Talking Stick - January 2012 - 56

snapsHot

yaileiMy “JaMie” rodrigUez
me nTor s In T he FIe ld are so me ThIng I T ruly Va lue. . . . I re a lly e nJ o y dI s c u s s Ing wITh oT he r s Tr e nds , b e s T pr a c TIc e s , and Jus T dIFFe renT pe r s pe c TIV e s on T he s a me Is s u e s . . . .
What’s the biggest issue you see facing the profession right now?
Life/work balance is something I see as an issue our profession is facing, especially for a young professional when you are first starting and want to put everything into your work but also understand the importance of personal time.

What’s the first thing you do when you get into the office each morning?
I check my mailbox and look over the duty logs from the night before. My mailbox is behind the main desk where our students work, so I make sure to catch up with the main desk assistant working at the time and see how they are doing in their own lives.

outside with the good weather we had that day. The students loved it and stayed out there playing sports past the time the event ended.

Favorite campus traditions?
In January there is an annual ‘DREAM Week,’ and there is one specific event I enjoy during the week where our office collaborates across the university and community to host one of the largest gatherings honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. I truly enjoyed attending this event where hundreds of students, faculty/staff, and community members came together to eat good food and enjoy performances from talented artists.

What’s on your computer’s desktop? What makes your campus unique?
Syracuse University has over 30 learning communities on campus that work closely with our academic and student affairs partners to provide for students living in our residence halls. These learning communities cover categories such as arts and expression; business and management; cultural exploration and diversity; health and wellness; leadership and citizenship; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and learning communities organized around an academic major and minor. Each year during orientation, the Office of First Year and Transfer Programs (FYTP) organizes a bird’s eye view photograph with all the first-year students in a formation of their graduating class year. I have the picture of “2015” on my desktop, which becomes a great talking point when students want to figure out where they are in the picture.

How do you tell your staff you appreciate their work?
I believe in role modeling the behaviors I expect from them and the standards I hold them to. I always tell them, “I’d never ask you to do something I’m not willing to do,” and so I’ve set up several ways to show them that I appreciate their work. One example is a duty coupon that they can redeem for me to work one of their duties, or they have their names in a drawing and I will I do one of their bulletin boards. In our building they have six to seven per floor that are often changed monthly, so to them it’s great excitement when their name is picked.

What resource can’t you live without?
Mentors in the field are something I truly value. Whether it’s peer mentors or veterans in the field, I really enjoy discussing with others trends, best practices, and just different perspectives on the same issues that come up on campuses across the nation.

What’s your biggest challenge on campus?
Currently we are working to implement more late night alternatives for students. We continue to see that the consumption and abuse of alcohol and other drugs is a problem we need to tackle on our campus, and we have begun taking great steps towards providing students alternate activities to engage in during the later hours of the night.

What are you doing when you’re not on the job?
My favorite thing to do is go to the movie theater and see the latest film. I also love musical theater and recently bought season tickets to the local theater stage for the upcoming year. I can’t wait!

Last meal at a campus dining hall?
Several buildings came together with my residence hall to host an end-of-the-year event that included the dining hall staff barbecuing outside for the students and bringing the experience of dinner
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Talking STick

YAILEIMY “JAMIE” RODRIGUEz is a residence director at Syracuse University in New York. Is there a colleague you feel would be great for a Snapshot? Please send your ideas to talkingstick@acuho-i.org.

Talking Stick - January 2012

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