In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Stewart chats with Jean MacKimmie, the Director of Residential Life at University Massachusetts Amherst as they explore the potential emotional impacts of student staff unionization drives.  They explore Jean's experience at University Massachusetts Amherst over two decades ago when the RA team became the first successful Resident Advisor unionization in the US and what her experiences have been since then working in this environment.  Hear first hand from Jean, as she details sage advice that she has provided other campuses that have faced similar events, and discover the support required for all levels of staff.  Roompact invites you to join to hear why Jean is regarded as THE expert when it comes to student staff unions!

In this episode of Roompact’s ResEdChat, Crystal sits down with Liz Toombs, a Certified Interior Decorator and Owner of PDR Interiors. Liz shares her thoughts on several topics, including Greek Life, the connection between student living spaces and wellness, and the importance of belonging for college students. She offers tips on the dos and don'ts that come along with designing spaces and supporting students who are members of fraternities and sororities.

We welcome Paul back as our guest this week to explore the concept of "microsurveys". He explains what they are, how they can be used, and why residential education professionals should implementing them into their departmental strategy.

Cassie joins the podcast this week to chat with her old friend, Dustin, about her unique professional background as well as her current work at American Campus Communities partnering with universities to create engaging resident communities. They also explore her experience as part of the student run leadership organization, NACURH.

Belonging is important not just for residents, but the student staff who work in the residence halls to create that community and sense of belonging for others. Current University of Oklahoma graduate student, Ashtyn Davis, joins Dustin on this week's episode to explore this concept and ways to foster more belonging amongst RAs, such as the tool Ashtyn developed called the Resident Assistant Sense of Belonging Assessment (or RASBA).

In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal engages in a conversation with Dr. Brian Moffitt, the Executive Director of Housing and Dining at the University of Colorado Denver and President of AIMHO, and Dr. Gregory R. Thompson, Director of Residence Education at the University of Iowa and Past President of UMR-ACUHO. Join them as they talk about their proudest moments serving as Presidents of their respective regions. The guests also delve into their experiences with regional involvement, offering valuable tips for individuals aspiring to engage in similar opportunities.

We're pleased to welcome Amanda to the show this week to share her thoughts on how best to create a vision for your department that this detailed, relevant, and inspiring. She chats with Dustin about disrupting some of the paradigms around creating a vision and how to utilize it consistently to both guide your work and showcase its impact.

We're kicking off the new year with a fascinating episode exploring masculinity and how institutions need to engage and retain men on campus. Charlie speaks with Dustin about his recent ACUHO-I magazine article that included research he recently completed on this topic.

In this final episode of the year, Dustin chats with Justin about his background leveraging the CliftonStrengths assessment to empower student and staff to do their best work. He shares how he discovered this tool and advice for others looking to utilize it.

In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal engages in conversation with Camille (Mimi) Sullivan, an Associate Director of Residential Education at Sonoma State University. They delve into the art of conducting effective one-on-one meetings with RAs. Mimi offers invaluable insights on the content of these meetings, the optimal frequency for conducting them, and strategies for rebounding from a "challenging" one-on-one session. Mimi emphasizes the significance of tailoring these meetings to address individual needs, the value of authenticity in your interactions, and the importance of clear and open communication.

Dustin welcomes Natasha, one of our faithful bloggers, to the show this week. She shares her perspective on how student affairs divisions need to approach assessment to better manage their teams as well as support their students.

Dustin chats with Jeremy about the various factors at play currently when it comes to off-campus student housing and how institutions can better support these students. He also discusses his unusual journey to his current position as Dean of Students at Naropa, a very unique institution in Colorado.

In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, guest host Stewart Robinette chats with two professionals who are currently working outside the United States at NYU Shanghai. They discuss how their careers took them there, what the differences are when operating a residence life program outside the United States, and the learning, experiences, and skills they gained along the way.

This week, Dustin chats with current Roompact blogger Jennifer about her experience as a higher ed graduate student balancing working on campus and her studies. She shares reflections on her journey so far, what she is looking forward to, and some advice on how best to support grad students.

In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, it's just the host! Paul Brown walks you through how to cultivate a "curricular mindset" in your residence life work. As many of you may be heading to the Institute on the Curricular Approach this month, this episode can be a good primer!