Talking Stick - May/June 2009 - 59

Tracy Mason-Innes: I am currently the coordinator of housing and residence life at the University of the Fraser Valley located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. UFV consists of four campuses located in Hope, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission. We are located about one hour from Vancouver. We have university degree programs and are known for our Criminology program and also programs such as Aviation and Fashion Design. UFV opened its first residence two years ago, and we have 200 beds. Gloria Cecilia Belden Fernandez: I have been the chief executive officer at the residential college of Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico) for the last two years. The University of Monterrey (UDEM) was founded in 1969 by a group of religious congregations, professionals, and leaders of the community as a humanistic institution that strives to build up all aspects of student life fully and holistically. Aware of the increasing number of students from other states and abroad, UDEM opened its residential college in August of 2006 to bring them a living and learning experience in a healthy, comfortable, and safe environment, with a formative model that strives to develop personal growth, community life, and academic success through the activities promoted, guided, and monitored by the formative team and aligned to the college norms – all taking place at the facilities designed by university housing architects and provided by hi-tech security and information systems, such as the resident’s personal electronic file. I have valued our affiliation with ACUHO-I for many years. Initially it was the “go to” place to learn about our field and the advancements being made by our colleagues in the States. Our American colleagues were our role models and trainers. We (the institutional we) became acquainted with the research and the researchers and, more specifically, with the wildly enthusiastic practitioners who put the theory into practice at their home institutions and eagerly shared their experience with their colleagues. Initially we may have viewed our American colleagues as wide-eyed youngsters in awe of what an older sibling or cousin was doing. Over the years, the relationship with ACUHO-I has served to reinforce that we are in some ways similar, but in other ways culturally and practically different. Our participation has often served to reinforce that we are on the right track in how we are approaching new challenges and emerging trends and has helped us in developing a vision and practice for the future. The members within ACUHO-I have always been open and supportive of each other, and I have appreciated this. Once I got over the feeling (a long time ago) of inadequacy based on how I developed my knowledge base, I felt very welcome to participate in every way possible in the organization. I was a part of the program committee and the international committee, ran for a board position, and was a host of the Canadian Study Tour. I look forward to acuho-I haVIng the abIlIty to IMPact legIslatIon In My country and to lobby for Issues related to on-caMPus housIng. I see acuho-I workIng closely wIth the regIonal assocIatIons to Make thIs haPPen. Mason-Innes: ACUHO-I has been a part of my professional life for over 11 years now. I began in family housing and found myself attending the apartments conference for a few years. As I didn’t come from the housing field, this conference helped me become a more competent and confident professional. As family housing is so unique and often misunderstood on campuses, the colleagues I met at the apartments conference helped me immensely. I moved from family and apartment housing to a first-year residence where I found myself attending the ACUHO-I annual conference and exposition. I benefited Thompson: [When you attend an ACUHO-I conference] what are the take-aways for you? For instance, what was learned from the networking or attending sessions that made an impression upon you that you then shared with your colleagues and students on your home campus? Or, another example could be that your experience at a conference changed your viewpoint on a housing issue and therefore changed how you looked upon your work. May + June 2009 5

Talking Stick - May/June 2009

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