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.
The Case for Assessment
Assessment isn’t something merely to be endured. The practice, and the benefits it delivers, should be celebrated.
ACUHO-I COMPETENCIES
Research, Assessment, and Evaluation: Utilize assessment data to improve learning, services, program delivery, and effectiveness. Establish a culture of research, assessment, and evaluation within the department.
READ ARTICLE
Describe a recent decision that was made primarily due to something learned from assessment data.
Are there some data that your department currently is not collecting? What would it take to begin gathering that data? How could that data be leveraged?
If you don’t feel confident in your assessment skills and knowledge, what resources could you turn to in your department or on your campus for assistance?
The Third Ear
Planning requires a lot of input, so successful leaders need to be open and receptive to all of it, even when it’s not overt.
Organizational Learning: Develop formal and informal processes to develop innovative practices and to align departmental work with institutional values and data-informed approaches.
What words would you use to describe someone who is a successful planner? Review the SCUP planning competencies and see how they correspond with the words that you chose.
Think about your institution and what factors could affect upcoming plans or those that are already in motion. Were those factors considered ahead of time in the process?
What strategies would you use to determine which representatives should be part of a planning process?
Night Shift Heroes
Student troubleshooters answer the call to keep their campuses running.
Facilities Management: Develop staffing plans sufficient to execute the maintenance program.
Would a team of students be beneficial in assisting your facilities department? If so, think about how you would go about creating the job position. Would you be able to cover their housing cost or a stipend?
In a time when budgets are tight, hiring students is less expensive than hiring full-time employees. Think about how you could show that hiring students is extending the capacity of the department and bringing more support to students in the residence halls as well as being mindful of the department budget.
Signing Bonus
Purposeful steps can help you stand out from the job placement pack.
Staff Recruitment & Selection: Determine the level of expertise, skills, and experiences required for specific positions. Create job descriptions that align with the institutional recruitment requirements.
What opportunities does your institution offer for ongoing learning and skill development?
Think about how you would describe your most recent professional successes to a colleague versus how you would to a potential employer.
Think about the next position you hope to be hired for. Quickly list five strengths you could bring to that position and five competencies you likely would need to improve on.
Moving on Up
Let’s talk about graduate and family housing.
Facilities Assessment and Planning: Develop goals regarding the quantity and type of housing desired to support the departmental and institutional missions. Housing Application and Assignments Process: Assign rooms and manage occupancy according to established parameters.
Several respondents mentioned that today’s graduate students are looking for institutions to support a sense of belonging in their choice of graduate student housing. How can you improve this kind of support in your graduate housing?
Today’s graduate students are asking for resources for themselves (mental health resources, access to physical fitness centers, professional development and networking with other graduate students and faculty) and resources for their partners and children (English as a second language classes, financial planning workshops). How can you work with your campus partners to include these resources?
Childcare is a very important component of campus life for graduate students with children, and many campuses have extensive childcare and education programs to support this. But there are also noted food insecurity and clothing needs in this student community. How can you meet these needs on your campus?