Talking Stick - May/June 2014 - 27

and even adjoining rooms for a live-in
caretaker are possibilities, but they
come with a significant price tag.
"Securing grants, private donations,
or corporate sponsorships makes all
of these things possible. As overall
funds are less available, these less
conventional dollars provide resources
to a residential project to give it that
'Wow!' factor," says Norb Dunkel, UF's
associate vice president for student
affairs and chief housing officer.
Dunkel is in good company.

is not being afraid to put it out there
- let people know what you need. He
said he'd call me, and I think he will."
Smaller initiatives like residence
life programs are also funded by
alternative sources. Donors contribute
to a range of programs, non-profit
organizations and professional
organizations offer grants, and even
corporations sponsor residence
hall initiatives. At the University
of Louisville in Kentucky, Lamont
Johnson, an assistant community

foundations, academic departments,
individual alumni, and alumni
organizations. Partners provide
support for residential students'
programs, scholarships, and travel
and research grants, as well as
maintenance of the buildings and
appliances.
Sanzone says that in many of these
communities, monetary support adds
value to the program and opens the
door to more powerful engagement.
"Perhaps even more important than

donors conTrIbuTe To a range of prograMs, non-profIT
organIzaTIons and professIonal organIzaTIons offer granTs,
and eVen corporaTIons sponsor resIdence hall InITIaTIVes.

Housing operations large and small
have started to tap into these nontraditional funding sources for all
types of endeavors. Dan Bertsos,
director of residence life and housing
at Wright State University in Dayton,
Ohio, says that if something in his
operation costs money, he'll look
for a creative way to fund it. From
negotiating a dining services contract
to include a $12-million commons
building construction to a pizza
company sponsoring fall move-in
to private donations funding an
on-campus dog park for service
animals, Bertsos believes in being
entrepreneurial with all facets of the
housing operation. "Not too long ago I
was at a basketball game and I ran into
a trustee. When he asked about the
new commons building, I mentioned
it wasn't named yet," he says. "The key

manager for EdR, has utilized
several grants from the Southeastern
Association of Housing Officers
(SEAHO) educational programs
committee to fund a series of women's
and men's development programs.
"These SEAHO grants have really
launched the 'Queen of Sheba' and
'Meat and Potatoes' series," Johnson
says. "We have robust debates around
topics like real manhood, intimacy,
violence. . . . We just wouldn't be able
to do these programs to the same level
without the support of our grants over
the last four years."
Living-learning communities and
theme housing are often completely
or partially funded by outside revenue.
Julie Sanzone, assistant director of
academic initiatives at The Ohio
State University in Columbus, works
with communities supported by

the money they contribute is the
investment our partners make in the
form of faculty, staff, and alumni time
and energy," she says. "Folks don't
just drop off a check or donate a few
things. They also take the time to have
genuine and meaningful interactions
with our residents, and that is where
the real difference is made."
Even staff initiatives are funded
by external revenue. At Purdue
University in West Lafayette, Indiana,
several alumni have endowed
resident assistant positions, while at
Middlebury College in Vermont, a
donor has committed to funding an
annual fall residential life training
retreat, where more than 100 staff and
faculty spend two days and nights
at the college's Bread Loaf campus
in Ripton, Vermont. "Our donor
believes in this type of leadership
May + june 2014

27
Talking Stick - May/June 2014

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