The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 2 - 65

Leadership and Alumni

ing the skills necessary for interdependent work within a team environment. One participant, elected to an influential position in a campuswide council as a sophomore, remembered an early mistake she made: “I had a tendency to be like, this is my show; I’m running it.” Three participants described experiences that led them to confront this shortcoming when attempting to organize a comprehensive program or council activity. These challenging experiences served as the impetus for participants to learn how to work with their colleagues who possessed different work styles and goals.

Regional/national involvement. Participants also spoke about the importance of being active in regional and national organizations similarly dedicated to student leadership development. The benefits of participating in these organizations often began with attending their respective organizational conferences (e.g., the National Association of College and University Residence Halls [NACURH] annual conference), which allowed them to develop relationships with students from other institutions, as well as deeper relationships with those from their own university. For example, a veteran of a number of such experiences stated, “I remember having friendships built during long van rides.” This alumna remembered her involvement as an opportunity to engage in networking skills and to learn how complex organizations can be used to create relationships: I sort of learned how everything fit together, if that makes sense. There were times there to get to know other people and how they can help you, and how you can help them. I learned that there are things you can do [organizationally] to bring everyone together and get them discussing things.

The benefits of regional and national involvement went beyond building relationships, however. Beyond the benefits of networking by interacting with students from other campuses, participants also developed systemic thinking processes. For example, one participant, through her experiences attending her first regional conference within the NACURH organization, stated, “I was able to grasp the whole purpose of having conferences. You share ideas with a bigger network of people between schools.” The participant working for the environmental center stated, “It was at conferences that you saw that other people had the same problems you had, and that sometimes, those problems weren’t because you were doing something wrong, but because the system was set up in a certain way.”

Competent advising. Lastly, many participants identified staff advisors as primary agents for their learning of leadership skills. They often identified one or more challenging situations they encountered as an undergraduate, and in many cases, they utilized the knowledge or resources from an advisor to help them

. . . one participant, through her experiences attending her first regional conference . . . stated, “I was able to grasp the whole purpose of having conferences. You share ideas with a bigger network of people between schools.”

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 2