Current Issues - Tiffin University's Ivy Bridge College

"News of the investigation comes just weeks after Tiffin's accreditor ordered the university to halt new enrollments at Ivy Bridge, an associate-degree program designed to serve working adults that has been recognized as an innovative model by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other organizations. More than 90 percent of the program's students received Pell Grants." - Goldie Blumenstyk

     I will be honest that I am only just catching-up on the news on Ivy Bridge College, but what a saga it seems to have been. You can find the article about the Justice Department's recently-opened investigation here, but if you want more background you should select the links within the article or even read the links below first:

• Initial article reporting on the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) order for Ivy Bridge College to stop enrollments
• Follow-up article HLC defending its decisions
• Article on HLC permitting Tiffin University to bring Ivy Bridge into its own online Associate's Degree program
• Almost most importantly - the Ivy Bridge College Facebook Page

     To summarize the "issue" at hand: The HLC of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools - a regional accreditor (basically decides what education is and should be) - told Tiffin University to stop enrolling students in Ivy Bridge College, its joint business venture with for-profit company Altius Education, Inc., the purpose of which is to offer online Associate's Degrees. Ivy Bridge's students appear to be primarily working adults from traditionally underserved populations. The HLC had originally ordered that all students must transfer either to another Associate's program or to Tiffin's Bachelor's program, but then alleviated some of the strictness in saying that they could continue in the online Associate's program originally offered by Tiffin before it created with Ivy Bridge. It is difficult to tell what, if any, of that has changed with this new investigation.

     The rest seems to be a battle of subjectivity and "he said, she said." There is disagreement as to the crux of why the relationship originally needed to end - the top reasons appear to be (1) The HLC having stricter rules governing such partnerships, (2) Tiffin University withdrawing its accreditation application for Ivy Bridge, or (3) The HLC's order, which it retroactively defended with claims of lacking academic integrity and oversight by Tiffin - but the primary reason depends very much on to whom you are speaking. Many words have been exchanged between and said about the HLC, Tiffin, and Altius Education, and most can be read on the articles and Facebook page. On one hand, we have a university that could have been a degree mill, simply taking Pell Grants to pay for pieces of paper. On the other, we have an innovative approach - regarded as such by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - to providing education to those who simply do not have any other option than this relatively inexpensive, online medium of academics.

     The issues of academic integrity and oversight bring us to the new investigation. Prompted under the Federal Claims Act, which covers the misuse of federal funds, the investigation seems to be primarily concerned with what recruitment measures were used by Tiffin for Ivy Bridge and what Tiffin's true role was in the administration and education occurring through Ivy Bridge. These factors play into whether or not the College followed federal-aid guidelines.

      I would like to bring some focus back to the students. The Chronicle's articles were at least decent in their profiling the students enrolled at Ivy Bridge, but more is deserved. These are mostly non-traditional students. They provide care and have dependents relying on them. Most are receiving Pell Grants. No matter what decision is arrived at, a disservice has been done unto them. If the DOJ decides that mismanagement occurred with their funding, I am confident in saying someone should be ashamed of their actions. If they decide nothing is wrong, then these students have been put through frustration for the second time in two months - not knowing if they will have to transfer (some of them for the second time, according to Facebook), not knowing if their degree is or will be worth something, or even attainable. One can only hope that their advisors are helping them each step of the way.

Article Citation: Blumenstyk, G. (2013). Justice Dept. opens investigation of online program at Tiffin U. The chronicle of higher education. Retrieved from: http://chronicle.com/article/Justice-Dept-Opens/141289/

A Day in the Life...Now a MWF Blog!

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." - Henry David Thoreau

     Yesterday was my first Tuesday of the semester, and it was eye-opening in some ways. A quick disclaimer: this will sound like complaining, but I enjoyed almost every minute of yesterday. Here is the schedule of yesterday's events:

• 5:30AM-6:00AM: Wake-Up; make breakfast for my wife, Jenn; and get ready for my run
• 6:00AM-6:45AM: Jenn leaves for work, and I go on my run
• 6:45AM-8:00AM: Stretch, shower, dress, eat breakfast, do the morning's dishes, and quickly check e-mail and schedule for the day
• 8:00AM-10:00AM: Get coffee, prepare for morning staff meeting, prepare materials for area-wide program later in the day, and answer e-mails
• 10:00AM-12:00PM: Area Hall Director Meeting
• 12:00PM-1:00PM: Lunch
• 1:00PM-3:45PM: Respond to multiple calls (all from different offices), show a campus partner a public space for a future event, assist a resident with multiple cable issues, call Tech Services to report that issue, prepare more for program later, prepare a form for my staff to do roster verifications, and prepare for class
• 3:45PM-4:15PM: Change for class and later program, carry items for program over to other hall (including a large cutout of the school mascot - it looked hilarious I bet)
• 4:15PM-6:15PM: Statistics Class (got out early!!)
• 6:15PM-7:15PM: Assist with final parts and clean-up of area-wide program
• 7:15PM-8:00PM: Dinner with Jenn
• 8:00PM-10:00PM: Hall RA Staff Meeting
• 10:20PM - Bed time!

     I hesitated in posting this, since it could look as though I am trying to scare future professionals away. That is not the intention at all - I have always disliked any program, be it undergraduate, graduate, or professional, that attempts to weed-out or scare its students. I thoroughly enjoyed yesterday and appreciated the reality-check of how the next two years will look every now and then. The only item yesterday that will not always occur is the area-wide program (which went really well!) - other than that, this is how Tuesday will look weekly for me. I am fine with it. I am both a student and a graduate assistant, and I want to be a student affairs professional, so this is what I signed-up for!

     Given all of that, I have decided to change this blog to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday blog. As you can see, Tuesday is slightly cramped, and my class with the heaviest reading occurs on Thursday, so I will rarely be able to prioritize posting if I have not already prepared something the day before. I promise the content will stay the same, if not improve! Thank you for staying with me as I continue this experiment in reflection. :)

Quote Citation: Thoreau, H. D. (n.d.). The quotations page. Retrieved from: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/26843.html 

Running!

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." - Steve Prefontaine

     Sorry this post is so late, but I had errands today...and my graduate program orientation! Tomorrow I have my first-ever class as a graduate student of higher education, and I am honestly super-excited! Sure, looking over the syllabi was a wake-up call of just how much work this will be, and thinking about what professional development opportunities to take, what organizations to become involved it, and what research I should / want to do has been making my head spin at times. But overall it is exciting to think that tomorrow is the next big step towards my career.

     Adding classes and reading to my weekly schedule has sparked new thoughts on the ever-elusive work-life balance that many of my advisors have preached these past few months. The past few years I have developed a much higher regard for my own mental health and downtime. A momentous point was when I realized how much more productive and focused I was if I gave myself a break from work every once in awhile. Really, it worked.

     Thus, I have spent much time thinking of how to fit classes, readings for those classes, my assistantship, and some free time (which includes actually spending time with my wife of two months) into my weekly schedule. I know it is do-able, but these next two weeks will be an experiment in actually doing it. This brings me to the title of this post - running! Part of that free time needs to also consist of making sure that I stay healthy. My father has always taught me that maintaining physical health and shape is one of the most important parts of life, and I finally started listening in my senior year of college. 

     This past month, I have started running on weekdays in the morning after my wife leaves for work (I technically started last semester, but now I am much more consistent). I never thought I would like it. Against all odds, I have now begun to enjoy running. I do not know whether it is the participation in a mindless activity, how quiet it is on campus at 6 AM, or rocking out to my tunes, but I just feel great after finishing a run. And with my conduct hours all being in the morning, it is a good thing for students that I start the day off feeling good!

Quote Citation: Prefontaine, Steve. (n.d.). Brainyquote.com. Retrieved from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/steveprefo177923.html

Current Issues - President Obama's New Plan

"The heart of the proposals is a controversial plan to rate colleges based on measures of access, affordability, and student outcomes, and to allocate aid based on those ratings. Under the plan, students attending higher-rated institutions could obtain larger Pell Grants and more-affordable loans." - Kelly Field

     The articles headlining today's Chronicle of Higher Education were a great incentive to start fulfilling a additional goal I have for this blog - to stay abreast of and reflect on trending issues in the field of higher education. Connecting some of these issues to practice may be difficult, but I will do my best. On such posts, I will start with a summarizing quote, then provide links to the information on which I am commenting, and finally provide some commentary, ideally sparking some of your own thoughts that you should please post as comments!

     The article I read today from the Chronicle can be found here. It is very informative article providing some of the reviews various people in the government and the field of education have given on President Obama's new plan for higher ed. The "Fact Sheet" that the White House has published can be found here. As the quote above states, the President's stated goal is to put federal aid where the "best" outcomes are being produced, and to make college more affordable for students.

     Overall, I can see where most of the worries given in the article are coming from - most were ones that I had while reading the fact sheet. How do we prevent colleges from "stacking the deck," as it were? How do we ensure that schools producing excellent graduates in lower-paying fields do not get hurt? What kind of ratings system exists or could ever exist that is actually a level playing field?

     At the same time, the plan makes sense to me. I am definitely biased, coming from a small, public, academically-focused school. I also look forward to reading more about this plan as the questions above are addressed. Two additional concerns that I have, though, are the potential for a "snowball effect" and the rating biases against certain schools. By a "snowball effect," I mean the idea that certain schools will not receive as high of ratings, will receive less aid accordingly, will not be as able to increase their ratings as a result, and then the cycle repeats. Is this fair? I do not know. It does not feel right to me, but at the same time it seems to be a goal of this plan.

     Similarly, I am unsure about not only how ratings will be developed, but also how they will be interpreted. What will a low rating say to a potential student, other than what it used to say in US News & World Report? At least one additional label that such a school will receive is now "You will not receive as much federal aid here." The plan for the ratings (so far) seems to be primarily based on academics and graduate earnings and performance, while as a Student Affairs professional I am confident in saying that is not all a student's campus experience is about. Colleges do so much more to develop students than teach them statistics and psychology. A student should still look at the full student experience when choosing school. And while such social development outcomes are not as measurable, I hope that the DOE's future metric will somehow account for them.

Article & Quote Citation: Field, K. (2013). Obama plan to tie student aid to college ratings draws mixed reviews. The chronicle of higher education. Retrieved from: http://chronicle.com/article/Obama-Proposes-Tying-Federal/141229/

Other Source: Office of the Press Secretary. (2013). Fact sheet on the president's plan to make college more affordable. Retrieved from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/22/fact-sheet-president-s-plan-make-college-more-affordable-better-bargain-

Photo By: Me (view of Atlantic Ocean from Table Mountain in Cape Town)

Article Reflection #1 - Ally Identity Development

“If you've come here to help me, you're wasting your time. But if you've come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”       - Australian Aboriginal Leader Lilla Watson

     This post acts as an introduction to a primary goal I have for this blog - connecting scholarship and practice in Higher Education. While I have not yet started readings for classes, I have had the privilege today to read part of Keith E. Edwards's article "Aspiring Social Justice Ally Identity Development," an article explaining a conceptual model of different types of allies, and how those different identities relate to diverse motivations for being allies. To read the entire article, please visit this link. The provide a brief summary, Edwards outlines three types of allies: the Ally for Self-Interest, Ally for Altruism, and Ally for Social Justice. These are listed in order of awareness of systems and actions of oppression - in other words, the Ally for Social Justice is most aware of the systems of oppression and how to "'speak with the oppressed without speaking for the oppressed'" (p. 50). 
     The purpose is not to fault the ally for self-interest or the ally for altruism, but rather to provide some insights into their motivations. The ally for self-interest is simply acting "to protect those one cares about" (p. 46), but does not have a complete of how oppression acts on a systematic rather than individual level, and thus can feel "deeply powerful and self-actualized when intervening on behalf of individuals they care about who are members of oppressed social groups" (p. 48). This unintentionally perpetuates the oppression that this ally is attempting to address. Similarly, the ally for altruism, while more aware of the systematic nature of oppression, is motivated primarily by guilt, and thus "distances oneself from others in the agent group in an attempt to minimize the guilt" and becomes defensive when their own oppressive actions are addressed (p. 49). This also unintentionally perpetuates the oppression, for these allies see themselves as helping the target group, which is not the goal of social justice. 
    The true goal is rather for everyone to work together for an equitable liberation of all peoples - both the oppressed and the oppressor, as both are affected by systems of oppression. Such is the goal of the ally for social justice: "to better connect all individuals...to restore individual and collective humanity and spiritual liberation" (p. 52).
     I read this article on a suggestion from our departments Coordinator for Social Justice Education, since the building I direct has a Living-Learning Community focusing specifically on social justice. A principle in our department is that our RAs are expected to at least be advocates for all residents, but not expected to be allies. If they wish to be allies, that is great, but we cannot require them to be. With this community being in my building, though, I see it as one of my own responsibilities to be as educated on social justice as possible, and this article was a great introduction. For example, I feel that I now finally, fully comprehend the opening quote to this post - one which our Coordinator used in a training session. See page 50 of the article for the point at which the lightbulb switched on. :)
     One manner in which I plan to utilize this article is for a better understanding of the development of the aspiring allies in my building. I know that I have many in that living-learning community, yet I do not expect them to be fully-developed allies for Social Justice. Many on that wing may be in Edwards's category of aspiring allies for altruism, while many throughout my hall may be allies for self-interest. Consequently, I expect issues and microagressions to arise through their well-intended actions, and having a better-educated background through this article prepares me to better address these issues. The same applies to both my own development as an ally and the development of residents who come to me for help with their own ally developments. I myself am currently on the border between an ally for altruism and an ally for social justice, but I hope that consistent reflections such as these will help push me over the edge.

       Please let me know what you think about my first attempt at addressing/connecting an article!

Article Citation: Edwards, K. E. (2006). Aspiring social justice ally identity development.  NASPA Journal 43 (4), 39-60.
Quote Citation: Watson, L. (n.d.). Goodreads.com. Retrieved from: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/306551-if-you-ve-come-here-to-help-me-you-re-wasting-your.
Photo By: Me - I thought that a photo from my ca
      

Customer Service

"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others." - Lewis Carroll

     Today's post will be short, as I am currently busy serving paying customers. It may seem callous, but one thing that we have to consider when helping students and their parents/guardians is that they are paying to be here. Their attendance at the university, their presence in the residence halls, their involvement in certain programs - all of these earn the university money. It's the cold, hard truth (and cash - the phrase works both ways).

     Because of that truth, we have to do our best during opening to show residents what they are paying for in the halls. I wrote a letter to parents and guardians introducing myself and Residence Life's mission to them, and this letter is available to anyone who would like one when they move-in. I make sure that we have at least two people outside to greet people as soon as they pull up to the curb in front of the hall. I also have information about Hall Council right there for them to pick-up, learning how to become involved on campus right away. And, most importantly, I have myself and the RAs I supervise right there, all with smiling, excited faces. That is the customer service that students and their family and friends experience from the start.

     My staff and I have also learned that going the extra mile can pay off. For example, yesterday there was a resident and his parents who arrived early, wanting to look at the room he would be moving into today. I almost declined the request, but when I realized that the room they wanted to see was on a at-the-time vacant floor, and his father would not be able to see him move-in today, I agreed to bring them up and show them the room. It definitely paid-off, as the parents were profusely thankful, and they were able to get a few pictures of the resident in front of his door and with his father in the building as well. It was not only nice to see that moment, but also great to know that the parents had a positive first experience with Residence Life. Because of that moment, they may be more likely to sign the resident up for housing on campus next year, giving us another resident to help along in their development, and Housing another paying customer.

Quote Citation: Carroll, L. (n.d.). Goodreads.com. Retrieved from: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/47608-one-of-the-deep-secrets-of-life-is-that-all.

Photo By: Me (some little creature that I met on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa =] )

Professional Attire in the Housing Profession

     "Dress how you want to be addressed." - Bianca Frazier

     It's Tie Tuesday! And in honor of this sacred, weekly holiday for about a dozen of us in Housing on campus, I have decided to ruminate (or at least comment - do not usually get the chance to have the word "ruminate" come to mind, though) on what I wear to work each day as a Hall Director.

     The standard outfit here is a polo and khaki pants, or a nice blouse with a skirt or pants. I have two pairs of khakis, and they are each worn at least twice a week. I rotate through my polo shirts, wearing one every day, except for Tie Tuesday, of course! I try to wear school colors using my polos when I can, showing my school spirit. On Fridays, we are allowed to wear jeans, although it is honestly a little hot in August to walk around in jeans, so sometimes I stick to the lighter khaki material. Casual Friday is fun, but sweating on a two-minute walk to the Union is not.

     As far as I can see, not wearing a suit and tie - or at least a shirt and tie - is somewhat of a trend for educators who constantly and consistently interact with students. When I was a substitute teacher in high schools, I started out wearing a shirt and tie every day. I would usually try to match the colors of the school at which I was subbing, because in my mind the students appreciated that (some of them probably did not even notice my name on the board, but oh well). However, I began noticing that I was one of maybe a dozen teachers dressed as formally. The principals and other administrators wore business casual, but most were in polo shirts or a nice skirt and blouse. So I eventually switched to wearing a polo shirt and slacks every day.

     When it came to shopping for some nicer clothing for my new position, my father told me to just invest in khakis and polo shirts, and he was correct in making that suggestion. It sums up what I always saw housing officers wear as a student. I have yet to do any research on the topic, but if I were to guess, both the housing officers and the high school teachers dress this way to connect better with students. If I were to sit in my office - in a residence hall - in a suit and tie each day, I think students would not find me as approachable (no matter how often they listen to Justin Timberlake). I would probably come off as stuck up in conduct hearings, and I myself would not be as relaxed or comfortable when having to respond to a crisis. So I currently believe that less formality is more when it comes to being a housing officer working in the residence halls.

     There is still something nice about Tie Tuesday, though. It enables me to wear the ties I own, and in school colors if possible. Also, people notice when I wear the tie, because it is not an everyday thing - points for self-esteem! And, even with all of the fun we have working in Student Affairs (I did a lot of crafting yesterday with residents, for example), I think it is a subtle reminder that this is a true profession, just with its own form of professional attire.

Quote Citation: Frazier, B. (n.d.). Goodreads.com. Retrieved from: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/759451-dress-how-you-want-to-be-addressed.

Photo By: Me - yes, penguins are always dressed formally :)

First Interactions with Parents

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin

     Yesterday, I discussed with a father the type of locks he should purchase for his daughter's bike. This morning, I keyed into an empty room to measure (with a ruler) the height of a bed for a mother purchasing a cabinet for her son. I expect these are only a glimpse of the interactions I will have with parents this year working in a residence hall, but I do not have an issue with them whatsoever.

     As a Resident Assistant, I was told simply, "You do not have to deal with parents or guardians," "That is not expected of you," or even, "You do not get paid enough." The same is true at my current institution - I basically tell the RAs I supervise to send parents' calls and concerns my way. Whether it is customer service (a post on this is in the works), concerns with FERPA, or simply age, there are multiple reasons that a department of Residence Life would rather a Hall Director interact with parents, and so that role is put on my desk.

     How do I approach said role? By applying my training, of course. We had a wonderful session discussing possible situations that could arise with parents, but the main idea I took away was "serve with a reassuring smile." That is exactly what I have done and will do: smile, use a reassuring tone, and serve as much as time and policy allow. It is most important to remember  - or at least tell yourself - that they are only concerned for their students' comfort, safety, and education. Parents are our partners in our goal for providing the best educational experience possible. They will often also give us more insight into our students' lives and development. And yes, in many cases they also help pay the resident's rent and the student's tuition. Just another connection to campus.

Quote Citation: Franklin, B. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/benjaminfr141119.html.

Photo By: Me 

Time Management

"In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is everything." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

     As you may have noticed, there have not been posts here the past two days. As you will soon notice, today's is shorter than others. I can promise you that this will not become a pattern, but I cannot promise that it will never happen again. In other words, I plan to write a post every business day, but have certain items that jump onto my to-do list that I need to prioritize before reflection and subsequent writing.

     Part of this plays into my new favorite way of thinking about time management. While sitting in RA Training the other day I had the pleasure of attending a session on the topic led by my colleagues Dan and Alex. They presented on three different time management theories: Eisenhower's Matrix, Maslow's Hierarchy, and Analysis Paralysis. I will discuss Eisenhower's model here, as it spoke the most to me and my time management - the latter two you find out all that you would care to on a simple Google search. The basic model, attributed to US President Eisenhower and Dr. Stephen Covey (1994) takes two facets of one's tasks - urgency and importance - and places the tasks on a grid based on the relative values of those two facets. One axis is labelled importance, the other urgency. This created four quadrants: tasks high in importance and high in urgency, tasks high in importance but low in urgency, those high in urgency but low in importance, and those low in both urgency and importance. 

     Two days ago, this is how my matrix looked:

     As you can see, "Blog" fell into the bottom-left quadrant, so when it came to the time I would normally work on this post, I instead attacked the items in the top-right. As time moved-on, though, some of those top-left items shifted to the right, becoming more urgent. For example, Opening is now in only two days! Priorities can change as well making some of those less important yet urgent items more important, such as when I realized the RA Social was only two hours away and Pandora was playing some non-inclusive music. Also, classes will become much more important for me next week, but right now I am focusing on my work.

     What do you think? I had never seen this prioritization technique before, but now I am using it almost every day! I wish I could move the blog, but right now I feel that there is simply not enough room in those two top quadrants. Maybe once opening passes!

Citation: MindTools.com. (2013). "The Urgent/Important Matrix." Retrieved from: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_91.htm .

Quote Citation: Qtd. in Nixon, R. (1962). Six crises. New York: Doubleday.

Photo By: Me

Supervising Student Staff (Part 1)

“Not all those that wander are lost." – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

     The reason I entitled this post "Part 1" is because I expect to comment on this facet of my position multiple times, and will hopefully in the future as well. And I say "hopefully" because I already genuinely enjoy supervising student staff members. Sure, you can check back in once they begin classes and extracurriculars and turn 21, but I expect that part not to change. Disclaimer: the RAs I supervise are amazing, understand the importance and influence of their position, and put-up with my being new to campus, my position, and supervising every day and thus must be angels.

     An expectation I set for the RAs in my building this year reads: "Be professional, and work towards skills according to the RA Competencies." Reflecting on this item, we discussed how the RA position is a paraprofessional position, and consequently they should treat it like one, taking their RA agreements and my position as their supervisor as seriously as they would any other position. They all of course nodded their heads in unison, saying "Of course, why wouldn't we?" and the like. But they probably did not grasp this item fully.

     As a colleague and I discussed this idea last night, he was actually the one to point out the difficulty for student staff's grasping true professionalism in their position. His comment opened my eyes, and much more than I expected too when I reflected this morning. His comment was on fairness - why do we expect our student staff to grasp true professionalism - at the same level we do, for the record - when they are in fact working amongst other students, developing as students and not professionals? 

     My quintessential example is scheduling RA duty for Spring Break. It never fails - there are RAs who have already made plans, have made hypothetical plans, or are planning to make plans. And then some of us as supervisors become frustrated, because their contracts clearly cover Spring Break and so they should plan to be present. Reflecting on this shifted my mindset slightly, though. Spring Break is sometimes a huge part of the college experience. Some students go on service trips, instilling a sense of serving others in them. Others go on road trips or beach trips, assisting in the development of interpersonal competencies and also plenty of personal care and responsibilities. And yet we still become frustrated when RAs want to have these experiences. Is this contradictory? I still do not believe so, but it forces me to be more understanding.

     An additional thought I have had on this topic is professional development. Some of those RA competencies are professional skills, which include knowing how to appropriately prioritize and recognizing the importance of certain tasks. Why I expected the RAs I supervise to be full-fledged professionals upon stepping into the hall is now beyond me - I'd much rather that they develop professionally, growing throughout the year. This falls into our goals of student development and supervising student staff.

Quote Citation: Tolkein, J. R. R. (1954). The fellowship of the ring. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.

Photo By: Me

Intentional Talks towards Academic Success

“You see, in this country are a number of youths who do not like to work, and the college is an excellent place for them.” - L. Frank Baum, Ozma of Oz

      While the above quote may seem an interesting start for a blog post about practicing and studying higher education, I remain a realist (as I told the RAs I supervise today). Baum is correct in that many college students do not like to work, yet still have an amazing experience. Divisions of Student Affairs across the country provide students with plenty activities to participate in outside of the classroom and assist with the procrastination from reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, I am also happy to say that there is also much those Divisions do to steer them back towards the studies.

     I surprised myself today with how strongly I felt about that function of my Department - that of assisting students in achieving academic success. I was reviewing our department's programming areas with the RAs I supervise, allowing them to come up with their own answers of the "why" for each of the areas (thank you to my colleague Lexi for that idea!), and then providing my own supplemental discussion of the "why." I found that the longest, most passionate, and best articulated supplement I gave in the area of academic success - not leadership development, social justice, or even community building, as I had expected.

     Part of this may be due to coming from a very academically-focused institution, or possibly even my background working in an office advising on applications for scholarships. On the other hand, though, I do see it as an essential part of Residence Life to help facilitate what is often the primary reason our residents are in school: to learn. And no matter how well-prepared they are or believe themselves to be, there is still so, so much that RAs can do to better prepare them, and most of this is through intentional conversations. Here are some essential topics of such intentional talks:

1. The main differences between high school and college academics.
2. How to read a syllabus and plan accordingly.
3. How to approach a professor for help and best utilize office hours.
4. How to best manage your time to make sure that you sleep rather than study at night.
5. Why you should study / read even though there is not an assignment or paper due.
6. What resources on campus are available for tutoring and/or help writing papers.
7. What are the best ways to get into class that may be full (may not apply to all campuses).
8. How to plan your course-load so that you graduate on time.
9. How to pick a major or minor to help you towards your professional goals.
10. How to constructively manage academic stress.

     The points above are not comprehensive, but you hopefully agree that they are important points for students to consider during their college years - the earlier the better - and having a decent conversations around them could better prepare them to tackle their studies. They do not have to enjoy the work, but they have to complete it in order to learn and graduate, and ideally these conversations will help them do so and make college an even more "excellent place" for them.

Quote Citation: Baum, L. F. (1907) Ozma of Oz. Chicago: Reilly & Britton.

Photo By: Me

New Staff, New Impressions

“I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but first impressions are often entirely wrong. You can look at a painting for the first time, for example, and not like it at all, but after looking at it a little longer you may find it very pleasing. The first time you try Gorgonzola cheese you may find it too strong, but when you are older you may want to eat nothing but Gorgonzola cheese. Klaus, when Sunny was born, did not like her at all, but by the time she was six weeks old the two of them were thick as thieves. Your initial opinion on just about anything may change over time.” - Lemony Snicket (1999)

     Today I met my first supervisees! It was nerve-wracking at first, as I was trying very hard - possibly too hard - to make a good first impression. Not as a person, but as a supervisor. I like to think (probably too confidently) that I make a decent first impression with peers and supervisors, but this was entirely different. Do I set a strict tone from the start? Do I attempt to relate to them? Do I try to be super-energetic to get them motivated, or is that not cool? All of these and more ran through my head as I walked to that meeting.

     In the end, I went for an honest, realistic, trusting, but no-nonsense approach, which is one that I have appreciated the most from supervisors. I prefer when a supervisor trusts me to complete the tasks expected of me and at the same time is realistic in their expectations. Furthermore, I prefer a supervisor to be as open and honest with me as possible about my tasks and position. And since I want this from a supervisor, I want the staff I supervise to see these traits in me.

     Did I put this across on the first day? Did I need to? I do believe I was open with them, and I did "get down to business" as soon as we started. Plus I believe I made it clear that I trusted them to be professional enough to be at places on time on their own. I don't know for certain, but it is only day two now. Will their perceptions of this day change, though?

     Which brings me to Mr. Snicket's quote, from the first book of his Series of Unfortunate Events, The Bad Beginning.  I have been trying to think back to my first impressions of my previous supervisors, of which there have been many, to think if my impressions of them changed over time. I believe it has varied according to supervisor, to be honest. For some my perception changed, and for others it did not. Of course I call to question whether or not my current perception on the "consistent" ones has simply overridden any previous impressions, but that is a psychological discussion for a later date.

      I believe consistency is the most important factor, when you truly analyze impressions of supervisors. While I may want the staff I supervise to have one impression or another, I would not want it to change because I changed. Rather, I would want it to change because they rethought my style or sought to understand my expectations in a different light. And if it stays the same, then my first impression came across the way I desired, and I remained consistent throughout the year. More new staff to come tomorrow, so wish me luck on more new impressions!

Quote Citation: Snicket, L. (1999) The Bad Beginning. New York: HarperCollins.

Photo By: Me (I imagine this penguin being shy about meeting new staff members...)

Training and Teambuilding

     So, today begins RA training, and so as many of you will understand, it is not the ideal time to take time off to write a thoughtful blog post. Instead, I will share some of my favorite team-building quotes with you all:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." - Issac Newton

"If you can laugh together, you can work together." - Robert Orben

"Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived by unity." - Vince Lombardi 

"He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own."          - Confucius

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." - Andrew Carnegie 

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." - Henry Ford  

     I apologize for what may seem a "cop-out," but will not leave you empty-handed. I have been thinking a lot about team-building lately, and part of my supervisor's training on student staff supervision involved Tuckman's Team Development Model (1965). If you have not heard of it, you can read more about it here. Basically, there are four stages - forming, storming, norming, and performing - and each one builds on the other as the team works towards working together as a successful, cohesive unit. I will let you know how a discussion on it works as a team builder!

    Finally, I would appreciate if you left in the comments one or two of your favorite team builders. Certainly I have enough up my sleeve, but if I am still planning a few training sessions and would love to try something new!

Citation: 
Tuckman, B. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological         Bulletin, 63 (6), 384–99.

Photo By: Me

Don't reinvent the wheel, unless you want the challenge...

"Don't reinvent the wheel, just realign it." - Anthony J. D'Angelo

      During my training, many of my colleagues provided "Don't reinvent the wheel" and similar sentiments when discussing the myriad materials and sessions I had/have/will have to prepare for my position. In the past I have seen this as great advice - if a tool comes pre-made and does the job you are looking to fill, why make a new tool? Using the "wheel" already has many pros, including saving you both time and energy - resources that can be put towards the next task, for which you may have to invent a ball because a wheel won't work.

     However, as D'Angelo points out, there are cases in which a "realignment" is warranted (and I promise this is as far as I will take the metaphor). On one end of the spectrum, a training session may need to be tweaked due to the original facilitator having a much larger staff with which to work. On the other end, sheet for RAs to fill-out while on rounds may need to be almost rewritten due to the original institution having different policies and procedures (something I did yesterday). But even on that end I was able to keep the original formatting, which would have taken me another hour to recreate. In fact, I have spent most of the past few days retrofitting my old resources and realigning others' for this new position, saving minutes and hours everywhere.

    While realigning and not reinventing are both great time- and energy-savers, I could see why a professional would still want to start something from scratch: the challenge. For an example, I will turn to my programming model for the RAs I am supervising. I made it from the bare bones, which were my supervisor's programming expectations for our area on campus, and then built it into a year-long programming plan for my residence hall. Yes, I took some advice here and there, but in the end I typed the entire plan and the ideas and intentions were mine. My supervisor telling me that he believed it was a good plan felt like the biggest praise ever, all because I had taken-on the challenge and met it.

   The purpose of that example is not to put me on a pedestal (I'm afraid of heights anyway), but instead to show the importance for a young, sub-entry level professional of creating your own ideas and materials every once in awhile. Starting-off fresh has been very stressful at points, but I feel that the longer you wait to truly challenge yourself to utilize the skills you are building, the longer you wait to grow in your position. So, realign when you do not have the time, but when you do have the time, take it to at least consider the challenge of reinventing. Who knows - your wheel may roll you further.

Quote Citation: D'Angelo, Anthony J. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved from: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/anthonyjd377829.html

Photo by: me