Description:
This course will assist housing professionals who work in undergraduate housing with strategies on how to enhance community life in the apartment setting. Working in the apartment environment is challenging. How do you and your staff entice residents to get out of their apartments, and encourage students to participate in their community while valuing their desire for privacy and autonomy?

What implications does this have for residential staff recruitment, selection and training? Does this change the priorities of your residence life operation and views on community development?

Participants will experience a collaborative opportunity to better understand their resident population, assess their apartment program related to trends in staffing and community development, and keep their program current and successful.

Course Outline:
During the first week, participants will meet each other, and share the key features in the apartment communities they are managing. This will include a review of the demographics, staffing models, community building models and current challenges. Additionally participants will discuss what motivates residents to choose apartment housing, what resident's value, as well as trends and challenges that they want to further explore.

The second week will focus on community building and customer service paradigms.

The third week will provide an opportunity to examine implications for staffing models and training. Additionally, the core competencies needed for successful campus apartment housing staff will be discussed.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Better understand the dynamics that residents bring to the community and strategize how the apartment program and staff can best serve residents
• Identify key features that impact the resident living experience in your current apartment community
• Gain a better understanding of how the needs of the community relate to the residential staff job description and priorities
• Expand a professional network of colleagues for future consultation and sharing of best practices
• Develop a clear vision of the optimal customer service and community development models for the current program
• Learn specific skills and core competencies for successful apartment style housing staff

Instructor Bios:
Rena Buchan is the Assistant Director of Housing for Graduate and Family Housing at the University of Florida. Rena has over 24 years of experience with apartment housing. She initially began her apartment experience at UF in developing community. Prior to her arrival at UF, she worked at Bowling Green State University and the Ohio State University. Rena is an active member of the ACUHO-I Apartments Committee, serving as past chairperson and honored as a recipient of the Dick Daines Award for excellence in apartment housing. Rena received her M.A. from Western Michigan University in Higher Education Administration and Counseling.

Mohammad Hussain is the Residence Life Coordinator in Graduate and Family Housing at the University of Florida. Mohammad has 8 years of experience with apartment housing, as a fulltime staff member and as a graduate student. He worked as a school counselor and vice principal prior to returning to UF. Mohammad is active in the Apartments Committee of ACUHO-I, serving as the Communications and Website liaison. He received his M.Ed. and Ed.S in School Counseling and Guidance from the University of Florida.

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