Talking Stick - March/April 2009 - 6

vision Borderless In Hong Kong this January, our association emphatically dotted the “I” in ACUHO-I. Thanks, in large part, to an idea scribbled on the back of a napkin by then-President Eddie Hull during a conversation with Executive Director Sallie Traxler, more than 85 senior housing, student affairs, and corporate professionals from 12 countries came together for the four-day ACUHO-I Global Housing Summit. The result was a truly international dialogue designed to build a comprehensive understanding of the issues and opportunities at play in the campus housing arena, to expand a network of globally connected campus housing professionals, and to develop ideal scenarios for the future of campus housing around the world. THE cHANcE To The event was incredibly fruitful. A full report of the process and results will be joIN A coMMuNITy completed before our annual conference in June. A number of proposed initiatives will be of TALENTED brought before the ACUHO-I Executive Board. Already some participants, driven by their pRofESSIoNALS new perspectives, have implemented significant changes on their campuses. AND To ALLow kNowLEDgE To fLow fRoM pERSoN To pERSoN, cAMpuS To cAMpuS, AND couNTRy To couNTRy fAR ouTwEIgHS gEogRApHy. While the Global Housing Summit was one of our most visible steps toward ACUHO-I’s globalization, it is just one of many. Since 2007, the number of ACUHO-I member institutions located outside the United States has doubled. That population enjoys greater attendance at our conferences and a proportional representation in the programs and resources. Our new board governance structure very deliberately includes a Globalization Director. Last year we welcomed our first chapter, ACUHO-I Southern Africa. The international growth continues as ACUHO-I representatives recently visited campuses in the Gulf Region as well as the first annual Arabian Gulf Region University Student Housing Officers Summit, hosted by the Qatar Foundation at Education City in Doha, Qatar. During these tight economic times, one might ask where the value is in these endeavors. Certainly, these projects allow us to expand our membership, reach, and influence. But more importantly, from a philosophical approach, it provides a chance to network and learn from one another as we build an understanding of the issues and opportunities at play so we may better serve students in our increasingly borderless society. The chance to join a community of talented professionals and allow knowledge to flow from person to person, campus to campus, and country to country far outweighs geography. The ACUHO-I strategic plan challenges us to bridge visionary leadership, inclusiveness, collaboration, integrity, and learning for the profession. There is no denying that the bridge now reaches all the way around the world. I thank those who have helped us build it, and I invite all of you to join me as we continue to reach across borders. Norbert W. Dunkel ACUHO-I President Talking STick

Talking Stick - March/April 2009

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