Talking Stick - January/February 2011 - 25

personal and professional, but as a department we are committed to providing them, as we see a benefit to the department when our staff is healthy.” Housing staff at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge can also take advantage of generally no-cost programming by attending lectures and workshops pertaining to issues they are likely to encounter in their positions, issues such as race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and class. According to Nicholas Clegorne, the assistant director of residence education and leadership development and training, this year’s programs will be directed more heavily to preparation for future careers. “The goal for sessions is to both enhance present performance while building a well rounded skill set for future goals,” he says. Internet sites and programs have increasingly become effective tools in helping staff grow professionally. Education through webinars is one valuable resource, as Pam Schreiber, the director of housing at the University of Washington in Seattle, explains. While useful in the recruitment and orientation of staff, these online programs can also serve as a forum for discussion between and among colleagues at different institutions through the use of GoToWebinar. “We have primarily used webinars and with much success,” Schreiber notes. “Because it is so economical, many staff can participate, and this results in a diverse

group learning together and sharing the experience.” Schreiber emphasizes the use of other Internet sources to promote staff development, including social networking, blog discussions on a chosen book or article, and online resources used to further develop or change agenda items for meetings. Schreiber also notes that staff should be encouraged to create an electronic portfolio to showcase their work when they are trying to develop their careers or to find jobs. When looking for ways to implement effective programming, one of the most beneficial routes may be to learn about the residential life on other campuses as well as to work with different campus departments. “We need to look for ways to constantly grow professionally to meet the needs of our residents,” says Kerri Heath, director of housing and residence life at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. “We need to look to other schools and our professional associations for best practices and trend setting.” Implementing cross-training into the design of staff development provides a great opportunity for student staff to “develop their professional skills and serve another department without spending funds on salaries,” Heath adds. From working in campus recreation to taking on a role in the university’s career center, these individuals gain a further knowledge of alternate department functions while also expanding their overall work experience. Reaching out to housing staff at other institutions, housing personnel at Pepperdine have visited as well as hosted several colleges and universities in an effort to expand the possibilities for professional development. Staff members traveled to the nearby campus of California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks to learn about their programming and policies, tour their housing facilities, and meet

Have Your Staff Plug In Online
With easy accessibility and far reaching capabilities, online resources have become an important aspect of the training and development of college and university housing staff. Covering a wide range of topics, these resources offer staff members the chance to receive hands-on training in the comfort of their own homes. GoToWebinar and Social Media Training, Inc. are two online programs that provide such development opportunities, benefiting staff members in their current positions as well as far into the future. Advancing the strength and outreach of technology, GoToWebinar is a low-cost online programming tool that enables individuals from across the globe to converge in one conference. Utilized by individuals and large corporations, GoToWebinar has become a popular device in the marketing and development process of businesses and organizations. With uses ranging from business presentations to online training for employees, this resource is an effective way to help messages reach a large audience as well as to provide affordable training. To learn more about the program, visit http://www.gotomeeting. com/fec/webinar. Offering online webinars on social media, Social Media Training, Inc. provides individuals and organizations with the opportunity to learn about the most beneficial ways to utilize social media. Ranging from social media basics to in-depth training and strategies, Social Media Training, Inc. analyzes the effective use of several popular media sites including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and blogs. After receiving the first webinar for free, individuals have the opportunity to attend more detailed webinars as well as to schedule meetings for on-site training and oneon-one sessions. For more information about this online resource, visit http:// socialmediatraininginc.com/.
january + february 2011

http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/webinar http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/webinar http://www.socialmediatraininginc.com/ http://www.socialmediatraininginc.com/

Talking Stick - January/February 2011

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