During the last week of March, my staff sat down to have a conversation about the next steps in our revamping of our Residential Learning Plan. The RLP is our version of a residential curriculum. The curricular approach to residential education is a pretty popular thing to do in res life circles these days. It's an approach that focuses on assisting students in achieving specific learning outcomes that speak to the mission and purpose of the department while creating a seamless connection between academic learning and outside-the-classroom experience. The current version of the RLP provides a measurable path of development through four years on campus for Gustavus students - and the learning outcomes build off of each other (from recognizing roles within in the community as first-years to actively engaged citizenship by the senior year). The current RLP was developed by the previous staff and I inherited it - and with almost complete turnover in our department staff since that time, the RLP was in need of recalibration.
So that's what we are doing now - adjusting the RLP to language this current group feels is more suited to what we do and who we are now while evaluating the learning outcomes and adjusting to reflect the truly powerful pedagogical potential of our residence halls. One of the first activities we have done during the evaluation and revamping process was to create a list of all the activities our office does. This wasn't quite a mapping activity yet - we aren't ready for that. This was just a brainstorming session to get things out there and really look at what we do on a day-to-day basis.
"The List" will grow and change and ultimately feed into our need to map strategies with outcomes, but for now it was just a list. A big old Google doc spreadsheet. We listed each component of our office - student receptionists, student staff, Area Coordinators, Director, etc. - and then started listing all the things we do. It was fun and challenging and we had an enjoyable conversation. But there was a powerful element to this exercise - each of us deeply examined how we spend our time. It was eye-opening, revealing and a little overwhelming. We do a lot in residential life... A LOT. We pride ourselves on being student-centered in our approach and we have worked very hard in the last 18 months to be a well-respected, well-liked and effective department.
This activity demonstrated our staff's amazing ability to multi-task and to work well with others, but it also gave insight into the complex nature of life at small college and in a small division. I think we might do this again someday - not as a planning activity for the RLP, but as an exercise in affirmation - to remind us about the incredible variation in our daily work and the great things we do to serve our students. I recommend you do this - get out some big blocks of paper or fire up a Google document and just start listing every little thing you do in your daily work - you just might surprise yourself and create a renewed sense of energy.
Some suggestions, particularly if you are doing this as a group....
- Be aware. Be conscious of others and how they perceive the work you do. We all get trapped in the mindset that we work harder than everyone else. And the tasks that we do that others may perceive as terribly hard work might not be that tough for us (and vice versa), so be aware of how the work you do is perceived and how you talk about it.
- Be honest. I have to admit, it was a little scary for me (and probably a few others) to list out EVERYTHING we think we do. What if I do less than I think I do or less than others expect from me? What if my list is much shorter than my colleague's list? In an honest, respectful work environment, it shouldn't matter. Be honest - be truthful about the things you do on a daily basis. Have you ever done one of those "time audits"? I am always nervous to let people know how much I focus on email or how much time I spend going to the gym at lunch - but all of it is part of who you are as a professional and how you function in your office and on your team. It's important to be honest.
- Be realistic. This goes hand in hand with being honest. Keep the scope of what you do in perspective. Yes, you might sit on a committee that meets twice a semester, but is it really in the thick of the "things I do" list? Probably not. And the things you spend time THINKING about aren't often part of your job description, so be conscious of that and keep it real.
- Be positive! The work we do in student affairs is vitally important to the life of the college. It's what often keeps students enrolled... which is pretty important at a tuition-driven institution. So be proud and be positive about the things you do. Yes, part of your job might be filling out Room Change Forms - but keep in mind the significance of detailed tasks like that and remember that every task you have is valuable to someone on some level. No, really. I promise. And this exercise provided moments of appreciation in the room - both an appreciation for SELF and for OTHERS.
- Think about ACTION. This conversation our staff had will feed a larger conversation about HOW we do each of the things we listed in hopes of adding intentionality and purpose to as many of the tasks as possible. But even during our two-hour list-making session, we were discussing how one task led to action of another kind, which fed more action and engagement with students and colleagues.
I'm excited for the next step in our development of our Residential Learning Plan and more importantly our next step in development as a team. I know the next conversation couldn't happen without taking the time to have an honest, supportive conversation about how we spend our time.
Hit me with some feedback @pottscharlie or on Facebook! I'd love to hear your thoughts or suggestions.
