Summer 2014 MACUHO Magazine

magazineM A C U H O

Mid-Atlantic Association of College & University Housing Officers

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I N S I D ET H I S I S S U E

BACK TO BASICSMASCULINITY TOPICSREBRANDING YOUR

Delaware • District of Columbia • Maryland • New jersey • Pennsylvania • West Virginia

SUMMER TIME! 2014

S U M M ER I S S U E

2 | MACUHO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARTICLE

Back to Basics

The Bigger We Are the Harder We Fall: Community Intervention and Bullying

Psychological Privilege

True Staff Development

Masculinity Topics

Rebranding Your

Personal & Professional Development Committee

Spotlight on Women in Housing Network

A Cry for Two-Ply

It’s the little things that count… One Turtle at a Time

1 on 1 Environment

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04

07

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10

12

14

20

24

26

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MACU H O MAGA ZI N E

MACUHO | 3

Steven C. Sweat, M. Ed.

Sinclair Preston Ceasar III

David Stuebing

Rhett Burden

Max Schuster

Amy LoSacco

Jacqueline Hodes

Lisa Ruchti

Thomas Jay Benjamin

Joshua Reda

Joe Mercadante

Christina Moran

Philadelphia University

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

EDITORS

Kate Cassidy

katecassidydesign.com

DESIGNER


4 | MACUHO

BACK TO BASICS

By Steven C. Sweat, M.Ed.

Residence Life Coordinator, Towson University

As our departments and institutions finalize transitions

from Spring to Summer (many of us already open for

summer camps and conferences), I want to share with

the association some thoughts I have on preparing for

diversity conversations during Summer training and development

days in July and August. By no means am I an expert, but I certainly

want to share the wealth of knowledge that I have accumulated over

time, as I’m sure many of you would do the same for your fellow

MACUHO members.

A


MACUHO | 5

1. Start with the "why?" Why is diversity important?

Why talk about it? Why is it integral in residential life? It

is beneficial to share some context for both student staff

and professional staff within your department in order to

understand how diversity awareness came to the fore-

front for many college campuses these days. Even more

important is showing your staffers where these conver-

sations are going over time within your department's

growth and development.

2. Shape the path of your diversity journey. Create learn-

ing outcomes and objectives to help to navigate the con-

versation planning in the right direction and to arrive at

the right destinations. There are always frustrations when

we say we want a particular result, and, without proper

guidance, we can end up somewhere completely differ-

ent and unintentionally miss our mark. Let's not miss our

mark and stay that course!

3. Think outside the box. This can be taken in two ways: A.

Over the years, from undergrad to grad to professional,

I've had opportunities to participate in various types of

diversity awareness seminars, workshops, and trainings.

Depending on the needs of each staff or department and

any lingering diversity issues within the organization and

campus environment, sometimes lecture-style conversa-

tions are not the best way to get one's point across. Think

about having engaging roundtables, small group discus-

sions, and evencase studies. The primary piece here is

to have the staffers talking and making connections be-

tween concepts!

B. The second piece is about the actual content within the

conversations taking place. What is there to talk about

relating to diversity awareness and education? Social and

personal identities, the intersection of those identities, in-

clusive language, microaggressions, hate bias and hate

speech, and social justice education are just a few topics

to think about. Be mindful, though, to not pack too much

into one or few sessions. There's a reason why later.

4. Think about the big picture! Help your staff (student and

professional alike) AND resident students learn about

and appreciate their place in the larger plan of creating

and sustaining inclusive and welcoming environments

within the residence halls and across campus. Show your

various department levels what roles they can genuinely

play within the overall inclusive and welcoming environ-

ment plan. Better yet, ask them what they think they can

do and empower them to take that charge!

5. The most important piece is helping students and staff

prompt reflection about what they've learned from

their diversity learning experience. It further solidifies

teachings and concepts by making personal connections

and applications. The cool thing is...wait for it...it's really

not that hard! Start with questions like, "What was some-

thing new that you learned?" "How will you plan to use

your new knowledge in your (para)professional life?" or,

"How will you use what you've learned when engaging

with residents or colleagues within your building com-

munities?" But wait! There's more! I have a BONUS TIP!

6. Conversations about diversity, identity, inclusion, and

welcoming communities shouldn't stop at summer

training and development sessions. Think about plan-

ning departmental in-services, adding discussion ses-

sions within your RA classes, and further enhancing the

"theory to practice" of diversity education within overall

residential engagement. Remember that "reason why lat-

er" from the end of tip #3? You honestly cannot pack

so much within a summer session. It will lead to mental

exhaustion and all that hardwork from planning would

sadly be for naught. You and your department have an

entire year (and more) to educate, reflect, and act upon

that new knowledge.

I hope many of you were able to take in some of these tips

to heart and are able to use some or all of them within your

summer planning meetings and future staff development

opportunities. I look forward to hearing what some folks are

doing or hope to do throughout future training and devel-

opment sessions; possibly within the next MACUHO maga-

zine edition (hint, hint).

Have a great summer, stay safe, and, as always, stay amaz-

ing. (But MACUHO folks already know how to do that—and

very well.)

WheN PlaNNiNg for DiVersity

CoNVersatioNs this suMMer,

think about these 5 tips:


6 | MACUHO


MACUHO | 7

1. EDUCATE THE BYSTANDERS: How many times have you

walked up to an incident to be met with swarms of students who have

nothing to do with the case? Leff says to increase the empathy and re-

sourcefulness of potential bystanders. While we don’t know what stu-

dents will end up at an incident of bullying, we can still work to teach stu-

dents to care a little bit more about the victim. Leff spoke about painting

a vase red on one side and blue on the other sideHe would call students

in to sit at a table and then put the vase in front of them. Then it was the

audiences’ job to get to two students to agree on the color of the vase.

When our students have the opportunity to gain another perspective,

they are more likely to utilize said perspective to the benefit of others.

Ideally, students could eventually view incidents of bullying as unfortu-

nate and inappropriate rather than add fuel to the fire or feel paralyzed.

2. THE POwER Of PLAY: Leff and team launched initiatives

which added structure to recess. What he observed was an immedi-

ate decrease in incidents of fighting and bullying. This is not a far reach

from the programming we do with our students. Sometimes, it is enough

to have them moving, interacting, and engaging in a light-hearted and

seemingly impromptu activity. We can kick this up a notch by being in-

tentional about having our students engage in dialogues in which they

will discover more about the beauty of their peers’ differences.

3. PRACTICE wHAT wE PREACH: At one point in the pre-

sentation, Leff spoke about a resolved conflict between a middle school

student and his teacher. The student had a history of disrupting the

classroom. Once during one of Leff’s classroom workshops, an incident

occurred and the teacher immediately blamed the student. The student

called the teacher out during one of Leff’s classroom workshops, ad-

dressed his own behavior, and told the teacher how he felt about being

wrongfully blamed. The teacher was apologetic and returned to the les-

son. The work of ending bullying takes humility and understanding on all

fronts. As professionals, we get burnt out from time to time, and need to

remember to recharge so we can make fair and ethical actions towards

our students. When we mess up, our next move should be sincerely apol-

ogizing and discovering how we can correct our behavior.

I left Dr. Leff’s presentation feeling more hopeful and with a sense of more

responsibility. My focus was no longer solely on the victims of bullying or

the bully, it was on the greater community as well. The mperative is for us to

work together to chip away at the factors which cause hostile environments

on our campusand for us to do the best we can to educate others in the

process.

THE BIGGER wE ARE THE HARDER wE fALL:

COMMUNITY INTERvENTION AND BULLYING

Sinclair Preston Ceasar III

Stephen S. Leff, Ph.D. is a national-

ly-recognized expert and leader on

bullying, peer aggression, and phys-

ical aggression prevention. I had

the opportunity to join my student

affairs colleagues and attend The

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s

“Evening with the Experts” event

and hear Leff’s talk. Before his pre-

sentation, Leff sat with me and my

colleagues to break the ice and he

quickly answered a question we’d

been discussing for the past 20 min-

utes:

“How do you define bullying?” Leff

told us that bullying was continual

verbal/physical aggression towards

another individual. During his pre-

sentation, he provided more insight

and said bullying usually takes place

during unstructured time. While

Leff’s work is mostly with K-8 stu-

dents, we know our college students

face similar bouts with intimidation

and are increasingly struggling with

conflict resolution and general com-

munication skills.

We also know our college student

spend a considerable amount of un-

structured time outside of the class-

room, programs, events, and athlet-

ics. Leff suggested several solutions

to help end the bullying crisis one

day at a time:


8 | MACUHO

PSYCHOLOGICAL PRIvILEGE By David K. Stuebing

One of the presentations I attended got

me thinking in some new ways around

psychological privilege. Just as we take

seriously topics of white privilege, thin

privilege, straight privilege, and so on,

there exists the fact that I, as a (rea-

sonably) psychologically-able person,

generally do not experience the same

stress levels or pressure to think and

plan ahead when entering into vari-

ous meetings and/or social situations.

Thinking about even the convention it-

self, I was suddenly more aware of the

implications.

Someone dealing with social anxiety

or one of a host of other challenges

may find the social nature of the con-

ference daunting or even overwhelm-

ing—limiting their access to network-

ing, education, and further professional

opportunities. Not having to muster

psychological energy to overcome

such challenges naturally puts others

in a position of privilege—poised to

capitalize on the experience and bene-

fit from the multitude of opportunities

present.

I thought further back to our RAs and

our love of icebreakers. I value ice-

breakers and enjoy educating staff on

them. I began to think, however, about

how some of those habits may cause

stress or added challenge to someone

who is less psychologically-able. Just as

we work hard on accessibility for those

who face physical challenges, there is a

burden to provide access to those who

face psychological challenges.

There is always the issue of students

fabricating psychological challenges in

pursuit of smoothed paths through col-

lege or the ever desirable single room. I

do not know exactly where the balance

falls, especially since I am not a psy-

chologist, but I do know that I am more

aware than I was previously regarding

access to resources and opportunities

for those who are less psychological-

ly-able than their peers. And that’s my

goal - to always increase my aware-

ness and then do my best to weave

that awareness into solid practices that

most benefit the full spectrum of stu-

dents on my campus.

Having just returned to Maryland from the ACPA convention in Indianapolis, I have many ideas and thoughts floating around my head.


MACUHO | 9

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10 | MACUHO

Life Skills + Professional Development / Interpersonal Skills =

TRUE STAff DEvELOPMENT (9 Ways to Improve Paraprofessional Social Skills)

Written by: Rhett Burden

Summer is my favorite time of year, but not for the rea-

son you might think. Yes, we all enjoy the consistent warm

weather, break from the day-to-day of housing operations,

and the ability to rejuvenate. For me, I enjoy catching up on

personal projects that had to be put on the back burner, at-

tending professional wellness conferences, and brainstorm-

ing ways to teach, inspire and motivate my fall staff.

We all know that as soon as the students and paraprofes-

sionals leave, we are seemingly preparing for their return

and, of course, fall training. Certain aspects of training are

given—policy enforcement, Title IX education, confidential-

ity, and the list goes on. One key aspect that can sometimes

fall to the wayside is the true staff development needed to

prepare our paraprofessionals for being professionals in

their several different industries of choice. In my office,

I have a picture framed of Albert Einstein and one his time-

liest quotes; “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t under-

stand it well enough.”

This quote helps to guide my day-to-day interaction with

everyone I come in contact with. I believe that this quote

speaks directly to kind of staff development each residen-

tial team member needs. I find myself telling my staff ev-

ery year that the amount of work you put into developing

yourself as a person and professional has a direct correla-

tion with your ability to do this job well and the amount of

professional integrity you bring to the team. I use this list of

nine tools for improvement to help my staff in the sort of

development I want to see manifest over the course of their

professional lifespan with me as their supervisor.


MACUHO | 11

1. whenever a resident is angry and confrontational, stand next to them instead of in front of them. You won’t

appear as so much of a threat and they

eventually calm down.

2. Open with “I need your help.”

Most people don’t like the guilt of not

helping someone out. When asking

a resident for a favor or trying to win

them to your point of view, begin your

request by saying “I need your help.” It

greatly increases your chances of get-

ting that favor done.

3. Rephrase what the other person says and repeat it back to them. Reflective

listening is a powerful tool to make them

think you’re listening and really interest-

ed in what they’re saying. It makes them

feel validated.

4. If you want someone to agree with you, nod while you talk. This gets the

other person to nod too, and they begin

to subconsciously think they agree with

you.

5. If you ask someone a question and they only partially answer just wait. If you stay silent and keep eye contact

they will usually continue talking.

6. fold your arms to determine interest. If someone is observing you, they will

likely mimic you. Fold your arms, and

see if they do it, too.

7. Use their name. People love nothing

more than to hear the sound of their

own name. Use their name and use it

often.

8. flatter them. Compliments go a long

way. Be detailed and specific.

9. Start with something they agree with. Even if what they agree with has noth-

ing to do with what you want from

them, get them thinking you’re on the

same page.

9TOOLS fOR IMPROvEMENT

This list is adapted from Cris Nikolov founder of MotivationGrid. I have seen these tools

transform struggling paraprofessionals into superstars. It is my hope that any reader of this

article will gain the same level of insight that I received from this list and start putting these

tools into practice.


12 | MACUHO

Background

Men’s studies in higher education

have gained traction in recent years.

This increased attention results from

men falling behind their female peers.

First, research suggests that men un-

derachieve academically when com-

pared to their female counterparts;

this highlights disparities in overall

student success. Second, studies also

indicate that men engage in fewer

campus activities than female stu-

dents. Finally, men participate in high-

er risk behaviors with alcohol when

compared to women on campus.

On college campuses across the

country, countless residence halls

are organized by sex. It is no surprise

that many college men live with other

college men and have a male resident

assistant.

Resident assistant training is the pri-

mary way that residence life admin-

istrators prepare resident assistants

for a wide range of situations, policies,

and procedures. While cultural diver-

sity is almost always addressed during

resident assistant training, discussions

about masculinity are often neglect-

ed. However, hegemonic masculini-

ty—or dominant masculine behaviors

and characteristics that are societally

embedded, championed, and glo-

rified—largely influence the way in

which groups form and college men

experience campus. Hegemonic mas-

culinity is connected to destructive

behaviors that result in discernable

outcomes on college campuses: low

academic performance, low campus

involvement, increased judicial system

interaction, and higher risk behaviors

with alcohol. The destructive forces

of hegemonic masculinity go on to

include the subordination of women,

marginalization of gay men, tough-

ness, and competitiveness.

Forces Socializing College Men

While it is true that men may assume

other complex masculine identities, it

should be noted that hegemonic mas-

culinity retains potency because of

its ubiquity with the societal majority.

For example, culture is constructed in

such a manner that young boys and

young girls participate in different

activities based on their sex. These

activities can be valued as masculine

or feminine. Sports or other tradition-

ally masculine activities, for instance,

embrace toughness, aggression, ath-

leticism, dominance, and control.

These invisible socialization forc-

es remain prevalent among college

students and college men. Failing to

provide training resources for resi-

dent assistants who will be working

with college men impoverishes their

ability to establish an environment

of inclusivity and to model positive

alternative masculine identities. As

representatives of the institution,

resident assistants have the potential

to send clear, underlying messages

to students in their communities. For

example, what invisible messages are

departmentally being sent to stu-

dents when resident assistants plan

a football video game tournament

to target male floor members? What

might some students construe from a

male talent show that allows audience

members to openly laugh at men par-

Masculinity topics iN resiDeNt assistaNt traiNiNg

Masculinity Representations"

By: Max Schuster,

University of Pittsburgh


MACUHO | 13

odying feminine traits by wearing pink

dresses? These questions can easily

remain unchallenged, and administra-

tors may not even realize the implica-

tions that seemingly small events can

have in perpetuating forms of mar-

ginalization typically associated with

hegemonic masculinity.

Creating Dialogue through Training

In order to remedy this issue, it is

essential to enact meaningfully con-

structed training discourses related

to issues of men’s sex, sexuality, and

gender in resident assistant training.

Creating a training platform for these

complicated and societally enmeshed

topics is by no means an invocation

that such a program is the undeniable

solution. However, it is a beginning

and a step in the right direction. There

are a few training activities that may

stimulate discussions and draw at-

tention to hegemonic masculinity, its

power, its privileges, and its negative

costs.

Cards and Context.

Cards Against Humanity is a free card

game that makes fun of marginal-

ized or oppressed groups. To begin,

pass out one (or more) card from

the game to each resident assistant.

Allow participants to share what is on

their card. After all participants have

shared, allow respondents to discuss

what similarities they noticed on their

cards. Consider the issues of power

and privilege, pointing out that forms

of hegemonic masculinity are absent

from the game. Challenge partici-

pants to consider how they might

respond if residents are playing the

game on the floor or if residents are

communicating these types of harm-

ful messages in jest.

Online Videos

YouTube and TEDx provide a wealth

of informative, quick, and entertaining

videos that provide a starting point

for lively discussion. Online clips from

Ash Beckham, Guante, and The Mask

You Live In allow for students to listen

to experts succinctly describe their

experiences with harmful hegemonic

discourses. Allowing participants to

record their responses and feelings

to these clips before sharing with the

group allows for further introspection

and reflection.

Cultural Artifacts

There are a number of cultural items

(toys, advertisements, magazines,

and commercials) that celebrate

men for toughness and denigrate

women through subordination or

sexualization. Collecting these items

(for instance an image of an army

action figure and a fashion doll) and

analyzing their cultural messages

provides an opportunity to raise

awareness about the cultural messag-

es surrounding gender that are often

unnoticed.

Inclusion Statement

Challenge staff members to author

a residence hall inclusion statement.

The statement has the potential to

describe the way in which inclusivity

will be fostered by staff, by residents,

by programs, and by floor dynamics.

It also allows students to directly

address the negative repercussions

of hegemonic masculinity by openly

opposing its systemic boundaries.

Conclusion

Unearthing the subversive messages

of hegemonic masculinity is an in-

tense and weighty endeavor. Working

with students through these com-

plicated and power-laden topics is

challenging. However, crafting oppor-

tunities for students to grow into ma-

ture, socially responsibly, and socially

just citizens provides a reward that is

far-reaching. Perhaps by beginning

to train students on these timely top-

ics, we can author a new hegemonic

discourse centered on socially just

principles instead of complacency.


14 | MACUHO

When focusing on getting ready for the

start of a new year, consider rebranding

your Residence Hall. Poyda Hall, the build-

ing that I oversee, has never been the most

popular choice among residence halls on Rider University’s

Lawrenceville campus. I can explain why by describing the

campus map.

On one side of Rider’s campus are the dining hall, the stu-

dent recreation center, and most of the residence halls. In the

middle of the campus are all of the administrative buildings,

the library, and the academic buildings. The other side of the

campus (far, far away in the students’ eyes) contains frater-

nity and sorority houses, a beautiful apartment building, and

a lackluster Poyda Hall. Poyda is just “too far away from the

dining hall and the rest of the world,” to quote some of our

students. Shortly after I was hired as a full-time Residence

Director at Rider, I knew that I had to change the culture of

my building. Fortunately, the administration already had the

same idea.

STEP 1: I NCORPORATING LEARNING COMMUNITIES Before I came to Rider, Poyda had been a building that

housed freshmen through seniors and did not have any par-

ticular learning communities. When I first arrived on staff,

it was decided that the existing freshman Community Ser-

vice Learning Community would be moved into Poyda. This

learning community brought a new life to the building by

offering many different community service pportunities/ac-

tivities for the residents.

The following year, it was decided that Poyda would gain

two brand-new learning communities. First, the Psycholo-

gy Learning Community was housed in Poyda. This greatly

increased academic involvement within the residence hall.

Faculty members teamed up with RAs to put on lectures in

the lounges, mentoring hours were offered daily in the build-

ing, and tutoring sessions were held twice a week. Second,

Poyda Hall became a First Year Experience building. With

this new implementation,

Poyda became an all first-year residence hall. This building

went from being a residence hall that housed students of

all four years to an all first-year building with three differ-

ent learning communities in just two short years. If you can-

not easily incorporate a new learning community into your

building, then try incorporating other initiatives to achieve

the same result. For instance, invite faculty members to the

residence hall, increase meaningful programs/events for the

residents, and integrate academic support within your build-

ing. Once we had the groundwork laid out for our learning

communities in Poyda, I decided that we needed to ignite a

brand for the building.

STEP 2: IGNITING A BRAND

With the departmental changes that were going on with

Poyda gaining and expanding on three different learning

communities, I knew that I had to make this building even

more special. I tasked my staff to come up with an acronym

meaning for “P.O.Y.D.A.,” decide on building colors, and pick

a mascot. While the acronym seemed difficult to imagine at

first, once we focused on the idea of inclusiveness, the words

seemed to roll right off our tongues. Together as a staff we

came up with, “Promoting: Openness, Your Differences, &

Acceptance.” Our colors quickly became purple and green

and we were the Poyda Panthers. We also came up with a

logo for our building (a paw print, of course) that was very

important to igniting the brand.

If your residence hall is lacking pride, I strongly suggest

coming up with a brand for your building. This gives some-

thing for your staff and students to invest in and be proud

of. Once the learning communities and brand were created

in Poyda, it was time to fully take charge in changing the

culture of this seemingly unwanted building.

REBRANDING YOUR By: amy losacco, residence Director, rider university

w


MACUHO | 15

STEP 3: CHANGING THE CULTURE

One thing I learned as a Residence Director is that if you

want your students to buy-in to something, you must first

get your staff members on-board. Having each member of

the team work together to come up with a brand for Poyda

made them feel invested in the building and dedicated to

the brand. Our first step in changing the culture of the build-

ing was to ensure that all of the residents knew that they

were a Poyda Panther.

We began our mission on move-in day. The night before

move-in my RAs decorated the lounge with purple and green

streamers, balloons, and hung up fun signs. These made our

students feel welcome and special. We also created a wel-

come packet that was placed in each room for move-in day.

The welcome packets had the students’ mailbox combi-

nations, instructions on how to put in a work order, FAQs

and, most importantly, what it meant to be a Poyda Pan-

ther. From that point on, we addressed building-wide emails

“Dear Poyda Panthers,” put our logo on every flier that was

hung up, started a Poyda Instagram Page for programming

announcements, and one of my RAs created a huge bulletin

board with our acronym on it that stayed up all year long

(with the help of some craft cellophane).

In order to show our building pride outside of Poyda, we

decided to design t-shirts for the building. I tasked my resi-

dence hall association with designing a t-shirt and collecting

money from the building. By the end of the year, we had a

sea of students wearing purple and green t-shirts to show

their building pride across campus. We even created mag-

nets with our logo on them to give away to students during

each of the programs.

It was truly amazing to see what a difference our efforts

made. Making the building into an all first-year residence hall

brought a new energy to the building. The learning commu-

nities brought the feeling of a higher purpose to the build-

ing, and the brand, which every student quickly picked up on

and embraced, helped to boost building morale The after-

math was unlike what we had even imagined. The students

started speaking highly of living in Poyda and, surprisingly,

the number of incidents had actually gone down from pre-

vious years. If your residence hall is struggling with building

pride then I highly suggest incorporating learning communi-

ties, igniting a brand, and/or changing the culture.


16 | MACUHO

SUMMER MEETING PHOTOS


MACUHO | 17

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18 | MACUHO

PERSONAL & PROfESSIONAL DEvELOPMENT COMMITTEESUB-COMMITTEESIn reviewing the MACUHO calendar year, the PPD Co-Chairs have established the following sub-com-

mittees in the hope of providing on-going development opportunities for the membership. Each

committee with be responsible for their specific tasks, working with one or both PPD Co-Chairs. Ad-

ditionally, the structuring of these committees allows for there to be flexibility in the commitment that

individual members can make to the committee and overall membership based on their professional

and personal commitments.

wEBINARS (2-4 members, preparation: year-round; execution: each quarter)This sub-committee focuses on providing year-round professional development opportunities to the

membership through a webinars that highlights current trends in the field, preparation for member-

ship opportunities (such as prepping for MAPC or on presenting a program for examples).

MAGAzINE (2-4 members, preparation: year-round; execution: each quarter)This committee generates ideas on subject matter to submit to the MACUHO Magazine. Additionally,

sub-committee members submits, or works with other MACUHO members to submit, articles about

their experiences in the field, the organization, or about their personal experiences.

CASE STUDY COMPETITION (2-3 members, preparation: April – October ; execution: November)This committee supports the Annual Case Study Competition from creation to execution, including:

creating, or recruits writers to create, the Annual Case Study; recruiting judges; participants, and a

competition host; planning and facilitating the case study orientation.

ANNUAL CONfERENCE COMMON GROUND ROOM (1-3 members, preparation (June – October; execution: November)This committee plans and implements finalized ideas for the Common Ground Room in conjunction

with the Diversity Committee.

fUN RUN-wALK-&-ROLL (2-4 members, preparation: February – October; execution: November)This committee organizes, markets, and executes the Fun Run-Walk-& -Roll at the Annual Confer-

ences, or another designated activity depending on conference location.

PERSONAL DEvELOPMENT (2-4 members, preparation: year-round; execution year-round)This committee generates ideas for personal development activities and periodically works in coor-

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MACUHO | 19

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he Women in Housing network currently reach-

es over 1,000 followers on Twitter and Facebook,

and is looking for more! The Women in Housing

professional networking group is dedicated to

the education of the ACUHO-I group on issues and needs

of women staff as it relates to on campus student housing.

Women who work in housing systems on college and univer-

sity campuses are met with specific issues and challenges,

and this network dedicates itself to highlighting these issues

and educating the general population.

On a daily basis, one will find

inspirational messages and

quotes, motivational posts, net-

working questions, blog arti-

cles, advice, job postings, and

much more on several social

media platforms directed at

the thousands of women who

are involved in the network.

The members of the Women in

Housing network are a committed group of members who

strive to lift other women up in their daily professional lives.

The network is also committed to the education on issues

pertaining to women within housing systems and is current-

ly working to develop knowledge-based opportunities for

women to share their expertise on certain hot topics in col-

lege and university housing systems.

The Women in Housing network also provides wide opportu-

nities for members to connect and expand their professional

network within ACUHO-I. Currently the network is planning

several networking opportunities at the Annual Conference

and Exposition, held in Washington DC this coming June.

The network is looking forward to providing an opportunity

for ACUHO-I members too meet, connect, and develop their

knowledge on current issues for women in housing.

Interested in learning more? Connect with the Women in

Housing network through Twitter at @wihsng and #wi-

hsng and on Facebook by searching the Women in Housing

group. Ideas for future networking and educational oppor-

tunities are also being solicited and can be submitted via

Twitter, Facebook, or email at [email protected]. Finally, new

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USING NAMES IS IMPORTANTOur instructor asked us our names. She didn’t need to;

there was no attendance sheet. But it felt great to be

known and to make the relationship. We felt as if our

presence mattered. The individual attention and en-

couragement made a difference to us and it does to

students too!

CUE THE NExT CONCEPTCueing became very important as we embarked on the

exercise classes. The classes were high paced and the

instructor told the students the “move” a few seconds

prior to having to make the move…all while doing the

“move” herself. It is clear to us how important using

cues is when teaching paraprofessional students new

concepts.

ENCOURAGE EffECTIvE wAYS TO LEARNSome of the tips we give to students in training, hold

true in exercise class as well. a) Position yourself in the

“T” (the front and the middle) to be the most engaged.

b) Ask questions when you don’t understand. Someone

else probably has the same question. c) See the instruc-

tor after class.

USE IMAGERY, METAPHORS & ILLUSTRATIONSWe remembered while we took these classes about

the power of metaphors and imagery in teaching and

training. We were encouraged to “Make a bigger box”,

“dig deeper”, and “envision our opponent”. We heard

these over and over in different ways and were remind-

ed about the importance of repetition in teaching and

training.

fIND THE PASSIONWe were impressed with the high energy and passion

our instructor exhibited. Without her excitement, the

class would have been less than effective. We watched

the class, ourselves included, react to the passion and

excitement of the instructor by working harder, by dig-

ging deep, and pushing to the limit. To facilitate growth

and development an instructor needs to challenge and

support students. This concept was reinforced in each

class. It is evidenced by our more refined muscles and

our increased endurance.

fIND THE fUNThe work was hard and at times even felt impossible,

but it was fun. Our instructor helped us to learn and to

delight in the process of learning. Remember that in the

midst of imparting important lessons about fire safety,

roommate conflicts, mental health issues, etc. it is es-

sential to create fun opportunities for paraprofessional

students.

Teaching and Training Tips: SURPRISE LESSONS fROM THE GYMBy: Jacqueline Hodes and Lisa Ruchti

As long time university employees and good friends, we signed up to join a gym close to campus with fitness and stress

relief in mind. Little did we know that our “respite” would turn into a workshop on education and training techniques!

We took our first class, Body Combat, a martial arts group fitness class. As we stumbled through it together, it was

immediately clear we were hooked. We enjoyed the routine of working our bodies and resting our brains. Even though

this activity was supposed to get our minds off work, we analyzed the instructors, the instruction and our experience as

students after each class in spite of ourselves. That is when we realized we weren’t resting at all. We were in fact being

schooled about teaching by our fitness instructor--a dynamic, energetic, thoughtful teacher. She was our fitness inspira-

tion!

We learned several important lessons from observing our instructor each week from a student perspective. We then prac-

ticed these lessons in our classes this past year. We also used these lessons in various training sessions we facilitated for

students, faculty, and staff on campus. As you take time this summer to develop your residence life training for student

paraprofessionals, we encourage you to reflect on the following lessons.

The material is new and can be intimidating. New situations can be intimidating, especially when you don’t know what you

are doing. When the instructor asked us who was new in class, we were both relieved. We relaxed knowing that because

we were new, we need not be perfect. We were acknowledged as students, not experts.


MACUHO | 23

Our time at the gym has given us a renewed understanding

of how to engage our students both in the classroom and

in the co-curricular venue. We understand learning can take

place in the most unpredictable places. Who would have

thought that our “respite” would become our learning lab?

Dr. Lisa Ruchti is an Associate Professor of Women’s and

Gender Studies and Sociology. She has been teaching

university students for ten years. Dr. Jacqueline Hodes is

an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education and spe-

cializes in higher education counseling/student affairs. She

worked as a student affairs administrator for 26 years. She

has taught as an adjunct professor since 1992. In 2012, she

transitioned to a full-time, tenure-track faculty position.


24 | MACUHO

A Cry fOr Two-PlyA Hall Council’s Journey to Improve Toilet Paper Quality

ike many hall councils, the Russell Hall Council has a two-fold mis-sion: to provide Russell Hall with fun and exciting all-building social programming and to advocate for the needs of the Russell Hall com-

munity. With this year’s group, I challenged the members of the hall council to identify something that they would like to change that would improve the experience in the residence hall and work towards advocating for that change. Almost immediately, they discussed the quality of the toilet paper and declared the current one-ply paper as insufficient for their daily needs. Together, we discussed a path forward that included formulating specific reasons to improve the quality of toilet paper, working with the Student Government Association Student Concerns Chair, and speaking with key college administrators.

Thomas Jay Benjamin,

former Residence Director, Russell Hall,

Westminster College

L


MACUHO | 25

TAking THE CASE TO THE CAMpUSDuring their discussion with the SGA Student Concerns

Chair, my hall council was asked to develop a petition for

better toilet paper and gather signatures from the student

body. Launching their efforts at a campus-wide video game

event, they began to gather support from floormates, class-

mates, and friends, which required them to concisely explain

their cause and path to achieving it. As the petition made

its way around the student body, The Holcad, Westminster

College’s student newspaper, took note. An article about

the effort made the front page of the February 28th edition

of the newspaper. In just over one month, they gathered

over 650 signatures, nearly half of the campus population,

an impressive effort for ten first-year students.

The hall council decided to write a cover letter for the sub-

mission of their petition to the administration outlining their

reasoning for better toilet paper for the campus. In a brain-

storming session during one weekly meeting, members di-

vided up topics including sanitation, waste, health concerns,

and comfort in order to research and add to the cover letter.

Many followed through, strengthening their case and pro-

viding an educational challenge.

Working with the administration

Following spring break a group of hall council members met

with the Vice-President for Finance and Management Ser-

vices and administrators from Physical Plant to discuss their

petition alongside the SGA Student Concerns chair. While

it was a successful meeting in that they were able to share

the petition and discuss their concerns about one-ply toilet

paper and the need to improve, there were concerns about

cost. First, two-ply toilet paper is more expensive, and sec-

ond, the campus might use the same length of toilet paper.

To clear up concerns around the increased cost, the hall

council devised a plan to determine the actual usage dif-

ference between one- and two-ply toilet paper. Student

Government would provide funding for a test run of two-ply

toilet paper to take place in Russell Hall.

DESigning An ExpEriMEnTAl STUDyWith little over a month remaining in the academic year,

members set out to design the experimental study. First, full

rolls of one-ply toilet paper would be installed early Monday

morning one week in each of Russell’s thirteen stalls. Work-

ing with Russell’s custodian, any rolls that were fully used and

needed to be replaced during the week would be recorded,

and exactly one week later the rolls would be removed for

measurement and then replaced. Next, this method would

be repeated for the run of two-ply toilet paper. Using geom-

etry, we derived a formula to determine the length of paper

remaining on the roll from the distance between the card-

board inner roll and the edge of the paper (eliminating the

need to unravel any rolls).

Though the experiment suffered a disappointing setback

(one stairwell was vandalized with toilet paper during the

two-ply run), the experiment did provide promising results.

Usage was only slightly higher for the two-ply run compared

with the one-ply run. The hall council formulated the argu-

ment that after considering the setback and the fact that it

was a blind study (other residents did not know when the

switch to two-ply would happen, and presumably used extra

paper the first day of the run) that they believed was con-

vincing.

WrApping iT UpDuring finals week, I arranged a short, 30-minute meeting

for my council to present their findings to administrators. I

invited anyone who had been involved with prior meetings

or that had expressed interest, which included the Vice-Pres-

ident for Student Affairs, the Vice-President for Finance

and Management Services, the Associate Dean of Student

Affairs (and SGA advisor), the Assistant Dean of Student

Affairs and the Director of Residence Life, the Director of

Physical Plant and the Custodial Supervisor, and the SGA

Student Concerns Chair. I was surprised when I received

RSVPs from all invitees, and the council members seemed a

little intimidated to present to such an audience. The pre-

sentation went very well, and members answered questions

about the experiment and when asked about their recom-

mendation, confidently responded that the college should

move to using two-ply.

Days later, the hall council president, the RA liaison, and I

were asked to meet with the Vice-President for Student Af-

fairs. He shared that at the President’s cabinet our toilet

paper presentation was discussed, and it was decided that

the college would switch to two-ply toilet paper beginning

in the fall. While it certainly was a successful end to a year-

long effort, it also signified a powerful learning experience

for my council: with effort and determination, a small group

can make a big difference.

Russell Hall Council at the oldest college Relay for Life in

Pennsylvania, from right to left: Rep. Eric Mills, President

Cory Mills, RA Liaison Ryan Dowdell, Rep Coty Gander, RD/

Advisor Thomas Jay Benjamin

Members of Russell Hall Council pose for the front page of

Westminster College’s student newspaper. Photo courte-

sy of The Holcad. Deriving the formula for determining the

length of toilet paper remaining on a roll.


26 | MACUHO

In terms of staff development, the

above mentioned phrase remains the

cornerstone of staff development for

me. At the start of each academic

year, there is always the struggle to

decide how to initially make a staff a

team. Some things will come develop

naturally as the chemistry is balanced

and new relationships formed, but

what can we do as coworkers or staff

supervisors?

When our groups get together there is

usually a theme for training or some-

thing to bond over. One of the easiest

things is to create a connection that

comes from something they make

together. Giving them that chance

to start the year with what they cre-

ate with brings them closer and can

aid in providing an underlying bond

throughout the academic semesters.

For example, during a recent resident

assistant training, the resident assis-

tants were asked to create a mascot.

This mascot became a turtle and that

theme remained at the front of various

activities that were done. It instilled a

sense of pride for the student staff.

On one occasion, they decorated their

own turtle drawings to symbolize who

they are as students and people on

staff. Each person was asked to share

it with one another and a “turtle tank”

was made in the window of the office

to showcase who they are. The se-

mester closed out by giving them little

books entitled “Lessons of a Turtle” as

an end of the year gift.

There was a beginning, middle, and

end for staff development that kept

the turtle energy alive. It could be

applied to their duties and respon-

sibilities as well as who they were as

college students. Staff development

should address who they are beyond

the residence hall or office. That is

how we get to know one another’s

strengths and weaknesses. Eventually,

it shines light to who we all are on this

one small staff.

Having a theme for the staff helped,

but there were moments of inactivity,

too. You have to be invested in it, and

also, ultimately, enjoy what you do.

Otherwise, without your investment,

the enthusiasm falters off. It is your

chance to have fun too, so make the

most of it without forgetting the main

purpose is the staff or team.

One thing that has helped keep me

motivated was seeking outside help.

Often, a supervisor or coworker may

have an outside perspective that can

be beneficial to the group. Heed their

advice! It is worth a try, and do not be

afraid to tweak it to fit your team. The

idea of the “turtle tank” would have

never come to fruition without my su-

pervisor’s feedback! The field speaks a

lot on collaboration so do not forget to

communicate with other people who

may have a fresh perspective.

Ultimately, it is what you make of it

and the dedication you show will im-

pact those around you. When it comes

down to it, it truly is the little things

that count. Perhaps even more im-

portant is the idea that one needs to

start out determined and motivated.

These reminders are purely from past

experiences, and there are more to

try. I consider myself a slight introvert

so the small things are an easier way

to express my support of the student

staff. It gets the message across and

also gives them the opportunity to

create the bonds they would like too.

Find what fits you and go with it. It is ok

to be zany and goofy at times (some

seriousness works as well). Whether

it’s a mascot or a rock star anthem, it

comes down to the willingness of all

to build staff development. It will not

be easy, and there may be some ob-

stacles. However, the end result will be

completely worth it. Good luck! You

got this—from one turtle to another!

it’s the little thiNgs that CouNt… ONE TURTLE AT A TIME.Joshua RedaResidence Hall DirectorSeton Hall University


MACUHO | 27

1 ON 1 ENvIRONMENT

s a new professional who is only a year out of

my student affairs graduate program, I am still

learning so many new things and have been ex-

perimenting with my practice in order to ben-

efit my students the most. Particularly in Residence Life,

where I have easy and constant access to my students, I am

always thinking about the best ways to foster their develop-

ment (both personal and professional) and provide the best

opportunity for them to learn and grow, as well as identify-

ing better ways for me to support them.

One part of my practice that I have been trying to better

recently has been my one-on-one style. I have noticed

throughout my years in one-on-ones that environment

plays a big part in the outcome of the one-on-one. To me,

the best environment to have one on ones with my RAs

is one that provides a space to be open and comfortable

while also being secluded at the same time. I have tried a

few different locations and have seen dramatic differences

in the conversations, but I am still unsure of the ideal place.

During my time in graduate school, I would have one-on-

ones in my office. This space would be great for private

conversations and allow the students to feel comfortable

opening up about personal issues without anyone else

hearing. However, at times I felt it was too stiff and “busi-

ness like.” It sounds small, but having a desk in between me

and my RA made our one on one feel more like an interview

than a conversation. Even though I had great relationships

with my RAs, and we were able to have some deep conver-

sations, I still felt conversation was limited because of these

barriers and our surroundings.

Now, after I transitioned into my full time position as a Res-

idence Director, I have my one-on-ones in the dining hall

during lunch with my RAs. I do this because unfortunately,

I do not have my own office, and it allows me to integrate

with the community more. Although this environment pro-

vides for a more casual setting and conversation, I have

realized there is less privacy and a less professional atmo-

sphere. I found it easier to get to know my RAs better in this

environment, but I noticed they are less likely to open up

about personal issues.

I spoke to colleagues about how they feel about one-on-

one environments, and I have found others notice students

have had trouble accepting constructive criticism while in

the dining hall because they take it less seriously. Addition-

ally, other supervisors have noticed a difference between

having a one-on-one in their office versus their apartment

living room.

I am not sure what the ideal location for a one on one is.

Some options given by friends in the field would be to have

a comfy couch in your office where you and your RA could

chat, but this only works if you actually have your own

office. Another option would be to find a place on cam-

pus that is semi-private but comfortable at the same time

where you can relax and have an open conversation but

also be taken seriously when giving constructive feedback.

Another struggle is finding what places work best for your

style and the personality of the student. You want to make

sure the environment allows you to be comfortable having

both serious and light conversations but also makes the

student feel comfortable. As a supervisor, this is an ongo-

ing process that I hope to continually improve at and would

love to hear what others have to say about this topic.

Joe MercadanteComplex Residence Director Drew University in Madison, NJ

A


28 | MACUHO

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32 | MACUHO www.macuho.org

Summer 2014 MACUHO Magazine

Documents

Transcript of Summer 2014 MACUHO Magazine