Agenda

University Housing Advisory Committee

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Room 3210, Talley Student Union

The charge of the University Housing Advisory Committee is to 1) in consultation with the Director of Housing, advise the Vice Chancellor and Dean of Academic and Student Affairs, 2) evaluate policies and programs pertaining to University Housing, 3) review changes in policies and programs as recommended by University Housing staff members, Inter-Residence Council and other members of the University community, 4) propose new directions for University Housing (The committee is advisory to the Vice Chancellor and Dean for Academic and Student Affairs), and 5) consult with the Faculty Senate’s Resources and Environment Committee for consideration of matters pertaining to the academic mission of the university.

Preparation for Meeting

1. Please read minutes from September 27, 2018

Agenda

1. Call to Order – Andy DeRoin, Chair
2. Welcome and Introductions
3. Review of Charge
4. Business Items
   1. Brief Report from Housing Director
   2. Brief Report from Inter-Residence Council
   3. Report from University Housing Staff – Bryan Botts
      1. Focus Group Assessment Efforts
      2. Residential Curriculum
   4. Recommended Changes Proposed by:
      1. University Housing Staff
      2. Inter-Residence Council
      3. Members of the University Community
   5. Proposed New Directions for University Housing
   6. Consultation with the Faculty Senate’s Resources and Environment Committee
5. Other Business/Additions to Agenda
   1. February 2019 – Housing and Dining Study results
6. Action Items for Next Meeting
   1. Chair will secure copies of the Food Scarcity Study and University Housing Procedures, including communication practices with residents
7. Next Meeting: TBD
8. Adjourn

Agenda prepared by – Andy DeRoin, Chair, on 11/12/2018

Minutes

Minutes

1. Call to Order
   1. It was determined a quorum was present and the meeting could conduct business. The meeting was called to order at 2:02PM.
2. Welcome and Introductions
   1. Members Present
      1. Zack Lewis (voting)
      2. Bob Pond (voting)
      3. Elizabeth Worsham (voting)
      4. Susan Grant (NV)
      5. April Hammonds (voting)
      6. Sydney Thompson (voting)
      7. Josh Boyer (voting)
      8. Anona Smith-Williams (voting)
      9. Melissa Ramirez (voting)
      10. Chad Butts (NV)
      11. Raymond Harrison (NV)
      12. Ronnie Chalmers (NV)
   2. Non-Members Present
      1. Bryan Botts, Assistant Director, Residential Education, Leadership, and Assessment for University Housing
3. Review of Charge
   1. The charge of the committee was read by Raymond Harrison.
4. Business Items
   1. Brief Report from Housing Director
      1. Thanksgiving Break – residence halls will be open, RA, RC, or CD will be in each building that has a student. Working with DIning to coordinate two meals each day (brunch/dinner) and working with food pantry to allow students to “shop” while the pantry is open, approximately 70 students plan to remain on campus, no additional cost for students staying
      2. University Housing has been in conversation about being open during Spring Break 2020
      3. Winter Break Intersession
      4. Room notice will start with December-Feb applications for current students
      5. Housing and Dining Study is in progress, discussion followed re: future building sites
   2. Brief Report from Inter-Residence Council
      1. IRC was made aware that area councils aren’t aware of the governing structure
      2. IRC would like to see more student driven initiatives
      3. Completed SACUURH conference, bidding for School of the Year
      4. Spring Programming based on awareness (eg. art festival with Arts NC State and SHS/CC around mental health)
      5. Updating business contracts to provide more services (eg. care packages)
   3. Report from University Housing Staff – Bryan Botts
      1. Focus Group Assessment Efforts
      2. Residential Curriculum
      3. 2016-2017 sense of community study, identified marginalized students had less sense of community, on par with national numbers, wanted to talk to marginalized students in 2017-2018 to see what would be better, held focus groups
      4. ID’d 4 groups based on Sense of Community Study (GLBTQ returning, GLBTQ new, POC new, POC returning) N=63
         1. Outcomes – did not see differences between new or returning students (UHAC members were provided an infographic for reference of these results)
            1. Ex) Exclusion – GLBTQ students mentioned derogatory homophobic and transphobic comments by fellow residents AND FYLOR
            2. Ex) POC mentioned being the only people in their community
         2. Action Steps Already Identified
            1. Increased training sessions related to identity, advocacy, passive bystander training, ongoing professional development related to news in staff meetings with student staff, grad staff, and FT staff, incorporate diverse perspectives into bulletin boards, door decorations [more training to make flyers reflecting populations at NC State], reintroduced UH Diversity Committee [still in formation, also partnering with other committees in UH for comprehensive approach], intentionally recruited underrepresented student staff [will contrast UH student staff with overall university demographics]
            2. Anona Smith-Williams – asked how focus group participants were selected, Answer – self selected through email to all residents, villages were not recorded
            3. Anona Smith-Williams asked about room selection and how to balance comfort with exposure to new experiences
      5. Residential Curriculum – still under construction
         1. Pack Chats – focused on sense of community and belonging (Aug-Nov has shown two intentional conversations with RAs), seeing better relationship with roommates, been able to work with Students of Concern and identify need for intervention earlier;RAs reporting having deeper conversations; and increased engagement like joining a club or org outside of the res hall but they aren’t getting as involved as much as they said they would. Next steps are to explore are the gaps, and this is the analysis that is happening now.
         2. Facilitation Guides for event planning, like a lesson plan for different contexts, are helping RAs walk through the nuances in the community/ RAs are not expected to be educational experts, supervisors debrief the event with RAs, RAs have self reflection, and diversity outcomes are being assessed through surveys
            1. Anona Smith-Williams asked about the basic assessment, Answer – Looking at diversity outcomes for the upcoming year and have a baseline survey for this year or pre-post
         3. Experience and Engage – curriculum where they live as well as the classroom, in the second year of implementation and trying to incorporate Living Learning Villages component with Residential Curriculum
   4. Recommended Changes Proposed by:
      1. University Housing Staff
         1. Susan Grant mentioned StarRez, implemented at opening of Fall 2018, has an evaluation module for residential curriculum, conference services module – overall the software seems robust and flexible
         2. Susan Grant is retiring at end of December, search has been initiated, Barry Olson is looking to have a person in place by Feb 1
            1. Chair and Susan Grant will recommend UHAC be involved in the candidate evaluation process
      2. Inter-Residence Council
         1. Nothing proposed at this time
      3. Members of the University Community
         1. Elizabeth Worsham mentioned the grad student survey – several students wanted more grad student social, es king village living conditions that have been not addressed, no other place to live because of international student status and no credit making it hard to have housing options in a timely manner, APIDA students felt like they were left out of diversity initiatives and want more mentorships, married grad students were wanting activities for their dependent spouses (has a spouse program at ES King Village)
         2. Question – any reflection of APIDA concerns in focus groups or sense of belonging? Answer – No, also no data
         3. Not enough info for recommended changes, but Zack Lewis asked about Fall 2019 plan for having enough beds
            1. Susan Grant answered the University Towers and University Housing H are in negotiations
   5. Proposed New Directions for University Housing
   6. Consultation with the Faculty Senate’s Resources and Environment Committee
      1. All Faculty Meeting occurred a few weeks ago, REC put together a panel of folks mostly from DASA re: student wellness issues, hunger mental health – info session for faculty to become more aware issues faced
5. Other Business/Additions to Agenda
   1. February 2019 – Housing and Dining Study results
   2. Student Success Libraries – Sydney clarified the appliances available in the different styles of residence halls, survey of options, any UH relationship with student wellness initiative
6. Action Items for Next Meeting
   1. Chair will secure copies of the Food Scarcity Study and University Housing Procedures, including communication practices with residents (transitions committee, diversity committee)
7. Next Meeting: TBD
   1. The Chair will poll the committee members to determine the time and date of the next meeting.
8. Adjourn
   1. Meeting was adjourned at 2:59PM.

Minutes prepared by Andy DeRoin, Chair, on 11/30/2018