Talking Stick - March/April 2017 - 58

 43  CONTINUED

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

activities, having a realistic schedule,
and comparing GPAs to others in the
same field. In both of these cases,
much of the data involved is already
being collected or can be relatively
easily through existing systems.
Where the next step in leadership
occurs, Siemens explained, is when
professionals make the effort to
analyze the existing data and draw
useful conclusions from it.
Back in the meeting room, the
speakers' remarks have concluded
and the audience is collecting its notes
and bags. There are more hugs and
handshakes, along with an exchange
of plans for getting back to home
campuses. This time the mood is one
of resolution and preparation, almost
as though a coach has just concluded a
locker room pep talk.
For some, their focus upon
returning to campus would be to
become better informed about the

issues facing higher education both
domestically and abroad. Emily
Galindo, executive director of student
housing and associate vice chancellor
for student affairs at the University of
California, Davis, was reconsidering
the waves of information that come
to her from email lists and other
resources, noting that she needs "to
take the time to review them and
decide which ones provide the most
comprehensive information and make
it a priority to read through them."
For others, their focus would be
to take a fresh look at programs and
services. Virginia Koch, the director
of residence life at Auburn University
in Alabama, remarked, "We need
to reframe our approach to helping
students address their anxiety. Our
society encourages external solutions
to internal problems. People turn
to external solutions such as drugs,
alcohol, social media, and other outlets

when they feel stressed instead of
internal solutions like mindfulness,
reflection, or spiritual practices such
as prayer or meditation. What does
this reframing mean for the programs,
services, and spaces we provide in our
residence halls?"
For Ann Bailey, the lesson that
stuck with her was from the speaker
who offered a quotation from
American poet and essayist Ralph
Waldo Emerson: "In each pause, I hear
the call." That, she said, "should be a
mantra for our profession as we serve
our students day in and day out."
In the end, the general consensus
was that the state of the profession
may be in flux in a number of different
ways, but its core purpose remains the
same. 
James A. Baumann is the editor of the Talking
Stick.
 james@acuho-i.org

 55  CONTINUED

CONVERSATIONS: UNCHARTED TERRITORY

that your hours will become more
normalized. You may also deal less
with crisis and other issues that can be
added stressors. Don't get me wrong;
there is still stress, but it's a very
different kind. I'm still an educator at
heart, and it pervades everything I do.

Boone: I think it is important to
note that the four of us, as a crosssection, work either individually or
in relatively small organizations,
which have differing opportunities
and challenges. It can feel isolated,
lonely, and different. There are
some financial realities, as well. For
example, health insurance at smaller

58

TALKING STICK

companies tends to be much more
expensive, with fewer options. But I
have had opportunities for growth and
development that have far exceeded
my expectations.

Marfo: It isn't brave. More than any
other thing I hear when I tell people
about my work, people tell me it's
brave. I really feel like the only reason
it's deemed brave is that it's different
from what others do. It's different, but
it's not brave. It took a plan, it has its
norms, and my challenges differ from
those I faced while on campus. But
that's all - they're just different! We all
want the same thing: for students to

leave their time with us better, smarter,
and more effectively prepared for the
lives they want to lead. We each go
about that differently, but keeping
that common goal in mind is what
will allow us to work together better.
If there are sides to be taken (and I'm
not convinced there are), we're on the
same one. 
Debbie Scheibler is the assistant director of
housing and residence life at Rutgers University
in Camden, New Jersey.
 sdeborah@camden.rutgers.edu
Talking Stick - March/April 2017

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