renewal Retreat Friday, January 7, 2011, at them The College of New Rochelle. Despite a beautiful
steady snow all day, approximately 25 women came together to learn from one another and re-energize for the spring semester. The day started with committee members preparing packets and rooms to make participants feel welcome. They welcomed and checked in participants in the second floor foyer of the Student Campus
Center. Cathy Raynis Meeker, PhD, founder of the Women’s Winter Renewal Retreat, and a NEACUHO past president, served as the WWRR Conference Chair. Rosann Santos-Elliott, was the Host Chair, College of New Rochelle and Manuel Vasquez served as the Social Issues Committee Chair. Participants were welcomed by the president of NEACUHO, Jen Hapgood as well as Beth Moriarty, a past president of NEACUHO, on behalf of NASPA I & I WISA Knowledge Communities. The keynote speakers, Terri Scanlon, Managing Director, Reslife. Net and Nancy Davis Griffin, Dean of Admission, Saint Anselm College gave an empowering talk that made participants laugh, cry, and think. Cathy Raynis Meeker asked the women to get focused on their personal and professional aspirations so they could develop an action plan for 2011 and then Berenecea Johnson-Eanes, PhD, VP of Student Development, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, talked about her story as a VP to open a
conversation about women in student affairs. Lunch was enjoyed as an experienced and diverse Panel of women leaders in student affairs, housing, and related fields answered questions
The panelists included: Jodi Baily, Carol Boucher, Nancy Davis Griffin, Terri Scanlon, Pam Dice Schipani, Jennifer Hapgood, Berenecea Johnson-Eanes, Beth Moriarty, Kim Schmidl-Gagne, & Sabrina Tanbara. Pam Dice Schipani, Director of Housing Services, at the University of Connecticut concluded the day with a touching talk about Managing Your Life and Career
with Graceful Strength. Participants learned how to face hard times, make the most of the challenges and opportunities, and be there for one another. The mentor groups were invited to continue discussions over email after the conference. The day was a lovely exchange of stories, motivational thoughts, caring energy, and compassion. All the presenters and panelists were highly invested in helping each woman to recognize their importance and to become the best leader, supervisor, friend, manager, family member, mother, colleague, etc. that they were meant to be. The day reminded the women to be present in the moment, take care of themselves, balance their roles and responsibilities gracefully, and create the optimal life for themselves.
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The 2011 Women’s Winter Renewal Retreat Cathy Raynis Meeker, Past President NEACUHO
Continued on next page...
Photo of Cathy Raynis Meeker.
Photo of Jodi Baily.
Photo of Carol Boucher.
Photo of Berenecea Johnson-Eanes.
Photo of Beth Moriarty., Ph.D.
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If you are interested in being a part of a sub-committee organizing the Women’s Winter Renewal Retreat, please join the Social Issues Committee for the 2011-12 academic year by filling out the committee application form found on the NEACUHO website or go to NEACUHO.org. All are welcome to apply. The incoming chair for the
Social Issues Committee will be Tanika Mangum, so if
you have questions about the committee, please feel free to contact Tanika as well. Cathy Raynis Meeker is the Past President of NEACUHO from 2008-09. To contact Cathy, please email her at [email protected].
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Most Frequent Writers for the 2010-11 Academic Year Cathy Raynis Meeker, NEACUHO Past President 2008-09 Cathy’s Column (October, December, February & April) Chuck Lamb, Rochester Institute of Technology NEACUHO Loses Friend and Colleague NEACUHO Past Presidents Offer Unique Services to Members What’s Cooking With Your Career Why Attend NEACUHO At RIT Gary Bice Jr., SUNY Fredonia The Value and Outcomes of a Self-Study Myth Debunked: It’s the Same People Every Year Jacque Bollinger, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh ACUHO-I Updates (August, October & December) Jess Faulk, Simmons College Reslife 2.0 (October, December, February & April) Kathleen Schreier, Rochester Institute of Technology The NEACUHO Annual Conference: Getting Ready to Build Our Legacy Visiting The World By Attending The 2011 Annual Conference Kim Schmidl-Gagne, Keene State College The Value and Outcomes of a Self-Study Self Study: Details, Details, Details Kristin Murphy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me: Blunt, honest advice for New Professionals The Joy of Mid-Level: Getting the Recipe for Success Ryan Nicole Greelish, Sacred Heart University Training Teasers Developing a Partnership with Faculty in Residence Halls Raise Awareness for Texting While Driving Sonya Alexander, Central Connecticut State University Reflections from the 2010 Regional Entry Level Institute (RELI) NEACUHO Self-Study: Progress Report Stephanie Weishaupt, Utica College The NEACUHO Annual Conference: View of a First Time Attendee Advocating For Yourself ! Tracy Lea Hensley, Skidmore College Sea-Change: An Outsider’s Exploration of the Northeast Professional Networking Strategies at a Regional Conference
Photo provided by Pete Nardone.
Photo of Sabrina Tanbara.
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You may already be very familiar with google for simplified search; it’s sizable email inbox, or even it’s easy to use calendar. But if you haven’t yet tried using it’s wonderful array of google applications, you are missing out. I’m going to share with you three of my top reasons for using it in our office. The one warning I will give you is that once you start, google apps can be quite addicting! 1. Collaborate Google’s main marketability is in it’s use of the ―cloud,‖ or as you might think of it, online storage. Google’s word and excel like apps are stored on the web and therefore accessible to you anywhere you can go online. They also are built to allow for multiple collaborators to be in one document at a time. You should think about using google docs next time you have a project that you know multiple parties will need to access and make changes to. There is nothing more annoying than getting that ―read only‖ warning on an important document on your department shared drive.
In my office we use google docs’ collaborate interface to communicate between multiple departments. We track key returns and empty rooms at closing of the halls on a google spreadsheet, allowing our office, facilities, housekeeping, and the RAs staff to simultaneously know the latest information. The best part is that facilities and housekeeping can update their part of the spreadsheet at the same time we are. No messy email tracking back and forth. We use Google Sites (a wiki creator) to post
information for the front desk staff and RA staff to access at their leisure. Because it’s easy to set up, searchable, and works well with many of our staff’s existing google accounts, it is the perfect place to save an RA manual. 2. Go Green It is one of my goals to move us toward a paperless office. Google helps us do that by posting information online that we would normally print out. Google calendar is our go-to program for duty tracking that the RAs can access from the comfort of their own computers. Lessen the printing off of paper forms, by having everything from spring break sign ups to withdrawal requests handled online. Students prefer to do everything electronically anyway, and having them print out a PDF of a form you have online is just as bad for the environment than if you printed it out yourself. Stop the waste and go completely online. 3. Get organized The best thing about google forms is its data collection interface. Next time you are considering collecting information via email and then typing it all into a excel spreadsheet, save yourself (or your student worker’s) time by sending out a link to a quick form you made in google. All of the responses will be conveniently plugged into a google spreadsheet, which can be added to, or downloaded in excel format. It can’t get much easier to get your data organized! Interested but afraid of taking the first step? Mark your NEACUHO conference schedule for the session ―Exploring the Googleverse‖ presented by Mike Hamilton and Jess Faulk. See you in the Googleverse! Jessica Faulk is the Director of Residence Life at Simmons College in Boston, MA. Contact her with tech ideas you wish to share with the NEACUHO community at twitter @jessfaulk or email [email protected].
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Reslife 2.0: Three reasons to enter the Googleverse Jess Faulk, Simmons College
Photo of, and provided by, Jess Faulk.
“Because it’s easy to set up, searchable and works well with many of our staff’s
existing google accounts, it is the perfect place to save an RA manual.”
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Question:
Cathy, as the end of the academic year comes to a close, I want to know any advice you may have moving forward with my professional career? I just ended my first year as a 10 month live-in professional and have the next two months off! It’s been a great learning experience and I feel that Residential is the right fit for me. Although it’s scary, I know I need to take some time for myself. How much ―recharging‖ do I need to get ready for August? I will certainly miss my staff! Just like my graduation from my Masters program last May, this time of the year always make me wonder did I do the best I could have done and what is next for me? Answer: Congratulations on surviving another academic year! Part of using the summer months wisely involves making sure you are honest with yourself about what you need to accomplish during your time off. You need to do a twofold process of reenergizing and preparing for another year. Part 1 involves rest, reflection, and recharging. Part 2 involves assessing what you’ve accomplished, who you are, and what you need to do to optimize your potential and accomplish your goals. Part 1: Reenergize It’s important that ultimately you feel re-energized by August to start another year. Each of us has our own way to gear up between academic years and it is important that you find what works best for you. The following are suggestions that might work for you. Having the luxury of two or more months off is a great way to get caught up not only on sleep but also on the things in your life that you may not have had time for during the year, but which bring you joy and
happiness. It is important that you use the time off wisely so you transition from that end-of-the-year, frazzled feeling back to feeling fresh, excited, positive and ready to take on another year. I would suggest that before you leave for your summer, touch base with to your supervisor, peers, and people you look up to. Get their feedback about your strengths, weakness, and things that they think you could do over the summer and the upcoming academic year to grow personally and professionally. It is a good time to have a conversation with your confidants and mentors about your long-term goals, the type of person you aspire to be, and the lifestyle you aspire to have. They can provide you with candid ideas about how you can more toward your goals.
Supervisors should also know that you are interested in new challenges and opportunities. Talk with them before you leave so that they will keep you in mind as projects, committee assignments, and other leadership opportunities arise. If they are able to assign you to projects before you leave, make note of the project so that you think about it over the summer. Take all the feedback and information you receive and jot it down in a journal or record it in your hand-held device. This way, when you get a break during the summer, you can review the information and develop a plan to use it positively. I like to also ask my personal advisors if there is something that I should read over the summer to learn about a particular topic or improve a given area so that I can move forward. Conversations about fun summer reads are also helpful as I prepare for my break.
It’s also important that you take some time to reflect about what you want to accomplish with your summer. Be honest about how tired or burnt
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out you may be and what you need to do to rest, refuel, and get a change of attitude. What do you need to do to take care of yourself, prepare for the upcoming school year, and to move yourself closer to your goals? In addition to recharging for a new school year, it is important that you use your summer to re-evaluate your life goals. What do you really want professionally, academically, and personally? What do you want your life to look like? What can you accomplish this summer to bring you closer to meeting your goals and needs? I have found it helpful to make a list of what I want to accomplish in my lifetime hand-in-hand with figuring out what type of person I wanted to be. One summer I was able to develop my own personal mission statement which helped me focus on what was really important to me. Take stock of what you need and plan your summer accordingly. Make the most of your summer. Be honest with yourself. Some of us reenergize by doing quiet reflective things and some of us reenergize by socializing and engaging with others. I have found that a balance of both works for me. I need down time to decompress and focus internally, but I also need to visit people who are important to me and seek out enough new adventures to feel like I had a fun summer. Exercising, reading, journaling, trying new things, laughing with friends, attending festivals or plays, traveling, and learning new things have reinvigorated me during past summers. Make sure you use your summer to feel good and to move your-self forward both professionally and personally.
Part 2: Prepare for another year Assess what you need to accomplish this summer to prepare for the coming year. It may be nothing at all. You may just need to have peace and quiet. It may be you need to have fun and to fill your time with adventures and trips to see friends or family. It may be time to start planning how to reach your educational goals, especially if you want to be a faculty member in a field where work experience in student affairs isn’t essential. Next year may be the time to start applying to programs with terminal degrees, or it may just be a time to attend non-credit certification courses to enhance your skills. If it is time to take classes to either learn something that
will help you in the upcoming year or to prepare yourself to meet future goals, you could set aside the time to focus on those classes. It may be time to put together presentations that you plan to present on the departmental, institutional, regional, national or international level. It might be a great time to write an article for a newsletter or journal.
It could also be a time to attend presentations or participate in online or actual classes on topics you want to learn more about to enhance your skills (computer, website development, domestic violence, ripe crisis, public speaking, presentation, crisis management, CPR, first aid, emergency responder, grant writing, learning communities, enrollment management, retention, active listening and helping skills, supervision, leadership, occupancy management, diversity and social justice, etc.). It may be time to immerse yourself into something you are curious about or want to learn more about. One final suggestion is to think backwards; consider what you want to have accomplished by the end of your summer. Who have you missed? What things and what people will reenergize you the most? Then make appointments to visit the people who bring you joy, laughter and love, and plan to do the things that interested you the most. Visit the places that you are curious about. At the end of the summer you want to feel you have accomplished what you needed to in order to re-energize and face another year with a positive, excited disposition. You do not want to enter a new year feeling resentful that you did not get to do something important during your time off. Enjoy your summer. Do what you need to do to reenergize and return refueled and ready to go with no regrets.
Cathy Raynis Meeker is the Past President of NEACUHO from 2008-09. To contact Cathy, please email her at [email protected].
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“Take stock of what you need and plan your summer accordingly.
Make the most of your summer. Be honest with yourself.”
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Name: Chuck Lamb Position: Director of Residence Life Institution: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) How long have you been in your current role: 8 years Education: History Ed from SUC Geneseo; MA in Student Personal form University of Albany NEACUHO Involvement:
Recipient of Program of the Year Award, 1995, 1998 & 2007 Recipient of Lifetime Service Award, 1999 Recipient of Distinguished Service Award, 1994 Recipient of Outstanding Service Award, 1990 Annual Conference Host, 1998 Annual Conference Host, 1990 President, 1984-85 Vice President, 1983-84 Western New York District Coordinator, 2004-2007 Member of Corporate Relations Committee, 2005-present Member of Financial Task Force, 2003-2007 Nominations Chair, 1985-86 Scholarship Committee Chair, 1986-87 Newsletter Editor, 1979-83 Membership Chair, 1990-92 Drive In Workshop Host, Spring 1997 Grants, Awards and Scholarship Committee Chair, 1999-2002 Chair, Past President Consulting Team; 2003-present Keynote Speaker, New Professional Conference, February, 2001 ―Unlocking the Key to Your Potential‖ Keynote Speaker, New Professional Conference, February,2011 ―What’s Cooking With Your Career?‖ Chair, Exhibits and Displays, Annual Conference, 2011 Presented numerous programs at annual conferences and drive in workshops throughout the years Have attended EVERY NEACUHO Annual Conference since 1978 except 2-Dalhousie(1994) and Stony Brook University (2003)
Biggest issue facing new professionals and/or CHOs are: New professionals beginning your career and developing competencies to enable personal and professional evolution. Finding that ―right‖ first position is important. CHOs are confronting/will be confronting the ever changing student population, maintaining essential and quality services at a reasonable cost, the
potential of decreasing enrollment and occupancy (due to decreasing high school populations), budget reductions, securing and training staff to properly manage the halls/evolve the program. Increasing mental health cases/lack of coping skills by students is an emerging and troubling issue: how can we assist these students during the most challenging times of the students’ lives?
What piece of advice do you want to share with
new professionals about working in the field:
There's a great scene in the film ―League of Their Own‖
with Tom Hanks and Geena Davis where Davis'
character chooses to leave the team rather than play in
the championship game. Hanks challenges Davis about
her decision and she responds, ―It just got too
hard.‖ Hanks responds: ―It's supposed to be hard! If it
wasn't, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it
great.‖
The same could be said for our field and the quest for
the elusive middle manager position: this can be a
demanding profession not meant for those not
accustomed to unique hours. It can be difficult but the
potential reward of working with staff and students
provides us with the ―greatness.‖
Favorite tradition that your department does: Midnight Breakfast which occurs the Friday night prior to quarter finals in November. Faculty and staff come out to serve the meal, clean tables, talk to students, lot of entertainment and fun. End of the Year Banquet is super; many awards and
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slide shows of all we have accomplished as a staff for the previous nine months. And believe it or not opening the halls/check in day is a blast!! Biggest challenge that you have faced: Personnel issues are always, ALWAYS the toughest along with job loss(which I experienced) and deaths of students. Where do you see yourself in five years: Not sure; I’m supposed to be ―winding down‖ but I’m too engaged and energized right now to consider the ―after (work) life‖! I still have gas in the tank! And going 90 mph is exhilarating! What made you decide to go into the field of residence life and housing: Way back when, the draft and Vietnam War had a huge impact on students and emerging new professionals. After a two year stint as an RA and some Student Government involvement and with some quality mentoring, due to a lack of available teaching positions, hello, higher education! For many of us four of the best years of our lives was being a college student! Why leave that environment? Lordy it’s been a great run!
What does NEACUHO mean to you: First comes family, then profession and NEACUHO has been an integral part of that component for 33 years! I love visiting other campuses and truly cherish the relationships with colleagues over the years. NEACUHO is simply the best professional development vehicle in the student housing field particularly for entry level and middle management staff. There are seasoned professionals to mentor/guide/assist and outstanding opportunities for leadership and involvement-key components for career enhancement and professional satisfaction.
Do you know an involved mid-level or new professional that should be the next
NEACUHO Spotlight? Email your suggestions to
Peter Nardone [email protected]
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Submit to The Navigator
Do you have something to share with NEACUHO?
All entries for The Navigator come from members just like you. Please feel free to submit articles concerning student affairs and residential life issues, departmental staff updates, recognition of members, committee updates, district updates, and much more. Email all submissions to [email protected].
Stay tuned for our newest edition of The Navigator August 2011! We will be highlighting the Annual Conference at RIT!
To download past issues of The Navigator, visit us at www.neacuho.org. Feel free to email Peter Nardone at [email protected] with any questions you may have about submissions for The Navigator.
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Thank you to all who submitted articles to the April issue of The Navigator
Mike McCarthy, Lesley University Candice Redden, Culinary Institute of America Dennis Lue Yat, Quinnipiac University Andrew Fuller, Binghamton University Chuck Lamb, Rochester Institute of Technology Kristin Murphy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Genia Bettencourt, University of Massachusetts Amherst
You Make A Difference!
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Christina King, Hofstra University Ryan Darling, College of The Holy Cross Ryan Greelish, Sacred Heart University Jess Faulk, Simmons College
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Welcoming new members to their staffs: Sacred Heart University is proud to congratulate two staff members on accepting new positions,
Ryan Nicole Greelish will be a Resident Director at Bridgewater State University and Channing
Vidal will be a Resident Director at Coastal Carolina University. We wish you the best of luck!
Ryan D. Young is now the Associate Director of Residential Life for Training and Development at Pace University’s Pleasantville Campus! Do you have a new staff member joining your office? Send us their name, position,
institution, and photo headshot (optional) and we’ll include it in the next Navigator. Email
all submissions to Peter Nardone at [email protected].
Thank you to the Media & Publications Committee for yet another amazing newsletter for June. The committee has been hard at work the past few months, and have truly made a difference! ~Peter Nardone, Binghamton University Congratulations to the following Binghamton University staff on making a difference for the month of April: Heather Skolnick, Mark Wnorowski, Ashley Stewart, Karen Gerchman, Taumi Miller, Chris Formisano Orrin Kenyon, Moshe Roberts, Victor Alarcon, Jake Carro, Stephen Collins, Adrienne Victor, Billy Hernandez & Darlene Burns ~Binghamton Department of Residential Life Thank you to Christina King for submitting a great article on behalf of the NPDC. Be sure to read her article in the last issue of The Navigator!
Transitions & Recognitions
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A big thank you to the Residence Hall Directors at Sacred Heart University who made closing as smooth and easy as possible; Ryan Nicole Greelish, Kyle Meadows, Jessica Flynn, Channing Vidal, Whitney Marlatt, Leilannie Quintana, and Nicole Giglia. Your time and effort has paid off and is greatly appreciated! Thank you to all the presenters and mentors at the New Professional’s Drive In! The conference’s success was because of you! Thank you to Keyne Cahoon, Adam Casler, and the Sienna College RD2B committee for their hard work with the February RD2B. The conference was very successful and you all did a fabulous job! Thank you to Jen Spade, Casey Wilson, and the Keene State College RD2B committee for their hard work with the February RD2B. Your dedication to the conference is extremely appreciated! Thank you to Megan Igoe and Greg Mantolesky for their leadership at the New Professional’s Drive In! You guys did an amazing job! Thank you to the entire New Professional’s Drive-In Committee for their amazing work! Thank you to Dr. Beth Moriarty, Jana Jacobson, and Chuck Lamb for acting as keynote speakers at the NPDC conferences in February! Your are all inspirations and truly valuable to this organization and profession! Do you have a staff member you would like to recognize for efforts on your campus or in NEACUHO? The Media & Publications Committee wants to hear from you and how your staff makes a difference through their work and dedication to the field. Send us a brief message to include in the next Navigator. Pictures are always welcome! Email submissions to Peter Nardone at [email protected].
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Photo provided by Pete Nardone.
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Ask Cathy?
* Want a better understanding of the behavior of students today? * Need help finding balance at work and at home? * Searching for advice on a career? * Looking to have a different perspective on some questions you are simply just not getting answered elsewhere? Why not ―Ask Cathy?‖ If she doesn’t have the answer, she’ll ask someone who does! Consider submitting your questions for the chance to have them answered in our newly revised section of The Navigator. Check out this months column on page 25 of The Navigator.
Do you know an involved mid-level or new professional that
should be the next NEACUHO Spotlight?
Email your suggestions to Peter Nardone
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Photo of, and provided by, Cathy Raynis Meeker.
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NEACUHO Mission Statement NEACUHO is an organization of housing, residential life, and student services professionals and
paraprofessionals within the Northeast region dedicated to providing opportunities for colleague support, professional development, sharing of information, collaboration, communication, research, and recognition of
outstanding contributions to the field.
The association serves member institutions within Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Meet our Corporate Partners • Adirondack Solutions • Butler Woodcrafters, Inc. • Foliot Furniture • John Savoy & Son, Inc.
twitter name ―NEACUHO‖
Facebook group name ―NEACUHO and friends‖
Want to stay connected with
NEACUHO?
Feedback & Suggestions? We’d love to hear from you. Share your comments, feedback, suggestions, questions, etc. with us
so we can better serve you!
Email your feedback to [email protected]
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2010-11 Executive Board
President Jen Hapgood Binghamton University [email protected]
President-Elect Paula Randazza Rivier College [email protected]
Past President Jeffrey Horowitz Binghamton University [email protected]
Treasurer Zach Newswanger Ithaca College [email protected]
Secretary Jen Golojuch Mount Ida College [email protected]
District Coordinators: Connecticut & Rhode Island Megan Houlihan Post University [email protected]
Eastern New York & Vermont Joe Murphy Skidmore College [email protected]
Maine & New Hampshire Nate Gordon Keene State College [email protected]
Massachusetts Eric Rollo Bay State College [email protected]
Metro New York Angela Kang SUNY Purchase College [email protected]
Western New York Darese Doskal-Scaffido Tompkins Cortland Community College [email protected]
Annual Conference Bill St. Jean Rochester Institute of Technology [email protected]
Corporate Relations Rich Bova Brown University [email protected] Kathi Bradford Westfield State College [email protected]
Media and Publications Pete Nardone Binghamton University [email protected]
New Professionals Development Ryan Young Pace University [email protected]
Professional Development Jennifer Crane Quinnipiac University [email protected]
Program Michael Guthrie Quinnipiac University [email protected]
Residential Operations Shruti Tekwani Wentworth Institute of Technology [email protected]
Risk Management and Legal Issues Kristen Eldridge Tompkins-Cortland Community College [email protected]
Membership Coordinator Stephanie Ketterl St. John Fisher College [email protected]
Technology Coordinator Stephanie Cave [email protected]
Historian Gary Bice Jr. SUNY Fredonia [email protected]
Self Study Task Force Chair Pete Galloway West Chester University of Pennsylvania [email protected]
Kim Schmidl-Gagne Keene State College [email protected]
Appointed Board Members
Elected Officers
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