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The Official Newsletter of the Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers
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THE PULSETHE NEWSLETTER OF THE ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY HOUSING OFFICERS
JANUARY 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
President’s Welcome [4] Professional Development [6]
OACUHO Elections [7] Campus Community Partnerships [8]
OACHUO Research [21]UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
HOME TO THE 2015 RESIDENCE LIFE CONFERENCE
Board of Directors
The Communications Committee
PRESIDENTLaura Storey | Carleton [email protected]
PRESIDENT-ELECT / FINANCE DIRECTORJulie West | University of Guelph [email protected]
PAST PRESIDENTChad Nuttall | University of Toronto Mississauga [email protected]
COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR Brian Cunha | University of Waterloo [email protected]
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORMatthew Harris | York University [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT DIRECTORBrian Ingoldsby | University of Guelph [email protected]
CONFERENCE DIRECTORBrittany Gawley | McMaster [email protected]
CORPORATE PARTNER RELATIONS DIRECTORColin Ryrie | Brock [email protected]
SENIOR-LEVEL MEMBER AT LARGEGlenn Matthews | Western [email protected]
MEMBER AT LARGEMike Porritt | McMaster University [email protected]
MEMBER AT LARGESamantha Wiebe | University of Waterloo [email protected]
TH
E P
ULS
E DIRECTORBrian Cunha
CONTRIBUTORSDrew SimonHeather Lang
THE PULSE EDITORSVictoria GadonAlison KavanaghLyn-Marie FarleyKatie CalcaterraLaura Mammone
THE HISTORY PROJECTGlenn MatthewsMatt WaghornAndrew Quenneville
6professional development
Table ofContents
7OACUHO elections
8campus community partnership
17facilities showcase
OACUHO Research
OACUHO spotlight moment 18
21
PDEDITOR
Brian Cunha
JANUARY EDITORSVictoria Gadon
Alison Kavanagh
off campus housing knowledge community
20
appy New Year OACUHO! I hope that 2015 brings health and happiness to the Housing world.
My first cheer of 2015 goes to our campus and community partners. With you, our programs are more robust and interconnected.
There are so many types of partnerships and for the purposes of this arIcle I’m going to focus on community partners. I’ve been a lucky campus stakeholder -‐ part of numerous partnerships ranging from residence/hospital agreements to P3s. Here are some of my insights: 1. When you’ve seen one partnership…you’ve seen one partnership. It goes without saying but no two partnerships are the same. Groups and communiIes are their own organisms and our partnerships with them require care, nurturing and development. The people and projects in these communiIes can vary in size, demographic, finance, etc. When iniIaIng the partnership, sharing what you’ve seen that is successful from past projects can lay the ground work in development. Moving forward, being open to new successes and ideas will help this partnership take on its own shape.
While not easy, feedback can help the relationship grow and be better for both parties. ”
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H“
President’s Message
Community Connections
2. Campuses should engage in meaningful and inten;onal ac;vi;es.When engaging community partnerships be intenIonal and think long term with the organizaIon and community you’re working with. Small projects without long term goals can be draining on both parIes. In turn, this may provide less meaningful engagement for our students as it can see staff drain, less conInuity in projects and negaIve feelings from the partners. 3. We all have something to gain. Mutual collaboraIon, commitment and benefit will make your partnership long standing and successful. Having mutually agreeable outcomes can make for a longer-‐standing relaIonship and will keep both partners happy. Keep these in mind from the outset. CommiYng to parIcipate for 3 to 5 years may help see conInuity and growth and allow for the partner to feel the true benefit.
4. Find ways to connect at reasonable intervals and share feedback. While not easy, feedback can help the relaIonship grow and be beZer for both parIes. SeYng a schedule of monthly check-‐ins of in-‐person visits can assist with relaIonship growth needed to develop your partnership. How o[en are you reviewing your agreement? Perhaps one Ime per year you sit down to see if it can be improved for the next go round.
5. Manage the rela;onship carefully. As a key stakeholder in the relaIonship, manage it like you’re a parent. As lots of quesIons, be okay with saying no and customize it in order to be the best fit for everyone. Check your communicaIon style, how o[en you’re communicaIng and what kinds of “heads up” you’re providing to the key stakeholders on their end. A “heads up” can proacIvely keep them in the loop – especially when there are staffing changes in your area. 6. Assess and evaluate. What do you define as successful and what does your partner define as successful? It’s a good thing to lay this groundwork from the beginning. Your partner may define “success” as something very different than you do. Know how they speak and what they’re looking for right from the get go.
There is no perfect formula for creaIng and maintaining community partnerships – but I’m sure you have your own ideas. Do you have successful and meaningful community partnerships? We’d love to hear about what you’ve come up with. Share them with us at #oacuho.
Laura StoreyOACUHO President
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Professional Development
February 1-‐8 Toronto February 3-‐17 Guelph February 4-‐5 South Porcupine February 10-‐11 Windsor February 12-‐13 Hamilton February 12-‐13* Waterloo February 19-‐20 Whitby February 21-‐22 Kitchener February 21-‐22 Toronto February 23-‐24 London February 26-‐27 Waterloo February 26-‐27 OZawa February 26-‐27 Markham February 26-‐27 Oakville
*Adults Who Interact with Youth
WORKSHOPS
Professional Development
Challenging Behaviours in Youth – Strategies for Interven6on February 5 Mississauga February 12 OZawa
Bullying Interven6on Strategies – Responding for Preven6on February 6 MississaugaFebruary 13 O>awa
Suicide Awareness and Interven;on Live Webinar February 24 ONLINE
February 7-‐8 Toronto February 12-‐13 Sioux Lookout February 12-‐13 Oakville February 17-‐18 Burlington February 17-‐18 Toronto February 18-‐19 Toronto February 18-‐19 Guelph February 19-‐20 OZawa February 21-‐22 Windsor February 23-‐24 Vaughn February 24-‐25 Mississauga
February 17-‐18 Burlington
OACUHOELECTIONS
2015
The OACUHO Board Needs You
NominaIons are coming up and we need your help.
Serving on the board has been a fun, exciIng and inspiring Ime. Working with colleagues from across the province has been rewarding as we've shared Ime and experIse in various aspects of student housing. We conInue to try to engage those from various backgrounds to serve on the board and provide PD for our membership -‐ so please give some Ime and think about what you can bring to the board for the 2015-‐16 term (and beyond).
This year, several posiIons are available: President Elect (3 year term) Conference Director (2 year term) Membership Engagement Director (1 year term) Professional Development Director (1 year term) Communica;on Director (1 year term) Member-‐at-‐Large* (1 year term) Senior Member-‐at-‐Large** (1 year term) * 2 posiAons ** Experience of 5 years or more and supervise full Ame staff
The Imeline is: ·∙ NominaIons Open: Monday Feb 23 ·∙ NominaIons Close: Friday March 20 ·∙ VoIng commences: Thursday March 26 ·∙ VoIng concludes: Wednesday April 8
My Ame on the board was an experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. I had the opportunity to learn from some very talented people and developed skills in areas that I otherwise would not have had the opportunity to. One area that I developed during my Ame on the board that I use almost every day now is the ability to read and interpret different policies. On the board I w a s a b l e t o p a r t a k e i n conversaAons about amending the consAtuAon and in my job now as Manger of Student Conduct I have been able to implement things I learned as the cha i r o f two consu l taAon commi>ees for our Codes of Conduct.
The posiAon also provided the o p p o r t u n i t y t o d e v e l o p relaAonships with colleagues from across the associaAon and with corporate partners and other interested parAes outside of the Housing world. I would strongly encourage anyone to take the opportunity and apply for a posiAon that interests them on the board. When I first started I was worried about the work load and how I would manage it but looking back it not only moAvated me to stay organized and on top of things but it also provided a weekly escape from the day to day rouAne wh i ch I oRen appreciated.
Brent Rohrer
PRESIDENT-ELECT / FINANCE DIRECTORJulie West | University of [email protected]
Manager, Student Conduct and Community Standards McMaster University
Corporate Partners Director 2012-‐2014
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Campus Community Partnership
Campus Community PartnershipsUniversities and Colleges are often structured in silos but many of the departments have the same goals. Is your housing operation creating and maintaining effective campus and community partnerships?
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t Trent University, community partnerships have been essenIal to the development and success of the Residence EducaIon program. At our insItuIon, a vast majority of the Living Learning CommuniIes are for students who share common interests (i.e. healthy acIve l i v i ng , c i v i c engagement , e tc ) . The implementaIon of this programming model called for us to look beyond the boundaries of our campus for community partners who could expand the knowledge and understanding of our students outside of the classroom and within our residences. However, as these relaIonships have developed and gained tracIon, it has become more evident that community partnerships would be successful within all residence communiIes. NavigaIng through these new community relaIonships when done intenIonally and with care, provides students with opportuniIes for unique experiences and strengthens the Ies between the insItuIon and the larger community.
Be inten;onal with the partnerships that you seekIn researching potenIal partnerships in the larger community and intenIonally “assigning” them to a specific Living Learning Community or even specific program iniIaIves, you are bringing together like-‐minded groups of people – students and partners. This intenIon demonstrates to the potenIal partner that you are seeking not just anyone, but them specifically. In your iniIal communicaIons, share with them what you know about their organizaIon, why you are interested in working with them, as well as some specific ideas for working together in the future. Do you want them to come in as a speaker? Facilitate a program? Have some ideas prepared so they have an understanding of what type of commitment will be involved on their part.
share with them what you know about their organization, why you are interested in working with them
Lauren Silvestro Residence Life Education Coordinator & Campus Conduct Judicial Of>icerTrent [email protected]
Navigating NewCommunity Partnerships
A
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Who does the talking? Reaching out to new partners is sIll an inImidaIng task for myself, however, I mindfully decided that I would iniIate these conversaIons with potenIal partners, rather than my student staff. Many community groups will be approached by students seeking some sort of sponsorship and it is important that you disInguish yourself as being a professional from your insItuIon and that you are not seeking sponsorship, but rather a mutually beneficial relaIonship. You are looking to use their experIse and are confident that they will find working with your students rewarding. Be sure to menIon your student leader in the iniIal conversaIon and connect them in person moving forward so that your student is sIll taking ownership over their community.
Have a rockstar student leader that is up for the challenge of making connecIons with community partners? Moving into second semester, I am giving student leaders the opportunity to start these dialogues independently. My only request is that they provide me with informaIon on the potenIal partner prior to contacIng them, and that I be a part of the first face-‐to-‐face interacIons they have.
Be transparent and proacIveWorking with residence students, there is one thing that we all know: students can be unpredictable when it comes to programming. They will request a specific program for weeks and when your student staff hold it, the turnout can appear meager. While we may have become accustomed to this and will o[en preach that one student aZending is a successful program, such a turnout to a campus partner could be seen as disappoinIng and potenIally a waste of Ime. Be honest with your community partner about a realisIc number of students that they can expect will aZend.
Moreover, if ever there was a Ime for your student staff to step up their “markeIng game,” it will be when a community partner comes to campus; this means unique adverIsing and lots of door knocking for the student staff. With that being said, I have found that when the community partner is tailored to the interests and passions of the students, that if you bring the community partner, students will come. Gra;tude is key for long las;ng rela;onships Never allow an opportunity to thank a partner be passed up. This year, part of the August welcome training packages that our Residence EducaIon staff received were a stack of thank you cards and the challenge to meaningfully use them all by the end of the year. This small gesture paired with printed photos of the program or event, as iniIated by the students, is something that I always get posiIve feedback on. Furthermore, it is o[en a reminder on a partner’s desk that we appreciated their Ime and would love to work with them again in the future. A thank you card from students and a follow up email from yourself is the perfect combinaIon for a long lasIng, mutually beneficial relaIonship.
Community partnerships are a fabulous way to expose students to the larger community surrounding your university campus, one that they will become more integrated in as they conInue through their educaIonal career at your insItuIon. In seeking out partnerships for specific communiIes or programs in residence, you are communicaIng to that potenIal partner that you are intenIonally seeking their experIse. Furthermore, it increases the quality of the programming offered because of the passion and knowledge of these partners. I challenge you to idenIfy a community partner that would enhance your residence program and reach out to them this month!
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ne of the more important relaIonships insItuIons need to manage is that of the local community. Town and Gown commiZees -‐ coaliIons of stakeholders from campuses and public interest groups tasked with ensuring posiIve community dynamics-‐ are commonplace in many college and university ciIes. Our residence departments are uniquely placed to have, perhaps, the most direct influence at the micro level of the economy. From economic partnerships (where we are spending our programming budgets) to service partnerships (those businesses we rely on to add value to the student experience) to the knowledge economy (those gi[, talent, and passion sharers); these relaIonships need to be iniIated, culIvated, managed, and appreciated in order to flourish.Find common aXributes“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you
can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
― Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence PeopleOur departments are built with people: us. We come with all of our own interests, and our personal acIvity spaces may bring us in contact with diverse realms a[er work that could bring unique and innovaIve partnerships. Consider this. I frequent the local farmers market. Though it is not as big as some of the markets in your areas, it is a melIng pot of people looking to share their interests with the community. On one morning, I was able to speak with a woman promoIng a mental health iniIaIve, a local beekeeper, a tea-‐maker (also a student), the local astronomy group, the media (which I aZracted to our OrientaIon Weekend), and the head of the Downtown Improvement AssociaIon (a frequent partner of ours), and got some fresh food. Success!
Martin Holmes Supervisor, Residence ServicesNipissing University [email protected]
Community Partnerships
O
For me, I was genuinely interested in these people and their gi[s. Having a grasp on what our students were interested in is important in finding the community partners that can add the most to the student experience. Using a student centred approach to programming we invoked the use of programming surveys and relying on observaIons and student behaviours that would indicate interest. These tools helped focus some of these meeIngs with more genera l feedback (e . g . interested in environmental issues) allowed our professional staff to be creaIve in their outreach. Knowing, and hiring consideraIons made for, the interests of the professional and student staff teams can be an excellent avenue for already networked leads. But, cold-‐calling never hurts, just be sure to have a good elevator pitch and be able to explain your mission for calling (improving service or educaIonal) in order to get off the relaIonship off to the best start. Understand what mo;vates your partner Sociology has given us a great theory in understanding how our community partner relaIonships can be culIvated: the Social Exchange Theory (Homans, 1958). This theory describes relaIonships as an “economic” exchange where both parIes act in a way that maximizes the gains and rewards from the relaIonship. Self-‐interest and interdependence are central properIes of social exchange. In reference to Social Exchange Theory, self-‐interest is not a wholly negaIve thing; rather, “when self-‐interest (or what each player is looking to gain from the relaIonship) is recognized, it will act as
the guiding force of interpersonal relaIonships for the advancement of both parIes’"(Rolof, 1981). Some partners may look to forge relaIonships with our insItuIons for the more obvious business advantages -‐ to gain customers, a markeIng segment, to meet governmental mandates for funding, or to have their public image be seen as a strong, local community member/organizaIon. These relaIonships, though not totally altruisIc, are important and can lead to longer-‐term, dependable business partnerships. Other partners can seem to have more humanist intenIons, though no less beneficial. Volunteers, friends of the “residence family”, small business owners, non-‐profit organizaIons, alumni, and faculty are all potenIal partners that may look to serve our students as part of their sense of commitment to the community. You may even be able to offer them more than they expected! A menIon in the campus newsleZer, social media exposure, an arIfact for their tenureship porxolio, or a line on their resume would all go along way to enhance the experience. O[en Imes these partners are the ones that need much more details to work out, as they are more likely to be single events. In working with community partners it is important to put the effort in to understand fully what their moIves are, both intrinsic and extrinsic, and what our departments can bring to that relaIonship; be it interested students, space, or a community of learners/interest/pracIIoners. Invite them to your community
You’ve made contact and understand the moIves of your partner, now it’s Ime to make arrangements to welcome them into your residence community. The management of a
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community partner relaIonship is another consideraIon that must be made to saIsfy both parIes. Our residence policies are not well known to outsiders and can act as a barrier to successful partnerships. It is important to manage most of the details in-‐house and rely on the partner to provide and manage their end of the exchange. Depending on the service offered, make sure to meet with partner to discuss suitability, supply n e e d s , a n d t o c o n v e y a n y s p e c i a l accommodaIons the audience may have. Some of the details that may need to be organized are: scheduling opImal Ime, recruiIng aZendees, adverIsing and promoIon methods, security, program tracking and assessment, space booking, AV/technology requests, media exposure, even parking. Of course, every community member may not be a good fit for your residents’ interest or needs and one way to leave a sour feeling from the community (including those who the partner interacts with) is to host an event that is very poorly aZended. One tacIc used is to be upfront with your community partner about student driven programming -‐ even the best thought programs may be a miss due to any number of factors or moods. A sign-‐up sheet with a proposed date and Ime is one way to predict how popular the event may be; this also allows you to predict the logisIcal elements and arrange supplies and recruiIng student “connectors” to influence the community in your favour. Perhaps the best way to ensure that a community partners experience on our campus’ are rewarding is to keep the human element a high priority. ConversaIon beforehand, someone to greet the guest on arrival, someone assigned to problem solve (especially logisIcs) and serve them (for example, offering
refreshments), and someone to ensure they can make it back to their vehicle safely. Maintaining this contact, without being overbearing, can leave a posiIve impression on your guest. I always try and uIlize a student; with some coaching beforehand, asking a student to host your partner is an excellent way of challenging their networking skills. Apprecia;ng Apprecia;onWith the holiday season just passed, readers can relate to the struggle to express appreciaIon -‐ while keeping to a budget. By understanding the moIvaIonal factors that form the your relaIonship exchange, your appreciaIon strategy could be quite different for each partner you work with. A economic-‐based partnership may only need a quarterly or semi-‐annual communicaIon to relay any assessment and staIsIcs you have gathered and to extend the arrangement. If you can prove that you are delivering benefit to the group, your chances of retaining the service is much beZer. If you are exceeding both of your expectaIons, perhaps there is room for more negoIaIon: if you can give more, they may too. Other partners are harder to appreciate, as their moIvaIons might be quite diverse and the relaIonship quite different. It is usually polite to offer a gi[ for their Ime and commitment. If you can, allocate some of the budget. Buying bulk gi[ items with others on campus could enable you to get some variaIon in your gi[s, but, in my experience, the volume of product you need to order to save is hardly jusIfied for a handful of relaIonships. If you can, try for the more unique -‐ or beZer, homemade. Shopping local or visiIng websites hosIng arIsts’ wares (like etsy.com) are great ways to get unique, hand-‐chosen for a reason, affordable gi[s. BeZer sIll, have your creaIve staff help or program around creaIng affordable gi[s and
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cards. The students are the beneficiaries of these relaIonships and might enjoy the chance to be involved in the thanking. Some partners may just need a handshake or a hug (use your judgment!) and to be kindly told that the sharing of their gi[ means a great deal. UlImately, geYng to know the partner you are working with is an important part of properly appreciaIng the relaIonship. Make an effort to be interested in them and it will be much easier and much more effecIve. Schools and the local communiIes need each other. We need each other to strengthen the local economy -‐ the economic, the service, and t h e s o c i a l e conomy. Ou r r e s i d en ce environments have an opportunity to be the
curators of these posiIve relaIonships to free Town and Gown commiZees to discuss poliIcs of higher order. In order to to do this successfully, careful aZenIon must be given to the iniIaIon, the invitaIon, the management, and appreciaIng the relaIonships we have with all partners. Now it’s your turn! Please visit the OACUHO Facebook group to share the successes you’ve had in your community References:
Homans, George (1961). Social Behavior: Its Elementary Forms. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. p. 13.
Roloff, Michael (1981). Interpersonal communicaIon: The social exchange approach. Beverly Hills.
Sonja Smiljanic Residence Life Coordinator Queens University [email protected]
It’s true…we really do get by with a little help from our friends!
I knew I had to jump on board with submiYng a piece to The Pulse this month when I found out that the theme was campus partnerships. My passion for Res Life really came alive when I came to the realizaIon that in this field collaboraIon is where the real magic happens – the kind of magic that changes lives. Those moments when you help refer a student, give them advice from your lived experience, make the right judgment call in crisis situaIons; all of those moments
are born from a culminaIon of skills, experience, training, and I’d say in more cases than not…partnering with a campus partner. During my Ime at both the University of Guelph and Queen’s University I’ve been fortunate to partner up professionally with some amazing people and departments – Guelph’s Campus Community Police, Queen’s’ Health Counselling & DisabiliIes Services, Health PromoIons,
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FaciliIes, Admissions…the list goes on. One partnership that has stayed constant in my Res Life life has been that of student medical response teams, and it is the partnership I would like to highlight. The purpose of sharing my experience with this parIcular partnership is to shed light on the world of student medical response, to encourage conversaIon, to share a liZle bit about what’s happening here at Queen’s, and to hopefully inspire some discussion at your home insItuIons. During my third year as a student-‐staff at Guelph I began intenIonally working with the medical response group that exists there– creaIng and facilitaIng on-‐going training to bridge the gap between student Res Life staff and the student medical response team. The idea to do this was born two years prior, when I realized that I had a much easier Ime working with the student medical responders whom I knew or had worked with before. That liZle connecIon made such a difference; communicaIon flowed easier, I felt more confident and helpful, and situaIons were h a nd l e d mo re effe cI ve l y. I b e ga n conversaIons with the group the following year about providing training and/or social opportuniIes for our teams to meet, learn, and bond. I was even fortunate enough to present at the Residence Life Conference in 2011 (which, coincidentally was hosted by my future and current insItuIon, Queen’s University) about campus collaboraIon in emergency response. The session, Itled, “I get by with a liZle help from my friends” drummed up some posiIve feedback, and a lot of discussion that didn’t seem to be happening much unIl then.
The truth is, we all do really get by with a liZle help from our friends. In the realm of emergency response that is especially true. I’m no expert in emergency or crisis management, but a parIcular interest in safety and risk management has afforded me some opportuniIes parIcularly at Queen’s that have allowed me to work with departments such as Environmental Health and Safety, Campus Security & Emergency Services, and Queen’s First Aid. As menIoned, I’m going to focus on the partnership with our student medical response group; they are called Queen’s First Aid. As the student medical response group on our campus, this team of student volunteers takes part in a rotaIng on call schedule to provide coverage for campus for most of the school year. Responders are AMFR cerIfied – Advanced Medical First Responder training – and take part in on-‐going training and professional development opportuniIes. Queen’s First Aid, like many university student medical response groups are part of a larger associaIon called ACERT – the AssociaIon for Campus Emergency Response Teams – and aZends annual conferences and compeIIons. “MIXER” is an annual compeIIon where teams from colleges and universiIes come together, get mixed up and placed in new teams for the duraIon of the compeIIon, and respond to simulated emergencies that are centred around a theme. These teams are judged, graded, and ranked, and a winner is announced at the end of the two-‐day compeIIon . S im i l a r l y, the NaIona l Con fe rence fo r Campus Emergency Responders (NCCER) br ings together compeIIon with conference-‐style sessions that are also centred around a theme. In 2011
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I was fortunate enough to aZend NCCER as a guest delegate when the theme was “Trauma”. I got to sit in on sessions taught by top emergency room doctors, surgeons, and leading professionals in the medical field. All of this because of a campus partnership that sparked some aZenIon. At present, our Res Life department here at Queen’s has a posiIve relaIonship with Queen’s First Aid. For the past two years we’ve offered on-‐going training to our Dons in collaboraIon with Queen’s First Aid that is focused on learning about each other’s roles on campus and in residence, exploring mission/vision/mandates, discussing how things like confidenIality come into play when responding to emergencies, and how each group can help one another and work together effecIvely. UlImately these tra in ing opportuniIes allow for the two groups to partner and learn together in a seYng that isn’t an emergency; one that allows for quesIons, for geYng to know each other, and for planning for those emergency situaIons. The feedback received for these on-‐going training sessions has been overwhelmingly posiIve both from our Dons, and from the student medical responders as wel l . AddiIonally, I have had the exciIng opportunity to aZend the team’s Annual Review banquet for two years now as an honorary guest alongside representaIves from St. John’s Ambulance and Campus Security & Emergency Services. I was also able to volunteer at MIXER 2013 when Queen’s hosted the compeIIon. These opportuniIes to engage outside of actually responding to
emergencies have set the tone for posiIve collaboraIon and teamwork. Our close relaIonship with Campus Security & Emergency Services (which is the department that ulImately oversees Queen’s First Aid) has helped as well. We regularly check in with the Director and ExecuIve members of Queen’s First Aid to see how things are going and to conInue planning and working towards effecIve teamwork. Overall, open and regular communicaIon has been the key. In emergency response campus partnerships are o[en very important. Different training, skills, experIse, and even goals can work magic when brought together effecIvely. If your campus has a student medical response team and you’re interested in learning more, reach out! I speak from experience when I say that one small conversaIon that starts with “So, how’s it going for your team this year?” and “What can we do to make it beZer?” can open a whole world of exciIng collaboraIon rooted in a posiIve and strong partnership. Interested in learning more about ACERT, MIXER, or NCCER? Check out this link to explore:
hZp://www.acert.ca/ If you’d like to get in touch to chat more, or to get a copy of the on-‐going training session outline we use at Queen’s please don’t hesitate to get in touch! Happy collabora;ng!
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Facili;es Drive-‐In 2014 ReviewHappy New Year OACUHO! I hope everyone had a chance to relax and enjoy their holidays and that the New Year is off to a great start. For this month’s FaciliIes Showcase I would like to do a review of another successful FaciliIes Drive-‐In Conference.
There were over 40 people registered represenIng over 10 different insItuIons and across all different fields as well. Whether it be caretaking services, housing services or even resident life there were many people who expressed a variety of different backgrounds and experience making for a very successful and entertaining day. For those that could not make it I hope this gives you an opportunity to catch up on what you missed and I apologize if the weather condiIons the day before kept you from making it.
Before I start I would like to thank Michael PorriZ and the McMaster University team for hosIng the 2014 OACUHO FaciliIes Drive-‐In Conference. Without their help this event would not have been possible. Another big thank you goes out to Chris Bumbacco from Western University for all of his help in assisIng with the organizaIon of the day’s events. Thank you to all of the presenters. All of the topics and presentaIons were well put together, very interesIng, and I think everyone took away some helpful informaIon back home with them. Last but definitely not least, thank you to everyone who aZended and I hope you had an informaIve and fun day!
The day started out with a presentaIon by Andrea Walsh from Trent University. Her topic was on the Accessibility for Ontarians with DisabiliIes Act and how this affects Housing and FaciliIes Management in the PSE sector. Walsh gave us a lot of informaIon on how the AODA affects us and what we can look out for in our new builds and larger renovaIons. I believe that the biggest thing that I took out of this presentaIon is how much can be taken for granted and how inaccessible some of our buildings can be. We need to conInue to try our best to ensure that our students and colleagues can enjoy our campuses as barrier free as possible.
The second presentaIon of the day was presented by Jenny MacIntyre and Sheila Goodwin from the University of Waterloo. Their presentaIon was on their twenty hour turnover in their 100 townhouses. MacIntyre and Goodwin explained their process of making sure that their turnovers always resulted in a great success and a reduced work day than they had previously. It is amazing how well both Goodwin and MacIntyre communicate and organize to ensure that all of their teams stay connected and work cohesively. MacIntyre and Goodwin also presented a video that is given out to their tenants in these townhouses which explained the essenIals and safety Ips for their new homes. The video included short clips on how to turn off water in case of leaks or floods, how to set the temperature properly and also where everything is located in the home among other things. I thought this was a fantasIc idea to help new tenants troubleshoot issues they may come across and also to protect not only UofW’s buildings but to ensure student safety as well.
OACUHO Facilities Showcase
Myles Latter Coordinator, Housing Facilities Trent University
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A[er a delicious lunch we were given a tour of some of the buildings on the McMaster campus by Michael PorriZ and Patrick Burke. Among this tour we got to take a look at some recent renovaIons done to Edwards Hall which is one of the original buildings on the Hamilton campus. McMaster has turned this space into an amazing common area for students to gather and enjoy themselves to play pool or music, a new kitcheneZe space and study lounges with electrical outlets for computers and electronic devices. It was amazing to see how this space was uIlized now to be such a central hub for students to hangout and uIlize. McMaster also found that the students really respected the space too which is great to see.
The final presentaIon of the day was a presentaIon from the group OECM. OECM is a not-‐for-‐
profit group procurement organizaIon; offering collaboraIvely-‐sourced products and services for areas such as operaIons and maintenance. EffecIvely, it works by finding insItuIons who have similar needs can work with OECM to come up with a larger RFP to benefit all parIes with possible savings and increased quality. This was OECM’s first look at OACUHO and I think the members in aZendance realized the potenIals for further opportuniIes to take place. I really think there are going to be a lot more collaboraIons in the near future.
I want to thank everyone again for aZending, presenIng and making the day an enjoyable success. I hope to see you all again soon.
n graduate school I spent a lot of Ime talking with one of my professors about change, transiIon, and emoIons associated with change. While reassuring me that things usually do work out in the end, she reminded me that it takes work to get to the end of the road. Frequently our conversaIons would turn to a favourite quote from Marilyn Ferguson.
”It’s not so much that we are afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it’s that place in-‐between that we fear…it’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold onto” (Ferguson, n.d.).
Spotlightmoment
Jen Coulter Director, Housing Trent University [email protected] | @jen_coulter
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I recently changed roles, insItuIons, and ciIes, and while preparing for this change I frequently reflected on this quote. During past transiIons, I o[en had felt like Linus. To help with the “iky in-‐between,” this Ime I framed my change process around The first 90 days: Proven strategies for geYng up to speed faster and smarter (Watkins, 2013). Watkins (2013) posits that the acIons one takes within the first few months in a new role will largely define success or failure, and that there are key strategies that can ensure success. While the book covers many strategies, some seemed natural (e.g. conversaIons with supervisors and team members to negoIate and solidify expectaIons), while others provided frameworks that helped me to think about the culture and environment I was entering (Watkins, 2013). Watkins (2013) suggests that a central tenant to making a successful transiIon starts with one idenIfying and understanding the organizaIonal situaIon, matching strategy to situaIon, and taking appropriate acIons in alignment with the strategy. The tenants outlined take significant Ime and an investment in geYng to know people and the organizaIon itself.
I began approaching this somewhat daunIng task by meeIng with people individually. For the first 90 days I met weekly with my team in staff meeIngs and 60 minute one on one meeIngs that allowed me to get to know how we as a team interacted with each other and where people were “at.” We engaged in what we called “Teach Jen” conversaIons, where the team taught me about how their areas worked at Trent University. These sessions not only provided me with some insight into tremendous successes, challenges, and areas of opportunity, but also allowed me to spend Ime geYng to know them and their work context on a deeper
level. These strategies helped me to idenIfy what our internal situaIon was and begin to work with team members to define our prioriIes moving forward. Looking outward to the rest of the university, I did what Watkins (2013) calls an environmental scan. Over the last 70 days I met with 5-‐6 campus and community partners a week to have 30 minute conversaIons on the relaIonship between our offices, their needs from us, and the answer to my favourite quesIon “How can I make your life easier?” I learned so much about the university, its intricacies, and of course quirks, and o[en le[ the conversaIon with an ally and in a few cases a new friend (helpful in a new place too!). As I leave the first 90 days and head into month 4 at Trent University, I know that there is sIll way more to learn. My choice to use Watkins (2013) as a framework for my transiIon helped me to feel that although there were days where if felt like the blanket had gone missing, most of the Ime the trapezes have been closer together than ever before. For me, beyond anything else, that is a successful jumping off point for the next 90 days.References
Ferguson, M. (n.d.). in B. Thames & D.W. Webster (2009). Chasing change: Building organizaIonal capacity in a turbulent environment. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Watkins, M. D. (2013). The first 90 days: Proven strategies for geYng up to speed faster and smarter. 10th anniversary ediIon. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review.
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This past fall, our off-‐campus housing office and two other campus partners finalized a memorandum of understanding relaIng to off-‐campus student support. Through the summer, during our strategic planning process to reach the MOU, it became evident that learning from other insItuIons and sharing knowledge and best pracIces in the off-‐campus area would not only benefit our immediate group but it could potenIally impact other insItuIons as well. Near the beginning of the fall term, I connected with professional staff at various insItuIons that coordinate or manage their respecIve off-‐campus operaIons. Fortunately, there was an appeIte from Laurier, Guelph, Brock, UOIT, McMaster, UofT, and Western to connect and share with one another. In November, McMaster Off-‐Campus Housing hosted the first meeIng and those in aZendance (Brock University, University of Guelph, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo, University of Ontatrio, and University of Toronto) discussed a range of topics that included; an overview of each of our off-‐campus operaIons, funding models, neighbourhood relaIons, student engagement, RTA awareness, and development and standards.
This group (which conInues to grow!) has allowed off-‐campus housing professionals to stay connected to one another and to share perInent informaIon about the evolving world of off-‐campus housing. By conInuing these efforts, we have the opportunity to create even closer connecIons with each other and to conInue developing strong partnerships among our insItuIons. As you may remember from the off-‐campus housing ResTalk at the Spring Conference, the connecIon between on and off-‐campus housing is something that can be used to everyone’s advantage and will have a posiIve impact on those who maZer most: our students. By sharing best pracIces among on-‐ and off-‐campus professionals, it will allow us to provide further educaIon and awareness regarding off-‐campus developments. As the winter term comes into full swing, many of our residence students will begin to consider their upper year housing opIons. As our campus partnerships conInue to grow and become stronger, we are able to provide more effecIve support to our students as they consider the move off-‐campus. If you would like to learn more about the topics menIoned above or if you know of someone in your off-‐campus operaIon that might be interested in joining this community, please connect with me.
Off Campus Housing Knowledge Community
Paul ReifensteinCo-‐ordinator, Off-‐Campus Living ProgramsUniversity of Waterloo
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In Depth: Ontario universities and colleges tackle campus sexual violence
In wake of a recent series of high profile cases of sexual harassment, and in light of a December Toronto Star inves;ga;on into the lack of formal policies to respond to on-‐campus sexual assault, Ontario’s universi;es and colleges have recently taken addi;onal steps to address and combat sexual violence on their campuses.
Late in December, according to an arIcle in the Star, the presidents of Ontario’s 20 publicly funded universiIes unanimously agreed to a range of measured aimed to combat sexual violence on campus. The measures agreed to include:
• Review their exisIng policies against a respected provincial guide created by the Ontario Women’s Directorate in 2013, which stresses the importance of a special policy to handle sexual violence.
• Establish a reference group composed of academics, student affairs leaders, chief operaIng officers and legal counsel that will share best pracIces for addressing sexual assault on campus and make recommendaIons. The group’s first meeIng was Dec. 18.
• Work with Ontario colleges and hold a joint conference in February to discuss sexual violence on campus. Student leaders will be involved in helping plan that conference and set the agenda.
The Star quotes Wilfrid Laurier president Max Blouw, who says, “It is such complicated issue and so many people are hurt that we have to take it seriously.”
For its part, Colleges Ontario—the advocacy organizaIon for the province’s 24 colleges of applied arts and technology—announced in November its intent to create a province-‐wide policy on campus sexual assault.
According to Loyalist College President Maureen Piercey, quoted in an arIcle in the Belleville Intelligencer, “We’ve got individual policies and pracIces, why don’t we take a group approach, a provincial approach of the best pracIces that everybody is employing – bring all social media and web-‐based resources we have – to see how we can do the best possible job.”
The new commitments come on the heels of a three-‐month Toronto Star invesIgaIon into how Canadian post-‐secondary insItuIons are dealing with sexual violence on their campuses. The invesIgaIon found that only nine of 78 publicly funded universiIes across Canada had as special sexual assault policy, considered by many experts as a necessary step because it clearly outlines rights and responsibiliIes. The Star noted that at the Ime of the invesIgaIon, none of the 24 public colleges in Ontario had a special policy in place.
OACUHOResearch with Trevor CorkumOACUHO Research Writer
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The following is a snapshot of recent news stories at postsecondary ins;tu;ons in Ontario highligh;ng par;cular issues of Indigenous students, staff and faculty.
Ontario ins;tu;ons working to include Indigenous perspec;ves
Two Ontario post-‐secondary insItuIons have been conInuing efforts to include the perspecIves of First NaIons, MéIs, and Inuit peoples. Sudbury’s LaurenIan University has been acIvely trying to increase the number of Indigenous faculty members at the university, and has surpassed its original recruitment goal by double. “To level the playing field, if you will, it's really important that Aboriginal faculty are seen in the university across a variety of disciplines,” said AVP Academics and Indigenous programs Sheila Cote Meek. In OZawa, Carleton University is building on recent iniIaIves and introducing two new graduate diplomas in Indigenous Policy and AdministraIon (IPA) and an IPA stream in the MA in Public AdministraIon. The new programs include classes in Indigenous history, policy, community development, and leadership. Source: Academica CICan launches Indigenous Educa;on Protocol for colleges and ins;tutes
Colleges and InsItutes Canada (CICan) has announced the launch of its groundbreaking report Indigenous EducaIon Protocol for Colleges and InsItutes. The document supports the work of colleges and insItuIons across Canada in supporIng Indigenous educaIon and provides a vision of how to improve service and good pracIces for Indigenous students. Included in the document are seven principles that CICan has idenIfied as being essenIal to meeIng Indigenous peoples’ learning needs and to support self-‐determinaIon and socio-‐economic
development of Indigenous communiIes. The Protocol was developed by CICan’s Indigenous EducaIon CommiZee, comprising college and insItute representaIves from across the provinces and territories, as well as through consultaIons held at the Serving Indigenous Learners and CommuniIes Symposium in December 2014, and the CICan annual conferences in 2013 and 2014. CICan has invited all of the 137 colleges, insItutes, polytechnics, and CEGEPs it represents to sign the protocol; approximately 25 signed during the launch. Source: Colleges and InsAtutes CanadaNeed to take the “long view” when it comes to Indigenous educa;on
In a recent submission to Academic MaZers, Indigenous teacher-‐educaIon pioneer lolehawk Laura Buker writes that it is imperaIve that PSE insItuIons “take the long view” on Indigenous educaIon, reflecIng and engaging in dialogue on the future rather than the present. According to a recent arIcle in Academica, Buker notes that many PSE programs—and specifically teacher-‐educaIon programs—have begun to include more Indigenous ways of knowing and perspecIves. Buker says that “a renewed commitment from our universiIes to move Indigenous educaIon goals and programs forward is necessary as we move into the next decade.” She points to four areas that can help renew Aboriginal educaIon goals: change, respect for Indigenous knowledge, opening doors for community partnership, and recogniIon of the new storytellers. “The long view towards Indigenous EducaIon is that change takes Ime to gain momentum, to get the wheels in moIon, and to keep going forward. This is not the moment in history to reduce funding for the aspects of Indigenous educaIon that are necessary for growth and capacity building.” Sources: Academica/Academic Ma>ers
In Summary: Incorporating Indigenous Perspectives
Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers312 Oakwood Crt, Newmarket Ontario, L3Y 3C8 Telephone: 905-954-0102 Fax: 905-895-1630
