SEAHO Report - Spring 2018 - 21

SEAHO Feature Articles
The great philosopher Johnny Cash once remarked, "You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone... don't
try to forget the mistakes, but you don't dwell on it." Failure and mistakes will happen during your education
and during your career. While it is important to limit them and their impact, failures can be viewed as the opportunities for growth that they are. Those first six weeks are as important for you as they are for the students
you work with. Be present, ask for help, and remember that the success of a programming event does not define
your worth. If you find something isn't working, like email, try something different. Theory is important but only
useful if you know and understand it, ask your supervisor how to apply it. Challenge yourself but be aware of
your academic and professional responsibilities, don't commit to so much that you can't be successful. Finally, be
specific in your needs and goals. Only you know what they are and only you can communicate them clearly.

The Advisor's Bookshelf

John Michael Haky, Morehead State University
Any of us who have served as an Advisor for a student organization, either within or beyond student housing,
can attest that it is one of the most rewarding experiences we can have working with students. While advising an
RHA-type organization, an NRHH chapter, or even a residence hall council is a common role for many residence
life professionals, identifying opportunities to develop that advising skill set can be challenging. Below are five
books that will help any student or professional explore concepts of advising and help to develop their knowledge and skill set related to advising student organizations. By no means is this an all-inclusive list of resources
for current and future advisors, and I highly recommend supplementing any reading with resources specific to
your student population or organization's goals, but it will provide a solid foundation for building a library for
yourself or those you train/mentor in advising student organizations.
Advising Student Groups and Organizations (Norbert Dunkel, John Schuh, and Nancy Chrystal-Green)
A great introduction for those looking for general theories and practices about advising student organizations,
both within student housing and beyond. Starting with defining the various types of student organizations,
building through basic skills for advising and supporting students, and finishing with how to develop personal
effectiveness, just about anything one would need to know about advising student organizations is introduced in
this book. Whether you are looking for something to build your knowledge base or to help train the next generation of Advisors, this book provides a solid foundation to build upon and jump start the adventure into Advising.
Advice for Advisers: Empowering Your Residence Hall Association (edited by Norbert Dunkel and Cindy Spencer)
For those looking for a guide specifically about RHAs or NRHH chapters, ACUHO-I's 2006 publication is one of
the best available. Covering everything from how to structure an organization, expectations for attending conferences, and identifying financial support, this guide addresses almost any opportunity or challenge an Advisor
would want to know about when advising a student housing sponsored organization. The only limitation is that
since it was published over a decade ago, some of the information about students has become a little dated, so
you would want to supplement this book with some of the current publications about the current generation of
students (such as Generation Z Goes to College, Generation on a Tightrope, and/or iGen).
A Day in the Life of a College Student Leader (Sarah Marshall and Anne Hornak)
Transitioning theory to practice is an important part of both a student's and an organization's development, but
finding ways to guide students through that process can be challenging. This book provides a wide range of cases
studies specifically designed to help students explore issues around organizational conflict, programming, ethical concerns, and more. With case studies for everything from a campus-wide student government to residence
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SEAHO Report Spring 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Spring 2018