I had a very robust engagement experience in my undergraduate career but never in housing. I knew upon graduating from graduate school that I wanted to be a live-in hall director. At that time, everyone I knew who mentored me in undergrad and graduate school started their career in a live-in type of role, and I knew I had to try it myself. I thought I would work in residence life for a few years and then try other functional areas in student affairs. Once I worked full time in residence life, I liked the fact that every day was different and that I got to really impact the student experience on campus.
Talking to people about a career in housing and student affairs and the impact we can have on people's lives. The other day, I had an awesome conversation with a resident advisor about their role and the future of the resident advisor role. It was thrilling to engage in dialogue about their experience and create a larger understanding about a career in residence life and student affairs. Having the opportunity to develop and support students and staff has been the most gratifying experience in higher education for me.
I wish there was more time during the work week. I desire to stay relevant with the current trends in higher education and student needs. I fit my own personal development in throughout the week and wish I had more time to think about how to apply what I am learning to the department I am working in.
I must have a large dry-erase board and plenty of sticky notes. I like to write out ideas and workshop creative ideas with the team I work with.
Great question! I would do a listening tour and would ask staff and faculty these questions: “What is your why? Why higher education? and Why Willamette?” I would be curious about what people would say and how this can inform my work.
Willamette University is a great place where we try to help students turn knowledge into action. We are one of the “Colleges That Change Lives,” which is a nonprofit organization that recognizes an elite group of schools providing hands-on academic experiences and opportunities for students to engage in learning and personal growth. Willamette University recently merged with Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) and has a residence hall in the Portland area. Our undergraduate students can take classes at both campuses, which is great. We have professional schools and master’s degrees that allow undergraduates to have a combined degree if they would like. Our students often engage in civic engagement and study abroad, which are both highly encouraged. Our Salem campus is in a great location; we are across the street from the state capitol, close to downtown, and the riverfront provides great opportunities for our students to apply learning.
Matriculation is a ceremony that happens at Willamette during orientation where students light candles and place them in the Mill Stream as a way to signify the start of their college journey. It’s beautiful because it happens at dusk and there are musicians playing bagpipes.
This is my first year at Willamette University as the director of residence life and student conduct. Before coming here, I worked at the University of Oregon for nearly 11 years. Something that has taken a large part of my head space is how to continue to engage and develop staff who are struggling with burnout. COVID-19 had a large impact on staff, and my goal is to help people feel like they matter and belong. This is more important now than ever. I continue to grow and learn about how to be a better supervisor and engage in feedback to improve my practice. I strive to do something my partner taught me, which is to listen more than I talk. This has helped me in my work.
I enjoy collaborating on projects with staff and working at an institution that has a curricular approach. One reason I was interested in working at my current institution was that the vice president was initiating a curricular approach to learning outside of the classroom. It is a thrilling opportunity to work in my department and in the division of student affairs and to learn about and create a curricular approach to our work. Over the past few weeks, the residence life and housing team worked on all of the facilitation guides for the next academic year. We had a blast thinking about how to bring our learning aims to life and writing the facilitation guides. Any collaborative project where I can work on a team with people who are learners is what motivates me.
Heather Kropf is the director of residence life and student conduct at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Have a colleague you think others should get to know? Please share with us at talkingstick@acuho-i.org and you may see them in a future issue of the magazine.