Talking Stick - March/April 2009 - 52

Conversations information sources; otherwise, people will not know what to do or will overrun your phone and other systems looking for more information. In many cases, it is sometimes good to go back to basics a bright orange flyer on the door is a good way to let folks know about many things going on. blackouts, or other system failures? We have shared our emergency plans with our student leaders and placed some information into a parent newsletter, but we have not done any training or education for regular students. closed-doors training. It has been a success in terms of letting staff see the smoke conditions from a fire in a residence hall. Ellett: We have shared with our students that there is one source for all emergency situations; if they are in an NYU building, they can get up-to-date information at the front desk (where we have 24-hour-a-day security guards). We have marketed this and also reinforced it through first-floor meetings, and it works really well for us. ts Hallenbeck: At SMU they do an annual program called “Great Escape,” where they take a closed down hall and use theatrical smoke and other elements to create a realistic fire situation, so that students can experience what it is like to be in a fire and to escape. The fire department sets up the scene and is there to administer the program and assist the students. It is a very powerful program. We do not share a great deal with our students other than that there is a plan. I have seen podcasts done that explain some aspects of “what to do if” scenarios. Hallenbeck: One of the key parts of implementing the plan should be that all in the department, not just the res life folks, are aware of the plan and involved in the process of refining it. Carr: Craig just answered another question I am curious about. What information do you share with the residential students? I assume we all do regular fire drills, Midwest schools do tornado training, and coastal institutions do hurricane drills, but do you all show videos or have any other training for the general student population on active shooters, Lucier: We simulate a smoke hallway for our RAs as part of our behind- conversations is dedicated to capturing dialogue between high-level professionals on the topics that affect campus housing. If you would like to be a part of a future conversation – or have a topic you want to see discussed – let us know at talkingstick@acuho-i.org. new in tHe aCuHo-i online bookstore Residence Life Programs & The New Student Experience (3rd Edition) William J. Zeller, Editor A must-have for any residence life office, this updated edition looks at how recent things have changed – and stayed the same – in the work and mission of residence life programs over the past decades. With chapters on emerging technologies, living-learning programs, faculty involvement, safety and security, leadership development, assessment, staffing patterns, and much more, this one volume presents a complete look at how your campus can meet the needs of your first-year students. Presented by ACUHO-I and the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina purCHase it toDaY From tHe aCuHo-i online bookstore. One quick click from the front page at www.acuho-i.org.

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Talking Stick - March/April 2009

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