SEAHO Report - Winter 2013 - (Page 16)

SEAHO FEATURE Department academic staff have also been featured as guest speakers at faculty-inclusive community builders, leading captive audiences in our hall’s recreational rooms otherwise usually bustling with Ping-Pong or air hockey matches. At many of these events, between 20 and 50 residents are in attendance. One particular formula has been instrumental in helping to bridge the gap between the classroom and residence hall experience. Resident Assistants would contact faculty members and collaborate on a topic of conversation for residents, while building hall councils and the larger united Residence Halls Council (URHC) would agree to supplement the planned events with food from local area restaurants. The key, first, was relying on the talents of RAs to envision a creative topic. Secondly, the faculty member would have to be someone who genuinely cares about meeting and interacting with undergraduate students in their free time. Thirdly, the support of hall councils in advancing quality experiences for the residents they represent in the provision of food from local restaurants helped lure the greater numbers of attendees to events. Lastly, the attendees at faculty programs are assessed using mobile assessments conducted through CampusLabs assessments administered through I-Pad mobile assessments. Data generated is used to determine the scope of advertisements that are effective in reaching residents, the extent that learning outcomes are met, the degree of resident satisfaction, and to generally evaluate community builder effectiveness. Holistically, a faculty-inclusive program needs, above all, passionate faculty, hall staff, and resident hall councils to help build momentum in the community and sustain an appreciation of the academic life. This model may provide housing departments across the Southeast with but one more approach to construct the bridge with our academic partners. Hopefully, this bridge will boost student success and retention rates as students feel more comfortable approaching faculty and communicating how these interactions are impacting their learning experiences in our residence halls. Are We Ready? By Rochelle D. Smith Jacksonville State University Disaster preparedness is always a tough topic. No one wants to think about the outcomes of a major disaster but being prepared is a necessity. During the summer, our department of University Housing and Residence Life (UHRL) began taking steps to overhaul our disaster preparedness plan. The first step was to develop a committee. After our initial committee meetings, we decided to focus on the following three tasks towards our goal: Obtain campus Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certification Develop a pandemic plan Enhance disaster kits Obtaining Campus CERT Certification The CERT concept was developed by the Los Angeles Fire Department. They recognized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disaster. They decided 16 that some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive until responders arrive. Check out for more information on CERT. JSU’s Residence Life Coordinator (RLC), Allison McInnis, initially brought the opportunity of the SEAHO Report Winter 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Winter 2013

SEAHO Report - Winter 2013
Contents
SEAHO President
SEAHO “Editor”
SEAHO News
Officer Elections
RELI – 10th Annual Institute
SEAHO 2013 Conference Schedule
Bridging Academic & Student Life Missions: Faculty- Inclusive Community Building in Residence Halls
Are We Ready?
Staff Development Tactics
Sustaining Sustainability: How Housing and Residence Life Can Impact the Sustainability Movement
Starting something that Matters—James Madison University partners with TOMS Shoes
Putting Professional Competencies into Practice
Ten Tips to Revolutionize Your Work Using Your iPad
Advising 101
Hiring Practices and Staff Supervision: Integrating Multicultural Competency to Foster an Inclusive Work Environment
Shifting Sands: Technology and the Shifting Landscape of Residence Hall Student Leadership
Best Practices: Student Athlete Population in Housing
Student Affairs Around the Region
Alabama Updates
Florida Updates
Kentucky Updates
Mississippi Updates
North Carolina Updates
Tennessee Updates
Virginia Updates

SEAHO Report - Winter 2013