Before I started working at this new institution but after I had accepted the position, I began recieving emails from my new supervisor about coordinating a small Residence Life retreat during the summer. My parents are affiliated with Hilton Hotels so I was able to pull some strings and set up a sweet resort for us to go at the beach. The retreat was scheduled for just one night during my first week on the job. Here is a break down of everyone who went:
- The three Residential Life Coordinators (RLC’s)
- Two Front Desk Managers (full-time professional position) (FDM’s)
- One Assistant Director of Housing
- One Director of Residence Life (my boss)
We hopped in the vans and headed down to the beach where we were going to teambuild, set goals and write a mission that will carry us through the upcoming year. Four hours later, we make it to the hotel and get straight to business. The first thing we do is write a new mission for the department and model it after the mission of the institution. The institution has a strategic plan through 2011 so all of our goal setting and mission work was focused on that plan and what we can do to improve the lives of our students while working towards the goals of the strategic plan.
We grab some lunch and then start working on some less-serious stuff like recognition styles. There is a packet of recognition-style surveys and programs through Baudville (www.baudville.com) that lets you know how people like to be recognized and what their favorite things are. Whether you like to be recognized in private or in public… stuff like that. I LOVE RECOGNITION! What student affairs professional doesn’t like to spread some recognition around? Anyways, we did that and then began to talk about StrengthsQuest which is kind of like Myers-Briggs. It was really informational and we all learned about what eachothers strengths were and how we will best work with eachother. What a novel idea – learning eachothers strengths and how we can work with eachother.
We ended up going out for dinner, had some drinks and came back to play madgab watch this HILARIOUS comedy show that the staff had been raving about. It was a fun day to say the least.
The next day we packed up and then set goals for the department including development of the learning communities, beautification of the residence halls and developing an RA class. WOW. That is all I could think on the way home. I was used to a very strict, and a very set-in-our-ways since 1891 environment to an insitution that invites change and is excited at new opportunities. YAY!
Now, I am knocking on wood because I have been known to jinx things but everything is so far, so good. My co-workers are amazing, my boss is fantastic and I am really excited about this. We move into our apartment on Friday too – even better.
I’ll take photos soon 
<3
