Happy Memorial Day.

May 31st, 2010 | Posted by Jennifer Blackwell in Diversity | Event Ideas - (0 Comments)

It’s easy for us to count off, probably on more than one hand, the programs we’ve been a part of this year. Those that stand out in our minds probably gave us the greatest challenge, taught us something about ourselves, allowed us to see that “A-Ha” spark of engagement, or provided us an opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in departments outside of our own. But, what programs had the greatest impact on our special or unique populations?

On this Memorial Day, one unique student population comes to mind: our veterans. Having worked at an institution that was less than 10 miles from an air force base, currently working at an institution with a significant percentage of students serving or recently transitioning back to life as a civilian, and coming from a family of proud military men and women, this group is always in the forefront of my mind.

If you were to assess your campus programs and services right now, could you explicitly list the transition services offered at your institution to men and women returning from deployment? Did you host a roundtable to hear what your veteran students need from your department? Have you done all you can to help these students transition from a battle mindset to your campus grind? Have you opened the dialogue to discuss how your institution can do more?

Like many of the veteran students on my campus, I care a lot about action and less about words. It’s easy to make services for unique populations a checkbox on an ever growing list of tasks, and a greater challenge to create a relationship with these students. Building relationships is the key. We know that human beings like to laugh, especially those who are returning from high stress situations like the battlefield, so why not extend a personal invitation to a veteran to attend the comedy show your program board is hosting? Military men and women have received many hours of leadership training; are you looking at the future facilitators of a workshop in your leadership portfolio series? If your residence hall floor is looking for a service project, how about becoming pen pals for deployed servicemen and women? Opportunities are endless and reaching out to a unique population can be incorporated into programs and activities you’re already offering.

Your campus is not alone if this unique population hasn’t been in the spotlight. Admittedly, my campus is in the beginning phases of having organized transition services for students going to or returning from deployment. However, together we face this challenge: instead of flowery words, truly honor the service of the many men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice –extend a hand and build a relationship with your veteran students.

Happy Memorial Day.

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The magic of high-impact learning experiences

April 26th, 2010 | Posted by Lisa Tetzloff in Diversity | Event Ideas | Leadership Training | University - (71 Comments)

We all want to create learning experiences that transform lives. Students spend such a short time in college (which may be even less with three-year degrees!)–what opportunities can we offer that will have a big impact? This challenge seems impossible at times, especially with tight resources. However, when we are able to pull one off, it can appear almost magical.

That’s the way I would describe the weeklong Lakota cultural experience offered recently to UW-Green Bay students. I had the pleasure of accompanying students to the Pine Ridge Reservation and Rapid City, South Dakota, to build relationships with the Lakota people, to learn about their culture, and to participate in service with them.

From our arrival to our departure, we encountered opportunities to stretch our minds, hearts, and bodies. Our guides encouraged us from the start to observe and listen, to learn and understand, to resist judgment.

In this frame of mind, we witnessed Lakota people, who, despite past and present losses, demonstrated true generosity, compassion, spirit, and hope. We heard a bit about Lakota history, defined by manipulation and worse; however, we heard a great deal more about a future defined by tribally driven education, cultural restoration, and community development.

Despite the short time we spent with various individuals, we formed strong connections. Each person we met deepened our understanding, not only about the Lakota people but also about ourselves. We observed values that some of us will build into our own lives: a broader definition of family, a spiritual connection to all things, and a reverence for our elders and their wisdom. Lakota resilience and tenacity empower us.

I almost missed this trip. It had been many years since I last crawled into a crowded van and drove for hours to get to a destination, whether that was an R.A. conference, NACURH, or some other lively and learning-filled event. Like living-in perhaps, road trips seemed a thing of the past for me. A selfish quandary rightly resolved.

This trip’s life is far from over. The group is presenting its experiences to the campus in a couple weeks, a participant is writing a paper on Wounded Knee for a history class, and next fall we will facilitate a discussion of the book Lakota Woman by Mary Crow Dog as part of our leadership programming. And that’s just the beginning.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to join the students on this journey. It was a transformative experience for all of us and a program thick with learning: history, culture, white privilege, economics, and so much more. Magical.

Were you lucky enough to have a transformative experience as an undergrad? What are some recent high-impact learning experiences you’ve been a part of or observed? Who is finding success creating quality experiences with limited resources?

View the UWGB Student Life Facebook page for photos from our trip.

Lisa Tetzloff is director of student life at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

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#SACHAT Under the sea?

April 22nd, 2010 | Posted by Debra Sanborn in #sachat | Diversity | SA Humor - (0 Comments)

In case you missed this evening’s edition of #SACHAT, we had our first celebrity sighting since Irma Pelt joined the conversation. Yes, it was none other than everyone’s favorite mermaid, Ariel!

During our evening chat on the topic of Staff Motivation and Recognition, Miss Ariel weighed in to share her approval of staff and student recognition.

Our trusty #SACHAT moderator was surprised as much as anyone by this celebrity appearance and sought confirmation of the mermaid manifesting herself in the conversation.

Miss Ariel continued to show that she’s got the scales and chimed in on a question about handling staff jealousy over recognition.

As the conversation clearly slowed to focus on the star in our midst, Ariel bantered a bit more about the “ism’s” represented in Disney animation and then swam away, under the sea, down where it’s wetter, take it from me.

Just goes to prove, you miss a day of #SACHAT, you miss a lot.

I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see them dancin’
Walking around on those – what do you call ‘em?
Oh – feet!

If the room is a-rockin’ …

October 5th, 2009 | Posted by VaNessa Thompson in Campus Issues | Diversity | First-Year Experience | Freshman | University - (0 Comments)

Working in Residence Life I have seen this scenario play out numerous times. The roommate A comes in and sees roommate B doing the nasty or Roommate B is sleeping while Roommate A is getting her kicks. It happens. However, now Tufts has placed a policy ban of sex while your roommate is in the room. Is this going too far?

The Tufts University policy is as follows:

Host Responsibilities:

Any resident student who will be hosting an overnight guest must adhere to the following expectations:

  • You must obtain permission from your roommate(s) before your guest arrives to campus.
  • If you live in a staffed residence hall you must obtain an Overnight Guest Registration Form from your Resident Assistant…
  • You may not allow your guest (whether Tufts affiliated or not) to occupy your room without your presence or give your room key or building fob to your guest(s) under any circumstances.
  • You are responsible for the behavior of your guests at all times and are liable for any damages incurred to your room or the residence hall as a result of your guest's behavior/actions.
  • You may not engage in sexual activity while your roommate is present in the room. Any sexual activity within your assigned room should not ever deprive your roommate(s) of privacy, study, or sleep time.

 

Many times it is hard for roommates to have these and other tough conversations; they are coming from home with their own room and now they have to share a space with someone. In Residence Life, we want to be able to give the residents skills that will help them in the future. I know when many of my residents had to have these conversations, it was probably the hardest thing to do; but it gave them conflict management and other skills that have helped them out in the future.


(Wayne State)

And thinking like a typical resident, what would be considered as "sexual activity?" Making out? Hugging? In today's society, that is ambiguous; it's not necessarily the actions, but the motivation behind them (in my opinion). If you are going to tell them not to do it, then I believe then you should define what that is for them. I can see how this could lead into some potential problems. And if a resident was to engage in this type of an activity and the roommate was present, what would happen? Would they get kicked out of the room? It's their room too and they have a right to use it as they see fit. With that said I like MSU's residence hall policy; it splits it between primary and secondary rights.

Michigan State's residence hall policy is that as a resident your primary rights are to read and study without interference, sleep and have access to belongings, and the right file grievance in your room. Any secondary rights, like having guests or having sex, cannot override those primary rights. Yeah there are some grey areas, but that allows the roommates to set the tone in their room for themselves, not the college or university. You could also do things like Wayne State's Roommate Agreement, where there is a list of questions and answers that help facilitate those conversations.


(My roommate and I at MSU in 2003)

For more articles related to Tufts' Policy, click here!

A Millennial’s Confession

September 29th, 2009 | Posted by Daniel W. Murphy in Campus Issues | Collaborative Learning | Diversity | Leadership Training | SA Humor - (0 Comments)

I have a confession to make…  I am special. It’s not my fault that I’m special, I’m just living up to the expectations that have been placed on me by the people who designed my generation. By designers, I don’t necessarily mean my parents as much as you all… the Boomers and the X-ers.

I was born in 1982. While some say that the Millennials started a few years prior (or after), I’ve most often seen 1982 as the start of Generation Y. This works for me… after all, we were also the first class of the “new millennium,” hoping that the world wouldn’t end just months before we graduated from high school. Contrary to many in my generation I didn’t have a cell phone until I went to college, the Facebook boom hit right as I started graduate school, I didn’t own a digital camera until I was 23, and I’m not even a toddler by twitterverse standards. My tech savyness comes from a willingness to play and a curiosity for the world encouraged by the possibilities created by Generation X.

As tends to happen in a given week I was sitting in a meeting discussing what we needed to do for “this generation” with some campus colleagues. Cut to a scene from “Mean Girls” in which Cady Heron, in an attempt to woo Aaron Samuels, is downplaying her mathematical prowess so that she can get some help. As Aaron begins to answer her questions we are privy to the conversation in Cady’s head that goes something like “Wrong,” “So Wrong,” “Wrong, wrong, wrong.” I guess that’s a pretty dramatic example but I can admit that I’ve had thought process myself once or twice.

If my math serves me correct, Millennials have been working in Student Affairs for about three or four years now. The majority of us probably serve as the Coordinators or Assistant Directors on your campuses. Some of my peers have already stepped into Director roles… we are ambitious after all. Or, we’ve just recently unleashed our first bit of research in the field through our Doctoral candidates, now graduates. All of this to lead up to my next confession: we’re already here!

There’s a fallacy out there that we crave structure. Structure can be good, but I think what we really crave is clear expectations and established boundaries. Within those boundaries, however, we seek the freedom to play. Just like with technology, we like to look at problems as an opportunity to find a new way of doing things. If we are given a task and then given steps 1 through 8 to complete it… that is what the product will be.

(A question I’ve often pondered: What if our contracts were designed to promote the actions that we hope to see from our students as opposed to a list of actions/activities that are off limits? Are the contracts really designed to help with student learning, or are they to make it easier on us that have the difficult conversations? Your thoughts?)

Trust is big for us. We need to feel like we’re trusted to do our jobs. That can be hard though, because sometimes we don’t look like we’re working – I get that. The thing is that many of us have made ourselves so available via emerging technologies that we’ve entered a world of being perpetually on-call.  Maybe it’s because I was one of those students writing the 2:00am emails and asking for references due in two days that I extend a bit of patience (and an understanding smile) to the students I work with. Truth be told… I was the one checking my email at 2:00am to know they sent the message.  Our attempt at development will be more warmly received if we’ve established trust.

There is one place we get ourselves into trouble… we do have a tendency to think that we’re always right. My “Mean Girls” moments are a testament to that. Be patient with us… more often than not we come back around. A lot of us learn best by making mistakes. As a professional I’ve recognized that we have moments at work that there is “no fail option.” It’s important that we learn that lesson too, but I can tell you that if I’m given a chance to mess up… that same mistake won’t happen again.  

I have some other confessions to make:

-I didn’t proof this before I submitted it… that’s Microsoft Word’s job. Not to mention those little green wiggly lines don’t even make sense, no one actually talks like that.

-I called my mom before I sat down to write this. It’s the third time we’ve talked this week… oh, and there have been a few emails too.  After all, my parents have been the ones who have believed in me from the beginning and told me that I can do, or be, anything.

-I’m also “gchatting” with a former student and tweeting simultaneously. That’s just an attention span issue…

-Oh, and I’ve watched all five of the” Bring It On” movies (yes, there are five). That actually has nothing to do with being a Millennial, I just felt the need to get that one off of my chest.

Now, I make no promises that what I have to say applies to every Millennial. After all, I’m not the only one that is special – we all are! I’m just saying that I think it’s time we change the conversation a little. “This generation” is in the room and if we have a chance to play, we all might be surprised.

Welcome Week Casserole

September 1st, 2009 | Posted by Daniel W. Murphy in Diversity | First-Year Experience | Freshman | Orientation - (0 Comments)

A few weeks ago I was sitting at my computer working through some details for a Welcome Week program when I started toggling back and forth between my excel spreadsheet and my Twitter feed. I found the usual – some website links skilled in the art of enabling procrastination, breaking news from five different sources (all with slightly different details, of course), and one-sided shout outs to people I will never follow.

With our Welcome Week right around the corner I figured I would give it a shot and a “Find People” search for “Welcome Week” resulted in over two-dozen profiles. I perused the list to find a handful of very active profiles, some schools where I had friends working and a good number of schools you could tell were just testing the waters on this “Twitter thing.” By the time I decided I needed some dinner, I had added about a dozen schools to the list of people that I follow. These schools; from all over the United States and Canada, representing public and private institutions, large and small student bodies, and variations in orientation program designs have been an absolute joy to follow.

It wasn’t until the middle of this most recent Welcome Week on my campus that I noticed a trend. Each of those 12 schools, plus the three that I have worked at, had the same essential elements that make up the core of their programming schedule.  I realized that it’s a lot like a potluck dinner with friends. You were assigned to bring dessert and spend all afternoon whipping up an apple pie from your secret family recipe. You arrive at the potluck ready to show off your culinary aptitude when you realize there are two other apple pies already on the table. Even though they all contain the same essential ingredients, you find through tasting a sample of each that the three pies offer a distinct and unique experience for your palette.

Likewise, the Welcome Week experience is unique to each campus community. Inspired by my new friends that I have been following on Twitter for the past two weeks and the dutiful encouragement by my mother to learn to cook for myself, I would like to share with you my recipe for Welcome Week Casserole:

Start with your main ingredients; Move-In Day, some academic programming, and a healthy helping of student volunteers.

These ingredients create the base of your program. A semi-captive audience now resides on-campus that has survived (arguably) the first rite of passage on campus – carrying boxes to the (insert number that is actually one higher than the number of floors in your tallest residence hall) floor, maneuvering around the predictably broken elevator, and managing to avoid a parking ticket.

The academic programs are usually easy to identify… they contain the word “Academic” in the title and are usually frontloaded into the first full day of Welcome Week.

The student volunteers are often just as easy to identify — they are dressed alike and may be carrying large brightly colored objects (to be used in icebreakers). These students are often ridiculed by their peers on campus for being “too energetic,” “too happy,” or just downright “annoying.” Even though their motivation is sometimes in question (early move-in, the influence, recruiting for student organizations, building a social network, etc), I respect them more than almost anyone that works in Student Affairs. They are the front line of our programs, often being asked to fulfill expectations far beyond what would be imaginable for 18-21 year olds in a volunteer position.

Next, add one serving of a formal welcome program.

This program is usually designed as a way for administration and faculty to welcome new students to their community. Placed near the beginning of the week and with the pomp and circumstance associated with a commencement ceremony, these students officially become members of the academy. More than anything, this is a wonderful opportunity to involve campus partners in the orientation experience. (I think that campus spam blockers have been upgraded to weed out any emails with the words “invite,” “welcome week,” and “late night” in them.)

Now, gently fold in some diversity programming.

Probably the most unique of all Welcome Week components, I can think of nothing else more responsive to the make-up of the student body, campus and local social values, political influences and comfort level of orientation staff/committee members. It is worthy of graduate school case studies discussing the balance between challenge and support. 

For some spice, a pinch of University Athletics will do.

If you have a marching/pep band, it is a must. Be careful though, there is a high probability that it will not go as you planned with the Athletic Director or Athletics Event Coordinator. Coaches are paid the big bucks to make game time decisions. In front of the new students, filled with a lot of energy, and in an effort to increase attendance and support for all of the athletic teams on the roster – there are plenty of opportunities for “game time decisions.”  

Finally, the secret ingredient…

I can’t tell you what that is because it’s a secret! But, you know what I’m talking about. It’s the pink elephant on the campus. Every campus has one… it can take the form of large unsanctioned parties off campus, student groups hosting events in hopes of recruiting new students, or alternative “orientation programs” presented by jaded upperclass students. You won’t find it on the Welcome Week schedule, but if you ask any current student they can tell you when it happens. You may find something on the schedule for that day and time… it was probably put there because of the secret ingredient.

Mix it all together and place in an oven at 90 to 100 degrees for three to five days, or until ready.

My favorite part is putting it all in the oven. Mostly because I don’t have to do anything, but also because now it just leaves me with anticipation of the deliciousness that will result. I don’t know what’s happening inside the oven, all I know is that if I’ve done everything that I’m supposed to my casserole will come out exactly as planned. We go through great lengths to plan a week of events for new students on our campuses. Within all of this, is an inherent trust that our campus community will do their part to achieve the desired result. We arm new students with the ingredients to be successful; we engaged them with information and entertainment (edutainment… if you will); we give them access to successful upperclass students, faculty and alumni; and, then we hope for the best.

I can’t think of anything more rewarding and anxiety producing all at the same time. Hopefully we’ve set the table for an incredibly meaningful college experience. Now that I’ve stepped away from the table, full and ready for a nap, it’s time to make some notes and adjust the recipe as needed. The best part of it all is that we can rest assured that none of us will be bringing the exact same dish to the next divisional potluck.

Sink or Swim? Thinking About the Whole Picture Before Presenting at a Conference

May 7th, 2009 | Posted by Gavin Weiser in Conferences | Diversity | Leadership Training | SA Humor | Social Networks | Tidbits | Web/Tech - (0 Comments)

                Not
long ago I had the opportunity to present at a local conference with a colleague
of mine. At the university at which I both work and take my graduate classes,
we host an annual regional conference on leadership and diversity. Due to my
position in the multicultural affairs unit, it seemed only practical that I
present and upon talking with my colleague of mine, we came up with what we
thought would be a great idea for a presentation.

                We
decided that since we both have a background in leadership studies, and with my
work in multicultural affairs, we would be able to broach both of these
important topics in tandem. We were very excited. This conference has a large
undergraduate student draw. Many leadership programs in the south-east come to
this conference annually due to the high-quality of presentations and key-note
speakers.

                Due to
the population, we knew that we would have to alter our presentation to not
only get bodies in the room, but keep them engaged in order for them to remain
interested and to learn something useful and practical that they could use upon
leaving at the end of the day. She and I were both very excited when we
realized exactly what to do. We would utilize clips from popular culture as
examples of leadership and its different styles in order to teach our lessons.

                We had
everyone included; from John Dorian of Scrubs,
to Jack Sheppard of LOST. And of
course, one can not forget The Donald. We carefully selected clips from these as
well as a few other tid-bits of pop-culture genius in order to talk about
different points of leadership and leading a diverse team. We were placed in
the slot at the end of the day to present, where they usually put the most
interesting sounding presentations. The day of right the presentation; right before
we were to begin, we filled up the largest room they had booked for presentations,
in fact, it became standing room only.

Unfortunately, the presentation was
Power Point based and the night before we realize that we had built the entire
presentation on a Mac. The day of the conference we realize that we didn’t have
a cable in order to connect the Mac to the projector. Somehow, I managed to
find a CD in order to burn the presentation to disc in order for us to transfer
this huge presentation with media embedded within to the presentation computer,
which of course was probably made in 1992. I say it was made in 1992, for once
we were able to actually transfer the presentation to the other computer, it
was unable to handle the media and froze up several times. In fact, the last
time it froze up was right in the middle of our presentation.

                At the
time we were both crushed. We had people walk out of presentation. Our reviews
were horrible. My colleague refused to even read the evaluations. (Not all of
them were bad!) Fortunately for my own self-preservation; I am in the thought
that every moment of our lives must be taken as a learning moment. So although
we had a great idea for a presentation, and had it immaculately prepared on our
Mac and it looked very nice and worked quite well, once we discovered what the
room looked like the day of, and the inability to connect my computer to the
projector, and the lack of speakers for sound, it was quite evident, we had not
prepared quite enough.  

                The
take away message for everyone is that it is of the most importance for us to
be fully prepared to handle whatever bumps that may be thrown at us. This can
be presenting at a conference, or in class. This could be meeting with
students, or throwing an event. Our profession is often abundant with road
hazards. It is important to be able to roll with these misfortunes and be able
to quickly adapt. It is more important to learn to identify potential problems
before going in so that you can be prepared. I know that I for one now carry an
8 gig flash drive on my keys in hopes that something like this will never
happen.

By the end of the presentation, we
had a core group of students that remained throughout the presentation and in
the end; I feel that these students learned more than they had bargained for. Several
of these students were headed into the field of Student Affairs, and since we
were very candid about what happened, I am sure none of them will make the same
mistakes we made, and I hope that you will not either.

 

P.S. One of my fellow graduate students was kind enough to
sit in the front and record the whole thing for me, so that we would be able to
improve afterward. I have yet to watch the video, I am pretty sure I know what
went wrong at this point!

The Role of Faith in Student Affairs – Topic of the Month

April 30th, 2009 | Posted by Tom Krieglstein in Campus Issues | Diversity | TOTM - (0 Comments)

Advising is one of many hats worn by SA Professionals. It can be very rewarding to help shape the values and ideals of your students. It seems only natural that those values and ideals match your own, but where’s the line? Particularly, with the sensitive issue of Faith?

Linda Adams from Central VA Community College, whom you met before as our last “Better Get To Know an SA Professional,” shares her take:

As I approach my 15 years of working in the field of extracurricular activities my faith has been my foundation over those years. When I was hired, my statement to the interview panel was that I did not want to compromise my faith in the state institution but to live out my faith in my daily activities.
I find that my faith helps me to love and show compassion to all students no matter who they are. I depend on God to give me the strength to work through the situations which may be hard to handle. When put to the test I depend upon my faith to be my guide.
Obviously, I work with students from all backgrounds and beliefs and it is always thrilling to discuss my faith with the students when asked. I do not believe that God intends for me to force my faith on anyone but to quietly live out my faith as an example of my hope. The greatest legacy I feel I can leave the students is to mentor them, pray for them, and most of all accept them.

By default, SA folk are advisers and mentors. So, how do you manage the mix between your job and faith, especially, as Linda pointed out, when working with students of all backgrounds and beliefs?

“FIRE-ing” the Canon? Are the foundations of our profession being assaulted, or are we the “barbarians at the gate?”

April 16th, 2009 | Posted by Sean Cook in Assessment | Campus Issues | Diversity | University - (0 Comments)

Though there has been an evolution of thought and significant changes in approaches over the years, the guiding principles outlined for the Student Affairs profession have always leaned heavily on the idea that learning happens both inside and outside the classroom, and that learning and development are inseparable from each other. Student affairs practitioners, therefore, have a responsibility, as educators, to provide meaningful opportunities for learning and development.
 
Learning Reconsidered expands on this, and argues that "Every resource on every campus should be used to achieve transformative liberal education for all students, and all colleges and universities are accountable for establishing and assessing specific student outcomes that reflect this integrated view of learning."
 
Sounds great, doesn't it?
 
But just like the idea that "it takes a village to raise a child," an idea that might warm the heart of some sends chills down the spine of others. One person's "Kum By Ya," and hand-holding around the campfire, is to another the battle cry of barbarians at the gate, set on knocking down the pillars of the academy and toasting smores over the smoldering ashes of the library's special collections.
 
Figuring out what "specific outcomes" would be appropriate seems to be the main front in this war between traditionalists (who believe that learning is the exclusive realm of academic affairs) and those who feel that learning needs to be reconsidered (us). It's like putting two economists from different schools of thought in a room together and asking them to explain the state of the economy and its future direction. The conversation will be long, circular, at times acrimonious, and though full of points and counterpoints, likely resulting in nothing resembling consensus. Both sides will likely declare at least a moral victory in having made their points, and the onlookers will still be confused and dazed.
 
It's no surprise, then, that some institutional efforts to define particular learning outcomes have been criticized, even vilified, and held up to intense public scrutiny. If you haven't heard of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), chances are, you will.


FIRE's mission statement seems a clarion call to those who cling tightly to more traditionalist views of academia, against what they seem to perceive as mass indoctrination of students by politically motivated and left-leaning pseudo-academics. You can learn more about FIRE and some of their projects at their website. If you haven't read up on them, you really should.

As a profession, how should Student Affairs respond to these challenges? How can we develop outcomes that will be both generally accepted, and practical to implement? Is the "outcomes" movement tantamount to a warning shot against all the academy holds sacred, or just a loud declaration of relevance from those of us who have resided so long in the outer provinces? Are we destroying the academic canon, or are organizations like FIRE burning the library and blaming us for the smoke? Who are the barbarians? And who's really guarding the gates?

Facilitating Diversity Emergencies: 72 Hours of the Student Perspective

April 10th, 2009 | Posted by Valerie Heruska in Diversity - (0 Comments)

I work in a residence hall made up of a very diverse group
of residents: athletes, transfer students, and a few Living and Learning
communities. While all of the above keep me on my toes and very busy every day,
I always seem to run into diversity emergencies that are the crux of every
roommate conflict. In the heat of passion during a conflict, most of my
residents are unwilling to step out of their box to see the argument from a
different perspective.  As a new
professional, this is something that I am still learning, especially moving
from one geographic region of the United States to another that is completely
different.

Last month, I had the opportunity to be a facilitator on a 3
day diversity retreat that was held in a “mystery location” off campus. It was
also a prelude to my institution’s diversity week. I seized the opportunity,
hoping that it would give me a new light onto diversity and how it will play a
role in my future as a student affairs professional and as a human being. I was
whisked away late on a Friday afternoon, along with 4 other professional staff
from different areas of campus and about 26 undergraduate and 4 graduate students.

Over the course of 72 hours, we bonded, we drew our “Ouch!”
cards on each other, and we learned a lot about how we self-identified as well
as the prejudices we use against each other on a daily basis. The first night
of the retreat included many ice-breakers, and then the next day, we jumped
right into all the “tough stuff”: listing positive and negative characteristics
about our heterogeneous populations (we used “majority”, “minority”, “women”
and “men”), the fishbowl exercise- where we discussed an opinion about a specific stereotype , breaking down stereotypes on campus, and
after breaking out into small groups, facilitating the social barometer and
privilege walk exercises to the participants.

One of the most humanizing experiences throughout the
retreat was the privilege walk exercise. I don’t know how many of you out there
have actually facilitated this exercise, but it can be very powerful for you
and your students if executed correctly and with the intentionality of showcasing
diversity among a student group. There were many tears with my group, but they
all came to acceptance and understanding of each other.  All were not ashamed of where they came from
or the struggles their parent’s went through in order to help them.

I left the weekend with a new outlook on diversity. I am
more aware of issues of diversity on my campus and in my residence hall. I now
strive to help my residents see and understand the diversity issues in my
residence hall. I still can’t describe the typical student at my institution,
but I think that is a good thing because it truly does show the multitude of
diversity among our students and residents.