PD for Free: Defining Competencies There is no doubt that professional development is valued in the campus housing field. However, there may not always be funds available to pursue all the different options. That means being purposeful about where to focus efforts and determining what skills and knowledge are necessary in order to excel in a current position or to prepare for the next level. When creating this personal development plan, professional competencies are a great tool to help uncover any existing gaps. A valuable source for developing this plan is the ACUHO-I Core Competencies: The Body of Knowledge for Campus Housing Professionals (2012), which serves as a comprehensive analysis of all functional areas of housing. Of course, the concept of competencies is nothing new to campus housing or student affairs in general. Along with the ACUHO-I core competencies, there are those developed for staff at different stages of their careers as well as different positions within student affairs. To help get started on that professional development plan, check out the following resources. And watch for this column in the next issue of Talking Stick to learn new ways to start filling those competency gaps. ACUHO-I Core Competencies: The Body of Knowledge for Campus Housing Professionals http://www.acuho-i.org/ AboutUs/CoreCompetencies/tabid/1087/Default.aspx ACUHO-I Hall Director Competencies http://www.acuho-i.org/EventsbrPrograms/ SelfAssessmentbrVirtualToolkit/tabid/1011/Default.aspx ACUHO-I NHTI Competencies http://www.acuho-i.org/Default.aspx?tabid=913 NASPA/ACPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners http://www.naspa.org/programs/ profdev/default.cfm Kate McGartland-Kinsella, Student Development Officer, University of Toronto Mississauga [Ed. Note: PD for Free is a recurring column that explores professional development opportunities for campus housing professionals at little or no cost. If you have ideas or success stories to share, please contact the author at kate.kinsella@utoronto.ca or on Twitter at @KateMcGK.] Does tHe Talking STick reaCH enougH oF your staFF? Call (614) 292-0099 or e-mail talkingstick@ acuho-i.org for more information about additional membership subscriptions. In the next Talking STick Coming in the March + April issue: · Accommodating students with disabilities · How peer connections keep students coming back to the halls · Onboarding new staff January + February 2013 11http://www.acuho-i.org/AboutUs/CoreCompetencies/tabid/1087/Default.aspx http://www.acuho-i.org/AboutUs/CoreCompetencies/tabid/1087/Default.aspx http://www.acuho-i.org/EventsbrPrograms/SelfAssessmentbrVirtualToolkit/tabid/1011/Default.aspx http://www.acuho-i.org/Default.aspx?tabid=913 http://www.naspa.org/programs/profdev/default.cfm http://www.naspa.org/programs/profdev/default.cfm