The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 3 - 20

Phyllis McCluskey-Titus * Tony W. Cawthon * Zach Helms

More recently topics
such as diversity and inclusion,
crisis management, sexual
assault, and suicide response
have become more prominent in
training schedules.

them. Central office staff (director, assistant/
associate directors, area directors, facility
managers) as well as returning hall staff all
served as the primary presenters. Graduate
students would also facilitate or co-facilitate
training in some cases. One person mentioned that an outside consultant was brought
in for specialized diversity training. Often,
campus partners with expertise in specific
areas such as counseling facilitated sessions
for hall staff.

Reading
There were few "pre-training" requirements
for reading or preparation that participants
were asked to complete. One professional reported being asked to read a book in preparation for training: Becoming the Boss: New Rules
for the Next Generation of Leaders (2014) by
Lindsay Pollak. This book was discussed in
one hour-long session with the entire central
office staff, and the ideas contained in it were
referred to throughout the training. One professional stated she was able to apply information obtained from this book and also started
reading other books about leadership and supervision that helped in her supervisory role.
Another participant was asked to read infor-

mation about the university's new first-year
student initiative in preparation for training
and discussion. Interestingly, one participant
noted a strict policy from human resources
that prohibited staff from being asked to do
any work prior to being on contract as an explanation for why no reading or work assignments were made.

Delivery Methods
Despite significant changes in topics being
offered, the delivery of graduate and new professional training has varied little over time.
Most participants shared that their training
was not overly engaging and the traditional
methods of training for content were lecture,
small group activities, role plays, and roundtable discussion. The "technology" used for
training depended on the historical era and
ran the gamut from handouts, newsprint/
markers, and overhead projected documents
in the early years to PowerPoint presentations, YouTube video, and training delivered asynchronously by the use of computer
modules more recently.

Ongoing Training
Most participants discussed pre-service training experiences; however, when prompted,
participants also provided information about
the type of training offered following the initial
on-boarding workshops. One-on-one meetings
with supervisors served to provide ongoing
training in the participants' positions most frequently. Some mentioned structured professional development workshops offered weekly,
monthly, or sporadically. A few participants
stated that they had a mid-year training workshop for a few days prior to the beginning of
the second semester.

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 3