Communities of Practice

Overview

The OACUHO Communities of Practice (CoP) exist as a forum for members to engage in solving common challenges across institutions.

The Community of Practice Design Guide states “a community of practice is a group of people who share a common concern, a set of problems, or interest in a topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals” Cambrige, D., Kaplan, S., & Suter, V. (2005).

A CoP Chair (or co-chair) provides organization and coordination for a particular CoP. The Chair facilitates an engaging and respectful opportunities for dialogue surrounding a particular focus area.

Within each CoP, members will have the opportunity to identify individual goals/challenges at their respective campuses, seek feedback from colleagues, share resources and collaborate on common solutions. Each CoP may address the following challenges:

Student Conduct & Support

• Common trends and current issues (e.g., changing legislation, health & safety enforcement, etc.).
• Case management.
• Educational sanctions and conduct outcomes.
• Intersection of mental health and conduct.
• Threat assessment and proactive interventions (e.g., harm reduction, awareness initiatives, etc.).
• Student advocacy.

Training, Hiring & Assessment

• Sharing approaches to training and hiring.
• Assessment methods.
• Developing curricular approaches to training and assessment.
• Recruitment practices and promotions for student staff positions.

Admissions & Business Operations

• Residence admissions.
• The developing world of housing accommodation needs/requests.
• Exploring different systems and portals to support housing needs.

Residence Education, Curricular Approach, and Assessment

• Transition programming in residence utilizing the curricular approach
• Assessing the student experience and integrating assessment throughout curriculum
• The Structure of the CoP:
     • The first half of the year will focus on two essential elements per month
     • The second half of the year will focus on high-impact practices including: LLCs, experiential learning, leadership development, etc.

Small Residence and Housing Units

• Identifying issues facing small residences (around or under 1000 beds OR small staff structures).
• Networking with others to discuss common themes.
• Contribute to small organizations’ voices within OACUHO and the student affairs profession.
• Juggling multiple roles or being a Person-of-all-Trades.
• Sharing best practices and resources (training ideas, policies, organizational charts, toolkits).
• Discuss higher education and student affairs issues and how they impact smaller organizations.

 Grad Student and Family Housing 

• Foster a deeper understanding of the graduate and student family experience.
• Identify campus-specific goals, priorities and challenges among members.
• Share resources, best practices, and collaborate on common solutions
• Areas of focus for the CoP include:
• Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) compliance and applicable exemptions.
• Tenancy and landlord relations, policies and operational challenges.
• Resident education, community development, and engagement strategies.
• Emerging issues and trends impacting graduate and student family housing communities.

Off-Campus Housing

• Support for students living off campus.
• Providing support and resources to students with their housing needs.
• Education on the Residential Tenancy Act.
• A space to ask questions and seek guidance for off-campus housing related matters.

EDI Programming

• Build a collaborative network of professionals who lead, support, or are interested in EDI and culturally focused programming.
• Strengthen inclusive programming across OACUHO member institutions.
• Support professionals at all stages of program development, from exploring new initiatives to enhancing established programs.
• Topics can include:
  • Affinity Group programs.
  • EDI Councils.
  • Cultural and heritage month programming (e.g., Black History Month, Asian Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month).
  • Religious and spiritual observances and programming (e.g., Ramadan, Diwali, Lunar New Year).
  • Inclusive programming strategies and event planning.
  • Student engagement and sense of belonging initiatives.
  • Assessment and evaluation of EDI programming.
  • Program marketing, partnerships, and campus collaborations.
  • Emerging trends, challenges, and promising practices for inclusive student engagement.

Student Staff

• Job opportunities relevant to the experience level of student staff.
• Recommended conferences or courses that would benefit their career growth.
• Highlights of the OACUHO Connect/Mentorship Program.
• Willing professional staff offering virtual drop-in hours or office hours for career-related guidance.
• Direct lines of communication between Affinity Networks and underrepresented student groups to support inquiries and foster mentorship.