Talking Stick - July/August 2017 - 42

Robert P. Cook Talking Stick Article
of the Year

Shaun Crisler
Syracuse University

Deborah Scheibler

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Robert P. Cooke was instrumental in establishing the publication standards that
would lead to production of the Talking Stick. Now, his name honors an article that
epitomizes the ideals of insight and education.

n their Talking Stick article
"Internal Assessment"
(September+October 2016),
authors Shaun Crisler and
Deborah Scheibler dug deep
into a valuable and too-often
overlooked aspect of campus housing. Crisler is the associate director of human resources, inclusion,
and communications at Syracuse
University. Scheibler is the assistant
director of housing and residence
life at Rutgers, the State University of
New Jersey.
In their work, not only did they
provide the necessary information
on how to begin internal assessment
programs, but also took the time to
explain why. In addition, by speaking with other housing professionals,
they were able to explore valuable
outcomes and detail important
resources such as those provided by
the Council for the Advancement of
Standards in Higher Education (CAS).
One of the judges noted that the
writers deserved the award "because of the importance of internal
assessment. This topic is not the
most glamorous, but is critical to
organization improvement. Crisler
and Scheibler did a fantastic job
of making the information easy to
understand and apply."

Article Excerpt
"Presidents and chancellors are calling for large reform under the banner of
institutional effectiveness, focusing on affordability, quality instruction, and
campus climate. These initiatives give terms like assessment, evaluation, and
comprehensive reviews a whole new meaning. The only way to meet the challenges of tomorrow is to know where we stand today. How can we ensure that
we are in a place to provide reasonably priced, attractive, and well-maintained
living environments? What is the best way to demonstrate that our programs
are both efficient and effective? How do we highlight our work in providing
an environment, including programs and services that promote learning in
its broadest sense, with an emphasis on academic support, diversity, sustainability, success, and enhancement? If you don't know the answer to these
questions or have just begun to ask these questions within your department,
it might be time for an internal review of your department's policies and practices. . . . Looking inward with a critical eye allows a department to grow and a
story to be told.
"Regardless of the size of the department, this project will require a framework to allow leverage of your resources. Manage your time, and make sure
you get the results you need. . . . If your department is accustomed to reviews,
you may find that you can use the ACUHO-I Professionals Standards in addition to other standards set within student affairs. If your institution does not
use a five-year review model, it is time to revisit the goals of the department."
They then discuss the following steps:
1. Become familiar with the self-assessment guide and ACUHO-I Standards.
2. Create a space for dialogue.
3. Select a leader.
4. Establish a governance group and framework.
5. Create a core group.
6. Provide evidence-based scores.
7. Analyze, review, and share the information.
8. Implement the findings and results.

2017 ACUHO-I WALL of HONOR
42

talking stiCk

Talking Stick - July/August 2017

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