Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 52

22

contInued

A Catalyst for Collaboration

include strengthening programmatic
collaborations and the sharing of
resources.
Assessment should be an
institutional effort that includes all
stakeholders and takes advantage of
all available resources. Faculty can
serve as an excellent resource, as they
are often experienced in research
and evaluation and specifically in
direct-measure methods to assess
student learning. At West Virginia
University in Morgantown, faculty
host educational workshops on
assessment for student affairs staff.
Institutions can utilize tools such as
those offered by the Council for the
Advancement of Standards in Higher
Education (CAS) and the ACUHO-I
Professional Standards or can design
an assessment program from scratch;
in either case, steps should be taken
to establish a solid infrastructure.
Start small by setting realistic goals

42

for staff to accomplish, such as having
a standing agenda item in meetings
to discuss assessment. Recognize,
too, that assessment is an ongoing
process. Christakis admits, “I’m
never fully satisfied with where we
are in our assessment efforts, and I
don’t think you should be; given the
nature of assessment, you should
want to progress practices so as to
better use data and engage students
in the process.” And assessment
is always guided by collaboration.
Utilize other colleagues as a resource.
Attend staff meetings in other areas to
present relevant data findings, invite
participation in an upcoming project,
or discover what their plans are for
future projects.
As Sandi Scott Duex, director of
residence life and student rights and
responsibilities at the University of
Wisconsin-River Falls, emphasizes
in a chapter on assessment in the

forthcoming ACUHO-I publication
Staffing and Leadership (Volume 6
of Campus Housing Management),
assessment is a critical tool for
justifying and supporting existing
programs, services, and practices.
“Assessment matters. It matters
in programs and services. It
matters in strategic planning and
budgeting. It matters in residential
education, and it matters in housing
operations and administrative
services. Assessment matters, and
astute housing professionals make
ongoing assessment a priority.” And
assessment matters because it acts as
a catalyst for collaboration among all
the areas and departments that make
student learning the highest priority
of all. tS
Joseph D. Levy

is a residence hall manager at
The University of Chicago in
Illinois.

contInued

Marketing the Residential Experience

another’s efforts and present a
cohesive vision for life at Iowa State,”
says Rutherford. This approach is
successful because marketing staff
are motivated and driven to make
those connections with one another
and with university marketing staff.
“Marketing staff are often a unit of
one or two people. Those who take
the steps to make connections with
other marketing staff on their campus
and at the university marketing level
are not only going to appreciate the
support but likely find opportunities
to cross-promote and uniquely market
the on-campus living experience to
entirely new groups of students.”
The connections among all the
marketing and communications
professionals on campus are
reinforced at a summit which is
hosted two times a year. Here the
participants can receive training on
52

tAlking stick

video and photography management
or information about new market
research. Activities and programs like
these are a great opportunity not only
for the university and departmental
marketing staff to work together, but
also for them to work with outside
marketing agencies. This level of
engagement can empower marketing
staff to become strong brand
ambassadors for both the institution
and the housing department and
can lay the foundation for successful
implementation of future brand
designs or visions. “The marketing
team is often the brand guardian
of the university,” says Willis. “It is
important [that] they communicate
and train appropriate staff. The last
thing you want is people that have
no understanding of brands making
brand decisions.”
Branding serves as a projection

of the institution’s key values and a
testament to its unique characteristics.
It is also a promise that the institution
is what it says it is. Unless the
expectations of students, parents,
alumni, and others can be met, the
promise is an empty one. In offering
the opportunity for an enriched
collegiate experience, housing plays
an important role in fulfilling that
promise and becoming part of an
institutional effort to not only live up
tS
but also to exceed expectations.

Mallory Sidarous

is the housing marketing
specialist at Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville.



Talking Stick - July/August 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - July/August 2013

Talking Stick - July/August 2013
Contents
New Member Highlight
Vision
Just In
Your ACUHO-I
Transitions
Res Life
Business Operations
Facilities
Calendar
Common Space for the Common Good
Marketing the Residential Experience
Conversations
First Takes
Reporting Out
New Members
Snapshot
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Talking Stick - July/August 2013
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Cover2
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 1
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 2
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Contents
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - New Member Highlight
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 5
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Vision
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 7
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Just In
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 9
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 10
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 11
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 12
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Your ACUHO-I
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 14
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Transitions
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Res Life
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 17
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 18
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 21
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Business Operations
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 21
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 22
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 23
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Facilities
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 25
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 26
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Calendar
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Common Space for the Common Good
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 29
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 30
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 31
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 32
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 33
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 34
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 35
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Marketing the Residential Experience
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 37
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 38
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 39
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 40
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 41
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 42
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 43
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Conversations
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 45
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 46
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - First Takes
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Reporting Out
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 49
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 50
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 51
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 52
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 53
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - New Members
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - 55
Talking Stick - July/August 2013 - Snapshot
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