ACUHO-I News Blog

In 2004 ACUHO-I began to investigate offering a certification program for housing professionals. Today those plans became a reality when registration opened for the ACUHO-I Certificate in Housing Assessment.

The ACUHO-I Certificate in Housing Assessment program is designed to educate participants how to successfully assess the programs, practices, and services a housing or residence life department delivers. The program offers three online courses, as well as a Capstone experience. And it does all this with practical, self-paced learning activities that utilize adult learning principles.

The three courses, which can also be taken individually, are crafted to establish, build, and utilize a culture of assessment within a housing department. The courses are: Advocating for Assessment and Creating a Comprehensive Plan; Developing and Implementing Assessment Projects and Methodology; and Analyzing and Reporting Assessment Data.

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A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

SWINE FLU IMPACT: Texas Wesleyan, Western Oregon and Harvard Dental close temporarily. Northeastern seeks to prevent handshakes at today’s graduation ceremonies:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/01/swine

ASSESSMENT FOUND TO BE WIDESPREAD: Survey finds wide use of measures of learning outcomes and curricular goals, but relatively little communication on these subjects with students:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/28/assess

TO FRIEND OR TO REJECT: Many admissions offices are using search engines and social networks to check out some applicants, or to promote institutions, survey finds:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/29/nacac

CUT AND RUN ATHLETICS: To avoid unprecedented NCAA penalties, colleges are eliminating teams that underperform academically to try to keep Division I status. Does this run counter to association’s academic reforms?
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/05/01/apr

A selection of college housing and student affairs headlines from InsideHigherEd.com. Look for these on a weekly basis in the ACUHO-I news blog.

WESTERN EXPANSION: An emerging student group called Youth for Western Civilization opposes “radical multiculturalism,” provoking fury on some campuses where the message is viewed as intolerant:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/21/white

A CULTURE OF ASSESSMENT: Hofstra U. students did not think much of the services and community offered them, until the institution discovered and responded to their concerns via a cycle of surveys:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/23/hofstra

(FURTHER) RETHINKING STUDENT AID: As debate about structure of loan programs rages, aid administrators’ group offers broad (and presumably costly) framework for overhaul of entire system of financing students’ education:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/04/23/nasfaa

Stories of assessment used successfully are nothing new, but like stories of couples happily married for 40 years, it’s nice to take a look at how the major players made things work. Even though both are common, successful assessments and enduring, loving relationships take a lot of work.

Witness this article about Hoffstra University’s effors  to transform its campus from a commuter school, where students came and went like office workers, to a more residential environment, with its own sense of place and community. It wasn’t easy, and it took a lot of time, but university officials and students seem pleased with what has been accomplished.