Talking Stick - November/December 2016 - 8

VISION

Watershed
It is said that the only constant is change, and I think we can all agree that the
sentiment certainly holds true for campus housing. Some of these changes are small
and incremental, almost sneaking up on us, as the profession and society evolve. But
then there also are those watershed events which can affect us in an immediate and
dramatic fashion. These changes can virtually reset our world and create what may be
called a new normal. As I conclude my term as the ACUHO-I president and reflect
on the multitude of conversations I've had with so many of you, I believe that campus
housing and higher education as a whole may be in the midst of such
an event.

I SUSPECT THAT
NAVIGATING
FLSA CHANGES
WILL BE SIMILAR
TO THE SHIFT
IN OPINIONS
AND PRACTICES
THAT OUR
PROFESSION
HAS GONE
THROUGH
RELATED TO
PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS.

TALKING STICK

This game-changing event, as you could probably guess, considering
how much we have all had to think about it in recent months, is the
changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act. In the coming decades,
I believe we will look back at this so-called unfunded mandate
as a pivotal moment when we were able to push through salary
constraints that existed for decades and begin to compensate our staff
commensurate with their talent and skills. This doesn't mean that it
won't come without some challenges in implementation. It will require
our time, expertise, patience, and innovation as we address the topic.
But once we negotiate the hit to our budgets and navigate the salary
compression, I think the initial increase and the regular adjustments
will position our field to keep pace with salaries in non-higher
education markets. That is an outcome that I think many of us would
approve of, even if the journey there may seem daunting.
Change can be hard. Change can be scary. But that doesn't mean
that change is bad. I suspect that navigating FLSA changes will be
similar to the shift in opinions and practices that our profession has
gone through related to public-private partnerships. It wasn't long
ago that the suggestion of such an arrangement was met with large
amounts of trepidation. Today it is increasingly common and, actually,
has been the primary construction and funding model in the non-U.S.
student housing sector for a long time.

Along with change, the other constant these past decades has
been ACUHO-I's willingness to help members find solutions to the
latest developments. We have, for example, integrated P3s into our
membership structure. With FLSA, we responded with webinars,
reports, articles, and other resources. And, in the future, when the
next watershed moment comes along, ACUHO-I and its members will be there again,
helping one another navigate the changing tides.

Allan Blattner
ACUHO-I President
 allan_blattner@unc.edu
 @apblattner
 ablattner
 allan blattner

TALKING STICK

Talking Stick magazine
takes its name from the
symbol of international
friendship presented
to ACUHO-I in 1973 by
the Ohiat Band of the
British Columbia Indian
Nation. The talking stick,
or speaker's staff, is
hand carved, and the
inscription explains, "It is
a sign of authority carried
when proclamations
are to be made or a
meeting of chiefs is in
session. It is a token
of common heritage
both to Canadians and
Americans."

ON THE
COVER
She may not finish
undergrad unscathed.
But the sofa will.

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UniversityFurnishing_TS_PrintAd_FA2.indd 1

8

Symbol of International
Friendship

November + December 2016 | Volume 34, Number 2

published by the Association of College and University
Housing Officers - International

9/13/16 4:03 PM

Today's study areas
offer a balanced
mix of privacy and
connectivity. In the
feature on page 36
see how members,
like the University of
Kansas in Lawrence
shown here, are
redrawing the
physical space and
making these areas
the spots to be on
campus.
Photo credit:
TreanorHL
Talking Stick - November/December 2016

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