Talking Stick - November/December 2014 - 26

22
cOntInued
BUsINESS
RES LIFE
OPERATIONS

what residence halls like to offer - a
the residents with the highest grade
athletics community. Fortunately,
sense of or the student union, may
average at the end of the first semester
be willing to structure to support
much of the provide items to give
by rewarding them with" makeshift
away, complimentary catering,in a
community is already present or
diplomas presented by the faculty.
facilitylounge Robertconference rooms,
hotel: tours. areas, Ostrow, assistant
The Ritual of Mutual
director for housing operations at the
kitchens, and recreation rooms. The
Commitment is another significant
University of Florida, notes that their
key is adaptation. Pool areas can
ceremony at Monterrey. Essentially,
campus does not really facilities, extra
need this
beis a pact into exercise residential
it turned between the
recruitment effort, given the high
ballrooms can become in-house
college team and parents that
number of applications the university
classrooms, and banquet rooms can
highlights the commitment of
already receives. Nevertheless, all
become dining facilities. At right
both parties "to provide the OSU,
recruitment strategies poolappreciated
for example, the large are area
environment for the students to
if they are carefully a much needed
planned, well
was converted into experience at the
have an enhancing
designed, and room, and a ballroom
effectively orchestrated.
multipurpose Fernández. Included
university," says
became event, called WELHOME, this
in their a dining facility. At the
Universitywith assessment.renovation
Followinvolves the parents writing
ritual up of Wollongong,
included the creation of "common
letters to their students as a summer
Assessing the experience of sign of
kitchen areas, to provide self-catering,"
supporting them for continued
guests is essentialas they begin their
Pennington explains, and the hotel's
college life. improved are then
growth and The lettersservice. given
diningRAs to pass out to the
to the facility was transformed into
Assessment should considerstudents
a dining hall that seats 460 students,
on onboarding process, service
the the Sunday night before classes
with cooking stations presided over by
start. Fernández shares that and
delivered, staff interactions, the whole
the chefs. very touching, and
process is
the administrative process, allboth
of

added Benefits

parents and students have commented
which need to go beyond the basic
that it holds great meaning to them.
level of being satisfactory. At the
Spiritual traditions include holding a
University of hotel into a residence hall
Converting a Kansas in Lawrence,
mass every Sunday, which is "prepared
post-conference assessment measures
has many far-reaching positive effects.
by one of the formative teachers, along
guestfound that the university became
Hart satisfaction as well as staff
with the RAs of their corresponding
and guest interactions. Specifically,
a top choice among graduating
floor." During this mass, residents
the assessment seeks toschools. "We
seniors from local high measure
read the lectures and collect and
the degree to which conference
had several students say that they
prepare collection requests. As the
staff to choose between a few schools
had connected with campers and
mass closes, a priest blesses the
welcomed they got their housing The
and when them to the institution.
residence hall and the participants.
goal is not only tosaw they positive
assignments and create a were going
Community life is enhanced in
customer the newexperience hall], that
to live [in service residence but also
many ways, one of which is the hall
to do so through the lens of forging an
solidified their decision to come to
meetings held in professors' homes
institutional connection. for this
IUPUI." Part of the reason
once a semester. Fernández says
	is that these converted hotels offer
Allowing groups to articulate
that this tradition includes "a family
amenities that each other campus
how important many areathat areallow
atmosphere and games" is will long
housing facilities cannot compete
organizers to by the participating
remembered refocus each summer
with, especially when comes to
on what is found to beitthe most the
residents.
size per unit. At William assessment
meaningful. A consistent& Mary, the
As Texas A&M continues to
330 students assigned to match
Tribe
cycle allows organizersto Onehistory
build traditions based on the
thethe university and the evolution
experience to what guests want
of
conTInues 78
and to place resources into areas
of those traditions as new students

arrive and Universidad de Monterrey
that better define this experience.
utilizes their Catholic principles to
It's easy to reduce the responsibility
further build community and service
for a summer conference to the
among students and faculty, Southern
simple provision of a clean room
Methodist University is creating a new
and safe residence hall. While those
tradition that they hope will continue
two elements are essential, they
through generations. Lynn says that
don't encompass the entire in-hall
traditions can create "a small town
experience. Understanding the
feel on a campus of nearly 60,000
unique needs of guests provides an
students. With more than 12,000
opportunity to craft an experience
students living on campus in the
representative of their mission, aims,
halls and apartments, the on-campus
and goals. Housing and dining often
population is that of a small town."
represent the biggest cost for many
Traditions ground students to a sense
groups; for this reason, especially
of community, belonging, and loyalty
when receiving grant funding, these
to each other and the institution. "As
two areas may be highly scrutinized.
the university is expanding, so is the
Giving youth campers a fantastic
on-campus housing, and with that
experience will allow them to tell
comes new traditions." tS
parents, guardians, supervisors, or
those providing funding the important
Continues

Emily Rudduck

59

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Talking Stick - November/December 2014

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