The 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.
Working It Out
When housing departments leverage specialized student workers, they do double duty by providing learning experiences while advancing department initiatives.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Human Resources: Determine the level of expertise, skills, and experiences required for specific positions. Supervise student workers in the context of the department culture and the contractual and stated goals for the position.
READ ARTICLE
What current campus housing projects and services (or possible future ones) could be supplemented by student workers?
What can be done to better communicate to faculty and advisors the opportunities that may exist for student workers within the campus housing department?
How can student workers be educated to better understand how the experience they gain in these positions will translate into their post-graduate careers?
Talk the Talk
The world of hall planning, design, and construction is filled with specialized terminology. Here’s how to decode the jargon and why it matters.
Facilities Management: Develop goals regarding the quantity and type of housing desired to support the departmental and institutional missions. Participate in the selection or recommendation for the award of projects.
How familiar are you with the different ways that residence hall design affects the student living experience? What are the elements that you think are most important?
What information do you need to feel more comfortable being a part of the hall design process?
What are some elements of campus housing theory and practices that you think architects and other stakeholders should be more familiar with?
Building Professional Development Plans
Comprehensive professional development plans can offer options and can still be tailored for specific staff.
Human Resources: Support the professional development of all staff in creating and sustaining healthy and effective supervisor/supervisee relationships. Ensure that supervisors are properly trained and supported for their roles and responsibilities.
Think about the support your campus currently offers to first-generation students. What could be added?
If your campus does not have a designated living-learning community or center for first-generation students, think about the physical space you can carve out for them. What campus space could you use to bring them together to meet faculty, advisors, or invited speakers?
What grants or other funds that come from outside of the department’s budget can staff apply for on your campus?
Be Real
When it comes to the job interview, candidates should focus on authenticity versus perfection.
Foundational: Properly convey individual knowledge and experiences to best navigate the job search process.
What elements of your experiences, beyond a job description, would be most valuable to share during a job interview?
Are there particular strategies you currently use to prepare for a job interview? Can you prepare and still be relaxed and personal during the interview?
Revisit the bullet points on your current résumé. How could you reframe those responsibilities to connect them better to outcomes that could be delivered in a new position or on a new campus?
The Leftovers
Let’s talk about making move-out more sustainable.
CORE COMPETENCIESFacilities Management: Develop and institute processes for the recycling, reuse, or regeneration of materials, facilities, and equipment.
How does your housing department communicate to students the campus reuse and recycle plans for move-out?
What programs or organizations in your local community could your department partner with to reuse or recycle more during move-out?
Bring your team together and think about how your reuse and recycling program needs to be updated for the next semester or next year.