ACUHO-I News Blog

In 1980, only three of every four Xavier University freshmen would return for a second year. Fewer than that would eventually graduate. These days at Xavier, a university with 6,996 students in Cincinnati, nine of every ten students return for their second year, and eight of ten ultimately graduate in six years. What changed? Not the students–they’re essentially, academically and fiscally, the same. It was Xavier’s retention efforts.

Adrian A. Schiess, as director for student success and retention, devotes his days to ensuring students who want to persist at Xavier are able to do so. He’s held the directorship since 1990; he was a professor at Xavier before that. Students with issues that may prevent them from continuing their educations are referred to Schiess. He’s assisted with many financial concerns–the most common problem–as well as mental health, academic and interpersonal issues. Post-freshmen year “melt” is a big concern for Xavier and most other institutions; freshmen drift and don’t return as sophomores. Thanks to Schiess’s and his staff’s efforts, Xavier’s freshmen retention rate is 86% for the last three years. (It was a bit higher, but the economy tamped it down.) This is better than the national mean for similar institutions, at 81.4%. Many problems that would prevent students from returning can be resolved. Often students who need extra help, whether in the form of financial aid, counseling or tutoring, are simply unsure of where to find it, and unfamiliar with navigating offices and advocating for themselves. Schiess’s office helps them do that, making it more likely the student will graduate, and strengthening the student’s bond with Xavier, the school that stuck with them.

Is there someone–or someones–on your campus whose entire job is devoted to retention? How does the housing office work with that person? If there isn’t a “retention position,” what efforts fill the gap?

ACUHO-I is mentioned in this Cronk of Higher Education article about conference romances. If there’s anyone out there mourning an Annual Conference romance (or friendship, or fling), perhaps this piece will be soothing:

ACUHO-I Conference Romance Ends Abruptly

If you feel like you didn’t represent yourself well, this article may be helpful:

Blistex Executive Makes Fool of Himself at Lip-Balm Conference

This award recognizes an individual who is or is not directly related to ACUHO-I, but who has made a significant contribution to the body of research and publications related to the housing profession. Nominations may be submitted by a housing professional from a currently active ACUHO-I member institution. See a list of previous winners here.

The 2010 winner of the Research and Publication Award is Tony W. Cawthon, department chair of Leadership, Counselor Education, Human and Organizational Development at Clemson University in South Carolina. Cawthon’s teaching, research, association and administrative work make him very deserving of this award.

Prior to his faculty career, Cawthon served as a student affairs administrator at Clemson University, Mississippi State University and the University of Tennessee Knoxville, in the area of student housing. He has written and presented scholarly work on student affairs in higher education, including work on careers and professional development and administrative issues. He has contributed to ACUHO-I’s Journal of College and University Student Housing, NASPA Journal, College Student Affairs Journal and the Journal of College Orientation and Transition.

Cawthon is ACUHO-I’s current Director of Knowledge Enhancement on the Executive Board. He is a past editor of the Journal of College and University Student Housing and served as a program chair as well. Within ACPA, he serves as a Senior Scholar and was recently a reviewer on The Journal of College Student Development. He is the former editor of the College Student Affairs Journal from SACSA. He is serving  n the editorial board as a reviewer for the Journal of the Professoriate and Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice.

The Talking Stick Article of the Year award is granted based on the quality of writing; organization of the article; use of supporting documentation, where appropriate; capacity of the article to provoke thought; usability of the article to student housing programs or staff, and contribution to the student housing field. See previous winners here.

Vickie Hawkins and Kathy Bush Hobgood win the 2010 Robert P. Cook award for their Talking Stick article “Growing Season” that discussed the importance of mentorship. The article, which can be read here, states that the benefits of such a relationship are not only for the mentee: “Being a facilitative partner is not only an enormous responsibility-it is an honor. Witnessing and knowingly contributing to another housing professional’s personal and professional success is quite an accomplishment…There are many other benefits to serving as a mentor. [Adrienne] Frame enjoys the feeling of being energized, commenting that she ‘loves to see [her mentees] grow and mature, and make mistakes, as well as learn from them.’”

Hawkins is the director of university housing at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. Her thirty years at Georgia Southern started when she served as a Residence Hall Director there. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Appalachian State University. Hawkins has presented many times at ACUHO-I conferences and served on national and SEAHO committees. In 2008, she received SEAHO’s Founder’s Award.

Hobgood is the director of residential life at Clemson University. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and her master’s degree from Western Illinois University. She worked at the University of Florida and Albion College before moving to Clemson. Hobgood has been involved with ACUHO-I in many ways. She served as the Executive Board’s Publications Coordinator, was on the NHTI Host Committee, on the 2002 Annual Conference Host Committee, as the chair of the Talking Stick Committee and on the Talking Stick Advisory Board. She has also been involved in SEAHO activities, as state representative, executive board secretary and host committee member. Hobgood is SEAHO’s current historian and archivist.

This award recognizes corporate individuals who contribute to our association and our profession. Many companies have a sincere interest in ACUHO-I beyond a profit motive. They help sponsor events, contribute to the Foundation, become sustaining affiliate members, and offer valuable insights and feedback on the direction of ACUHO-I and its activities. See previous award winners here.

Jason Wills, senior vice president of American Campus Communities, is 2010′s Outstanding Corporate Friend. Wills was a resident assistant at the University of Texas at Arlington in 1993. In 1997, he joined American Campus Communities, and was promoted to senior vice president of development in the on-campus development business segment. American Campus Communities is the largest developer, owner and manager of student housing in the United States, and the first such company to go public. Wills is a regular speaker on student housing trends. Wills has served the Association on the ACUHO-I Foundation board and as founding member of the 21st Century Project.

ACUHO-I is appreciative of Wills and American Campus Communities for their contributions to the profession and the Association.

This award was created to honor the contributions of a dedicated housing professional that mentored many staff and students throughout her involvement with NACURH and ACUHO-I. Also, Judy Spain’s unique personal journey is a source of pride for all Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) individuals and their allies. The nominees should have contributed to the GLBT community through activities and interventions that promote positive growth, development, and education of GLBT individuals and their allies. See the previous winners here.

David Vaillancourt is the 2010 Judy Spain Award recipient. Vaillancourt earned his master’s degree in college student personnel at Western Illinois University, where he served as a Residence Hall Director. He was a complex director at Bowling Green University where he also advised the Resident Student Association and served as President of the Graduate Student Senate. He became Assistant Director for Residence Life at Northeastern University and finished his doctoral work there. In 1999, he moved to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he remains today. He has served as an adjunct professor in that institution’s higher education program with a focus on college student development. Vaillancourt is now associate director for assignments and administration. He has been involved with the campus faculty and staff GLBT network on their coordinating committee.

Vaillancourt has presented a number of times at ACUHO-I conferences, as this seems to be an acceptable outlet for the “gift of gab” that got him in trouble with the nuns in middle school. He has been actively involved with ACUHO-I for almost 15 years, and is Administration Chair for this year’s ACUHO-I Annual Conference Program Committee. He is honored to receive the Judy Spain Award, and had the pleasure of meeting its namesake several times at NACURH conferences.

I’ve sat down to write a blog post about the Annual Conference and Exposition no fewer than five times. It’s difficult to find a few minutes alone at the conference and, for me, harder to switch gears from active learning to written reflection. I’ve snagged a few minutes at the hotel coffee shop this morning before sessions start to jot some notes (in true ACUHO-I ACE fashion, as soon as I typed that sentence, my former supervisor sat down with me and started chatting).

You’ve probably heard the analogy that ACE is like a family reunion. This does not do justice to the enthusiastic, emotional reunions taking place all over the hotels and convention centers. Former classmates, staff members, supervisors all converging in one location lends itself to lots of reunions, many of them involving two or more people rushing at each other across a room to hug. Just like a family reunion, there are the loud uncles, the crazy aunts, the wound-up cousins… and you love them all for the character they bring to the event.

We all have a residence life and housing family. If we’re lucky, they have stayed in the field and are at conferences with us. They are the people who know our professional history and hold pieces of our stories. They reflect back to us how much we have grown as people and as professionals. They are invaluable to our own journey and development.

During her keynote speech, Dr. Bertice Berry said, “Everybody in this room is not your competition. They are the only people who understand what you do.”

As we grow in this profession, our families should, too. By introducing friends and colleagues to other friends and colleagues, we expand our networks and tighten our bonds. We create overlapping support systems for one another and ourselves. I smile every time I overhear someone say, “Have you met…” because I know a new connection was sparked.

It’s an incredible feeling to feel so supported by people whom I only met this week. With every story of a challenge or problem I’m facing, people are quick to offer not only suggestions, but support. Business cards are stuffed in the back of my name badge from new connections and there are notes jotted in my program book of presenters with whom to follow up.

It’s an amazing thing, this network of support we’ve created, and more amazing to see it in action in Austin this week.

This award recognizes individual(s) who have assisted ACUHO-I with dedicated service and outstanding leadership, and devoted their professional time and effort to strengthening the goals and objectives of the Association. See previous winners here.

Cindy Felice is the 2010 James C. Grimm Leadership and Service Award recipient. Felice earned her bachelor’s in history from Gettysburg College and her master’s in college student personnel from Bowling Green State University. She worked for 14 years at Syracuse University starting there as a residence hall director.

In 1997 she began as Assistant Director for Resident Life at the University of Maryland supervising an area of campus comprising 3500 students in traditional, suite and apartment style residence halls.   In 1999 she became Associate Director of Resident Life and her scope of responsibility was expanded to include, over time, 2500 additional students living in public private partnership apartment housing and most recently, off campus housing services.  She also co-chairs the Division of Student Affairs Sustainability Committee.

Felice has been a longtime member and volunteer with ACUHO-I, growing familiar with the organization by serving it in various capacities. She served on the program committee for seven years, ending as program committee chair at the 1997 Annual Conference in Minneapolis. She has been heavily involved in the National Housing Training Institute, as a faculty member and co-director. Felice has also served as the MACUHO regional trustee, chair-elect, chair, and now, past chair on the Foundation Board. During her leadership, she oversaw the restructuring of the Foundation Board.

The James A. Hurd Award is presented annually by ACUHO-I to a member of color to honor and recognize outstanding contributions to our association and profession. James A. Hurd was the first African-American president of ACUHO-I. He served from 1976-77.  See this page for previous winners of the award.

Willie Brown is the 2010 winner of the James A. Hurd Award. Brown has more than 34 years of experience in college housing, including more than 17 as a chief housing officer. He is now the executive director for housing and residential services at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Brown earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of California San Diego and his Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law. He has served ACUHO-I and the WACUHO region in various capacities throughout his career. Currently, Brown is on the WACUHO Organizational Structure Review Committee and the ACUHO-I Membership Committee.

At UCSB, Brown’s philosophy is “engineering” social processes to help individuals and communities reach their potentials. His department’s annual report states: “The future of our civilization lies in our ability to make sense of the complex organisms and structures in our society today.  We, in the student affairs profession, have consciously shifted the efforts of our daily activities to areas that sometimes have been neglected or undervalued by society at large.  Qualities like diversity, trust, community and continuous learning have required us to develop an ability to bring together and reconcile differing perspectives and approaches.  The key element is our reliance on each other to build communities that not only work, but function at their fullest potential.  The greatest measure of our success is in watching the passion with which people approach their daily life.”

This week at Inside HigherEd, catching plagiarism right from the start, the fraught issue of for-profit colleges, and NYU-Abu Dhabi starts classes.

‘BAD APPLES’ OR SOMETHING MORE? As setting of scrutiny of for-profit colleges shifts from executive branch to Congress, the rhetoric suggests a more systemic challenge to the fast-growing institutions.

‘THE WORLD’S HONORS COLLEGE?’ NYU Abu Dhabi admits a standout first class, as unprecedented experiment in student and faculty mobility gets underway.

FINDING APPLICANTS WHO PLAGIARIZE: Turnitin, dominant player in detection software, starts to sign up colleges to screen application essays. Some admissions officials welcome the help, but others are skeptical.

ADJUNCTS AND RETENTION RATES: Study finds freshmen who get more instruction from those off the tenure track are less likely than peers to return as sophomores, but the impact is different for full-time instructors.

STANDARDIZATION AND SAVINGS: Rio Salado College has managed to halve the amount it spends on textbooks without ditching the wood pulp.

This award honors the past women presidents of ACUHO-I and is presented to recognize an outstanding woman professional who has served the housing profession through courage, leadership, forging new paths as pioneers, honor, and commitment. This award is meant to recognize our past, celebrate our future, and encourage more women to lead our Association. See past award winners here.

Julie Payne-Kirchmeier is the 2010 Herstory Award recipient. Payne-Kirchmeier is the director of university housing and the director of the Saluki First Year Program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She earned her bachelor’s degree in genetics and her master’s degree in student affairs administration from Texas A&M University. She completed her doctorate in educational leadership, administration and foundations at Indiana State University. Her dissertation focused on women administrators’ perceptions of the job search process for senior student affairs positions. Payne-Kirchmeier’s work with ACUHO-I has been extensive, including that in women’s affairs and initiatives. She has presented regionally and nationally on women’s advancement and professional development; served on the Women’s Issues Network (now sunseted); started the Women Housing Professionals group on the ACUHO-I network; and started the Women in Housing (#wihsng) Twitter group. She has also served on the Membership Committee, the Professional Standards Committee and as a delegate to the 21st Century Project Summit, the Learning and Knowledge Summit and the Global Housing Summit. Not one to rest on her laurels (or anywhere), Payne-Kirchmeier is now serving on the Chief Housing Officer Institute Committee and the Student Affairs Assessment and Knowledge Consortium Advisory Committee.

Payne-Kirchmeier has also joined with three other women housing professionals to draft a Women’s Issues Task Force proposal, which was presented to the ACUHO-I Board this past spring, and has the support of 110 additional colleagues in ACUHO-I.  If approved, this task force would conduct a needs assessment for women in ACUHO-I, providing the association with information that will assist ACUHO-I in determining how best to serve women in our association.  She is also the author of the blog “The Feminist Lattice”.

Ascribing to the philosophy of advocacy and action, Payne-Kirchmeier lives by this quote from Dr. Johnetta Cole, President Emeritus from Spellman College – “If we do nothing to change the world, then we cannot call ourselves educated women.”  She believes it is her responsibility to work toward achieving equality and equity for women professionals and students.

The Global Initiatives Award honors the contributions of dedicated housing professionals who have contributed to furthering strategic initiatives of ACUHO-I and its aims of becoming a pre-eminent international association. It was established in 2008, and there are only two previous winners, Adolph Haislar and David Holmes. The importance of this award is highlighted as ACUHO-I increases and deepens its international outreach efforts.

The 2010 winner is Dima Utgoff, the director of residence services at the University of Alberta-Edmonton, and a longtime volunteer for various professional associations, including ACUHO-I. He has worked for more than 35 years in student residence services with various institutions. At the University of Alberta – Edmonton, Utgoff is responsible for seven (soon to be eight) residence communities housing more than 4000 students. Utgoff joined the University of Alberta in May 1997 and as of September 2010 will have completed 35 years in student and student residence services at four universities. In addition to the University of Alberta, these include Acadia University, the University of British Columbia and the University of Guelph. Utgoff has also been active in professional associations, having served as both the President of the Residence Life Professional Association (RLPA) and the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS), as Canadian District Representative for the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International (ACUHO-I), as the co-chair of the fist Canadian Conference on Student Discipline and as one of several facilitators for ACUHO-I’s Professional Standards Institute, among other involvements. A wise philosophy of his is “take your job very seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.” Edmonton has been home for 13 years, the longest period of time he has ever lived anywhere. His wife Margaret, after a long and varied involvement in Girl Guides, is now the Provincial Commissioner for the Girl Guides of Canada – Alberta Council (which also include the Northwest Territories and Yukon). His Golden Retriever, Digby, thinks he is the manager of their house. Utgoff is a two-time award winner for ACUHO-I; in 2009, he was one of the Parthenon Award winners.

The Journal Manuscript of the Year Award is given based on the quality of writing; organization in the design of the article; research methodology; significance to the housing field; educational value of the manuscript; creativity or originality of the approach; applicability or usability of the article to housing programs; and its overall contribution to the field. Here is a list of previous winners of this award.

The 2010 winners of the Betty L. Harrah Journal Manuscript of the Year Award are Michael L. Fanucce and Deborah Taub. They authored “The Relationship of Homonegativity to LBGT Students’ and Non-LGBT Students’ Perceptions of Residence Hall Climate,” and it was published in The Journal of College & University Student Housing volume 36, number 2. According to the authors’ abstract, “The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between students’–both LGBT and non-LGBT–perceived levels of homonegativity (negative attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals) and their perceptions of the climate and community in college and university residence halls.”

Fanucce is a residence hall coordinator at Illinois State University. He received his master’s degree from Purdue University where he was a resident assistant and a graduate administrative professional in the dean of students office, working with the Boiler Volunteer Network. His master’s thesis research won the 2005-06 NASPA GLBT Knowledge Community Research Award. Fanucce earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Classics from Momouth College. His research interests are LGBT issues and identity development in traditional-age college students, and how these things affect their pursuit of a degree.

Taub is an associate professor of higher education in the department of teacher education and higher education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before moving to UNCG, she served as a faculty member at Purdue University for ten years. Her research focuses on the psychosocial and social identity development of traditional-age students, and the effectiveness of intervention and retention programs on student success. She earned her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in college student personnel from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Oberlin College. The North Carolina College Personnel Association named her their Distinguished Scholar for 2008. She received ACPA’s Annuit Coeptis Senior Professional award in 2009. She is a Past Chair of the ACPA Commission on Professional Preparation. She is the co-editor of the 2008 New Directions for Student Services volume, Assisting Bereaved College Students. She served as the project director and Co-PI of ALIVE @ Purdue, a campus suicide prevention program, and serves as the project evaluator and Co-PI of UNCG’s Friends Helping Friends, a campus suicide prevention program. She is a frequent writer and conference presenter on topics related to today’s college students. However, her only real claim to fame is that she was a contestant on Jeopardy!

The ACUHO-I Award is  the highest recognition by the Association of a person who has made outstanding contributions to ACUHO-I and the housing and food service professions. Presented only after retirement, the award recognizes distinguished and extraordinary service. A list of previous winners is here.

If your students enjoy their private or semi-private bathrooms, they have Donald Kilbourn to thank.
Kilbourn was the first full-time housing administrator at Central Michigan University, where suites with bathrooms were introduced to the housing world. Kilbourn, rather than assuming what students wanted, asked for their opinions. In a process that is now familiar to housing professionals throughout our organization, he arranged for mock-ups of the suites to be provided for student viewing and comments before the final design was put in place. Kilbourn was among a pioneering group of housing professionals who considered students critical partners in the management process, responsible for their own happiness in student housing.

Kilbourn also served as ACUHO president from 1956-57. During that time, he proposed several initiatives that still have a considerable impact on the ACUHO-I of today: training programs for housing professionals, recruiting programs, encouraging smaller institutions to join, and concentrating our energies where they can best serve the membership.

In his President’s report, he made the following recommendations:

1. I believe we should consider the idea, proposed by Mrs. Curtis of the University of Colorado, of supporting a training program for housing personnel. I recommend that a committee be appointed to study the possibilities of such a program.
2. Somewhat associated with the above is the problem of recruiting and retaining qualified housing and food service personnel. This involves such areas as pay, prestige, workload and role. It is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain and keep qualified staff. We must face up to the problem in the near future and I believe we should begin to study the situation now.
3. Concentrate on expanding the membership of the smaller schools. These institutions, for the most part, need our help.
4. As the services of the Association are expanded, we shall have to be careful to keep our efforts channeled in those directions which have merit and refrain from dissipating energy in areas where we are not prepared to function effectively.
In Conclusion: I came in contact with several housing officers, Deans, Counselors and Business Managers. The interest and enthusiasm which these people have for ACUHO is a tribute to those who have directed the affairs of the Association in previous years. The most gratifying aspect of my year as President has been the cooperation I have received. Without exception, assignments were accepted and carried out enthusiastically. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your President. Please accept my sincere thanks for the opportunity.

Excerpt taken from How Suite Is Your Suite? A History of Housing at Central Michigan University

ACUHO-I and the housing profession owe a great deal to Kilbourn, and the ACUHO-I Award is an opportunity to thank him for all he has done for us.

Thank you is also due to Joanie Schmidt, 2002 ACUHO-I president, for her thoughtful and thorough nomination letter.

Starting on Sunday, we’ll devote one blog post a day to each of ACUHO-I’s 2010 award winners. We’ll talk a bit about each award and the person who won. Thank you to all of ACUHO-I’s award winners for the work you’ve done for the profession and the Association!

In the meantime, is there someone (or several someones) in your housing department who should win an award for his or her work this year? In lieu of formal recognition, tell us about that person’s achievements here!