Talking Stick - July/August 2018 - 72

SNAPSHOT

CHANTAL BOUCHEREAU
"I am motivated by being able to provide a residential
experience which prepares our residents to successfully
engage in the community and to graduate."

What's the biggest issue for the students on your campus right now?
Our students' ability to pay for their education for the four or five years they are with us
is challenging and at times impossible. Many of our students have one or two jobs in
order to support themselves through school. Many of them have shared having difficulty
paying their tuition, room, board, and books, etc., and parents are not interested
in obtaining loans to help defray the financial burden placed on our students. This
phenomenon causes lots of stress and anxiety for our students, which also affects their
academic performance and their ability to successfully navigate the campus.

What makes your campus unique?
The uniqueness of our campus is that our faculty and staff get to know students on a
first-name basis and are devoted to helping them acclimate to the campus. Many of
our students are first-generation, so their transition to our campus is imperative to their
overall growth, development, and success. Our student-centered community works well
and collaborates on connecting students to the appropriate resources.

What are the most unusual housing or amenity requests you have received?
One request that still makes me laugh a bit came from a mother who asked if she
could personally hire one of our custodial staff to cook and clean specifically for her
student. Her child had made a personal connection and spoken with the custodial staff
about this job offer, and the custodial staff was pleased and interested if allowed by the
university. I explained the role of our custodial staff, the expectations we have of our
residents and their respective communities, university policies, and more. The mother
became frustrated by my answers and told me that if it would make me happy she
would pay the custodial staff to clean the entire suite. After 20 or so minutes into the
conversation, I excused myself from the phone. The mother followed up with an email a
few days later indicating that she'd discussed the matter with her husband, who agreed
with me and encouraged her to send me an email to apologize.

What is your favorite move-in story?
As I was welcoming our incoming class, I was approached by the mother of one of our
female residents, who proceeded to introduce herself, her husband, and daughter. As
dad was helping his daughter move her belongings to the room, mom began to share
concerns about her daughter, whom she described as shy and introverted. Mom was not
necessarily concerned about her daughter's ability to adjust academically; her concerns
were more at the cocurricular and social levels.
Later that evening, I received a call from the mother, who was very emotional as a
result of a phone call she'd received from her daughter, who wanted to return home
that very night. I reached out to the RA, and together we met with the resident, who
immediately connected with her RA. The RA served as a mentor, resource, and most
importantly as someone who cared about her resident. A week or so later, the RA
reported to me that the student wanted to get involved in Hall Council, was making
friends on campus, and doing well. Her mother sent me the most beautiful email
thanking me and my staff for the assistance given to her daughter.

CHANTAL BOUCHEREAU is the director of housing and residence
life at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina.

TALKING STICK

Talking Stick - July/August 2018

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