Reflections on My Chat with ACPA President Gavin Henning

I recently interviewed ACPA President Gavin Henning for The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast which went out as a quick bonus episode in addition to our usual offerings. It was a great opportunity that I am grateful to have had.

Gavin has been making himself very accessible recently, which is very refreshing in my opinion. Usually, someone in his position would seem to be very out of reach, but Gavin has been giving much of time to do interviews, Twitter chats, and even the podcast! I hope that student affairs folks have been engaging with all of this great content, since it allows for the veil to be lifted on how someone gets to be ACPA President in the first place, and humanizes the whole organization. Accessibility and transparency are big for me, and I appreciate when leadership embodies these values.

I think more organizations should take a cue from ACPA and their recent efforts. You can engage a community a lot more by being free and open with communication versus having everything tightly controlled and infrequent. ACPA has been my professional home of choice for the past few years as I've entered the field, and while I think no one is perfect, they've done a lot of great work recently that I know has benefited the field.

While I don't think I'll be pursuing the ACPA presidency any time soon, it is nice to know more of Gavin's story and that if you work hard and commit to something, good things will come out of it. Things like that are reassuring to hear for a young professional like myself.

Check out some of the other interviews Gavin has done with some fine colleagues, Kimberly White and Brian Proffer (also both are past guests of the podcast!).

Thanks for stopping by!

What is the Value of National Student Affairs Conferences?

ACPA

Conference Registration = $600 (less if done earlier, $450 for early bird)

ACPA Membership = $93-149 (2013-14 Membership Rates from ACPA)

NASPA

Conference Registration = $480 (less if done earlier, $430 for early bird)

NASPA Membership = $75-242

Hotel = $200/night (average for Tampa, higher for New Orleans)

Airfare = $200-700 (depends on several variables)

Total (average, estimated) = $1,900 cost per conference + food, parking, taxis, and misc. items

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I'll be honest, I thought this would be a lot higher. While it could be a tad higher depending on individual variables, and food could also be a huge expense, I envisioned costs being much higher (and they most likely will be especially for ACPA in Montreal next year). With that being said, a lot of folks are not going to be able to just drop this sort of money on a conference without any sort of assistance. Many of us are going to have our own homes and families to keep afloat and a national student affairs conference (which has had dwindling returns and value in my opinion) just will not make the cut when there are plenty of cheaper (or free) and better professional development options out there. This goes too for the webinars I've seen out there for student affairs folks. Why are they so expensive? Is it assumed multiple people are sitting in on one registration? Isn't it just someone doing a presentation virtually? It seems absurd to me that it needs to cost professionals hundreds of dollars for at times just an hour presentation.

I'm very grateful to be able to have had the support of my institution to go to a national conference. This is a rarity though (especially to have most everything covered) and not to be assumed to be available to most folks. I presented at ACPA and appear to be one of a few in my Student Life office going to any conferences this year. I'm not competing for this funding with anyone so I haven't had to valiantly prove why I deserve to go.

I think what this high cost results in is an insular, privileged, select group of people that can afford conferences or are lucky enough to have their institution support them. This ends up with us having the usual suspects at conferences and leaving a lot of other amazing professionals out of the inner circles. It comes across as clique-y and oft-putting for people from the outside. What these conferences always do best is bring people together but it isn't doing too well at that if it is the same cohort of people coming together all the time. We need more voices included in these discussions. This will add value and return on investment for sessions, committees, and the entire experience when there is more diversity of perspective from different institutions and people from different backgrounds.

I've been wanting to capture my thoughts on this for a while now. I gave it a fair amount of consideration before posting and I appreciate any insight from others who may have planned conferences or just have something to share. I think this is a valid discourse to have so I felt it important to put forth my thoughts here. We need to do better to bring people in for these opportunities to move our profession forward. It seems like we all could really use it.

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 03/13/15

Hey there! Here's what is going on in my world:

• Spring Break

This week has been Spring Break for my institution, which has meant having a quieter campus and more free time coming off the whirlwind weekend of ACPA. I've been able to sleep in a bit, catch up on work, and spend time with my partner. I appreciate this time before the race to the end of the semester in less than two months, which is wild. The end of my first academic year as a full-time professional is near!

• Lost

My partner and I have been watching this show (mostly) together. I've seen it all many times but she was watching the entire series for the first time. It's one of my favorite shows of all time and it's been really nice to share it with her. I can share something I'm passionate about with her and we can bond over the show, which is a huge thing for me. We'll have to start on another show here soon but in the meantime, we'll still have our other shows that are currently on the air like The Walking Dead, Agent Carter, and Agents of SHIELD.

• Reflections from ACPA 2015

I mentioned ACPA before, and while I've shared some thoughts on my podcast, I wanted to write some additional thoughts here. I'm planning on writing a more thorough post on conferences in general, but I'm still conflicted at times with how I feel about these big conferences. There is value in the connections and networking but the costs can be exorbitant for professionals and especially for students. It is hard to justify for me and maybe I'm just at a different point in my life having just started working full-time and not being willing to pay for a conference as I try to build a foundation for my life. I have a lot of other thoughts on this in relation to how sessions are handled for example. I look forward to getting that out for you all to read.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About This Week - 03/06/15

Hey there! Here's what is going on in my world:

• Tampa

So I am officially in Tampa today for ACPA 2015. This city is gorgeous and it was nice to get to my hotel, clean myself up, and walk outside in shorts in 80 degree weather! The area here around the convention center is very nice and I'm looking forward to exploring a bit more this weekend. I've taken a few photos already and I'll take a bunch more. I'll post them on my Facebook and some on my Instagram (check my "About" page if we aren't connected already!).

• Changemakers

I recently wrote a post surrounding the topic of my presentation here at ACPA, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to talk about this subject matter that I am very invested in. I just want to give specific thanks to Krista Kohlmann for being a big part of making this happen in the first place and making the presentation a success (it hasn't happened yet technically as of writing this post but I know it will be awesome!). Check us out if you're at the convention and check out the #ACPA15 and #RUChangemakers hashtags on Twitter to follow along on the discussion.

• Travel

I had a very long day yesterday with traveling down here to Tampa from Maine. My day started at 3am when I had to drive two hours to the airport in Portland, ME (only place I could get good flights out of), then take two connecting flights totaling around 4+ hours, and then once I got here, the convention kicked off already and everything was happening. Thankfully I had some time to check into my room, shower, and then go check in for the conference and bump into some lovely people right as I was getting in, which was serendipitously welcoming for me as I just got in. I don't mind travel too much, but I just wish I could have gotten a direct flight down here. I'm not a fan of connecting myself.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 01/23/15

Hey there! Here is what's going on in my world!

• ACPA 2015 Convention

I've finally got to booking everything (with the help of my institution) for my trip. I'm excited to check out Tampa and have a bit of a professional vacation as it were. I'll be presenting at the conference with my colleague from Rutgers, Krista Kohlmann, about our Rutgers Changemakers initiative that I had the privilege of working on with her. I recently had a thought (especially since last year's convention) about how expensive these endeavors can be for professionals so I think I'm going to try to quantify my trip to give a glimpse of how inaccessible these conferences are for the average professional (and graduate student or undergraduate student even). Be on the look out for this blog post to come!

• Spring Semester

I had a wonky and long weekend here at my institution, as we had RA training, spring move-in, and spring orientation all over the span of a few days. This whole past week has felt long and I haven't been in the same groove with the blog as I had been the first few weeks of this month. Once I have the weekend to recuperate and devote to some upcoming posts, I'll be back with it. I am excited to get back to work and see my first spring semester here. The fall was an interesting glimpse into parts of the higher ed world I haven't seen or been a part of before. I feel like I'm learning new things all the time and developing my professional demeanor with every meeting and decision I am making. I definitely need to reflect on this first year once it is all said and done!

• Adulting

Something I have had the chance to do recently (even with the aforementioned wonkiness) is buy some things for my place to make it feel a little more like home. I've hung up some more stuff on the walls (courtesy of my lovely partner), and I ordered some furniture from IKEA (a first for me). For some reason I always grumble about getting stuff like this or delay needlessly but once I get the stuff and put it up, it makes me happier. I suppose I am content with what I have and don't think I need anything else, but once I have the new thing, I can appreciate it. I think I'll need to get better with this since I have a lot of old stuff that needs replacing or just more adult things like better cookware, furniture, and better bedding.

Thanks for stopping by!

Networking at a National Conference: An Introvert's Tale

I wanted to share some of my brief thoughts, reflecting back on my experience at the recent 2014 ACPA National Convention in Indianapolis. To preface this all, I think I am horrible at networking in the traditional sense. I am very bad at going up to someone cold and striking up a conversation. I need more context to go on to keep the chat going somewhere beyond basic small talk (which I most often loathe). However, when I was at ACPA, I was able to utilize social media, namely Twitter, to serve as the groundwork for meeting a bunch of awesome people. Twitter was able to allow me to have some reference point to go up to people, introduce myself and say what I fan I was of their work, the content they share or even create themselves. My understanding is people love to talk about themselves or at the very least enjoy the praise so sharing my enjoyment of what they do online and asking questions about it served me well with anyone I ran into. It was great for both of us too to just be able to meet someone in person that you have engaged with for a while online. I even had lunch with someone at ACPA that I had known from Twitter chats. It was so cool!

I know for sure I would not have been able to have as many successful meetings at ACPA without Twitter. I owe it a lot and certainly advocate for it as a strong tool to foster in person connections and then maintain them afterwards. It's an extension and evolution of the business card I feel like. Definitely jump on to Twitter if you haven't already or be sure to engage with it more if you have joined. There is so much potential for community building within it and to learn from a network of people around the country and world (for more details on this point, check out Josie Ahlquist's recent blog post that I shared entitled "The Power of Networks").

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 04/04/14

Good day to you, fellow geek and/or nerd! Here is what is on my mind for this week.

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier

I am very excited about this movie and all the positive buzz it has going for it. It's certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and after revisiting Cap's previous cinematic adventure not too long ago, I'm really amped up for this movie! I'm going with my partner to go see it tonight so expect to hear my thoughts on social media afterwards!

• Indianapolis

I visited Indy for a few days this past week for the 2014 ACPA National Convention and it was awesome! The convention itself was a lot of fun but being able to visit this cool city was a consistent highlight. There was cool restaurants, neat architecture, the weather was beautiful, and the city was very clean. I even visited a neat comic book shop, Downtown Comics, where I picked up a new Spider-Man comic (I'm geeking out about him a lot lately).

• Coffee

Coffee is generally something I geek out about, as it gives me life quite often. I want to specifically highlight a new initiative within the awesome TOMS family (the ones who make the cool, socially good shoes); TOMS Roasting Co., which provides ethically sourced coffee and in exchange, helps give clean water to those in need. I got a sample at the aforementioned ACPA conference and was excited to hear about this new endeavor for a company I love (I own two pairs of TOMS shoes already and plan on getting more). I'll have to let you know what I think when I get to try more of their stuff.

Thanks for stopping by! Keep it real, my friends!

2014: Looking Ahead At The Year To Come

I just posted about the year that was, and on the eve of a new year, I thought I'd look forward to what is to come. I'm heading into my last semester of school for the foreseeable future, which is a new feeling. For the past few years I've always been under the pressure of figuring out how to pay for my next semester or putting in applications for programs. Now I'm replacing all of that with job applications and the start of the rest of my life. It's scary but I feel more ready now than I ever have.

I have two new adventures ahead with the job search. I'll be heading out to Indianapolis for the annual ACPA convention as well as down to Baltimore for the annual NASPA (another broad student affairs organization) convention. I've been to Baltimore briefly when I was much younger and I've never been to Indy so I look forward to visiting both of these places for a bit.

As I noted in my previous post, I've recently begun seeing my awesome new partner, Jenn. We have a habit we like to do every once in a while when either of us is having a bad day to pick out one positive thing, one best moment, or one 'win' from the day to make ourselves feel a little better. We have done it sporadically before now but with the start of the new year (as well as my love of 30 Day Challenges), we've committed to telling each other one positive thing each day for the next 30 days. I'm excited for this since there are always those days where there just doesn't seem to be anything going your way. It'll be a fun challenge to try to find anything awesome from the day regardless.

I look forward to graduating with a master's degree, something I never would have thought possible years ago, I look forward to more memories with my friends, I look forward to proudly turning 25, and I look forward to all the things to come that I can't even fathom yet.

Cheers to the new year! Let's make it a good one, folks!

Looking Back on a Year Filled with Adventure

I felt the need to reflect back on my year, personally and professionally, as I settle into the comforts of winter break. I've been able to sleep in, see family, work through my Netflix queue, spend time with my wonderful partner, and generally not have to do anything I don't choose. This has been a relaxing, calming experience since the residence halls closed. I've been able to center myself again after the sort of manic-ness that is the end of the semester. Looking back, this past year had a few ups and downs but I feel as though it was a year where I challenged myself in a few new ways, and grew because of it. I'm thankful, with the clarity of hindsight, to see that it all happened for a reason to make me a better, more confident person.

To work chronologically, I honestly started the year in a bad place. I had a rough time getting through the holidays, having spent them pretty much alone. In response, I just kept to myself in my apartment and didn't really get up to much. I actually looked forward to the semester started since it would give me a purpose and something to do with my time. As the semester went forward, I was volunteering some of my time in various offices and was honing in my focus on the type of work and skills I wanted to cultivate. I was doing some things I didn't find that rewarding and others that I had a blast being a part of, namely doing marketing work for the Division of Student Affairs here at Rutgers. I worked with great people doing cool new things I'd never tried before. Flexing these new muscles, I was able to gain confidence that I could be a quick learner and contribute meaningful things to a new team.

A huge new adventure for me this past year was flying out to Las Vegas for the annual convention for ACPA (a national college student affairs organization for those who don't know). At this time, I hadn't flown for years, much less gone across the country. I'd always just stuck to the East Coast so going to a whole new place, also never having gone to a big convention before, made the experience an amazing one once I came back and crashed on my bed in New Jersey after a whirlwind week. While I wasn't much of a fan of the city of Las Vegas, I had a very rewarding time challenging myself to go far out of my comfort zone; learning new things and meeting new people.

Next, after feeling great finishing my first year of graduate school and getting through a year supervising a residence hall community, I quickly transitioned right into my summer working with New Student Orientation here at Rutgers. The journey to get here, however, was not what I thought it would be. I applied for various NODA (the national college orientation organization) internships around the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the country. I interviewed for several of them and got rejected for all of them. I simultaneously applied for opportunities here at Rutgers as a backup plan, hoping to continue my spirit of adventure at another institution for the summer. Nevertheless, I ended up here, at the very least doing the sort of work I wanted to do, so I was happy enough. Little did I know I was getting myself into one of the best summers of my life, personally and professionally.

First off, I was able to deepen connections with fellow members of my cohort who were also in the area for the summer. Second, I garnered a newfound respect for Rutgers and everything it is capable of as a large institution. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I met my new partner, Jenn. I would not have had the pleasure of having her in my life if I hadn't stayed here. I feel different about her, as opposed to others I've dated, and it's been an amazing ride so far these past few months so I look forward to what's next. She's pretty awesome. I can't say that enough. I'll have to introduce you soon.

My last interesting experience I wish to quickly share was going to the Firefly Music Festival that takes place in Delaware (my home state). I went with a friend and it was a wild ride. I have to mention it and share the fun I had since even though it was just a brief part of my year, I never thought I'd do something like that and I am proud to say I did.

So here I am, having completed 3/4 of my master's degree, on the precipice of the job search, and having a wonderful relationship to support and inspire me. I feel very grateful and while everything may not have worked at times like I thought they should, as I tell folks all the time, it all happens for a reason, whether or not we can see it yet or not. Be on the lookout for a post on the year ahead.

Happy New Year everyone!