JULY 2024Discussion Guide

TS HEADER UPDATETS DIVIDING RULEThe Talking Stick Discussion Guide supports individual and departmental professional development efforts. These discussion questions, crafted by campus housing professionals, help readers to make meaning of the content and best identify ways the information applies to individual practices and institutions. Some suggestions for how to incorporate them into a professional development curriculum include the following:

building discussions into departmental meetings;

delegating articles to staff and asking them to lead discussions;

reading articles that address topics outside of normal day-to-day responsibilities to broaden knowledge of different campus housing aspects or aspirational positions;

incorporating articles into class discussions for graduate students;

assigning articles to graduate classes and coordinating opportunities to discuss readings and how they would apply to future careers.

Download this guide as a PDF worksheet.Thick RuleHelping Through TraumaExperts describe how trauma-informed leadership is far more than a one-person job.CORE COMPETENCIESLeadership: Understand how change impacts leadership. Identify strategies to build effective, high-functioning teams.READ ARTICLE

The practitioners in this article agree that the staff who handle a traumatic incident should prioritize their personal care and well-being immediately after the event and that the report doesn’t necessarily need to be the first thing to take care of. How would you establish this flow of the incident-reporting process on your campus? Would you be able to bring in an extra staff member who could take care of the report while the one who directly responded to the incident sought care? What else could you do to prioritize the health and well-being of staff in these incidents?

As one practitioner noted, “Residence life needs to get back to its roots in community building or social and emotional development with students.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, what changes would you make to your residence life program to make this the core focus?

One practitioner synthesized the sentiment that the profession needs radical change and suggests that campuses need to refine the main purpose and goals of their residence life unit and recalibrate their focus. The unit can’t be all things to all people. How would you recalibrate your unit or department?

The discussion moves toward the resident director position turning into a short-term contract one due to stressors such as burnout, high turnover, and the weight of the job responsibilities. What changes would you make in this position on your campus to make it a long-term career choice?

How would you incorporate professional development around emotional intelligence for your staff? How would you help them find their leadership style?

One practitioner states that leaders need to know the basics of trauma before they can be a trauma-informed leader. How would you teach the basics of trauma to your staff leaders? What resources would you tap into?

As a leader, what steps can you take to create staff community and an environment where it’s natural to reach out to one another and ask for support? Or one where it’s natural to say, I am overwhelmed, who can help me? Furthermore, how can you help staff understand the importance of developing a community of support off campus?

Thick Rule-2Bridging the GapThoughtful partnerships allow academic and student affairs to complement each other.CORE COMPETENCIESResident Educational Services: Develop academic partnerships to support academic initiative programmatic goals.READ ARTICLE

Think about your current campus partnerships. What can you do to strengthen them? Do the goals need to be clarified? Do limitations need to be added?

The article mentions using tools like a Memorandum of Understanding. What other tools could you use to keep partnerships healthy? Could part of staff training be making staff aware of the partnerships and asking them to add insights?

Celebrating the success of these partnerships is important. How would you make this happen on your campus?

Thick Rule-3Passing the Knowledge BatonPlanning and practices preserve institutional knowledge during staff transitions.CORE COMPETENCIESHuman Resources: Establish, interpret, and implement procedures with regard to ensuring continuity of services.READ ARTICLE

Bring your team together and think about the practices you want to change. How would you re-imagine them?

What steps could you put in place for you and your staff to start thinking differently about the future of the communities on your campus? Could it be meeting biweekly or monthly to focus on what changes to make?

What feedback from students and staff can you use to start imagining the practices that will support future campus communities?

Thick Rule-4Unringing the BellHall renovations can be a chance to respect legacy and preserve identity.CORE COMPETENCIESFacilities Management: Develop standards for renewal and replacement of facilities reflecting institutional priorities.READ ARTICLE

The author mentions collecting the history, traditions, and defining elements of an old residence hall from former residents, hall staff, and current residents during the first phase of the project. How could you continue to collect and preserve this information after the renovation to provide a living history of the building?

In several examples in the article, staff sought student input about the renovations. How would you lead a student group discussion on the historical elements they wanted to keep and why and what modern updates they hoped for in the building?

The renovations in Boyd Hall at Kansas State included input from students about creating crests that represented the community on each floor. What other ways could you invite students to be a part of a historic residence hall renovation?

Thick Rule-5The First DominoLet’s talk about modifying RA responsibilities.CORE COMPETENCIESHuman Resources: Assist supervisees in addressing gaps in the skills or knowledge needed to successfully meet job responsibilities.READ ARTICLE

What changes do you envision for your RA role? What feedback have you received from student staff that would help you solidify changes?

Would the addition of an incident response team benefit your current RA and RD structure? If so, how would you implement such a team?

Several sources mentioned the importance of communication across the teams of RAs and RDs. How would you facilitate this communication on your campus?

Thick Rule-6Talking Stickreader guidemastheadVisionCAMPUS HOME LIVE 25Spotlight: University of OregonSpotlight: Drexel UniversitySTARREZPage TurnerCARRIER KWKFirst PersonFOUNDATIONPassing the Knowledge BatonTPEUnringing the BellmarketplaceHelping Through TraumaBRILL ROYALBridging the GapGrad SchoolConversationsCONFERENCESYour ACUHO-ISnapshot: Corey PeacockSnapshot: Deb PadgetDiscussion Guide