Talking Stick - July/August 2018 - 8

VISION

Special Conduct
We've all had that experience when we try to explain our job to someone and they
seem to think housing professionals are nothing more than glorified hall monitors
whose only responsibility is to deal with wild, misbehaving college students or to serve
as party planners. Of course, enforcing policies and community standards is part of
the job, but we also know that what we do is so much more than that. Being able to
demonstrate a holistic approach to housing conduct issues is just one
reason I am so excited about ACUHO-I's latest book project.
Conduct and Community: A Residence Life Practitioner's Guide is not
only the largest book ACUHO-I has ever created (more than 400 pages
long!), but it also is one of our most ambitious and progressive titles.
Led by a trio of editors - JoCynda Hudson, Alan Acosta, and Ryan C.
Holmes - and featuring contributions by more than 30 authors, the
book truly bridges the gap between theory and practice. When recruiting authors, ACUHO-I partnered with the Association for Student
Conduct Administration (ASCA) to find experts with practical
. . . THE
experience in both the conduct and housing worlds. They synthesized theoretical foundations from a variety of bodies of scholarship
CONDUCT
to create a guide practitioners can draw from as they incorporate
PROCESS IS AN lessons learned from years of research into actionable strategies.
Along with 10 insightful chapters, the book includes discussion
EXTENSION
questions, case studies, and additional resources that make this
OF CAMPUS
perfect for staff training or even a graduate school classroom.

HOUSING'S
EDUCATIONAL
MISSION.

Through the authors' writings, definite themes began to emerge.
For example, it quickly became apparent that the conduct process
does not begin when a policy violation takes place. Rather, from day
one housing professionals must establish a sense of community
where standards, inclusivity, social justice, and support are present
and in line with underlying laws as well as the institutional and
departmental missions. Not only will this community formation help avert conflicts
before they occur, it will also be vital in the restoration of a community in the wake of
a conflict or incident.
A second theme was the recognition that the conduct process is an extension of
campus housing's educational mission. As the editors write in the book's introduction, "At almost no other time in higher education professionals' careers can they
meet with a student at a potentially critical or life-altering moment and help students
reshape their lives into productive and healthy collegiate experiences." When sanctions and outcomes are approached with goals focused more on being educational
than on being punitive, the benefits are immense.
The book is available now through the ACUHO-I website. I strongly recommend
you check it out; you can read an excerpt starting on page 56. I also send my thanks
to the editors and authors who made this resource possible. Not only will it help institutions better serve the needs of their students, but it will broaden the understanding
of what housing can and should do in the name of community.
Deb Schmidt-Rogers

ACUHO-I President

 Dschmi6@luc.edu

 @DSchmidtRogers

 Deb Schmidt-Rogers

TALKING STICK

TALKING STICK
Symbol of International
Friendship
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

SUSTAINABILITY

July + Auguest 2018 | Volume 35, Number 6
published by the Association of College and University
Housing Officers - International

Cover Information:
Our sustainability
knowledge has
grown beyond
recycling soda cans
and paper. The
feature on page 48
shows you just how
far this knowledge
has expanded and
how it will take us
even further into the
future.
Photo credit: 4240
Architecture Inc.

Talking Stick - July/August 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - July/August 2018