Winter 2012

the soundings
the official nwacuho newsletter
northwest association of college and university housing officers
Page 2
the soundings
winter 2012
NWACUHO soundings
Cover: Anchorage, Alaska
on time, or not used due to space
limitations will be considered for
soundings editorial board
use in the next issue. Because
The editorial board is
soundings is the official
comprised of volunteer members publication of an educational
throughout the NWACUHO
association and reflects the
region. Duties include assisting professional standards of its
in the development of an
members, necessary revisions
editorial schedule, submission of will be made to ensure
interest articles, and soliciting
publication quality. soundings
articles and feedback from the
also reserves the right to edit
members of the association. If
submissions for space
you are interested in being a
requirements.
member of the editorial board,
Authors bear full
please contact your state or
responsibility for references,
provincial representative or the
quotations, and data accuracy of
newsletter editor.
publications submissions.
Authors also hold NWACUHO
editorial and submission
harmless from any liability
policies
resulting from publications of
Deadlines for publications
articles submitted for printing.
are based on distribution needs,
Be sure to clearly indicate the
and therefore it is important that author(s) and institution(s) on all
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soundings’ contents with proper
attribution and credit to
soundings.
Advertisements in the
soundings should not be
considered an endorsement. For
information on exhibitor
advertising rates please contact:
Ian Miller, Product & Services
Coordinator at 509.963.8812.
Please send all submissions
(articles, letters, updates from
around the region, and
announcements) to:
Andrew K. Rogers
Soundings Editor
Residence Life Coordinator
Seattle Pacific University
3307 3rd Ave. West, MS 2315
Seattle, WA 98119
(817) 917-1909
andrewkrogers@spu.edu
*Please attach articles using MS word
document.
executive committee
President
Steve Fitterer
Director, Residence Services
Mount Royal University
Alberta, Canada
403.440.6279
sfitterer@mtroyal.ca
President Elect
Elaine Ames
Operations and Marketing Manager
Central Washington University
Univ. Housing & New Student Program
400 E. University Way, MS 7513
Ellensburg, Washington 98926
509.963.1838
amese@cwu.edu
Past President
Josh Gana
Assistant Director for Facilities Operations
Housing & Food Services, University of
Washington, L3 Lander Hall
Box 355610
Seattle, WA 98195-5610
206.685.8790
winter 2012
Secretary
Lauren Pigott
Assistant Director of Housing &
Residence Life
Campus Corner Apartments
Green River Community College
12401 SE 320th Street
Auburn, WA 98092-3622
Phone: 253.876.3610
lpigott@greenriver.edu
Treasurer
Micheal Seraphin
Coordinator of Purchasing
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem, OR 97301
503.370.6055
mseraphi@willamette.edu
Newsletter Editor
Andrew K. Rogers
Residence Life Coordinator
Seattle Pacific University
3307 3rd Ave West, MS 2315
Seattle, WA 98119
(817) 917-1909
andrewkrogers@spu.edu
Website Administrator
Patrick Cunningham
Complex Director
University of Oregon
541.346.8627
pcunning@uoregon.edu
Products and Services Coordinator
Ian Miller
Residence Hall Coordinator
Central Washington University
400 E. University Way, MS 7513
Ellensburg, Washington 98926
509.963.7917
milleria@cwu.edu
Alaska-Yukon Representative
Maria Bonifacio
Associate Director of Residence Life
University of Alaska Anchorage
3700 Sharon Gagnon Lane, Suite 101
Anchorage, AK 99508
907.751.7448
mariab@uaa.anchorage.edu
Alberta Representative
Judy Eyben
Res Life Facilitator, Lakeland College
5707 College Drive,Vermilion, AB T9X 1T2
780.853.8480
Judy.eyben@lakelandcollege.ca
the soundings
British Columbia Representative
Shari Walsh
Residence Life Manager
University of British Columbia -Okanagan
1290 International Mews
Kelowna, British Columbia V1V 1V7 Canada
250.807.9802;
shari.walsh@ubc.ca
Oregon Representative
Erik T. Elordi
Assistant Director of Family Housing &
Conference Services
Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6229
elordie@sou.edu
Washington Representative
Kelly Ammendolia
Assistant Director of Residence Life
University of Puget Sound
1500 N. Warner St. #1003
Tacoma, WA 98416-1003
253.879.3317 kammendolia@pugetsound.edu
Page 3
a letter from the president
steve fitterer
Steve Fitterer, Mount Royal University
NWACUHO President
Happy New Year NWACUHO!!!!!!
I hope that everyone had a nice opportunity
to get some rest and spend some quality
time with your loved ones over the holiday
season. It is such a special time of year and
it always seems to go by so quickly. The
New Year is an excellent opportunity for all
of us to set those problematic New Year’s
resolutions. My biggest one this year is to
promise that I will not submit another late
Presidential article to Andrew for the
Soundings…..wait a second…..this is my
last one as President of our Association. At
least this is one resolution I should be able
to keep 
direction over the last several years. Josh
has been everything from our historian to
our by-law guru and his presence and steady
leadership will be sorely missed. I couldn’t
have done this without him.
I am also looking forward to continuing to
work with those of you staying on over the
next year and I’m excited to welcome some
excellent additions to our Executive team.
With Lawrence Lam (British Columbia
Representative), Michelle Primley Benton
(Washington Representative), Esther Gaines
(Products and Services Coordinator) and
Jenni Chadick (Secretary) joining the Board
in 2012 and Kelly Ammendolia
transitioning into the role of President Elect,
I am confident that we will continue to work
As we all look forward to what I hope will
diligently to provide our members with
be a happy, healthy, successful 2012, I’d
opportunities to learn, grow and develop as
like to take a second to reflect back on
professionals in the student housing field. I
2011. More than ever, I have been
reminded of the incredible professionals that have a feeling that our Association will
we have working in the North West region. continue to flourish and
will be in fabulous hands
I must take this opportunity to say goodbye for many years to come.
to several members of the Board who will
We are just over a month
be passing the torch to our new teammates
away from our 50th annual
in February. Ian Miller (Products and
Services) has brought a unique perspective conference in Ashland and
to our conversations over the last two years. the Board and host
committee are putting the
Lauren Pigott (Secretary) has done a
final touches on an event
fabulous job recording our meetings and
putting up with my inability to operate in a that I think everyone will
thoroughly enjoy.
“presidential” fashion and Sheri Walsh
(British Columbia Representative), has
The program submissions
brought humor and a refreshingly
“Canadian” perspective to the table. Lastly, are outstanding,
registration is going very
a very special thanks needs to go to our
well and our exhibitors are
outgoing Past-President Josh Gana. Josh
looking forward to
has spent the last 6 years on the Board and
reconnecting with us. It is
his dedication and commitment to
also looking like we are
NWACUHO has been instrumental in
going to have more Past
moving our Association in such a positive
Page 4
Presidents in attendance this year than ever
before so we will all be able to tap into the
extraordinary wisdom I’m sure many of
them will be willing to share with us.
Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to
thank everyone for making my year as
President of NWACUHO such an
exceptional and memorable one.
When I first took on this role, I thought it
would be my opportunity to give back to the
region that I have spent my entire 25 year
career in. I never imagined that it would be
me that would learn as much as I have from
the colleagues and friends that I have had
the privilege of working with over the last
two years.
Thanks to you all!! It has been an
incredible experience!!
winter 2012
nwacuho institution & corporate
member registration
Time to Renew your Institutional and Corporate Membership!
Did you know that NWACUHO Memberships expires on
Corporate Memberships are available at the following levels:
December 31, 2011? Membership in NWACUHO is a great
way to stay connected with colleagues, keep up to date with best
 Bronze: $300.00
practices, share ideas, and gain valuable professional
 Silver: $500.00
development activities. Additionally, your institutional or
 Gold: $1000.00
corporate membership will carry the following benefits:
For more information regarding the
 Discounts on registration for the Annual Conference
Corporate Membership Program please
 Availability of awards and scholarships
visit: http://nwacuho.org/exhibits-and Resources such as the Soundings newsletter and
corporate-membership/
regional directory
If you have any questions please
 Participation in regional drive-in conferences and
contact the Products and Services
roundtables
Coordinator Ian Miller at (509)
963.7917 or email: milleria@cwu.edu
Institutional Member dues are based on housing capacity size:
HAVE YOU
RENEWED
YET?
Capacity
0 - 499
500 – 999
1000 – 1499
1500 – 2999
3000+
Renew corporate membership now at: www.regonline.com/
nwacuho2012m
Dues
$75.00
$100.00
$125.00
$175.00
$200.00
All memberships are for a calendar year and benefits are for the
regional conference that year. Dues are not prorated based on
date of registration. Thank you for your support and contact
treasurer@nwacuho.org with membership questions.
Renew institutional membership now at: www.regonline.com/
nwacuho2012m
winter 2012
the soundings
Page 5
association elects new
board members
Josh Gana
University of Washington
The NWACUHO Board of Directors is comprised of 13 of your colleagues -- 8 officers and 5 state and provincial representatives.
As the group responsible for overall governance of the Association, the Board directs all programmatic, financial, and legal functions
of NWACUHO.
Officers are elected by the NWACUHO members with terms if either 2 or 3 years depending on the position; state and provincial
representatives are appointed by the officers with 2 year terms. All terms are cycled in a way to ensure continuity and balance in
number of vacancies on an annual basis.
Elections have just concluded for 5 positions for the 2012 – 2013 year, new Board members will take office at the closing banquet of
the annual conference in February. This year’s elections were extremely robust and competitive, with a phenomenal slate of candidates. I’m pleased to introduce the new Board members:
·
President Elect: Kelly Ammendolia,
Assistant Director of Residence Life at
the University of Puget Sound.
Products and Services Coordinator:
Esther Gaines, Area Coordinator at
Gonzaga University.
Secretary: Jenni Chadick, Resident
Director at the University of Puget Sound.
Washington State Representative:
Michelle Primley Benton, Conduct &
Compliance Specialist at the University of
Washington.
British Columbia Provincial Representative:
Lawrence Lam, Residence Life Coordinator
at the University of Victoria.
Members transitioning off of the Board with the completion of their terms include Josh Gana (Past President), Lauren Pigott
(Secretary), Ian Miller (Products and Services Coordinator), and Shari Walsh (British Columbia Provincial Representative).
The remainder of the 2012 – 2013 Board of Directors is comprised of Elaine Ames (President), Steve Fitterer (Past President),
Micheal Seraphin (Treasurer), Andrew Rogers (Newsletter Editor), Pat Cunningham (Website Administrator), Maria Bonifacio
(Alaska-Yukon Representative), Judy Eyben (Alberta Representative), and Erik Elordi (Oregon Representative).
Page 6
the soundings
winter 2012
An engaged future
NWACUHO to release Vision, Association Master Plan, and Tagline in February.
With the New Year comes an enhanced focus for NWACUHO; a
new and redefined emphasis on the programmatic future of the
Association. The timing couldn’t be better. Following years of
development work during which the Board of Directors defined
“who we are” from an organizational perspective, the shift to
“what we do” will define NWACUHO for the next decade.
We couldn’t be more excited to share this future with you -- in
the form of an Association Master Plan, Vision Statement,
Tagline, and a focused Mission Statement. Slated for unveiling
at the Town Hall Meeting of the 2012 Annual Conference, this
focus has been many years in the making.
The Northwest Association of College and University Housing
Officers has operated as an unincorporated group of housing
professionals in the Pacific Northwest since at least 1961,
although historical records are incomplete. It is known that the
Association will be hosting it’s 50th annual conference in the
winter of 2012, coinciding with the release of the Master Plan.
On July 23, 2008, NWACUHO filed Articles of Incorporation as
an Oregon nonprofit public benefit corporation, formalizing the
organizational structure of the Association and providing a legal
winter 2012
framework for NWACUHO operations. On October 27, 2011,
NWACUHO received a determination from the United State
Internal Revenue Service granting income tax exempt status as a
501(c) 6 association retroactive to the date of incorporation.
Upon formalization of the organizational and legal structure of
NWACUHO in 2011, the Board shifted focus to long term
consistency, sustainability, and the programmatic direction of the
Association. A desired outcome was the creation of a Master
Plan as well as overall organizational identity.
Organizational identity statements including vision, mission, and
core values will provide a metric to guide all Association
programs and activities. The Master Plan will serve as blueprint
for the future, identifying and addressing continued challenges
and providing the Board with the opportunity to develop
implementation steps on an annual basis that in totality moves
the organization forward in congruence with the vision, mission,
and core values.
We’re excited to share the plan in February!
the soundings
Page 7
CONFERENCE 2012
Register now
online at
http://nwacuho.org
Page 8
the soundings
winter 2012
exhibitor news
CONFERENCE 2012
by Ian Miller
The 2012 NWACUHO Conference in Ashland, Oregon on February 19-22, 2012 is fast approaching. The
theme of the 2012 conference is “Golden Opportunities” and we will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of
NWACUHO.
I want to thank the following companies for registering as Exhibitors and Corporate Members with
NWACUHO for the 2012 year:
2012 NWACUHO Conference Exhibitors
Integra Seating
SWAK University Services
DCI
Collegiate Concepts, Inc.
Sauder Education
RT London
American Campus Communities/Canadian Campus Communities
Express Contract Services
Washington State Correctional Industries
InterfaceFLOR
Foliot Furniture
Holsag Canada
Adirondack Solutions, Inc.
Walsh Construction Co.
Campus Televideo
EBI
University Loft Company
StarRez, Inc.
Oregon Corrections Enterprises
Mac-Gray Campus Solutions
Transformations
2012 NWACUHO Corporate Members
Gold Level
Integra Seating
Holsag Canada
Mac-Gray Campus Solutions
American Campus Communities/Canadian Campus Communities
Silver Level
Walsh Construction Co.
Foliot Furniture
Mahlum
There is still time, if you are interested in becoming a Corporate
Member with NWACUHO. Simply go to the NWACUHO website:
http://nwacuho.org/exhibits-and-corporate-membership/corporatemembership/, for more information.
Further information regarding Conference Schedule, Exhibitor
Kits, and other Conference related details will be sent out to
exhibitors directly via email in mid January.
If you have any questions or would like additional information
please feel free to contact:
Ian Miller
Products and Services Coordinator for NWACUHO
Phone: 509.963-7917
Email: milleria@cwu.edu
winter 2012
Page 9
state and provincial updates
University of Alberta
Chris Fukushima was the recipient of one of the
University’s Support Staff Recognition Awards.
Those who have had the pleasure of working with Chris know
University of Lethbridge
Greetings from Southern Alberta!
that he exemplifies the foundation of the award, including:
 Contributing to a positive culture within the
It has been a very exciting year for us at the U of L and we
department/work unit
are gearing up for a busy 2012. In November we were pleased
 Bringing the “best” of themselves to work on a regular
to partner with Lethbridge College to host the Residence Life
basis throughout the year in performing his/her regular
Professional Association Fall Business Meeting here in sunny
job duties
Lethbridge. With 37 attendees from across Western Canada

Being a good ambassador for the U of A
the FBM was a great success. We were delighted to touch
base with so many of our colleagues and to be inspired by
He’s done this through contributing thoughtful perspectives to
Debra deWall, a professional development speaker from
projects; building respectful, collegial, and trusting working
Calgary.
relationships; caring about student learning and development;
and contributing to the profession as a whole through
In other exciting news, we were thrilled to host the Minister
involvement in associations.
of Advanced Education, Greg Weadick from the Alberta
Legislature for a ground breaking ceremony for our new
TURN Program
Aperture Park Phase 3 Residence Complex on November
The Transition to University: Residence Network (TURN)
17th.
Program (launched in August 2011 by Residence Services in
This new development is in response to meet the demand for collaboration with other University Student Services) is a
comprehensive and holistic approach to supporting firstadditional beds for returning students on our campus. The
generation* and other students anxious about attending
new 5 story Aperture Park project will add 259 beds to our
university. It begins with students moving in early to attend a
inventory and feature an impressive array of social and
series of participatory-workshops, which includes teamacademic amenity spaces.
building, understanding learning styles, skill-building, and
exploring support services through issue-based case studies.
The new structure will be situated on the South end of
Fall semester includes mentoring coffee conversations with
campus overlooking the coulees and Aperture park pond.
faculty members and Winter semester focuses on a cultivating
Construction is now fully underway and with plans to open
leadership as participants collaborate on delivering a program
the doors in spring 2013.
to enhance the Lister community. Overall, the program is
designed to build community, capacity, and confidence for
students.
First Year Experience Curriculum Plan
Residence Services is focussing its efforts to enhance the first
-year experience. By embracing citizenship, leadership, and
community values, the student-focussed curriculum provides
staff with clear direction to cultivate an intentional learning
environment in residence that facilitates holistic student
success.
Establishing a curricular-approach for the residence learning
environment (through learning outcomes presented as part of
the curriculum below) substantively and directly positions the
Residence Life program to realize many directional points
articulated in Dare to Deliver (University of Alberta, 2011),
including “The University of Alberta offers a qualitatively
unique educational and training experience for students.
Page 10
the soundings
winter 2012
Through curricular and co-curricular activities, students learn
fundamental skills, attitudes, and values as they contribute to the
advancement of knowledge and society” (p. 6). Overall,
intentional learning outcomes help assess staff efforts and define
a student experience that first-year students want in order to
make the most of their UofA experience.
Neil Buddel’s Departure
Thank you all for such an amazing experience here at the
University. I’ve thoroughly loved being part of University
Student Services and the opportunity to learn from and work
with such intelligent, caring, and student-focused people. While
my Guelph colleagues will likely be great people also, you all
have a very special place with me. Thanks for a memorable and
exceptional experience! Stay in contact: nbuddel@uoguelph.ca!
Until next time… Neil J
Ltd., Hemisphere Engineering, and Reed Jones Christoffersen
Ltd. It is 536 m2 in size and features a pool room/study area, an
active lounge and the residence office.
The name for the student lounge that is housed inside the
Student Centre building was also announced during the
ceremony. “Spurs” was selected by participants of an online
survey by students, staff and other members of the college
community. It was one of four choices and received the most
votes.
Christian Tremblay, Residence Administrator for Résidence
Saint-Jean, is appointed as Acting Associate Director,
Residence Life, effective January 4, 2012 and until Neil’s
position has been filled. Christian brings significant knowledge
about all aspects of the operation of Residence Services to this
position and has provided exceptional leadership in the
development of a staff retreat in 2010 which had a major impact
Photo: Rebecca Joseph, president of the Vermilion campus
on the way we now operate.
Students' Association, (centre) cuts the ribbon to officially open
the new Student Centre at Lakeland College's Vermilion campus
on Thursday, November 17.
Lakeland College
Lakeland College students officially opened their new Student
Centre building during a ribbon-cutting ceremony November
17, 2011.
The project was a joint venture between Lakeland College and
the Vermilion campus Students’ Association.
Red Deer College
Red Deer College took home four awards in Tacoma,
Washington at a recent ceremony recognizing outstanding
achievement in communications at community and technical
colleges.
The building’s opening marks the end of decades of planning
and is a testament to the foresight and determination of previous
Vermilion campus Students’ Associations. In the 1970s,
students at Lakeland College established an account to hold a
portion of student fees for the construction of a student centre
building. In 2008, the Students’ Association contributed
$400,000 of the funds raised by students to the college to begin
work on the project. The college contributed the remaining
portion of the construction project’s $1.8 million total cost.
Hosted by The National Council for Marketing & Public
Relations District 7, the Medallion Awards are the only regional
competition of its kind that honor excellence exclusively among
marketing and PR professionals at two-year colleges.
“It’s exciting to see RDC making an impact, not only competing
with our peers, but standing out among them,” says Joyce Fox,
Director of Marketing, Communications and Student
Recruitment at RDC. “To be recognized with these awards is an
honor and tells us we’re communicating in a way that
resonates.”
“The current SA council believes that past councils have done
an excellent job to ensure that our diverse student body will all
be welcomed in this building,” says Rebecca Joseph, president
of the Vermilion campus Students’ Association. “Within the
walls of this Student Centre, we are confident that the college
community spirit will thrive and students will be engaged on
campus. Our SA council has a myriad of events planned for the
rest of the year, and we are very excited about this new
building.”
The prestigious awards were given in 26 categories to recognize
the excellence of Public Relations and Marketing professionals
from colleges within District 7, which includes Alaska, Idaho,
Montana, Oregon, Washington, Alberta, British Columbia,
Saskatchewan and the Yukon. Pieces are judged based on the
quality and effectiveness of design and the message they
communicate.
The primary contractors for the building were Fillmore
Construction, Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning
winter 2012
RDC received the following awards:
Gold: Class Schedule – RDC Series Summer School of the Arts
Gold: Color Publications – Case for Support – Creating Our
the soundings
Page 11
Future Together
Silver: Promotional Campaign – You’ve Got Guts – Spring
Recruitment Campaign
Bronze: Annual Report (2009 – 2010)
The recognized work features visually captivating images and
fresh, clean design with messaging for different audiences,
including summer school students interested in art, community
members in central Alberta and high school students thinking
about post-secondary education.
Gonzaga University
The Fall Semester at Gonzaga has wrapped up well. Many of us
have commented how quickly this semester has gone. We have
spent a good amount of time “living into” our reorganization
plan which has included some good work with Living and
Learning and intentional program development for our upperdivision students.
“The awards highlight the variety of things we do at RDC,”
notes Fox. “We work hard to connect with our various
stakeholders through compelling messages that highlight RDC’s
successes, advantages and brand.”
Additionally we welcomed a new RD to Gonzaga in early
October. Nicholas Grainger joined us and will be working
primarily with our off-campus rentals and theme house
Mount Royal University
programs. Nicholas’ undergraduate work was at the University
of the Pacific and he recently finished graduate school at
We are thrilled to announce that Brianna McElroy has joined
Oregon State.
our team as the Assistant Manager responsible for the Residence
Life program. Brianna came to us from the University of
Calgary where she spent 5 years in residence life and enrollment University of Puget Sound
services. Previously, Brianna attended and worked at the
University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Brianna is replacing Happy holidays from the Residence Life team at Puget Sound!
Natasha Reynolds who has taken a 17 month leave of absence to While the fall semester is rapidly drawing to a close, we are
start a family and explore Australia.
actively working on spring projects: fine tuning January student
staff training, marketing and recruiting candidates for our 2012In late November, Mount Royal University wrapped up the
2013 student staff hiring process, and planning toward the
celebration of its centennial with the unveiling of a mural
housing lottery when continuing students will select their
mosaic. The mosaic is made up of 180 different panels
housing on campus for the next academic year.
representing landmarks, achievements and significant people
from Mount Royal’s first 100 years. Each panel was created by We welcome the brief respite of winter break, but look forward
a member of the Mount Royal community including alumni,
to the semester ahead! Wishing you the very best this season
staff and students as well as the lead artist Lewis Lavoie. To go and in the new year!
along with the unveiling of the mural mosaic departments from
across campus displayed their contributions to the time capsule
that will be opened in 100 years. Residence Services contributed
the 2011-2012 student handbook, an electronic key and a
Seattle Pacific University
keychain that was given to all students on move in day.
SPU will be hosting Tent City 3, a portable community of
Residence Services thought that it would be interesting to those people, from January 21 to March 24, 2012. Tent City 3 is a part
who open the time capsule to see what residence was like back of SHARE/WHEEL. SHARE is Seattle Housing and Resource
in 2011. Also within residence there are a lot of great
Effort and was founded in 1990 with a mission to "eradicate
programming initiatives that have happened over the last four
homelessness, educate the community, and empower homeless
months. One that we would like to highlight took place in late
people."
November where 11 staff members organized a food drive for
youth in need. Over 500 non perishable food items where
We are excited to have TC3 on our campus because of the many
collected and donated to Calgary’s Exit Shelter that helps youth opportunities it presents the students to learn about the causes of
from ages 12-17 who do not have a safe place to stay and
homelessness and to “engage in the culture, change the world.”
provides youth with the opportunity to work with professionals For more information on Tent City 3, visit
to develop long-term living strategies.
www.sharewheel.org. We will let everyone know how it goes in
the next issue of Soundings!
University of Calgary
It is with great pride that the University of Calgary hosts the 2 nd
annual Chief Housing Officers Summit on January 29 th and 20th.
They are looking forward to a number of great discussions.
Page 12
the soundings
winter 2012
2011 Residence Life Professional
Association Student Leadership
Conference
By Brianna McElroy,
LEAD Conference Chair
On October 21st, 2011 over ninety residence student leaders and
advisors from thirteen institutions arrived in the beautiful and
remote Nordegg, Alberta to take part in the 2011 Residence Life
Professional Association (RLPA) student leadership conference –
LEAD. LEAD stands for Learn – Educate – Act –Dare and this is
exactly what happened over this weekend in late October.
This conference that is held annually by the RLPA serves as an
opportunity for student leaders from Alberta, Saskatchewan and
British Columbia to come together to share ideas, learn about
other institutions, brainstorm ideas to take back to their
respective campuses, meet new people and create new
friendships. The theme of this year’s conference encompassed
the idea that as student leaders they live within their role 24/7,
they have to be able to have fun and laugh even when times get
tough and from that they will lead by example and be positive
role models within their various communities.
The weekend got started with a fun and creative challenge for
the delegates as they were split up into cabins for the weekend.
Within their cabin teams they did introductions and then created
a banner that they could display proudly throughout the duration
of the conference. The cabin teams worked feverishly to create a
name and paint/decorate a banner in a twenty minute time
period. If the energy in the dining pavilion that evening was any
indication of what the rest of the weekend would bring, no one
was going to go home disappointed!
Saturday morning, Dr. Finn, a professor in the Drama department
at the University of Calgary, addressed the delegates with a
powerful presentation in regards to what makes people happy
and how that can translate into their work and performance as
student leaders.
school delegations and had 4 minutes to present their work to a
panel of 6 judges. The judges had a difficult time deciding who
was the overall winner of the case study as all of the schools that
participated executed the challenge very well.
The Saturday concluded with the delegates taking part in a gear
swap in which they were able to take away some fun items from
a different institution. There was also the annual polar bear dip
for anyone brave enough to jump into Goldeye Lake at the end of
October! Delegates also took the evening to enjoy some games,
campfire and laughter.
The conference wrapped up on Sunday morning with the
presentation of awards, closing ceremonies and gratitude for the
participation of the student leaders and advisors. I would like to
congratulate the following individuals/institutions for their
awards:
Best in the West (Best student presentation): Red Deer College –
Ryan Hunter and Mack Keith
Case Study Competition: University of the Frasier Valley
School Citizenship – University of Saskatchewan
Overall the LEAD conference was a fantastic weekend for student
leadership. The delegates left with some new ideas and tools to
conquer different issues that they face at their home institution.
Friendships were formed and everyone who attended was able
to get away from campus for a beautiful weekend surrounded by
snow capped mountains.
I would like to say a special thank you to the LEAD Conference
committee. The LEAD conference would not have been possible
without your help and dedication.
Judy Eyben – Lakeland College
Laura Huxley – Grant MacEwan University
Over 30 student leaders presented 18 different breakout Junnelle Mah – University of the Frasier Valley
sessions this year. Some of the topics that were offered were: Dave Vaughn – University of Calgary
Overcoming negativity, international student experiences, the Zac Wiens – University of Calgary
challenges and successes of opening a new residence hall, staying
motivated as a returning staff member, developing different I would also like to thank NWAUCHO for the generous grant that
types of community, mental self wellness and privilege in regards was given to the LEAD conference. With your support the
to sexuality, gender and race.
conference committee was able to host another great student
leadership conference.
The delegates were also challenged with a case study. This was I am looking forward to chairing this conference again next year
an optional part of the weekend but almost every institution took to see what wonderful things our student leaders come up with
part. They delegates works together within their respective next!
winter 2012
the soundings
Page 13
Page 14
the soundings
winter 2012
ways to stay connected
Check out these great ways to stay connected to NWACUHO and ACUHO-I all year long:
NWACUHO Facebook Page
We have a Facebook page! http://facebook.com/NWACUHO Search for “NWACUHO” under Groups and ask to join.
You can share photos, engage in discussions, or just connect with friends you haven’t spoken to in a while.
NWACUHO Blog
We have a blog where you can post thoughts and comments on various topics from the Soundings to next years annual
conference. Blogging on the NWACUHO website is a great small step if you’re interested in writing but don’t want to
write an entire article.
NWACUHO on Twitter
Follow the latest and greatest of NWACUHO on Twitter with the 24 other followers that are currently signed up.
Just go to http://twitter.com/NWACUHO to get started.
NWACUHO on Linkedin
“It’s Facebook, but for professionals!” exclaimed several Housing professionals at the NWACUHO conference. Check
out all the professional connections you can find by linking into the NWACUHO profile.
http://lnkd.in/htviZb
in the next soundings...
The next edition of the Soundings will be published in the middle of April. Here’s what to look forward to:
 State and Provincial Updates. State and Provincial Representatives will be contacting you to receive updates from your
institution (staff changes, new building projects, new programs, etc.). An easy to use form will be provided to make this as
smooth a process as possible.
 Articles. There will be articles in the next edition and one could be by you! To see what articles have been submitted in the
past please check out past issues on the NWACUHO website, nwacuho.org
Article submissions are due by April 1st.
 Re-cap from NWACUHO 2012 Annual Conference. Highlights and photos will be in the next edition from our annual
conference in Ashland, Oregon. Between now and the next edition I hope to see many of you at the annual conference!
Andrew Rogers
Soundings Editor
winter 2012
the soundings
Page 15
the soundings
andrew rogers
3307 3rd Ave West, MS 2315
Seattle, WA 98119
Done reading the Soundings? Pass it on!!
Please remember to share the Soundings with the rest
of your colleagues in the office and on your respective
campus. A digital copy can be found at
www.nwacuho.org