Talking Stick - May/June 2008 - (Page 35)

And a great move-in experience can be the ﬁrst step in building a successful college career. “With 5,500 new-to-Iowa State University students every year choosing to live on campus, making a great ﬁrst impression is critical to retention in year two,” says Peter Englin, director of residence at the Ames campus. Preparing to make this ideal ﬁrst impression can take institutions months as-needed meetings, explains Tommy Wright, interim director of housing and residence life. The team responsible for the event includes staff and faculty from housing and residence life, university PHOTOS: BOB ELBERT or even a full year of planning. Iowa State, for example, starts planning almost a year ahead. Their summer transitions team, made up of a cross-section of staff including representatives from facilities, administration and contracting, and residence life, organizes a debrieﬁng as soon as fall move-in is over in order to make changes for the next year. “The plan is communicated to all campus constituencies so they know what to expect,” Englin says. For Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, planning and coordinating the move-in process begins in February and continues through August, with quarterly or police, the physical plant, the parents’ association, student development, and student publications. Wright adds that sub-committees for speciﬁc elements of the process, such as parking and police, communications, volunteers, and checkin logistics, may also meet outside the larger group. The planning process for Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, begins with mailings and phone calls to all students when the residence halls close for the summer in May; the ﬁnal details are organized in August. “While residence life coordinates the logistics of the building move-in process, student development, public safety, and dining services all play a key role with orientation activities, trafﬁc congestion, and a move-in day menu that keeps everyone energized,” says Sean Berthold, coordinator for housing services. In 2004, Iowa State underwent a major move-in day overhaul, adding a student volunteer move-in crew and a celebrity “welcome back” team made up of university staff ranging from the university president to the football coach. The volunteer move-in crew works to unload an increasing amount of student belongings into the residence halls, while the “welcome back” team visits with students and parents, offering candy and smiles during the long move-in process. May + June 2008 35

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2008

Talking Stick - May/June 2008 Contents Online Now Vision Just In Your ACUHO-I Transitions Res Life Facilities Business Calendar Managing Move-In Madness Strike Up the Brand 44 for the Future There Goes the Neighborhood Academic Communities Conversations First Takes Reporting Out New Members On the Spot

Talking Stick - May/June 2008

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