Talking Stick - July/August 2009 - 6

vision A Guiding Light Executive board members Steve Waller, who is the Facilities and Physical Environment Director (L), and Tony Cawthon, who is the Knowledge Enhancement Director (R), work to develop the association’s strategic plan. It is with great pleasure and excitement that I begin my term as ACUHO-I president. I look forward to the opportunities and challenges that await us all in the coming year. There is little doubt that 2009-10 will hold its share of surprises. Fortunately, I, the Executive Board, and the association as a whole will be able to approach those unexpected events with confidence thanks to the work of the boards that came before us as well as the strategic plan they have helped launch to guide us into the future. Just as your campuses and housing operations rely on a plan, so does your association. It is the ACUHO-I Strategic Plan that guides the work and the decision-making process of the board. That is why a portion of each meeting is given to the evolution of this plan. It is also why, last September, more than 40 housing professionals participated in the ACUHO-I Learning and Knowledge Summit. Throughout three days, we discussed the envisioned future of the profession, association, and individual members. The group defined common themes, knowledge principles, and core beliefs our Vision: Acuho-i to create ACUHO-I’s knowledge strategy. will “BE thE world’s forEmost Authority on collEgE And uniVErsity housing By proViding AccEss to mEAningful knowlEdgE And rEsourcEs.” Shortly after the summit, 30 more ACUHO-I volunteers and staff gathered for a strategic planning retreat. Fueled by the work done during the Knowledge Summit, the group took the work of the association one step further and developed a vision statement (otherwise known as our big, audacious goal) that ACUHO-I will “Be the world’s foremost authority on college and university housing by providing access to meaningful knowledge and resources.” That’s certainly a lofty vision, but it is achievable as the association approaches focused goals in five key areas: expertise, higher education, training and development, human resources, and relationships. This means that, when allocating resources and giving directions, volunteer leaders must ask themselves if projects will enable the work to be aligned with the mission and goals. Will higher education recognize the role housing plays in recruitment, retention, and academic success? Do administrators help housing professionals engage in the training necessary to achieve core competencies and develop an expertise in their work? Do the profession and the individual benefit from the promotion of a career in housing to a diverse group? And will the profession benefit from ACUHO-I’s collaborative relationships with acknowledged experts? With knowledge-based strategy and a dedicated membership, ACUHO-I will continue to move forward in a purposeful manner and will achieve our big, audacious goal. I look forward to the journey and invite you to accompany me along the way. Michael Schultz ACUHO-I President Talking STick

Talking Stick - July/August 2009

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