Program

Intersessions Schedule: Please click here for a downloadable PDF

WACUHO Mission Statement:
WACUHO's mission is to bring together college and university staff members who have responsibility covering any of the various aspects of student residence, food service, developmental programming, administration, conference services, facilities and related operations into meaningful association. In addition, WACUHO promotes quality residential living experiences at colleges, universities, and other post secondary institutions by providing educational programs, services, research and professional development e xperiences for its members.

WACUHO Affirmative Action Statement:
WACUHO recognizes the benefits that are derived from the inclusion of diversity in the Association. Members make significant contributions from all areas of higher education and at every level of responsibility. The quality of perspective and experience shared by our members, inclusive of ethnicity, age, gender, religious preference, sexual orientation or differing abilities, adds a dynamic which enriches the character of the Association. WACUHO encourages all to actively participate in its programs, events and activities.

Conference Theme:
MISSION SAN DIEGO: Connect, Collaborate, Cultivate

How does WACUHO connect with the rest of the world of higher education? What’s our place in the “circle”? Do we think about how we connect and collaborate with campus partners, students, parents, and the community? Do we think about how we cultivate learning with faculty, administration, and others? In addition to defining what we do, we must define how we work with others and how their learning is reflected back to us.

Opening Panelists and Biographies

Kicking off the four-day conference will be a discussion featuring panelists with experience working in residence halls as well as colleagues in higher education who have seen the effects of how staff in college housing impacts the larger community. There’ll be more information on the panelists in future writings.

The opening panel will focus on the conference theme of collaboration and features four individuals who currently work at University of San Diego and collaborate closely with Housing and Residence Life. The panelists will discuss the importance of connecting with housing and residential life in their current roles, as well as strategies for working together on various university initiatives. All four individuals have a variety of experiences and expertise including program assessment, emergency preparedness and integrated learning.

The panel moderator is Suzanne Seplow, Director of Residence Life at University of California, Los Angeles and a past-president of WACUHO.

Cynthia Avery, Ed.D. is the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of San Diego. A New York native, Dr. Avery has a B.S. in Management Science from S.U.N.Y. College at Geneseo, an M.S.Ed. in College Student Development from Alfred University and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of California, San Diego.  Dr. Avery has over 20 years of experience in a variety of areas within student affairs.  The vast majority of Dr. Avery’s experience has been at mid to large sized public institutions including State University of New York at Albany (5 years), the University of Georgia (5 years) and San Diego State University (8 years).  Since August 2008, Dr. Avery has served as the Assistant Vice President for Student Life at the University of San Diego.  Dr. Avery also volunteers as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for three children in foster care.

Moisés Barón, Ph.D. is Assistant Vice President for Student Wellness and founder of the COMPASS Family Center at the University of San Diego.  He is also Adjunct Faculty at the Marriage and Family Therapy at the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at USD. Dr. Barón is a clinical psychologist who has worked in a variety of outpatient and inpatient settings. He served as Director of the Counseling Center at USD and was director of Psychological Services at Vista Hill Hospital. Dr. Barón has presented at numerous national and local conferences and is the developer of the Integrative Cross-Cultural Model and co-developer of the Organizational Developmental Model of Inclusion.

Michael Cantanzaro, M.S, Director of Sustainability has been at the University of San Diego since 1996, first as an undergraduate student, then a master’s student.  In April of 2009 he started with Sustainability. Since then his accomplishments include, the selection of a solar vendor for the campus, bringing the largest solar installation to a private college/university in the nation and securing a partnership with SDG&E for more than $600,000 for the next three years. Now under the supervision of Retired Rear Admiral Len Hering, Michael has been working on the effort to make USD one of the most sustainable campuses in the country by 2025.

Belinda C. Lum, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Sociology joined the University of San Diego faculty in 2007.  She currently teaches courses in the Sociology concentration areas of: Community, Urbanization, and Culture; and, Power & Inequality in Global Perspective. Her areas of specialization include: International Migration; Work & Labor; Social Inequality in Urban Contexts; Race & Ethnicity; Public Sociology; and Asian American Studies. Professor Lum is a member of the On Our Campus committee, which actively promotes diversity and inclusion on campus.  She currently serves as  Residential Faculty in the Cuyamaca Building in the Vistas.  Professor Lum earned her B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz; and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Southern California.

Spotlight Presenters

Residence Life + Career Services = Student Success
“What Am I Doing With My Life?”  Collaborative efforts between the Office of Career Services and Residence Life and Housing are key to engaging students early and often as they map their course from what they may perceive as chaos to career success.  This interactive/lecture workshop will explore innovative and cost-saving programs at the University of Redlands and other campuses as well as allow for discussion to generate new ideas beneficial to all. 

Lori Hatfield, Director of Career Services at the University of Redlands, has worked in higher education for 20 years in a variety of capacities including Admissions, Alumni Relations, Event Planning, Fundraising and Development, and Student Life.  Lori is involved in a number of collaborative campus-wide efforts designed to engage students at critical points in their four-year college experience to deliberatively move them toward a well-defined career path in a field they are passionate about while preparing them to embrace life as a University of Redlands alum.

 

Allison Vail is a Residence Hall Director at the University of Redlands in Redlands, CA.  She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Redlands in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and is now completing her Master of Arts in Higher Education. Allison has worked in Residence Life for two years, supervising University apartments and residence halls. She has also been involved in WACUHO since her start in housing, first joining the 2009 Southern RAP Committee and serving as Host Institution Liaison, then co-chairing the 2010 Southern RAP Conference. She has attended WTI and some other smaller regional drive-in conferences; this is her first Annual Conference!

 

What is Your Role in the Design and Construction Process?
How can you, as a housing professional, play a meaningful role in the delivery of a new Housing building on your campus?  What is this language that Facilities, Planning, Design, and Construction professionals are speaking and why is it important that you understand it?  What are ways that you can gain experience in Planning, Design, and Construction to be ready to step up to the next level in your career.  In this interactive session we will define the phases, talk about the role of the “owner” in the process, and discuss creative ways to gain experience in the process.

Christi Chisler, In her role as the AVP for Student Affairs Administration at Cal Poly Pomona, is responsible for Budget, Space Planning, Capital Planning, Construction, and Strategic Planning for the Division of Student Affairs (DSA). She also oversees the auxiliary operations of University Housing Services, Parking and Transportation, and the Children’s Center for the DSA and serves as the DSA representative for University space, planning, and budget committees. Chris has 17 years experience as a university administrator in both Auxiliary Services and Student Affairs. She has her Master’s in Public Administration from American University in Washington, D.C.

Closing Speaker - Jessica Pettit

Jessica received her BA in Sociology from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas; and her Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from the University of South Carolina. In her senior year of college, she told her Hall Director that she just wanted to be an RA when she grew up. With experience in Residence Life, First Year Experience Centers, Campus Activities, and Greek Life, Jessica brings enthusiasm, energy, and humor into WACE for 2011!

Her workshops, seminars, and keynotes take participants on a journey weaving together politics, theory, current events, and storytelling with large doses of humor reminiscent of Bob Newhart, George Carlin, and Paula Poundstone. So Jessica is by no means your average keynote speaker! Though participants will be laughing, she promises no drum circles, guilty tears, or finger pointing. This will be a HIGHLY interactive program that will leave participants with actual action steps to make REAL change in their lives. Jessica takes 10+ years in Student Affairs, 5+ years of national consulting work, and 2+ years of stand up comedy stage to stage as part of her mission to inspire change, dismantle oppression, and recognize our privilege. Through teaching, writing, and facilitating tough conversations, Jessica has figured out how to BE the change she wants to BE.

Now it is WACUHO’s turn! For more information about Jessica Pettit, please visit http://www.jessicapettitt.com/.

WACE: After Dark

What is there to do after Night on the Town? There is a bunch of stuff to do, but there is one event that won’t be on the schedule. In fact, we are not telling you what it is or even how to get there. Ok, maybe this: it’s fun, it’s informative and it’s fun. It will be one of a kind and might not even be around next year. So if you miss it, you might never see it again. WACE: After Dark. A fun mystery. A unique evening.