Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 44

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onsider the student staff person. They occupy the
role within a student housing department that, by
its definition, has the most dramatic turnover. These
individuals may bring a world of enthusiasm but,
most likely, will start off with virtually zero experience
or training. Yet student staff are entrusted to support
the functioning of the residence halls, facilitate
community development, and provide learning
opportunities to residents.
That's a lot of responsibility for the student to take on.
At the same time, the experience of being a student resident
assistant can greatly contribute to the learning and skills of those who
hold the position. It serves, in some cases, as a pathway into the student
affairs profession. Even if the individual follows a different career path,
they still have had experiences that they will be able to draw from for
years.
That's a lot of information for the student to take in.
Meanwhile, there is the risk that the campus housing professionals
who hire, train, and supervise these students can take all this
responsibility and learning for granted. Because it is a shared
experience for so many professionals, there is often no need to remind
each other about the value of these positions. It's understood that the
role is critical to the success of a housing department - but exactly how
important? Fortunately, national data exists that allows us to reflect on
the position, its impact on residents, its impact on the student staff
themselves, the changes over time, and, ultimately, the story that can be
told about student staff.
To explore the importance of student staff, consider the results of
two surveys: the ACUHO-I/EBI Student Staff Assessment as well as
the ACUHO-I/EBI Resident Assessment. Drawing on results from
different points in time over the last decade will support a reflective
look at the impact resident assistants have on a housing operation as
well as the impact that the position has on the individuals. (For the sake
of this article the term resident assistant or RA is used, but it represents
a broader range of student staff positions including resident advisor,
community assistant, community advisors, and others.)

a history of enhancing skills
A simple way to look at the impact of the resident assistant position is
through the experience of the staff members themselves. During the
2013-14 academic year, nearly 4,000 RAs responded to the ACUHO-I/
EBI Student Staff Assessment, which measures staff learning and
satisfaction. Using this data, we can discover what the most recent
group of RAs learned from their experiences.
In the surveys RAs reported that their position enhanced their
practical skills. For instance, 66 percent indicated that their position
enhanced their ability to run a meeting, 65 percent indicated that it
enhanced their ability to organize events, and 71 percent indicated that
44

talking Stick



Talking Stick - September/October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - September/October 2014

Talking Stick - September/October 2014
Contents
New Member Highlight
Vision
Just In
Your ACUHO-I
Transitions
Res Life
Special Focus
Business
Calendar
Mind the Gap
The Role That Keeps On Giving
Conversations
First Takes
Reporting Out
New Members
Snapshot
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Intro
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - BB1
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - BB2
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Talking Stick - September/October 2014
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Cover2
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 1
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 2
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Contents
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - New Member Highlight
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 5
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Vision
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 7
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Just In
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 9
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 10
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 11
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 12
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 13
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 14
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Your ACUHO-I
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 16
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Transitions
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 18
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 19
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Res Life
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 21
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 22
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 23
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Special Focus
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 25
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 26
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 27
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Business
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 29
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 30
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Calendar
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Mind the Gap
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 33
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 34
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 35
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 36
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 37
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 38
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 39
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 40
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 41
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - The Role That Keeps On Giving
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 43
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 44
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 45
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 46
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 47
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 48
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 49
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Conversations
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 51
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - First Takes
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 53
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Reporting Out
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 55
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 56
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 57
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 58
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 59
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 60
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 61
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - New Members
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - 63
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Snapshot
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Cover3
Talking Stick - September/October 2014 - Cover4
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