Talking Stick - July/August 2008 - (Page 53)

Matthew Brown: Thank you for sharing your personal story. I have to concur that the most valuable element of professional conferences for me continues to be the personal connections with my peers. A number of years ago when I accepted my first director position, a mentor explained to me that the director’s chair can at times be very lonely. While you may have a peer group consisting of other student affairs directors, none of them can appreciate the unique challenges and pressures associated with managing student housing. As a director, your peer group is truly external to the campus; it consists of a professional network of other directors and mentors. You do not have the luxury of venting frustrations with your staff or asking advice from your campus peers about specific housing-related issues. National and regional conferences continue to be the mainstay of my professional development. I continue to be impressed by the broad range of programming sessions at ACUHO-I conferences as well as regional conferences. But I really value the one-on-one conversation which often occurs between sessions or over dinner. Every year I look forward to reconnecting with colleagues and getting updates on the many initiatives and projects taking place around the country. One area where these informal conversations have truly benefited me is in my understanding of public-private partnerships. I’ve sat through many presentations from developers which typically outline all of the upsides associated with a P3 relationship, but it is through conversations with colleagues who have already successfully pursued these projects that I really got a handle on the pros and cons. board and one that instinctively understands. You don’t have to explain much about your campus or the colorful characters you work with and for. What I have learned is that most of our situations and issues are common to other campuses too, and it is refreshing to hear how others are addressing these challenges. Mostly, you learn that you are not alone and that your problem is not unique. This group catharsis is healthy and rewarding. Hearing from others allows you to form a better understanding of how you can deal with a particular issue on your campus. I would also add that we should be providing guidance to the younger generation of housing professionals at these conferences. They need to hear about our successes and failures so they can learn from our experiences. I have the privilege of knowing some exceptional people in the housing profession, and I benefited from their counsel and guidance. When I would see them at the conference, I was able to spend some time with them and talk about what was happening on my campus. Their experience and advice is always refreshing to me. Paul Riel: I concur with each of you. It is very important to remain engaged in our profession and to attend the professional conferences. We all can actively learn from the presentations and workshops, but at this stage of our careers it is the interpersonal relationships that give guidance and relevance. Our peer group at these conferences is a great sounding Hunter: Even outside of the formalized conference setting, the dialogues that occur and networks that form amongst colleagues either at the same institution or at different institutions can have a lasting impact on the future of our profession. As you allude to, Paul, we often face similar issues and are not alone in the problems that we are charged to address. When we collaborate and/or partner with colleagues at other institutions, the possibilities for seeking optimal solutions to our issues are endless. As leaders, we strive to seek out opportunities to maximize on human potential to take us to the next level. I believe that we are entering a new era in our profession with different demands from those we serve than what has been experienced in the past. The Millennial generation is expecting a higher standard of service both in housing facility options and residential education/engagement opportunities: July + August 2008 53

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - July/August 2008

Talking Stick - July/August 2008 Contents Online Now Vision Just In Your ACUHO-I Transitions Res Life Facilities Business Calendar When Politics Come to Your Town Support System Conversations First Takes Reporting Out New Members Snapshot

Talking Stick - July/August 2008

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