macuho summer 2014
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magazineM A C U H O
Mid-Atlantic Association of College & University Housing Officers
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w.m
acu
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.org
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 P R I N G I S S U E
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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
.
04
07
08
10
12
14
20
24
26
27
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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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
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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
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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:
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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:
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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.
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
MACUHO | 9
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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.
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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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.
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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
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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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.
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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
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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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.
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SUMMER MEETING PHOTOS
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mymicrofridge.com1.800.525.7307
“Move-In Day”.reisae hcum tog tsuJ
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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-
dination with other committees (especially regional coordinators) to plan and execute opportunities.
JOIN PPD TODAY!Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more details.
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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
members can join the Women in Housing network via the
ACUHO-I Network at http://network.acuho-i.org/.
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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.
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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.
S P R I N G I S S U E
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
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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.
S P R I N G I S S U E
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
MACU H O MAGA ZI N E
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
S P R I N G I S S U E
28 | MACUHO
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32 | MACUHO www.macuho.org