Talking Stick - March/April 2015 - 44

ampus housing, like most businesses, has an inherent hierarchy and chain
of command. Based on their position and title, staff at different levels have
varying responsibilities and a different focus to their work. Despite these
differences, as well as the literal and figurative barriers between levels, staff
must come together and work synchronously to create a fully functioning
department.

These levels come together when staff are bonded by the mission of the
work. Having ascended through the ranks, most senior housing officers
identify with the work of the entry-level professional. They too have answered the duty phone (or
pager), they have filed the damage reports, they have responded to the late night fire alarms. But
while tasks may be similar from generation to generation, there are also dramatic differences in
technology, student concerns, facilities, and even student expectations. This is where the generation
gap must be bridged - at the place where experience meets the front lines.

In talking with campus housing
professionals about their working relationships
with either their supervisors or their
supervisees, it quickly becomes apparent that
there can be marked differences - actual or
perceived - between entry-level and senior-level
staff. Perhaps these alleged differences are
timeless and unavoidable. Fortunately, they are
not insurmountable. Open communication and
a willingness to recognize what can be gleaned
from others can bring the two sides together.
Consider, for instance, Kirsten Andrews,
a residence hall director at the University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse. She interacts with the
director of her department regularly, and he
completes one-on-one meetings with every hall
director each semester, allowing for crosspositional education. Still, if she could educate
him on anything that she thinks differs between
present and past generations of residence
directors, it would be the increased attention to
work/life balance. "There are various influences
and factors that hall directors now face when
attempting to create balance within personal
and professional lives. The expectations
of students have changed how we have to
function in our roles," she explains. "I think
my director would be surprised to know how
much active time I put into my job. In order
to truly connect with my students - and meet
their expectations - I have to have much more
of a physical presence in my building than the
estimated 40 hours a week of work that my
role entails," she adds. Andrews' official job
description encompasses conduct, supervision,
and advising. But she also recognizes that her

TALkIng STICk

job requires more than simply performing
those formal roles. It often requires her physical
presence. "Students desire and expect my
presence at desk meetings, hall events, and
casually throughout the building. I've found
the more that I do this, the more successful our
community is. This makes it difficult to create
balance. I often sacrifice personally for the good
of my students."
Many of the differences between entrylevel and senior-level staff can be overcome
by regular contact. At smaller institutions,
with smaller staffs, it can be easier to avoid
the bureaucratic barriers of a hierarchy. For
example, it is not atypical for residence directors
to report directly to the senior housing officer,
creating increased access and transparency
between positional levels. For entry-level and
senior-level staff alike, this direct supervisory
relationship can mean a more clear and mutual
understanding of the challenges and successes
of each position. A senior housing officer may
learn from an entry-level staff member; an
entry-level staff member may start thinking like
a senior housing officer earlier in their career as
a result. Elyse Thomas, a hall director at Saint
Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, reports
to the director of residence life, who has what
Thomas perceives to be the role of captain of
the proverbial ship. "My senior housing officer
wears so many different hats and helps with
several different departments. This allows her to
continuously learn. She shares material with us,
which we can use to cultivate and develop our
leadership skills." Thomas appreciates that her
regular contact with the senior housing officer

Talking Stick - March/April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - March/April 2015