THE
AIMHO Angle August 2018
Pictured: Montana State University
OVERVIEW The AIMHO Angle is the official publication of the Association of Intermountain Housing Officers (AIMHO). The AIMHO Angle is published on a quarterly basis throughout each year and includes submissions and articles by staff and students of the region. The AIMHO Angle is compiled and distributed by the AIMHO Marketing Committee. The purpose of the AIMHO Angle is to provide additional, year-round, outof-conference opportunities for associated members to share information and learn. All members of AIMHO are encouraged to write for and submit articles to the AIMHO Angle about topics such as passion areas, research, hot topics in housing, projects happening on their campus, and best practices in the field. If you are interested in submitting to the AIMHO Angle, learn how to on AIMHO Angle website at http://www.aimho.org/?page=SubmitAnArtlcle. You will also find previous issues of the AIMHO Angle on the website for your reference and to download. If you have any questions, please email aimhoangle@gmail.com We look forward to receiving your submissions!
MARKETING COMMITTEE Cathering LaRoche (Chair) - Arizona State University Megan Letchworth (Co-Chair) - Prescott College Sue Belatti - Northern Arizona University James Bradley - Arizona State University Matthew Linton - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Anthony Pegg - Arizona State University Shirl Portillos - Colorado State University
CONTENTS 4-5..................President’s Corner (Brad Shade - AIMHO President, University of Northern Colorado) 6-7..................Awards/Recognition (Tyler Noragon - Awards/Recognition Committee Member, Arizona State University) 8-9..................Marketing (Catherine LaRoche - Marketing Committee Chair, Arizona State University) 10....................AIMHO Foundation (Barb Remsburg - AIMHO ACUHO-I Foundation Cabinet Representative, University of Utah) 11-13................AIMHO Host Committee (Catherine LaRoche - 2018 Host Committee Co-Committee Chair, Arizona State University) 14-15...............STARS College (Cory Shapiro, Arizona State University) 16-17...............SHO Institute (Jeff Bondy, Montana State University) 18-19...............AIMHO Committees (Mo Ward - AIMHO President-Elect, Carroll College) 20-21..............AIMHO Website (Jediah Cummins - AIMHO Technology Coordinator, University of Northern Colorado) 22....................NACURH Reflection (Cory Shapiro, Arizona State University) 23-34.............Featured Articles • 23-25 ACUHO-I Pre Conference Study Tour (Jeremy Moore, University of Colorado, Boulder) • 25-27 Strategies for Balancing Responsibilities & Self Care in the New Academic Year (Catherine LaRoche, Arizona State University) • 28-31 Delivering Quality Customer Service; Internally & Externally(Craig Kuehnert, University of Colorado, Boulder) • 31-34 AIMHO Appreciative Inquiry Update (Richard Clark, AIMHO Past President, University of Nevada Las Vegas 35-36.................Spring/Summer New Hires
PRESIDENT'S CORNER Proud to be an AIMHOian By: Brad Shade - AIMHO President, University of Northern Colorado I want everyone to know how proud I am to be part of an association that that has such wonderful institutions, leaders and students. We always have regional conferences, but this year has been super special with NACURH 2018 being hosted at Arizona State University in late May and every report said it was a phenomenal conference. I continued to hear about NACURH in July when ACUHO-I came to Denver. The two highest attended conferences in ACUHO-I history have been when they bring the conference to the western united states. The leadership has chosen to come back to the west in 2020 when Portland, Oregon will serve as host. I can’t thank all of the many AIMHO volunteers enough who came from around the region and served as in planning, execution and hosting of this great conference earlier this month. We were honored at UNC to be one of several regional institutions who had the opportunity to host the ACUHO-I International Study Tour Group and showcase our campus. It was an honor to visit with our colleagues from around the globe and see how eager they were to learn from how we house people on our campus to the amenities that we provide to them.
PRESIDENT'S CORNER Jeremy Moore from CU took on the task of coordinating these excursions and did a phenomenal job with a group that constantly had someone intrigued with some aspect of our program to charging stations on our umbrellas at tables on patios or the emergency poles for student safety. Some things we just take for granted that a simple visit to another campus can inspire. I too was inspired when we were on the ASU campus this June as your leadership team met to review regional business, provide updates, engaged in some planning activities and prepared for the fall conference. I, along with many others, were taking photos of things that inspired us with potential amenities, signage and other resources that our colleagues at ASU have implemented. Yes, we had to have some Team Builders and Ice Breakers too . . . the one pictured was led by Kyle Oldham from CSU to kick off our time together. We spent time reviewing the Conference Hotel and the Corporate Partner Vendor Show location. We also had the opportunity to look at who we are and results that Rich Clark and our Appreciative Inquiry team has pulled together to see the areas where we need to improve as we move forward. Our discussions were framed around making some strategic changes and investments in order to become a more welcoming and supportive association. This starts with everyone who is reading this article - I hope to have a record number of people from around the region stepping up and volunteering to serve on committees. These committee members ultimately become our next committee leaders and many take on a variety of other leadership roles as well. We desire to have a good representative cross-section of diverse leaders who will help us continue our efforts to improve upon the great things that are already occurring in the AIMHO Region. Have a wonderful training and hall opening everyone!!
AWARDS/ RECOGNITION Awards/Recognition Committee Upates By: Tyler Noragon - Awards/Recognition Committee Member, Arizona State University Are you ready for move-in? We soon will have all our students back oncampus, and that means plenty of opportunity for recognition! Take a look at some awesome opportunities to recognize your peers that are doing great work for students. ONGOING RECOGNITION: SPOTLIGHT IN THE ANGLE: In each edition of the AIMHO Angle, the Awards and Recognition committee will be spotlighting the work of individuals who have made an exceptional impact on your residential life community, staff and campus. As you work hard through the next couple of weeks, keep an eye out for outstanding work and nominate them! This month’s Spotlight goes to Sandy Curtis from the University of Montana! The nominator had some amazing words to say about Sandy. Sandy Curtis, Director of University of Montana Housing, was presented with the Patriot Award on January 19, 2018 by Rachel Higgins Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) volunteer. The award recognized Sandy’s steadfast support of her employees serving in the National Guard and Reserves. The award was presented during a morning staff meeting which included five front office employees. Sandy was very appreciative of the time taken to present the award. She was quoted as saying, “I’m humbled and honored to receive this award considering the dedication and commitment of service from all of guard members and military reservists.
AWARDS/ RECOGNITION The nominator stated, “I’ve had the opportunity to observe Director Curtis in a number of campus leadership roles and what strikes me the most—in comparison with other employers I have been with across the country—is her dedication to the awareness of veterans rights and the disbursement of that information to others, her steadfast commitment to continually proving her department to be hospitable and supportive of my annual training exercises and my monthly drill weekends, and repeatedly providing positive recognition to Guard and Reserve employees—by doing such things as personal recognition during one-on-one meetings and providing recognition during weekly meetings. All of which make the University of Montana and the surrounding Missoula community a better place for veterans far and wide.” Nominations are due October 15th for the last AIMHO Angle of 2018. Nominations can be found on the Awards and Recognition committee page. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: For this month, please take time for you! We understand the next couple of months will be busy, and Professional Development will continue on the next edition once halls have settled. ANNUAL CONFERENCE AWARD: @aimho The deadline for the Annual Conference Awards is #RecognizeAIMHO going to be approaching quickly! Nominations opened on August 1st and end on October 5th, but we encourage you to start planning on the AIMHO.Intermountain nominations so that by the time the nominations #RecognizeAIMHO open, you are ready to go. For more information about the awards, please visit our Award Description page. Any questions can be directed to Stephanie Jones, Committee Chair, or John Terry, Committee #aimho Co-Chair. #RecognizeAIMHO
MARKETING Marketing Committee Updates By: Catherine LaRoche - Marketing Committee Chair, Arizona State University The AIMHO Marketing Committee has been working hard to make sure our members are engaging with us on social media, receiving important information from your AIMHO Executive Board and Leadership Team, and gathering stories across the region. Congratulations! We want to recognize our Matthew Linton on his exciting new career opportunity. Matthew has accepted an Area Director position at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona! Although we are sad to see him leave the AIMHO region, we are absolutely thrilled about this new adventure and we know he will do great things! With starting a new position at a new institution, Matthew has stepped down from his Co-Chair position for the AIMHO Marketing Committee. However, he has so kindly offered to continue on the committee to assist us in releasing our AIMHO Angle this year. Thank you Matthew for all the amazing work you’ve done on our committee and will continue to do this year! Stepping Up Please join me in welcoming Megan Letchworth as our new AIMHO Marketing Co-Chair! Although Megan is new to the Co-Chair role, she is no stranger to the AIMHO Marketing Committee. Megan has been on the AIMHO Marketing Committee for three years and she has done a wonderful job bringing the region some great social media posts. Megan was also responsible for creating the social media scavenger hunt at last year’s annual conference. Congratulations on your new role within the region, Megan! Thank you for stepping up to assist the committee!
MARKETING AIMHO Marketing at the Summer Meeting I was able to attend the AIMHO Summer Business Meeting in representation of the Marketing Committee. I had a great time connecting with the Executive Board and Leadership team during our stay at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Hopefully, you had a chance to catch a sneak peek of the Corporate Partner Fair and the Conference Hotel, as well as some fun photos of the Executive Board and Leadership team! I was very productive, as I was able to connect with executive board members and committee chairs about how the Marketing committee could better support them throughout the year. Keep an eye out for social media posts about important information from the many AIMHO committees. What’s happening around the region? With staff trainings, opening/move-in and welcome week events right around the corner, we know our region will be very active welcoming their students to campus. This is a great opportunity for you to showcase your campus and all the wonderful things your institution is doing to help students start the semester off right. When posting to social media, make sure to tag @aimho (Twitter) and @AIMHO.Intermountain (Facebook). Follow Us on Social Media If you don’t already follow us on social media, make sure to follow us on Twitter and like our page on Facebook. We know that many Housing and Residential Life departments across the region have recently hired new staff. Please make sure they are following us on social media to get the latest updates from the region.
AIMHO FOUNDATION AIMHO Foundation Report by the Numbers By: Barb Remsburg - AIMHO ACUHO-I Foundation Cabinet Representative, University of Utah $990 - Giving to the ACUHO-I Foundation from individuals in the AIMHO region, Jan. 2018 through May 2018. 3 - Number of AIMHOians who are active in their pledge… they give each month to the Foundation 5 - Donations that helped to support the recognition of the Parthenon Award Winners: Sue Beebe, Tony Cawthorn, Andy McDade, Diana Robertson, & Michael Stang 100% - Giving Goal for 2019 Annual Conference We are asking all registrants to consider giving to the Foundation in support of future research in our field. - You will be able to pay via text and have it added to your phone bill - The Foundation table will be open for your donation during the Corporate Partner Fair - With a $5 donation, you will earn a ticket to place into your drawing bag of choice and an AIMHO pin - Recognize individuals who have given you a “hand up” in your career
AIMHO HOST COMMITTEE AIMHO Host Committee Updates By: Catherine LaRoche - 2018 AIMHO Host Committee Co-Chair, Arizona State University Hello AIMHO region from sunny, a little humid and scorching hot Arizona! While we may be burning up with this 117-degree weather, we are still moving forward with planning your 2018 annual conference. Our committee has been working hard and we want to share some updates with the region. Summer Business Meeting In mid-June, we had 28 executive board and leadership team members join us in Tempe, Arizona for the annual summer business meeting. We stayed in the beautiful Barrett, the Honors College, which is also where we held our meeting to discuss important AIMHO business topics. 2018 AIMHO Host Committee Co-Chair Cory Shapiro and I attended the meeting in representation of the committee. As a part of the business meeting agenda, we were able to give a tour of the corporate partner fair and the conference hotel. The Corporate Partner Fair will be at the ASU-Tempe campus, which will be a great opportunity for participants to also see the ASU campus. The conference hotel is the Hilton Phoenix Airport Hotel. Cory and I were able to get great ideas from the executive board and leadership team for corporate partner fair layout plan and how to maximize our space in the hotel. We got to sit down with the AIMHO College, SHO Institute and Programming Committee over lunch to discuss which spaces they would need to utilize for their pre-conference institutes and program sessions. Our committee received many compliments on their efforts in hospitality during the business meeting, as we were able to provide snacks and
AIMHO HOST COMMITTEE refreshments throughout the summer business meeting, as well as get each participant their favorite snack. ASU partner American Campus Communities (ACC) sponsored a portion of the summer business meeting by covering the cost to stay in Barrett, the Honors College and utilize the classroom space. We also were able to showcase some of the delicious local dining options in Tempe by taking the executive board and leadership team to different restaurants during their stay. Our favorite part of the summer business meeting was being able to connect with the different executive board members and committees to find out how we can support them leading up to the annual conference, and finding out what they may need during the conference. We received great questions and feedback, and we look forward to continuing to work on making the 2018 AIMHO Annual Conference a great experience for our participants. What’s next? Currently, our biggest priorities are launching the conference website, releasing registration, engaging with corporate partners and working on logistics for the conference. We hope to launch the website by the beginning of September. Keep an eye out for registration soon after the launch of the website. Cory attended ACUHO-I, where he represented the committee and spoke to many corporate partners about the upcoming conference. Some of the logistics we are working on are ordering conference ribbons and buttons, confirming entertainment and dining options, finalizing space details for the hotel and corporate partner fair, and transportation. We also look forward to supporting the other AIMHO committees and executive board.
AIMHO HOST COMMITTEE We are getting excited about the 2018 AIMHO Annual Conference as it gets closer! If you have any questions regarding the conference, please contact me at Catherine.laroche@asu.edu and/or Cory Shapiro at cory.shapiro@asu.edu.Â
STARS COLLEGE STARS College: An Opportunity for Aspiring Housing Professionals By: Cory Shapiro, Arizona State University This July, fifty undergraduate students interested in Housing as a career embarked on a journey with twelve faculty members in Colorado Spring, Colorado. This is a part of program called STARS College, which is put on each year by ACUHO-I. Hosted this year at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, STARS College participants spent three days going through a series of large group presentations, interactive activities, role play scenarios, self-assessments, and small mentoring groups. This year, AIMHO was represented at STARS College by five students: Jordan Corzine (Colorado Mountain College), Hilda Olsen (Arizona State University), Dakota Roark (Colorado Mountain College), Justice Sibole (Arizona State University), and Hannah Wiebke (Northern Arizona University). Cory Shapiro (Arizona State University) served as a faculty member for his second year in the role, and Jon Merchant (Northern Arizona University) served as the on-site coordinator of STARS College. Jon is also the incoming Chair of the STARS College Committee. When asked about her experience, Hilda Olsen said the following: “STARS College has been one of the best experiences that I have had in my college career. It provided opportunities for us to do some introspection, and to seriously consider our career paths into Student Affairs and Housing. I was able to walk away more solidified in my decision to pursue this career path. The personalized feedback that we received not only from our own cluster leader but all of the STARS Faculty was invaluable. We were able to form bonds within our clusters as we would frequently debrief in our Learning Communities to help process each step of our
STARS COLLEGE learning. We were able to learn many things from each other, as we all work in different areas of the U.S. and Canada, and all different types and sizes of institutions. We still lean on each other for ideas and support as we get ready to dive into the next academic year working with our residents to ‘Make Campus Home’.” As ACUHO-I is looking to increase our number of applications from AIMHO member schools, please encourage any stellar students who are interested in the field of housing and student affairs to apply when applications are available between early January and early March 2019. More details will be available at http://www.acuho-i.org/events/stars. STARS College 2019 will be hosted at the University of Toronto Mississauga immediately prior to the ACUHO-I Convention & Exposition in June 2019. NACURH offers scholarships each year for eight STARS College participants, and we are looking into possible funding from AIMHO as well.
SHO INSTITUTE Senior Housing Officer Institute By: Jeff Bondy, Montana State University
With the profession moving at a seemingly faster pace each year, standing still will cause you to get left behind. Each new academic year I am reminded, “learning, trumps knowing.” Thankfully we are part of a region and professional association committed to sharing knowledge, best practices, and support. Many of us are begin each year with new practices and strategies borrowed from our AIMHO network. If you are a current or aspiring housing officer, the AIMHO Senior Housing Officers Institute is another great opportunity to sharpen the tools in your toolbox. The Senior Housing Officer (SHO) Institute is designed for Housing staff members with 3 or more years of professional experience at a mid-level position who are aspiring to become a senior housing officer and also those who are currently in a senior housing officer role on their campus. The 2018 SHO Institute will be November 11 - November 13, immediately prior to 2018 AIMHO Annual Conference in Tempe, Arizona.
SHO INSTITUTE Take a look at the AIMHO Senior Housing Officer Institute! This year’s topics are: • Facilities and New Construction – Jason Langston, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University• Legal Issues – Barb Remsburg, University of Utah • Campus Safety and Welfare – Whitney Milligan, Utah State University • Conducting a Program Review – Chip Thomas, Colorado Mountain College • Panel discussion with our AIMHO Sage and other senior housing officers in AIMHO – facilitated by Jeff Bondy, Montana State University • Keynote speaker session with AIMHO College participants Applications for the 2018 SHO will be available with the regular AIMHO 2018 Conference registration. Applicants must register for the SHO Institute on the AIMHO Conference website, and pay the additional SHO registration fee of $130.00 Come join us for some new ideas and new information. Meet and connect with senior housing officers from AIMHO. Develop networks for professional development and successful work efforts! See you in Tempe! Questions in regards to the SHO can be sent to Jeff Bondy at jbondy@montana.edu.
AIMHO COMMITTEES Call for Committee Members By: Mo Ward - AIMHO President - Elect, Caroll College Hello AIMHO Colleagues We are seeking committed individuals to serve our region on our respective Committees and those interested in joining a committee will have the opportunity to do so at the conference as well as emailing the President-Elect prior to the Annual Conference. So please give consideration to serving or encouraging someone to serve AIMHO on one of the following committees. COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS AIMHO College: AIMHO College is a pre-conference that provides an opportunity for new professionals within the region to improve functional skills, gain self-awareness, network, and gain a greater understanding of the University Housing profession in an informal environment designed to foster connections among participants and nationally/regionally acclaimed professionals and faculty members. AIMHO 365: Responsible for supporting AIMHO’s Core Association Goal to “provide year-round learning opportunities for all individual members within the region.” Committee members will develop and engage the webinar series, the SHO Forum during the annual conference, and promote association and state-sponsored professional development opportunities via social media outlets and the association newsletter (The Angle) and website. Awards and Recognition Committee: Responsible for developing and initiating recognition of regional member institutions and employees for outstanding performance and contributions. The primary responsibility is to help advertise, collect nominations, and select recipients for awards that recognize new professionals all the way to tenured staff.
AIMHO COMMITTEES The committee is responsible for the continued development of the AIMHO history booth and recognition of the AIMHO Sage. Diversity and Social Justice Committee: Responsible for keeping the region abreast of and engaged with diversity and social justice issues, including but not limited to ability, ethnicity, gender identify or expression, race, religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. Marketing Committee: Responsible for producing materials that represent the region, including the AIMHO Angle Newsletter. Additionally, the Marketing Committee has oversight of the association’s social media accounts, including Facebook and Twitter. Program Committee: Responsible for soliciting programs and developing the structure of the annual AIMHO conference. In addition, the Program Committee coordinates AIMHOConnections, the Newcomer's Orientation, the Case Study competition, and the selection of the keynote speaker. Committee members serve as liaisons for the program presenters during the conference. NOTE: Committee members will not attend the AIMHO summer meeting but are required to attend the annual conference. In addition to the demanding pre-conference schedule, members of the Programming Committee are not able to participate in pre-conference workshops such as AIMHO College and the SHO Institute. Assessment and Information: Responsible for developing regional specific data, surveys and information. The committee coordinates the Poster Session held during the annual conference. This committee also references ACUHO-I Research and Reporting offices. SHO Institute: Responsible for developing the regional institute geared for new and aspiring senior housing officers. Email interest back to myself at mward@carroll.edu by Friday, November 2nd at 5pm. There will also be final call for committee members at the annual conference. Committee members will be selected at the December AIMHO Leadership Meeting and notified in early January 2019.
AIMHO WEBSITE The AIMHO Website By: Jediah Cummins - AIMHO Technology Coordinator, University of Northern Colorado On August 6, 1991, the first web page went live. This page was dedicated to information on the World Wide Web project (Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/flashback-this-is-what-the-first-websiteever-looked-like-2011-6.) Meanwhile, the team at Dixie College was preparing to welcome students, and later the group of AIMHO professionals to campus in St. George, Utah. It’s doubtful that many of those Housing Professionals identified the impact that Tim Berners-Lee’s first website and the “World Wide Web” would have on AIMHO as an organization or Housing as a profession moving forward. A decade later, in October of 2001, was the first time that AIMHO’s website appears on the Internet Archive (Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20011026003343/ http://www.aimho.org:80/.) Eventually AIMHO Recognized that a website was very important to the region, and a Website Committee was formed. That committee eventually morphed into the Technology Coordinator role for the region. Throughout the history of the AIMHO website we have tried to make this a resource for anyone but particularly for our members to learn about what AIMHO has to offer and a place for all of our resources. Today the AIMHO website services as hub of information about our organization. Members come to the site to sign up for the annual conference, RAppin, or State Drive in Conferences. It’s also where our Marketing Committee keeps all issues of the AIMHO Angle. Our Assessment and Information Committee keeps a variety of surveys, resources, and one-off assessments on their section of the webpage. Our State and Provincial Representatives use their portion of the site to communicate with the folks in their state/province about needs unique to each area. Our Awards and Recognition committee showcases the fantastic
AIMHO WEBSITE people, programs, and ideas that AIMHO has to offer at aimho.org. The AIMHO 365 committee puts together an amazing webinar series and the schedule is on our website. Our Diversity and Social Justice committee is hosting calls in conversations regarding the always important topic of how we best serve all students, staff, and stakeholders in our day-to-day operations, again these can be found on our website. The best part is that anyone at any member institution can sign up to receive news and information about the region at https://www.aimho.org/general/register_start.asp AIMHO is online to serve the needs of our members, and we hope that you’ll make sure you have a login to the site so you don’t miss the next webinar, angle, or conference! I’d encourage you to check out our site, and don’t hesitate to suggest improvements or any needs you have to help AIMHO.org serve you to me via the form at: https://www.aimho.org/general/?type=CONTACT
2018 NACURH REFLECTION Showcasing our Leaders at NACURH 2018 By: Cory Shapiro, Arizona State University Arizona State University hosted the NACURH 2018 housing student leadership conference in Tempe, Arizona from May 25-28, 2018! NACURH is considered the largest student-run corporation in the world. ASU-Tempe’s RHA and NRHH hosted the conference and brought nearly 2,200 student leaders and advisors from across the United States and Canada to ASU. The theme was “Showcase the Leader in You” (Broadway/theater theme). The conference included three days of leadership presentations, keynote speakers, socials, and entertainment including a behind-the-scenes tour of the famous Gammage Auditorium which hosts renowned musicals such as Hamilton, Wicked, Rent, and Avenue Q. An optional day LeaderShape experience was also offered. The forty-person conference staff and advising team had been hard at work for almost two years to prepare a memorable experience for all delegates and advisors alike. This past year, the conference staff held retreats, hosted the NACURH Conference Resource Consultant for a site visit at ASU, and then hosted the SemiAnnual Business Meeting of NACURH. They did a great job utilizing a website and social member through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To check out the experience, enjoy this brief glimpse into the conference experience by watching the NACURH 2018 Conference Video at http://tinyurl.com/nacurh2018video. ASU truly enjoyed hosting the NACURH 2018 Conference within the AIMHO Region!
FEATURED ARTICLES ACUHO-I Pre Conference Study Tour By: Jeremy Moore, University of Colorado, Boulder Earlier this month the 2018 ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Expo was held in Denver, CO. The week prior to ACE, 19 housing professionals arrived in Colorado from all over the world representing over 8 countries and just as many different institutions/organizations. I had the great honor and privilege of serving as their Study Tour Coordinator throughout the week with our “homebase” at CU Boulder and wanted to share a little about our Study Tour experience within the AIMHO region and more specifically our visits to host sites across the northern region of Colorado. The purpose of the Pre-Conference Study Tour is to help provide participants with a better understanding of U.S.-based housing and residence life programs while also allowing the ability to see facilities and meet with housing colleagues from each institutional host location. This year’s study tour took place Monday, July 2nd through Friday, July 6th and included many opportunities for study tour participants to engage with one another while also taking in the local culture and character of the Centennial state. On Tuesday, July 3rd the group had the opportunity to visit Colorado State University, Semester at Sea, and the University of Northern Colorado. While at CSU, we were able to visit several residential facilities including both halls and apartments as well as enjoy the fantastic dining hall and brand new on-campus football stadium. Following our visit to Ram country, we were off to the Semester at Sea offices located in Fort Collins. Here participants were able to learn about how SAS provides immersive experiences world-wide by expanding a student’s learning beyond the four walls of a classroom. Up next we headed to Greeley, CO and the University of Northern Colorado, the home of the Bears (and also of AIMHO’s current president, Brad Shade!) Our UNC hosts showed the group several housing facilities as well as their equipment check-out space,
FEATURED ARTICLES the UNC Gear Shop, where students can borrow equipment for exhilarating outdoor adventures. Wednesday, July 4th allowed participants an opportunity to explore the City of Boulder on their own for part of the day and partake in the excitement and flavor of the Fourth of July. In the evening, the group was dazzled with an explosive Fourth of July fireworks display in CU Boulder’s Folsom Stadium. On Thursday we were off to Golden, CO which proudly proclaims itself as “Where the West Lives”. The group enjoyed the Coors Brewery Tour and a visit to the Colorado School of Mines, home of Marvin the Miner and Blaster the Burro. Our Mines staff showed us several of their housing accommodation options and also provided in-depth information about their in-hall learning programs and initiatives. On Friday, participants were able to see more of the CU Boulder campus including a replica of the Boulder campus imagined in Lego bricks, a new residential community center and dining center, and the infamous and wellphotographed buffalo-shaped pool which was part of the most recent Recreation Center renovation. Regis University was up last. Here participants were able to learn about Jesuit education, hear from one of RU’s current ACUHO-I interns, as well as see RU’s newest apartment community, Vince J. Boryla Apartments, which will open in fall 2018 to excited residents. Although the week moved quick, participants were excited to be able to learn from so many stateside housing colleagues and to get a better and more intimate view of what residence life and housing is like in the United States. I’d like to sincerely thank each of our institutional host sites and their staffs (Colorado State University, Semester at Sea, the University of Northern Colorado, University of Colorado Boulder, and Regis University) for their incredible hospitality and for making each visit across our state informative as well as memorable for the participants.
FEATURED ARTICLES
Strategies for Balancing Responsibilities & SelfCare in the New Academic Year By: Catherine LaRoche, Arizona State University With the start of a new academic year just a couple weeks away, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried and scared for it to begin. It’s not that I don’t like my job or anything, because trust me I absolutely love what I do and where I work. The reason I’m a little nervous about the upcoming academic year is because life tends to be really busy for me. I am going into my seventh year at Arizona State University. I am an Assistant Director for Residential Life and I oversee Barrett, the Honors College, which has 1,751 bedspaces and all of those beds are expected to be full, if not overflowing a tad bit. I also advise the ASU-Tempe Residence Hall Association, which serves over 10,000 on-campus students. Within this organization, there are nine executive board members, seven residential councils, 10 residential council advisors, seven presidents and 24 vice
FEATURED ARTICLES presidents. I will also be starting my second year in the Leadership and Innovation doctoral program at ASU. Oh yea, and let’s not forget that I also am the AIMHO Marketing Chair and the 2018 AIMHO Host Committee CoChair. For anyone who has hosted a conference, you know it is not a small task. Now can you see why I am just a tad bit nervous about the upcoming academic year? Although I’m really nervous, I also feel a little better about this year than I did starting last academic year. Last year was a “trial year” for me. It was my first year in the doctoral program. My first fall semester advising ASUTempe RHA. It was also my first year overseeing two AIMHO committees. I say that it was my trial year because I was able to see what worked and what did not work. There were many tears and stressful moments. But there were also many small wins and big accomplishments. Going into this academic year, I feel a little more prepared because I did a lot of reflecting over last year and have come up with ways to make this upcoming year less stressful and more organized. Below are seven strategies that I will be using to help me stay on a successful track. • Use my planner! Every December I purchase a cute and fancy planner (My preferred planners are Erin Condren or Happy Planner). I’ll write my work and class deadlines in the planner, but that usually lasts for about a month and then the planner sits on a bookshelf in my office for the rest of the semester. This year, I am committing myself to use my planner throughout the entire semester. • Trello for my to-do list! I started using Trello this summer to help me organize my tasks for work and school. This is a free online tool that you can use to create a board and put your tasks and responsibilities on the board. You can check off the tasks once it’s done. You can also share your boards
FEATURED ARTICLES with people for accountability or as collaboration. For example, my residential college partners use it to create boards and assign tasks for a project to each other and communicate the status of the project task. Visit https://trello.com to start making your own boards. • Take time off! As soon as I get my syllabus for my courses, I plan to identify when my major assignments are and take time off to dedicate time to my major assignments. I also plan to take some time off to relax and visit friends and family. • Identify homework time! In looking at my schedule, it looks like Tuesdays and Fridays are my days during the week when I do not have an evening obligation for work or class. Those will be my nights during the week to do homework. I will also communicate this to the staff I supervise and advise, so they understand not to contact me unless they have an urgent question or concern. I will also pick one weekend day each week to work on homework, most likely Saturdays. • Don’t overcommit! Because my plate is loaded with many responsibilities, I plan to not sign up for any other commitments that may take away from RHA, School, AIMHO or Barrett. If it’s something quick and easy, then I’ll help out. This is so I can make sure I am giving 100% effort to my responsibilities. • Make time for self-care! Self-care is very important to me because it helps me de-stress and still have a little fun. I will plan out hair, nail and other beauty appointments in advance. I’ll also make time to hang out with friends, catch a movie I want to see, enjoy my favorite restaurant, do a little retail therapy and workout. These are all things that make me happy. If I’m not happy then it will be hard to be successful. • Ask for help when I need it! This will probably be the biggest challenge for me because I don’t like pushing my responsibilities off on others, especially when I know they are busy also. However, I know that in many of my responsibilities, I have a team of people around me for support. I will do a better job at delegating tasks or responsibilities to individuals who are capable of handling tasks or responsibilities that need to get done within my areas, and asking for help from my colleagues when I need it.
FEATURED ARTICLES Delivering Quality Customer Service; Internally & Externally By: Craig Kuehnert, University of Colorado, Boulder For the past few years there has been a lot of talk about the rise of a ‘consumerism’ mentality within Higher Education. Those with this train of thought would likely argue that they (or their student) have paid a lot of money, and deserve some form of tangible return. While many higher ed professionals would dispute the idea of education being treated solely as a commodity, I would suspect most universities (especially those in traditional Student Affairs departments) have invested some time into refreshing their customer service policies and practices – and rightfully so. After all, at its core, quality customer service is about building relationships with those that we work with/for. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Disney Institute’s multi-day training workshop covering Quality Service. Since then, I’ve been asked numerous times about the core principles of the “Disney model” of service delivery, and have spent many hours training students and staff about quality service implementation. After several years of training student affairs professionals around the concepts of quality service implementation, I’ve begun to wonder how we can better serve our ‘internal’ customers. That is, how can we serve our peers with the same level of attention as we do our students and campus guests? In the end, the overarching principles of the Disney model are applicable no matter who you wish to serve. Your students, their parents and family members, or each other.
FEATURED ARTICLES The cast members from the Disney Institute would tell us that before you start trying to improve your service delivery, you need to first understand the NEWS of those you wish to serve. That would be, what are the Needs, Emotions, Wants, and Stereotypes of your students, your campus visitors, or your colleagues. To help illustrate the first step in discovering NEWS, I have included a chart below. You may take a moment to think about the NEWS of your students. Outside of personal observations, how might you collect data to further sculpt your customer service practices? For many, tools like EBI survey’s, focus groups, and a review of incident reports may provide additional insight that hadn’t been previously used from a customer service standpoint.
After understanding the NEWS, Disney tells us that there are three Delivery Systems, or ways in which we influence the guest experience. While most people hear ‘customer service’ and think about improving person to person interactions (smile, stand and shake hands, etc.), delivery of quality service must actually be an intersection of all three delivery systems; Process & Policies, Place & Environment, and People. To be successful, systems must be set up to enable decision making at the lowest level possible. You may be a first year grad student, but you still have an obligation to deliver quality service through the environment in which you control, the way that you train your “cast” and hold them accountable, and the policies and/or procedures that you implement. Picture it. Thanksgiving day. You’re at the Walt Disney World resort in
FEATURED ARTICLES Orlando, FL along with 100,000 other people. You wait in a long line, finally purchase a festive turkey leg, and step away from the Frontier Land kiosk. Out of nowhere- you’re attacked by seagulls each wanting a bite of your Thanksgiving feast. Your lunch has been ruined before you even relish the first bite. In the scenario above, envision the typical higher education response (if there would even be one.) It’d probably go something like this. “Excuse me. I saw that those seagulls attacked your turkey leg. Are you hurt? I can fill out some paperwork, and check with my supervisor who will email over to the finance department to see if we can get you a reimbursement. If they’re able to do something, you can expect to see that credit on your student account in 6-8 weeks.” However, if I were to ask you outline what you’d expect the “Disney response” to be it’d probably look quite a bit different, and from my Thanksgiving Day experience, I can assure you it was. Without hesitation, and before I had finished swatting Nemo’s nemesis away from my lunch, a college student intern/ cast member had already come over to me carrying a replacement turkey leg and bottle of Coke. Disney was able to recover that service experience because they had created back end systems empowering that front line student worker to replace my turkey leg. He provided exceptional service – within the realm of his control. As you dive into the fall semester, I’ll leave you with a few thoughts to consider as they relate to setting, process, and cast. Setting: - Is your office space inviting? Is it accessible? Is it inclusive? Would someone feel comfortable telling you their story in that space? - Do your lobby spaces/ corridors/ bathrooms convey an image of care and concern? It’s an easy leap from “they don’t care about their facilities” to “they don’t care about my student.”
FEATURED ARTICLES Process: - In life, there will always be people that abuse systems. Are your policies set up to make things easiest for the 99% that do what they are supposed to, or to prevent that 1% from getting away with something? - What barriers can you eliminate to make daily tasks easier for those you work with? Cast: - Who are your ‘front line’ service agents? Are they properly trained with a consistent departmental message? Even if they are hired mid semester? - Can all of your staff clearly articulate the reason behind ‘painful’ policies? It’s easier to accept the consequences of a policy violation if you know why it’s been created. After a look into your NEWS, and a review of your systems, your setting, and your people, I know you’ll have a great fall semester, and your residents will too.
AIMHO Appreciative Inquiry Update By: Richard Clark - AIMHO Past-President, University of Nevada, Las Vegas AIMHO has completed the Discovery Phase of Appreciative Inquiry process to learn from the members of the association “the best of what is” regarding the AIMHO organization. The core group identified 5 Affirmative Topics that were thought to define AIMHO at its very best. Your voices provided valuable insight into what gives life to the association and who we are when AIMHO is at its very best. The core group spent seven months reviewing all the information provided by the interviews and as a result three of the five Affirmative Topics were confirmed that this is AIMHO at its best. Based upon what you told us, two of the Affirmative topics were strongly desired by the membership and you all
FEATURED ARTICLES described what the possible outcomes and impact that these two Affirmative Topics could provide; yet at this time, they did not give life to the organization. Below are the three Affirmative Topics that were confirmed as who AIMHO is at its very best. Additionally, common themes from all the interviews were identified that represented each respective Affirmative Topic along with a story (or two) and a quote (or two). Affirmative Topic 1 Meaningful Engagement: AIMHO is engaged in creating a personalized experience that serves their institution and individual needs contributing to the association’s success. The association in turn provides for both institutions and members through a variety of avenues. Affirmative Topic 2 Innovative Education: AIMHO is committed to the transmission and advancement of knowledge in regional housing programs. Accessibility to educational resources manifest digitally, in-person and through shared experiences developing both the person and the professional. Affirmative Topic 3 Authentic Relationships: Individuals engage and create lasting connections to one another and the association. Relationships are genuine and foster a sense of belonging which affords members the opportunity to be a part of a caring community. AIMHO Dream Phase During the Dream cycle, participants articulated a shared image or dream of the most desired future for the entire organization. Not idle fantasizing; it is purposeful envisioning of where AIMHO can be. Doing so involves inviting organization stakeholders to engage in “possibility conversations” about the
FEATURED ARTICLES organization’s position, its potential, its calling, and the unique contribution it can make to the region and beyond. It reveals who and what people wish for themselves, the organization and the profession they represent. Our members took part in several interviews during the Fall 2017 Conference. After the conference, the committee reviewed the results of the interviews and the following four provocative propositions were identified. Two affirmative topics such as involvement and innovative education were confirmed. Two new areas were identified, 1 stop shop and inclusion as important to the membership. Involvement We, as the regional association, wholeheartedly welcome every member into AIMHO. Throughout the year, members are engaged in creating and providing transformational opportunities that specifically contribute to AIMHO’s stellar reputation as well as participating in tailored experiences that kindle their creativity, productivity and development. 1 Stop Shop AIMHO members consistently and intuitively access AIMHO’s exceptional state of the art repository of resources keeping members connected, engaged and informed. Innovative Education AIMHO provides and passionately advocates for cutting edge, continuous, multi-tiered professional development and engagement for all members and schools. Inclusion AIMHO is an affirming and inclusive organization, where barriers to full participation by all members are identified, examined, discussed, and systematically eliminated. AIMHO's leadership is reflective of the broad
FEATURED ARTICLES range of identities and abilities represented throughout our region, with significant outreach to underrepresented and/or marginalized populations and identities. Now that we have identified the four provocative propositions, we will move into the next phase for developing a strategic plan that moves our association forward in each area. As part of the next phase, I will share more details at this year’s annual conference during the Business Meeting and asking all committees to begin applying the four provocative propositions to their respective area. Moving forward, the four provocative propositions will become our strategic direction for the future of our association. I want to thank all of the members of the AIMHO Appreciative Inquiry Committee for all their hard work during the past 2 years.  They committed to hours of additional training and time to interview, review and write reports that eventually lead to the four provocative propositions above. Committee Members: Rosemary Ramirez, Central Arizona College Shar Jenniges, Northern Arizona University Caitlin Kerrigan, University of Arizona Kyle Oldham, Colorado State University Dustin Conover, Western Wyoming Community College Taylor Tackett, Boise State University Tem Sedgwick, University of Nevada Las Vegas
SPRING/SUMMER NEW HIRES Arizona State University Anna Peters is a new Community Director Bobby Thomas is the new Coord. Sr. of Facilities Cassandra Balzarini is a new Community Director Flora Alvarado is a new Community Director Jaco Sparks is a new Community Director Jesse Lafarga is the new Management Intern, Res Life Jordan Hastings is a new Coord. of Facilities Kandace Irvine is a new Community Director Katie Francisco is a new Community Director Kaylee McAllister is a new Community Director Mark Tracz is a new Community Director Mary Rose McGinn is a new Community Director Melanie O'Shea is a new Community Director Melany Barnes is a new Administrative Associate Sandra Foley is the new Coord. Sr. of Occupancy Management Susan Tiseo is the new Coord. Sr. of Customer Care Tiffany Coleman is the new Director of Operations Tyler Edwards is a new Community Director Anthony (TJ) Pegg is a new Asst. Director of Res Life Dan Hensley is a new Fiscal Specialist Elizabeth (Betsy) Whited is a new Asst. Director of Res Life Hildagard Olsen is a new Administrative Assistant Robert Budach is the new Director of Business and Finance Ronald Briggs Jr. is the new Sr. Director of Res Life
SPRING/SUMMER NEW HIRES Northern Arizona University Rebecca (Becca) Lynch is a new Residence Hall Director Tommy Newsome II is a new Residence Hall Director Kyle Lester is a new Residence Hall Director David Horber is a new Residence Hall Director Serena Brown is a new Residence Hall Director Josh Floyd is a new Residence Hall Director Kimberly Bright is a new GA Residence Hall Director Austin Connell is a new GA Residence Hall Director Jennifer Imel is a new GA Residence Hall Director Scout Miller is a new GA Residence Hall Director Janelle Seibert is a new GA Residence Hall Director Jana Burd is a new GA for Residential Colleges Stephen Hosburg is a new GA for Residential Colleges Jodi Stooksberry is the new Asst. Director for Residential Student Conduct and Development Robert Zbikowski is a new Asst. Director of Res Life
University of Arizona Nikki Chapman is a new Community Director Kimberly (Kim) Lainez is a new Community Director Krystal Rodriguez is a new Community Director Brenda Escutia is a new Community Director Jessica Gjerde is a new Community Director Sierra Combelic is the new Coord. of Academic Promotions
If you want to see your institution's new hires on the next edition of the AIMHO Angle, please email aimhoangle@gmail.com!