The Student Residences Management Journal 5_2

VOLUME 5

No. 2

PP324494/0062

The Australasian

The Australasian

Adbourne PUBLISHING

www.adbourne.com 18/69 Acacia Road Ferntree Gully, VIC 3156 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160

Contents

Melbourne Office Neil Muir Ph: (03) 9758 1433 Fax: (03) 9758 1432 Email: neil@adbourne.com

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Adelaide Office Robert Spowart Ph: 0488 390 039 Email: robert@adbourne.com

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Production Claire Henry Tel: (03) 9758 1436 Email: production@adbourne.com

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The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal is published by Adbourne Publishing in conjunction with AACUHO, the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers Inc., and AHAUCHI, the Association of Heads of Australian University Colleges and Halls Inc.

Grooming them... for what? On the role of colleges

Message from AACUHO

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Image provided by The Women’s College

Putting Youth in the Picture

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Front cover: The Women’s College, The University of Sydney, NSW

On Having a Grievance Procedure: Complexities, Confidentiality and Empowerment

The NBN railroad and the future of student internet access

Marketing Tania Lamanna Tel: (03) 9500 0285 Email: tlamanna@bigpond.net.au

AHAUCHI 2010 Conference Program

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Administration Robyn Fantin Tel: (03) 9758 1431 Email: admin@adbourne.com

Welcome from the President, AHAUCHI

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The Summit: More Student Housing – Less Management Responsibility Disruptive Riptides: Generation, Innovation and Communication Trends Impacting You Life beyond school: The long road from adolescence to adulthood The Idea of a University (Residence) Building Bequests Red Frogs Greening Your Operation Asperger’s Syndrome – an insiders perspective Beyond the Numbers Game More-accessible colleges from 2011 Beyond Compliance Reporting Who Leaders Are…What Leaders Do Product News

DISCLAIMER Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisers appearing in The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal comply absolutely with the Trades Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication. Adbourne Publishing and The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal reserve the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication.

AACUHO

All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors and all submitted editorial are the author’s views and are not necessarily those of the Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers, or the publisher.

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Welcome from the President

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n behalf of the Executive of the Association of Heads of Australian Colleges and Halls Inc (AHAUCHI) I welcome you to this edition of The Student Residences Management Journal. AHAUCHI is once again pleased to be associated with the journal and kindly thanks the

publishers for their continued support of colleges in Australia. This edition is published to coincide with the Annual conference of AHAUCHI, this year kindly hosted by our Sydney chapter. University Colleges in Australia continue to fashion the higher education experience and leadership development of over 50,000 students. Many of these students are in the first year of their studies and come from rural regions of Australia or from overseas. Our colleges provide a high level of care and academic enrichment for these students, including mentoring and support by our many later year and postgraduate students, as well as by college staff and distinguished alumni. Research provided by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) demonstrates that students living in residence are equally, and in many cases, more engaged than others, particularly in terms of participation in active learning and enriching experiences, their interactions with staff, and their perceptions of support. College students also report greater levels of individually focused support, both academic and pastoral. Overall, research shows that the learning development and satisfaction of students living in our colleges is greater than for those who live off campus. This provides a pleasing counterpoint to research quoted in the Bradley report that shows Australian students rate their university experience less highly than British, US and Canadian students. The opportunities and results colleges offer students are very much in line with a renewed focus in our leading universities on the student learning experience, with its emphasis on service learning, communication and out of lecture learning activities. Many colleges around Australia wish to increase the number of places they can offer students from targeted socioeconomic groups and the amount of scholarship support they can provide to ensure equity of access. This year and last has seen some hope of Government support for these endeavours through the National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS). Although not initially aimed at alleviating the student accommodation crisis, NRAS funding has successfully been sought by the Australian National University and Monash University. Colleges around Australia are in the process of applying for much needed funding through the Scheme and AHAUCHI continues to support efforts to secure such funding. AHAUCHI has this year has also met with four chapters of the Association and members of the Executive of each University visited. It has endeavoured to collect data in support of the value-add of colleges and to gather research useful to its members. Our new website, to be launched at the annual conference, should serve as a much enhanced resource for our members and those interested in the life and achievements of our colleges. I look forward to seeing many of you in Sydney to enjoy an excellent, college focused conference.

Yours sincerely, Fiona Crowe Head of College, St Catherine’s College, UWA President, AHAUCHI

2010 AHAUCHI Conference Development of the College Community: Fabric, Body, Mind and Spirit 27th - 30th September | The Women’s College, USYD, NSW

Conference Program Monday 27th Afternoon session

2.00 pm 5.30 pm

New heads workshop: Lisa Sutherland; Master of Wesley College, University of Sydney. Medina Darling Harbour Informal reception, Medina Harbour Bar

Tuesday 28th Morning session

8.30 am 9.00 am 9.15 am 11.00 am

12.00noon

Afternoon session

2.00 pm

Evening

5.30 pm 7.00 pm

Buses from Medina to The Women’s College Welcome: AHAUCHI President, Fiona Crowe Keynote: Professor Ian Hickey; Brain and Mind Institute, University of Sydney; Promoting pro-social environments in residential colleges. Keynote: Associate Professor Toni Schofield; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney: Alcohol and harm minimisation among Australian university students: ARC linkage project, 2010-2012. Presentations Dr Iyla Davies; Principal of Women’s College, University of Queensland: Managing conflict in colleges. Margie Welsford; Warden of Whitley College, University of Melbourne: A holistic approach to academic achievement, pastoral care and community development at Whitley College. Discussion: facilitated by Christie Breakspear; Director, Christie Breakspear & Associates: Discussion of AHAUCHI’s future Buses to Medina StarNet Harbour Dinner Cruise

Wednesday 29th Morning session

8.30 am 10.00 am 11.00 am 12.00noon

Afternoon session

2.00 pm

Evening

5.00 pm 5.45 pm 6.30 pm 8.30 pm

Buses to The Women’s College Ecumenical Service: St Andrew’s College, Rev Dr Ivan Head Keynote: Dr Anthony Grant; School of Psychology, University of Sydney Building a positive community Panel: Indigenous education initiatives • Adam Hansen and Kristian Goodacre AIME; WATSA Report: Barbara Green; Principal, St Hilda’s College, University of Melbourne: Student Housing Summit Report. Panel: College Development. Chris Bellenger, Master, Robert Menzies College; 2010 AUHO-I conference Greg Eddy, King’s College University of Queensland Luce Andrews, Head, Fenner Hall, ANU Prof Trevor Cairney, Master, New College, UNSW Tour of St John’s College new and old buildings Pre-dinner drinks with stand-up entrée Scolarest Conference Dinner Buses to Medina

Thursday 30th Morning session

Afternoon session Evening

8.30 am 9.30 am 10.30 am 12.15pm 1.30 pm 4.30 pm 6.00 pm

Coach from Medina to Macquarie University Sports Centre Presentation: Deidre Anderson; CEO, U@MQ, Macquarie University student services organisation: Striking the right balance; presentation and individual assignment completion Tour and use of Macquarie University Sports Centre Spotless Conference Lunch Association business and AGM Macquarie Railway Station, train to city Buses from Medina to Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay Terrace. Cirrus Conference Reception

On Having a Grievance Procedure: Complexities,

Confidentiality and Empowerment Dr. IVAN HEAD

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erhaps in the old days there was a sense that a head of College or Hall simply used her/his wisdom to manage misdemeanours, errors of judgement, brain snaps level one to four, disputes internal to College, and incidents across the demilitarized zones of different types that lie between colleges. In the best case scenario, neighbouring heads were astute and wise and had a collective sense of conversation and shared management to achieve good outcomes for all. It may have been the case that many a misdemeanour was treated firmly but educatively and men and women learned from the experience and were enabled to sense that they had now gotten some of that wisdom, the getting of which is so valued. Anyone who has been a head for some time will have had the experience of dealing with incidents that seem on face value to go beyond what informal and collective wisdoms, exercise through the office ‘college head’ can deal with. Assault and sexual assault will be among those matters, and it is clear that these incidents move beyond the scope of internal college competencies and of harassment officers. To state this may be to state the obvious. The matter is more complex however because when an incident first appears, it does not necessarily appear in its fully blown or fully developed form. It may be that within one College, an harassment officer becomes aware of the detail of a ‘potential’ complaint fairly quickly, but even then, the early stages of a conversation may be pre-complaint in some sense, and more of an explanatory conversation around the topic ‘What are my options here?’ At this stage, strict confidentiality may be involved, and may be the condition that event enables the initial conversation to take place. If one considers this for a moment, that strict confidentiality may be the condition that empowers the complainant or ‘distressed person’ to remain empowered and in control of process; to elect to steer his/her concerns to one outcome rather than another. A head would know, and indeed all residents may know that a grievance or harassment complaint can lead to a wide variety of outcomes, and perhaps it is preferable that the one with the inquiry or complaint is the one best placed to be empowered to determine outcome pathways once the options are made known. The complainant may The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

elect to take no further action once all pathways are described and that process of confidential description of options may be part of an empowerment process. This will mostly be greatly preferable to the situation where a college head or other officer overly directs, or directs the outcomes. Over-involvement or even directing outcomes could arise from a strong sense of pastoral concern for the ‘complainant’ ot perhaps from ‘institutional correctness’, or from the heads own sense that ‘only this is possible’. For instance, it would seem to me that a person with a grievance must always write his/her own incident statement and not simply sign another person’s ‘minute’. This is different from a head or officer asking ‘Are my notes a fair summary of our conversation? – but in my view that is not a person’s incident statement or written complaint, but just that, ‘a record of a conversation’ I think heads face further complexities around the issues of confidentiality, disclosure, intervention and pastoral support when the ‘complainant’ is a student in a neighbouring or other hall or college. One may hear of the ‘complaint’ before the complaint is made. In other words, there is no statement or formal process as yet, but simply the knowledge that one is coming, may be coming, is about to come or might not come. There is also the possibility that the complaint may come in some form or intimation from one of a number of authorities with different powers; perhaps as a telephone call from the highest officer of campus, since in fact the complainant has already ‘gone to the top’. At the stage where an actual complaint is still at the stage of ‘rumour, or possibility with high probability’, the issue of confidentiality intensifies. A number of students in one college may already know about it. Friends may have taken sides. A kind of larger scale feud may be simmering. Dining Hall cutlery may be ‘daggers drawn.’ The one about to be complained about may not know that he/she is about to have an ‘action’ launched against him/ her. But the head of college and several college officers may well know that this is possible or even probable. And then when a statement, incident report or complaint does come through, an initial reading may indicate that the matter carries legal or criminal conduct consequences. It may be apparent that >

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On Having a Grievance Procedure (continued)

< the statement refers to matters that could at any time be referred by the complainant to the police. Any response made from that point on can only be made with some knowledge of the law and its powers. College heads will hear the term ‘compellable’ and may have advice that even in discussing the matter with the named member of his/her college, that the contents of that discussion will not be ‘privileged’ or immune from being called as evidence in another and more potent setting. The complained against student must know that this is so. Thus it will be that while a head of college takes comfort from well run grievance and harassment procedures, he/she will also learn to recognise the limits of what these procedures can and cannot deal with, and will recognise where to seek professional legal advice before responding or taking ‘helpful’ action. Qualified Council members may be a resource here. And at the same time, a response to a complainant in this zone will be better than ‘We cannot help you, this is a Police matter.’ While it is true that a matter may be best dealt with by the Police, those with authority in the complainant’s College may still assist people in referring the matter to the Police – for testing of the matter and even for prosecution. It will be paramount that in assisting in the procedure by which a complaint is redirected to the more appropriate authority, that the real rights of all parties (complainant and one complained against)

are respected and that a head does not act against a student in a way that derogates from his or her rights in the law. This ‘hands off’ dimension may trouble some. Confidentiality, and the ‘disclosure of the compellability of evidence’ are factors here. In conclusion. The ‘good old days’ of ‘father/mother knows best’ are largely gone. A good harassment policy and harassment officers are necessary. The boundary between harassment and assault needs to be discerned (if not bleeding obvious). Strict confidentiality needs to be carefully considered. The turbulence of the ‘pre-complaint phase’ needs careful handling and a capacity to wait creatively. Reference to legally competent professionals will be necessary at some point. An annual commitment of time and resources to best practice amongst peers is needed. Perhaps a college head can be both ‘arms length and hands on’ in these matters? Good procedures are essential, as is a supportive community at all levels. It remains to restate that ‘empowerment’ is used with reference to the student making a complaint or bringing a grievance, as well as to the college head and officers, and also to ‘process’. While a good process will test a complaint, it will also enable it to be heard and for a fair and satisfactory outcome to be achieved. That may be an outcome which is enforced by the law and has serious consequences - as may be the case where the matter is one of sexual assault as defined in a criminal code. Thus my title is important: ‘On having a grievance procedure’. n Dr Ivan Head is Warden of St Paul’s College Sydney and has written for us before on gender issues. He was head of Christ College for four years and has been head of St Paul’s for sixteen.

Putting Youth in the Picture Tom Mitchell | Deputy Head of College: Trinity (UWA)

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t the StarNet/StarRez 2010 AACUHO Conference entitled “Shifting to 21st Century Thinking”, the delegates were treated to a presentation by a lawyer from Toowoomba by the name of Adair Donaldson. His passion and pro-activity has led him to develop a program called “Putting Youth in the Picture”. As lawyers he and his partner Peter Shannon have frequently dealt with young men and women in late high school, or in the tumultuous years immediately following, who have found themselves either perpetrators or victims of assaults and accidents that have had life changing ramifications. They stress very strongly that, contrary to popular opinion, the majority of these young people who have committed offences are not morally corrupt nor grossly negligent but rather ill informed. Most of them, they would say, come from caring and supportive families who accompany them on their legal consultations and at their court hearings. They stress that their program is designed to work hand in hand with those programs already in place in many of our colleges and university halls that seek to minimise harm. As a collective group of colleges and university halls we espoused the virtues of being active in the area of pastoral care. We acknowledge and respect the fact that we have young adults in our communities and yet we are extremely aware of their vulnerabilities in what is probably the most exciting and yet turbulent time in their lives. In my short time in the sector I have witnessed the myriad ways in which our various communities have sought to provide safety nets in an unobtrusive and yet highly effective manner. I have seen many proactive initiatives that have had at their heart the intent to reduce harm. “Putting Youth in the Picture” complements these programs by educating our residents about the legal consequences of one’s actions. It is widely acknowledged in legal, health, and education spheres, that a multifaceted approach to a problem is more effective than a singular linear ‘solution’. Adair and Peter make the point that many young people are ignorant of the legal consequences that may occur subsequent to incidents that they may find themselves in more commonly than we might wish. The aim of the program is to make students aware that the protective buffer that often exists in the school situation is

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rapidly removed as they become young adults. The students are helped to understand that, as young adults, breaching the law can have significant and long-term legal and personal consequences. Obviously in the college and university hall environment, students can inadvertently place their enrolment and subsequent careers at risk on top of facing significant litigation for making split-second poor choices. The foreword to the training manual quotes Wayne Bennett AO as follows: Any organisation with a large number of young people notices the impact that antisocial behaviour has on its profitability or effectiveness. Football clubs, universities, TAFE colleges, the mining and hospitality industries -- in fact any major employer or organisation -- can all play a role in helping young people to understand the issues and risks they face. Rather than waiting to react to the next incident we need to be proactive and help youth to make the right decisions. We will never prevent situations from occurring, but we can hope to minimise their impact, not only on the young people involved but also the organisation. At the invitation of Trinity (a residential College of the Uniting Church in Australia at the University of Western Australia), Adair Donaldson visited Perth and conducted an information seminar for the UWA colleges and interested members of the public. The cost of this enterprise was generously covered by Diageo Australia and AACUHO (Australasian Association of College and University Housing Officers Inc). The seminar was held at Trinity on the evening of the 26th of July and attracted some 80 people. The following day Adair conducted the train the trainer course for staff at the UWA colleges. Each of the colleges has shown an interest in using Adair’s program in some form or another. Here at Trinity we will be appointing an appropriate facilitator from amongst the ranks of the residents of Trinity to run the series of five modules. This is in keeping with the advice from Adair that its effectiveness is enhanced when delivered by responsible peers rather than people who could be perceived as being out of touch. At Trinity it is our intention to make attendance at each of the five modules a compulsory part of the training for www.adbourne.com

any resident advisor. An invitation will be issued to the rest of the community embedded in a strong promotional campaign. Although some aspects may be covered during our O week discussions, we are disinclined to make the whole program compulsory for all new residents. It is certainly our hope and our aim that most residents would opt to attend the seminars. Certainly, with making it a mandatory requirement for all resident advisors, we are ensuring that the key players in our pastoral care provision are in a good position to discuss these matters within the broader community. The target audience of the program ranges from 15 to 30 years of age and the detail of the presentations can be tailored to suit your clientele. In broad terms the five modules consist of dealing with issues surrounding sexual assault from both a perpetrator and victim perspective, motor vehicle accidents, drugs, physical assaults, and the illegal use of mobiles, text messaging, YouTube, and Facebook. One of Adair’s strongest advocates is Paul Stanley, father of Matthew Stanley who tragically lost his life in September 2006, at the age of 15, as a result of an assault that occurred at a teenager’s party. This tragic event occurred in Brisbane at a time when I was a Deputy Headmaster at a school in Brisbane. In 2007 Paul Stanley spoke to our year 12 group with respect to the tragic loss of his son. I remember clearly an embrace between Paul Stanley and one of our students who had been a very good friend of Matthew’s. This poignant moment was vividly brought back to me when Paul Stanley also presented at the 2010 AACUHO conference. The passion of both Adair and Paul for the welfare of our youth was overwhelming. If at any stage you have the opportunity to listen to either of these men accept it with open arms. I wish all of our AACUHO members all the best for the remainder of Semester 2 and please feel free to contact me at Trinity (UWA) should you have any queries or suggestions with respect to “Putting Youth in the Picture”. At the conclusion of the public seminar on the 26th of July I mentioned to the audience that Adair reminded me very strongly of the great quote by Gandhi: “be the change you want to see in the world”. It has been a pleasure and an honour to work with a man with such passion and optimism about the difference that we can all make to the future of a young people. n The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

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Grooming them... for what?

On the role of colleges LEWIS RUSHBROOK

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hat are colleges for? I’ve been thinking a lot about the purpose of colleges lately and shudder when we’re grouped with all and sundry as “accommodation providers”. True, we are at one level, but most of the colleges I know aspire to rise rather further on the Maslow hierarchy, even claiming, bravely, that their main goals are near its apex. But is it true? We clean, cater, counsel and coach in a community setting, but so do many other organisations, often more efficiently and purposefully than we do. And if education (academic support) is our goal, not many of us in fact have ‘college.edu.au’ status. Is it then a matter of “the whole being more than the sum of its parts” and the total College experience is what we uniquely have to offer our talented incoming cohorts? I’m interested in what my college colleagues think about this and have been rather challenged recently when reading brochures from some of our top schools. Here education is primary. There is an intentionality about rounded educational programs which unifies all they do. Education juices pulse purposefully throughout the whole community, from junior to senior school. And then those students come to us! The cream of the crop so to speak - eager, enthusiastic, visionary - at a pivotal

period in their journey to adulthood. Can we deliver? And deliver what?! Alumni frequently talk about college as “the best years of their life” but I suspect that’s often more by good luck than good management! The same when we cloyingly cling to this or that tall alumni poppy, as if life in college ipso facto helped their rise to prominence! So what is the role of colleges, as opposed to other forms of university accommodation? What is our chief goal, if we’re not simply to be competent facilities managers in an educational setting? In the 90s I was involved in accelerated leadership programs for the Metropolitan

The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

Police in London. The fast-changing face of London demanded fresh approaches to leadership development. In company with many corporates, the Met could no longer afford the steady beat of thirty plus years’ service to grow leaders in their fifties. Hence these accelerated schemes for talented officers tapped on the shoulder in their twenties or early thirties, with two-year programs involving intensive mentoring, group work, study and on the job experience. Other organisations too offer young people intensive development continued next page

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The talent of the nation enters our doors – undergraduate and postgraduate, some for many years – for influential life-changing experiences. < programs – the AIS, SAS, diplomatic corps, seminaries and sports codes, with ‘training’ elements blending mind, body and spirit. Could this be a prototype for ‘leadership and service’ development in colleges? So we could supplement NAAUC’s programs and that marvellous National Student Leadership Forum held each September in Canberra, by offering leadership schemes for senior students, even ‘plugging in’ a carefully-crafted AHAUCHI model. Heaven knows we need something given the challenges before us - something deliberate rather than accidental, to groom our young people for demanding futures. Surely Australia has a great potential role here, but it needs to wake up! We Australians don’t realise how much we could offer given the blessings that surround us, nor how much our sea-soaked lifestyle (?”beguiled by sea”) can fog our sunnies into unreal perceptions of the world beyond. (Does that

suggest an annual AHAUCHI overseas scholarship for a couple of students?) Such schemes could strengthen AHAUCHI’s credibility too. Our association’s byline now is “community, learning, leadership”. But I feel this more reflects the activities of disparate members than beaming, top-down, the mission of the organisation. The talent of the nation enters our doors – undergraduate and postgraduate, some for many years – for influential life-changing experiences. They enter colleges whose association limps along professionally, struggling annually to put credible ticks in the structure, objectives, resources and professional development boxes, despite the wisdom and commitment of a distinguished line of overly-stretched executive members. It’s a challenge no doubt – for individual heads, colleges at large and the association, but also a call to action. As Foreign Minister Stephen Smith replied at our AHAUCHI Fremantle conference last year, when asked how the organisation could be more effective, “deliver, be there, get involved”. The courses suggested might help. n

Lewis Rushbrook is the Principal & CEO of Dunmore Lang College, Macquarie University, and former Secretary and President of AHAUCHI.

The NBN railroad and the future of student internet access NEIL THOMPSON

Never in Australia has the internet been a more topical issue.

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or the first time we’ve seen it entrenched in Australia’s political spectrum. The NBN has been a key factor in deciding our next government.

In other countries access to the internet has been enshrined in bills of rights and has been determined by Courts to be a fundamental human right. How times change! What has been famously coined as “Australia’s railroad of the 21st century,” the NBN will revolutionise internet access. Interestingly it’s not being called “the rocket of the 21st century’ or even ‘the jet aeroplane’. I wonder if the original railways would ever have been built if they had known about air travel! The point here is that we do not know what communications technology has in store for us but we should take full advantage now of what is clearly capable of providing vast benefits. So will an NBN provide benefit to student accommodation overall? As you would expect, provision of internet services to the student accommodation industry has not featured on its own as a key part of the plan. There is more thrust overall - the NBN will vastly improve current services and deliver quality internet services to geographic areas where they do not already exist. In this article we will look at what is means to those in the student accommodation industry and what we need to do to prepare. Firstly, students will benefit in terms of reliability, speed and largely increased data allowances. In this sense it is likely to satisfy some of our international students who have been used to higher quality services in their own countries. Cost to the student is something that we just don’t know. It is inconceivable that the cost to the end user will directly relate to the cost of the new infrastructure! The end user and certainly students The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

The infrastructure within your residence if properly designed and installed now should be adequate for many years to come. only have a limited amount to spend and the mantra of “availability to all” has to take into account pricing. There is no point here living in fear - firstly lets embrace the rollout when it happens. For owners and investors in student accommodation, even pre-NBN, a high standard availability, quality and cost of internet services in rooms at a residence is assumed and is an important factor is accommodation decisions. Availability must be 24x7, quality must be within consumer expectations (certainly ‘fit for purpose’) and cost must take into account student ability to pay. The NBN will set this bar even higher but I doubt if the fundamentals will change. Student accommodation owners and managers are probably thinking about what they need to do to prepare. Similarly, those building student accommodation are thinking about possible new infrastructure and cost. >

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The NBN railroad and the future of student internet access (continued)

Let’s now look at the future of managed internet services at student accommodation. In 1999 the take up by students was around 5%. Slightly more than a decade later it ranges from 38% to 96%. The average is around 75%. In 1999 there was no Wi-Fi, WiMAX, ADSL, 3 or 4G mobile services or free services in Uni computer labs available. So even with all the competitive offerings that have become available the take up of in-room internet has significantly increased and continues to increase.

If the NBN rolls out in any form the most likely result is that students will have faster speeds, higher download allowances and increased reliability. < There’s good news here. The rollout is unlikely to mean high and new infrastructure costs to existing residences. New and greenfield sites will need increased attention to network infrastructure design in and associated with the residences. It is not likely to significantly increase cost from a competently designed network on today’s standards.

The pressure is on for student accommodation providers at every level to recognise the importance of internet to students and to act accordingly. The reason for this is that the NBN is a highway. It will pass by your premises or in the case of wireless, the NBN will pass over you in the ether. The NBN will give you the opportunity to join the highway. The infrastructure you will require to do so from

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your existing building is not likely to be much different from today. If it is properly designed and installed within your residence it should be adequate for many years to come. One of our first sites in 1999, a 200 room accommodation building that was privately developed still operates effectively on the original cabling infrastructure. This site has seen many changes in internet service delivery over the years. It started on dial-up, upgraded to ISDN, we trialled satellite, then local wireless until more current ADSL services became available.

Many students use a combination of services. They subscribe to the in room service, they have an account with the University when on campus and they have a 3G style service when they are mobile. On top of all this they use available free Wi-Fi in coffee shops and other public free networks. If the NBN rolls out in any form the most likely result is that students will have faster speeds, higher download allowances and increased reliability. Managed providers should be able to buy better (in terms of speed and data) from major ISPs so the bottom line for students we believe will be that student internet services will improve. The additional cost of provision to providers will be balanced by greater uptake from users.

Through all these stages the infrastructure that was originally installed worked with all the various services and currently is NBN-ready.

So the pressure is on for student accommodation providers at every level to recognise the importance of internet to students and to act accordingly. A greenfield site will be different to a heritage listed site. There will be geographic and demographic differences between sites but no one can afford to ignore the value of inroom internet services at any stage.

The NBN rollout will be based upon using fibre optic cable. Providing ‘fibre’ to the rooms however will not be on the radar for a long time.

Our message to the NBN is simple: bring it on. There is no downside in our industry. Whatever is improved or installed will benefit the student market. n

We see no true value in providing ‘fibre to the room’. Suffice to say again that a competent existing internal infrastructure is likely to meet the demands of the students for a long time yet.

Neil Thompson is the Managing Director of AccessPlus, the largest provider of managed internet services to student accommodation across Australia.

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Message from AACUHO

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trust those of you who attended our Annual Conference in Brisbane were rewarded both professionally and personally from the experience and we thank you very much for your attendance and suggestions in the post conference survey.

The new committee has now met twice since the conference and will convene again in the first week of October for a normal meeting as well as a strategic planning day to be facilitated by Mr Wayne Strong www.strongconsulting.com.au . If you have any issues you would like discussed please contact one of the committee members prior to the meeting and let them know. Your feedback as members will be sought prior to the meeting on a number of issues via a survey. Please take the time to fill this in and help us establish the correct picture for AACUHOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. I would like to pass on my sincere thanks once again to Terry Ryan who resigned as AACUHO Secretariat recently after many years of service to our association both in a formal and informal capacity. Terryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution and enigmatic character will be missed dearly and we wish him well in his future endeavours. A conference committee for 2011 has now been formed and the AACUHO Conference will be held in Wellington in late April. A call for tenders for a PCO will go out shortly and following this we will lock in dates and venues. It is expected that the conference will take place in the week following Easter but perhaps a little later to allow for a North Island Study Tour to occur prior. We are truly excited about this opportunity and looking forward to a very successful venture in New Zealand. My thanks go to those members of AACUHO who have been instrumental in the two regional activities we have hosted this year one at Trinity College UWA and the other to be held at Deakin University, Warrnambool Campus. It is wonderful to see members of our association getting together and providing professional development for one another using our own resources. Keep up the great work your efforts are appreciated. I trust you enjoy this edition of the Australasian Student Residences Management Journal and can I encourage any of you who have something to share about your organisation to make a contribution to this publication in the future.

Cheers,

AACUHO

Simon Scott B.A. MLM Ed AACUHO President Head Halls of Residence, UQ Gatton

The Summit: More Student Housing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Less Management Responsibility Dr. Philip Dutton

There was nothing unclear in either the program or proceedings of the recent Informa Inaugural Student Housing Summit over 7th & 8th September in Melbourne. It was most business-like in creating prospects for universities interested in placing new residential developments on their inventory. This would apply especially to those institutions that continue to feel the pressure of what Glenn Withers, CEO of Universities Australia, referred to in his address on the first morning as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lazy balance sheetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

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ompanies such as Campus Living Villages, Urbanest, Unilodge, Student Housing Australia, Blackstone UK and Quick Smart Homes lined up to remind a mixed audience of senior tertiary administrators, residential heads and managers and other providers that, despite the growing strength of international competition, the residential sector of post-compulsory education remains a strong and long-term viable business for Australia. Even before the program began, its overarching banner read that more than $3.2 billion of new student housing developments are being built or planned around the country and the pre-conference workshop laid it on the table. It offered a practical approach to the financing and procurement of student housing projects for any interested university or tertiary provider.

Enticing Options The range of options now available to universities in accommodation style and private financial arrangements that reinforce negligible risk on demand for places or cash flow as well as flexible, long-term contracts up to 40 years, has already proved enticing to 30 of our 39 universities in a growing market of over 42,000 beds. The older pre-1990 scenario of public university Colleges and Halls including the then relatively new introduction of self-catered accommodation has become a smaller, if not insignificant, part of the whole picture at no more than 50% but continuing to lessen proportionally. In order to further entice interest in private development partnerships, the audience was reassured that of the 7.5 million student beds in the USA, no less than 70% are now provided through private funding and partnership arrangements. Further to this, despite the intense international competition for the export of higher education including accommodation, Australia is now ranked third above France but below the USA and the UK. This may rely to some extent, however, on the experience of learning English in studying a course in an appropriate cultural setting. In this competitive environment, the growth of both South Africa and

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Singapore as developing hubs of international education needs to be noted and assessed.

Obeying the Market The risk of international competition aside, it is the current market reality and projections that hold sway. As Maureen McDermott, fresh from London’s Blackstone operation confidently uttered: “Why are we in this business of student accommodation development and management? The numbers!” Another promoter was keen to add that the ongoing student accommodation market has survived the global financial crisis in Australia as well as 9/11, the Tsunami of 2004 and the bad press of violent attacks and casualties amongst students from India more recently. Glenn Withers of Universities Australia extolled the virtues of such enterprise by alerting the audience to the size of the market – no less than three million students of whom one million approximately belong to each of three categories in university, TAFE and VET enrolments. In fact, universities now represent only one third of post-secondary enrolments. Whether these proportions relate equally to the demand for accommodation was not considered but he did state emphatically, in adding to the business pie of the day that more accommodation is needed and that it would not be funded by governments. Just as governments have, for over three decades, left the provision of residential accommodation in higher education to the universities themselves, the same universities are handing over responsibility more and more to private suppliers. This often includes the management as well as the construction and development of residences and in some cases the provision of pastoral care, student programmes or what was sparsely referred to at the summit as the student experience.

The Student Experience It was the CEO of Campus Living that informed the summit what universities wanted in student accommodation – high quality, safe, secure and well maintained facilities that would be affordable. He added that students and their parents wanted the same things. The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

It would seem to me that these might be priorities for the majority of the population when seeking accommodation. More typically and traditionally challenging the specific student market, echoed by NUS President, Carla Drakeford, is the cost. She noted that rental stress in the community at large is considered highly likely when 30% or more of one’s disposable income is allocated to accommodation and that this situation applies to 66% of the student population. The greater majority of university student accommodation in Australia does nothing in its price structures to relieve this stress. Hardly mentioned were the important issues of academic support and pastoral care relating to the student experience of university in residences. Only vague references were made to the services that residences may provide and to the social milieu that is created. The broader, more educative and developmental attributes of university residences based on structured peer initiatives and leadership opportunities that are very much in line with the mission statements of most Australian universities simply did not surface. No doubt it will remain difficult for private student accommodation providers, without the direct intervention of university administrations that care for their student populations, to take up responsibility for such care. It may begin with an educational and attitudinal stance that most Colleges and Halls have adopted over time and may require a paradigm shift for which universities should take full responsibility in bringing private providers to the party. It is the understanding that the student experience is not something that the residence brings to the students but what the students bring to the residence. The experience of living in the structured peer environment of a university residence goes much deeper than the supply of good, affordable rental real estate with any number of services provided such as excellent online access. It is a uniquely educational experience in its own right based on the more enduring experiences of shared learning and shared experiences. n Dr. Philip Dutton is the Principal of Burgmann College - ANU.

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Disruptive Riptides:

Generation, Innovation and Communication Trends Impacting You Anders Sorman-Nilsson

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hen it comes to generation, innovation and communication trends in student residence leadership, it is crucially important that you as a leader are able to do three things to stay compatible with a constantly shifting landscape: 1.

Spot

2.

Feel

3.

Position

I learned to initially spot, feel and position according to the forces of trends some years ago when I was doing research work for a foreign exchange trader. We used a sophisticated system of technical analysis to indicate when to jump into and out of certain trades. While technical analysis is somewhat devoid of human emotions and a more generalised approach to market psychology, trendspotting in education is heavily reliant on combining data, observation of consumer/student psychology and intuition in order to make concrete decisions that affect how your organisation is run. The trend is either your friend or foe. Especially as we enter a new decade of thinking, and a new zeitgeist is informing consumer behaviour, we need to all become trendspotters with a finger on the pulse. Because whether you’re aware of it or not, the GFC changed leadership forever. This year I have consulted and spoken with educational leaders in Japan, Sweden, Spain, USA, Hong Kong and Australia, and what strikes me is a distinct lack of trendspotting fingerspitzengefühl, which is leaving leaders dumbfounded by disruptive social media, marketing, and human leadership shifts. Yet, even as a professional trendspotter, I sometimes get this idea of trends completely wrong - with near-disastrous results. In February 2009, I was at a strategic retreat with a 4 colleagues on the south coast of NSW, when we decided to take a morning coffee break and competitively run down for a refreshing swim. The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

Now, I am a good swimmer ... on Swedish lakes. In Australia, I have always figured that my 1.0 breaststroke only had to be better than the slowest English backpacker’s at Bondi Beach to avoid getting eaten by a shark, but on the south coast of NSW, there are plenty of unguarded beaches. The beautifully located Culburra beach doesn’t have any red flags to swim in between. Even though I won’t be recruited to Bondi Rescue anytime soon, I am a decent runner, and I actually beat the other 4 guys to get down to the water. Here was my first mistake - I failed to stop and do that quintessential Aussie thing (that’s a technical term) - to spot a riptide. No one at the Department of Immigration had questioned me on this when I sat my Australian citizenship test on Swedish National Day 2008. “Waltzing Matilda” is all well and good, but in the surf it doesn’t help a lot. So I jumped straight into the water without noticing the frothy riptide that immediately enveloped me, and my overly testosterone-charged mates, who had also failed to take notice of the riptide. Mistake No. 1. Unlike me, they’re all very good swimmers (can do free-style 2.0 swimming...) and as soon as they were able to feel the dynamics of the riptide, they decided to “gun it” back to shore. Meanwhile I was being pummelled like a glove in a washing machine, taking in more water than air, and failing to master the water with my archaic breaststroke. I had failed to feel the dynamics of the riptide - mistake No. 2. Next, unlike their Piscean yet un-aquatic friend, my mates were able to navigate the riptide by both swimming parallel to the beach and positioning themselves on the waves back to shore. With their superior timing and swimming skills they all made it back safely. At the same time, I am struggling to keep my head out of water, my right leg is cramping up, and I realise that I am in significant danger of actually both panicking and being seriously injured. Now, men have reached an evolutionary stage where we can ask for directions, and some of us aren’t afraid of admitting that >

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Disruptive Riptides:

Generation, Innovation and Communication Trends Impacting You (continued) < we’re out of our depths. I put up my hand as my head is bobbing in and out of the water for longer and longer periods of time. On the beach, my mates are realising that I am in serious danger, and as I am told later, that they are unable to muster the strength to go back out to save me... Luckily, one my friends, Nils, is 75 meters away positioning himself to ride the riptide out while merrily bodysurfing to and fro the shore ... blissfully unaware of the ordeal his water-treading Swedish friend is in. Fortunately for me, Nils did notice my waving arms and yells between gulps of water, and eventually managed to drag me back in to shore. To this day, I owe Nils my life, and of course a great metaphor for the kind of riptides and uncertainties we sometimes face both in education, life and business when we swim outside the flags of the known. The GFC was a kind of riptide that no one knew how to navigate with certainty, and just like an unguarded beach, it was unknown

territory, with little lifesupport available (unless you happened to be a big bank). What Nils understood and had the capacity to do though was to spot, feel and position himself successfully and until my poor swimming skills interrupted his joyful bodysurfing expedition, Nils was a trendspotter extraordinaire, enjoying the waves of change around him. It is the same in education, business and in life. You and your leaders need to learn how to: 1. spot 2. feel 3. position to ensure that your future thinking is compatible with disruptive generation, innovation and communication trends, on the postGFC ripples of change in order to masterfully navigate the new decade’s zeitgeist. So what are three spotted main trends that will be upending your student residence in 2010 and beyond? 1. Communication Trend: The Continued Rise of Social Media 2. Innovation Trend: The Increased Importance of Thought Leadership 3. Generation Trend: The Compounded Demand for Profound Connection. Now is a great time to feel the dynamics of those trends, and decide how you will best position your student residence to successfully ride these trends. The trend can be your friend. n

About the author Anders is the founder and creative director of the international think tank - Thinque. His unique global perspectives have been helping audiences in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia make sense of and harness disruptive trends in innovations, generations and communications. His misfit insights have recently been manifested in his book Thinque Funky: Upgrade Your Thinking and amplified by AFR Boss Magazine, Wired UK, and Monocle. Advising clients like Apple, MTV, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, CPA Australia, Northern Territory Department of Education and Training, UTS Business School and Macquarie Bank on ‘next practice’, Anders’ future thinking provides GPS directions for businesses and leaders seeking to navigate a constantly shifting business landscape, and successfully enter a new decade of thinking. His next book ‘Misfits’ is coming to an iPad and Kindle near you in January 2011. He is a former senior resident and tutor at Burgmann College and holds a Bachelor of Law (Hons) / Arts (International Relations) / GDLP at the ANU. For more trend reports visit www.anderssorman-nilsson.com

Life beyond school The long road from adolescence to adulthood Meredith O’Connor

Meredith O’Connor is currently completing a Doctorate of Educational Psychology at The University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education. Her research examines wellbeing during the critically important transition between adolescence and adulthood.

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n previous generations, young people moved out of school and into adult roles through a relatively well-defined pathway involving marriage, parenthood and a stable career path. For today’s youth, the period between leaving school and ‘settling down’ with a family and career is becoming increasingly longer. The average age at which Australians get married has increased by nearly five years over the past two decades (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007), and young people are also delaying parenthood as something most want eventually, but not yet! These trends have led US Professor of Psychology Jeffrey Arnett to describe this ‘in-between’ time roughly corresponding to the ages of 18 to 25 as a distinct developmental period, which he has

termed ‘emerging adulthood’ (Arnett, 2000). Unlike adolescents, emerging adults have left school and many have left the family home, yet unlike adults they have not yet taken on the responsibilities of marriage, parenthood and career.

Characteristics of emerging adulthood There are few strict social norms to abide by during emerging adulthood – for example, there is little pressure to marry for most – and hence there is a great deal of diversity in what young people are up to. Many

The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

more are undertaking higher education than in previous generations, and staying in university for a longer duration; many others enter the workforce, travel or take up another of an endless array of possibilities. While many continue to live at home, many enter share houses or other private rental agreements, cohabit with a romantic partner or leave home only to return at a later time (an increasingly common phenomenon of the ‘boomerang generation’). Despite this diversity, Arnett has identified five key characteristics that tend to describe this period: >

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Life beyond school

The long road from adolescence to adulthood (continued) 1. Identity exploration. We typically think of identity formation in relation to adolescence, yet identity exploration tends to continue and intensify during emerging adulthood, with young people trying out different possibilities in relation to love, work and world view. For example, in exploring possibilities for long term career paths, emerging adults might try out a number of different work roles and contexts as they explore what kind of position best fits them. 2. Instability. As a result of this exploration, emerging adults tend to move between many different roles and contexts, such as beginning and ending a number of serious romantic relationships. 3. Self focus. Young people are trying to determine what works for them in different areas of their lives, and to a large extent only have to justify and explain their decisions to themselves, making emerging adulthood a time for focusing on the self, with a considerable sense of personal freedom. 4. Feeling in-between. Young people during this time tend to subjectively report feeling like they have a foot in both camps of adolescence and adulthood. Asked whether they feel that they have reached adulthood, most respond ‘in some ways yes, in some ways no’. 5. Optimism. This tends to be an optimistic time where many possibilities for the future are open to young people and few doors are definitely closed. Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds can be particularly optimistic about their capacity to make a better future for themselves, such as through tertiary education. Of course, these are average trends and some young Australians, such as those from very conservative religious groups, might bypass this exploration period entirely. This is also a phenomenon that we see mostly in western, industrialised countries such as Australia, the UK, and the US, rather than a global trend.

Wellbeing during emerging adulthood The opportunity to take time out and explore different possibilities for the future is helpful for most young people in preparing them for the demands of adult commitments. For example, by trying out a number of potential career paths they are more likely to settle on a role that is well suited to them. However, it can also be a very challenging time. The social and institutional structures that both supported and restricted individuals during their transition to adulthood in earlier generations have

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weakened, leaving young people with greater freedom but also less support. Hence, young people are more reliant on their own resources and to some extent must be able to stand alone as a self-sufficient person, capable of making choices from a wide range of possibilities. This is especially challenging for those young people with fewer personal or environmental resources, such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds with poor family relationships. Furthermore, the instability of this time can be disruptive for some young people, and the number of possible life directions to choose from can be overwhelming. Attesting to these challenges, young people show high rates of mental health problems during this time. For example, a recent Australian study found that during a one month time frame, onefifth of their sample of 19 to 20 year olds experienced moderate or severe depression, and two-thirds reported drinking alcohol at a level defined by the National Health and Medical Research Council as ‘high risk’ on at least one day (Smart & Sanson, 2005). Given the optimistic but also challenging nature of this time, as well as the high incidence of mental health issues, the wellbeing of emerging adults is an important issue. Wellbeing and related terms such as resilience are currently very popular, but have lacked a clear definition. Our research group (Hawkins, Letcher, Sanson, Smart, & Toumbourou, 2009) recently developed a model or definition of wellbeing during the emerging adulthood period (specifically at age 19 to 20), which incorporates five interrelated factors:

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Social competence, such as being empathetic and responsible in social relationships

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Life satisfaction, or feeling good about your life and where it is heading

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Trust of others in the community and tolerance of ethnic differences

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Trust in authorities like the police and organisations like the courts to act fairly and responsibly

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Taking on civic responsibilities, such as being involved with community groups and donating to charitable organisations.

Wellbeing and mental illness Once we had a model of healthy development during the transition to adulthood, we were able to examine another question of great interest: What is the relationship between wellbeing and mental illness during the emerging adulthood period? The characteristics of emerging adulthood make this a more complex question than it might initially seem. Consider that the transition between adolescence and adulthood is a time for identify development and experimentation, and so it seems likely that poor outcomes, like risky drug and alcohol use, could coexist with positive mental health outcomes, such as identity development. This is contrary to our usual assumption that wellbeing and mental health problems are on two ends of a seesaw, with one going up as the other goes down. > www.adbourne.com

< We investigated this question using statistical modelling and found that wellbeing and mental illness (defined as problems like depression, anxiety, and substance use problems) were moderately correlated, which is not as strong a relationship as the sea-saw hypothesis would suggest (O’Connor et al., in press). Hence, we can’t assume that every young person with mental health problems is dissatisfied with their lives, socially incompetent, and poorly adjusted to the community: young people show much more complex profiles of strengths and weaknesses. This finding also has important implications for our welfare interventions: even if we eradicated all mental illness, this doesn’t automatically mean that all of our young people would be high in positive development. Yet mental illness is normally our main intervention target. Hence, we need to focus efforts on both increasing young people’s competencies and addressing mental health problems. We also identified four groups of young people with similar experiences of positive development and mental health problems (O’Connor, Sanson, & Frydenberg, 2010):

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Young people who were thriving were high on all dimensions of positive development and low in psychopathology

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Well-adjusted young people were low in psychopathology and high in positive development, with the exception that they were not engaged with their communities

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Young people who were idling did not show any signs of psychopathology, yet they were low in all positive outcomes

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Those who were distressed showed high levels of mental illness and low levels of wellbeing, being particularly dissatisfied with their lives.

The differences between these groups suggest that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to intervention programming for emerging adults will be ineffective. For example, the idling group would appear to benefit from intensive competency building programs, but a mental illness focused intervention is likely to have little impact.

Conclusions The transition from adolescence to adulthood is an increasingly long and complex period where young people explore many different possibilities for their futures, without clear societal expectations to guide their behaviour. Although this is often an optimistic time, it can also be challenging and many emerging adults experience mental health issues. Welfare programming needs to encompass both competency building and mental illness prevention strategies. n

Meredith O’Connor’s research on emerging adulthood was supervised by Professor Ann Sanson and Associate Professor Erica Frydenberg. The Australian Temperament Project is a joint project between the Australian Institute of Family Studies, The University of Melbourne, The Royal Children’s Hospital (Melbourne) and Deakin University. The project is led and managed by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and is also supported by an Australian Research Council grant.

References Arnett, J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469-480. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2007). Lifetime marriage and divorce trends. Australian Social Trends, 4102.0. Hawkins, M., Letcher, P., Sanson, A., Smart, D., & Toumbourou, J. (2009). Positive development in emerging adulthood. Australian Journal of Psychology, 61(2), 89-99. O’Connor, M., Sanson, A., & Frydenberg, E. (2010). The relationship between successful adaptation and psychopathology during the transition to adulthood: A person-centred approach. Paper presented at the International Congress of Applied Psychology Conference. O’Connor, M., Sanson, A., Hawkins, M., Toumbourou, J., Letcher, P., & Frydenberg, E. (in press). Differentiating three conceptualisations of the relationship between positive development and psychopathology during the transition to adulthood. Journal of Adolescence. Smart, D., & Sanson, A. (2005). What is life like for young Australians today, and how well are they faring? Family Matters, 70, 46-53.

The Idea of a University (Residence) DR. JOE MASSINGHAM

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n 18 September, 2010 the Pope will be visiting Britain to preside at the Beatification ceremony for John Henry Newman, almost the final step on the road to sainthood for a remarkable man. When Newman is declared a saint I suggest that every university residence should nominate him as their patron saint, whatever the state of their religious affiliation. In the years from Plato to today remarkably few people have written anything significant about residences, their place in higher education and the activities they could and should carry on. Even Newman did not directly address the role of residences; he simply took it for granted that universities were residential institutions given the responsibilities to their students he suggested for them. Newman was a lifelong passionate believer in the importance of learning at all levels as a central part of human development. By ‘learning’ he meant much more than scholarly or academic learning. He held the view that education involved spiritual and social development as well as intellectual and physical development. Writing when he did, in the latter half of the Victorian era, it is not surprising that Newman wrote almost entirely about masculine actors. That, after all, was the world around him. His inclination to focus on the masculine would also have been enhanced by his slow but steady progression from staunch Anglican to leading Roman Catholic priest and apologist. But it is noteworthy that he was not among the vociferous majority who strove mightily to keep women out of Oxford whilst he was there during the first half of his life. In fact, one of his more frequently used quotations is ‘ability is sexless’. Newman was a leading tutor and academic at Oriel College, Oxford for some twenty years. Much of this period was spent in gradually coming to the decision to become a Roman Catholic, but the more active aspects of his work included the development of suggested profiles for successful performance as a Tutor. These included demonstrated academic and communication skills; leadership skills (particularly leadership by example);students’ social development activities; religious development and understanding in the religion of students’ choice or upbringing; physical wellbeing, including sporting participation; and contribution to the maintenance and betterment of the collegiate enterprise they were part of. It is important to note, I think, that Newman was writing at a time when the entity ‘a university’ was easier to identify and define than is the case in Australia today. Nonetheless, insofar as his work supposes the existence of residences in the ideal university his thoughts on what should go on in residences are still worth considering today. The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

First and foremost, he believed that residences should have a part to play in the educational role of the university. They were not, and should not be, mere accommodation units. If a residence was just a home away from home it wasn’t, in his view, part of a university. Second, the academic activity that went on in a residence should encompass the whole span of the university’s educational offering. Newman didn’t consider ‘single purpose’ residences like, for example, the particular language immersion residences to be found in the USA today. His reason for this wide compass was to ensure that students got exposure to the widest possible range of different ways of thinking, learning and evaluating the world in which they lived. Only by doing so could they develop ‘a philosophical habit of mind’ which would enable them to evaluate, judge and prioritise events and knowledge throughout their life no matter what profession or activity they chose to pursue. It was this breadth of education and exposure to alternative ideas that was the essence of what a university truly should be. Today’s universities, particularly in Australia, which, in their educational function, aspire to do no more than teach the basics of a particular profession, trade or facet of knowledge and award a degree which is simply a certificate of attainment in that limited area, would not, in Newman’s view truly be universities at all. The reforms, starting with the Dawkins reforms of more than twenty years ago have ensured this. And that singularity of purpose and modus operandi has been transmitted to residences, which, I believe, with Newman, has diminished their value and contribution to educating tomorrow’s citizens. Perhaps the first and loudest opposition to this view is posed by the question, ‘Who’s going to pay for this and why should they?’ Newman’s answer, I think, would probably be along the lines that those who come to university should be willing to pay for their education because of the benefit they gain from doing so. Today, I suggest, most countries have accepted the view that the nation as a whole should pay the largest part of the cost because it is the ultimate beneficiary of the exercise. If this argument is sound then I can see no reason why it shouldn’t be extended to residences, especially if they follow Newman’s prescription. However, I won’t hold my breath waiting for this to happen! Perhaps one of the annual conferences could be devoted to examining the myriad aspects of this profound topic. n

Dr Joe Massingham is the former head of Wright College at the University of New England, and the founder of AACUHO in Australia.

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Building Bequests Alicia Watson CFRE, CFRM, EMFIA, Director - What’sOn Consulting Pty Ltd & President Chapter 2 (NSW) Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA)

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eath and therefore bequests is still a somewhat touchy subject! A subject we’d rather not think about and especially not make an approach about. Yet bequests can be one of the most rewarding elements of your fundraising program. While unpredictable...when they come they are extremely welcome and they’re usually for fairly substantial amounts. They also provide a means of giving a substantial gift for those who may be cash poor but asset rich. And if you are already getting some without really trying, just imagine what you could do with a bit of effort. The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

Now while some may say it’s better to concentrate on getting the money while people are alive and can see the benefit of their donation, it is important that we let people know how much a larger gift at death will benefit those they want to help. And they will usually be from alumni and existing donors who already know the value of what you are doing. From people who know the benefit for students who have the opportunity to live under your roof just as they themselves did. In all this, your approach must be sensitive, strategically thought out, researched and the donor appreciated. >

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Building Bequests (continued)

today’s students etc; use them to obtain oral history of your hall or college and use current students to interview them

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So…why a bequest program?

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The population is ageing

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Many of your alumni, their parents, grandparents and those of current students, as well as other regular supporters would be over 60

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We are all accumulating greater wealth today than ever before

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Most of us will need our capital to live on so cannot make substantial contributions while we are alive

So…how do you go about developing a bequest program? (Let me assure you it doesn’t just happen!)

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Plan, plan and plan again

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Set realistic goals

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While a bequest program takes some time to show results (some say it takes 3.8 years before you see the outcomes!), it is important for your Board to invest sufficient funds to ensure it is run well and you are able to nurture possible bequestors effectively

Develop a relationship with potential bequestors and develop their emotional link with the organisation. This can be achieved through: 

Personal visits – remember to research the person well before calling, know what they have done for the organisation over the years in donations of time as well as money, try to find out their interests, what ‘pushes their buttons’



Invitations to college/hall events: plays; reviews; special dinners; sport; lectures

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Direct Mail: keep them informed; keep communicating; include articles about what a difference a bequest makes in your newsletter; if a bequestor is willing, tell the story of someone who has made a bequest. Success breeds success!

 Regular telephone contact

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Don’t stop once they have indicated they are leaving a bequest. – remember, it is easier to take you out of their will than it was to add you in their will in the first place!

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Be sensitive of family members – you do not want to be involved in a disputed legacy!

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Ask! You must be clear about what it is you want them to do

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Ensure you have a genuine case for support that will challenge people – a case for the needs of your students not the institution

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Always refer them to their solicitor or financial advisor for the wording, but encourage them to make an unspecified bequest rather than one that is so tied it virtually cannot be used.

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Develop a Bequest Brochure – it is useful to have a specific bequest brochure that might set out some projects or funds and the student facilities or programs (e.g. scholarships)that would particularly benefit from a bequest; it would also contain suggested wording for their will. This should be written by your legal advisors to be sure it is correct and here possible donors should be encouraged to leave the use of the bequest to the governing body of the hall or college at the time. Tied bequests can cause difficulty if not for a program or project that is a current priority.

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Record keeping is vital to good and accurate follow-up, but under the privacy laws remember you must only record what you are happy for them to read.

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Invite supporters to indicate a wish to receive further information on leaving a bequest in any annual giving/direct mail piece you send out.

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You must have someone on staff allocated to looking after bequestors. This person must be comfortable developing relationships with people and will approach them sensitively and genuinely

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Start thinking in terms of what you can give them, not what they can give you!

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Form a bequestors club, an exclusive group of alumni and others who have indicated they have left you a bequest and have special morning /afternoon teas where they hear from

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So, while asking for a bequest is still a sensitive subject in our society, it is one to be grasped with both hands to make it happen! It will be invaluable to the ongoing capital and endowment needs of your college or hall to ensure better facilities and scholarships for the students of today and tomorrow. n

An extensive career in the voluntary sector over more than 28 years has furthered Alicia Watson’s knowledge and experience in fundraising, public relations and volunteer management. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), an Executive Member of the Fundraising Institute – Australia (EMFIA) & is President Chapter 2 (NSW), has a Certificate in Fund Raising Management (CFRM) from The Fund Raising School, Indiana, USA as well as membership of ADAPE & an Associate Member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. Alicia is the Director and sole proprietor of What’sOn Consulting Pty. Ltd. specialising in fundraising audits, capital campaigns, major gift programs & strategic fundraising plan development. Clients include secondary and tertiary education institutions, health, and welfare organisations. She has lectured in the FIA Skills I, II &III programs, is an FIA Mentor & in March 2009 presented at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International conference in New Orleans. She spoke at the AHAUCHI conference in Hobart in 2006 on Capital Campaigns and also Trusts & Foundations.

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Red Frogs KAT DEACON

• 1 in 4 students, given the choice, would prefer attending a non-alcoholic event as opposed to an alcoholic event

• 46% of students admitted that they regularly consume alcohol in order to feel accepted

• 50% of students know someone in their age bracket suffering from depression Red Frogs aims to ensure students aren’t isolated or forced to corrupt their personal standards by providing balanced alternatives and support. First walking onto a university campus in 1997, Red Frogs are now found in over 140 university residences at more than 25 major universities in Australia wielding over 3 tonne of Allens Red Frogs. By providing practical support for universities, Red Frog volunteers are also placed in a position where they are available to provide emotional support to students. Red Frog volunteers support university students living in on-campus residences in three main ways:

S

ome of the most challenging years of life can be during university. Students are confronted with a range of significant issues due to an often abrupt change of lifestyle, friendship groups and identity as well as a greater exposure to different perspectives and choices. Moving to a student residence can mean unfamiliarity with a new environment, distance from family and other social support, increased academic pressure, lack of solitary time and general privacy, potentially poor diet, financial insecurity, and social and geographical isolation from the non-college lifestyle. These increased stresses upon university students can lead to excess alcohol consumption, drug use, depression, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal inclination. Red Frogs Australia Chaplaincy Network exist as a support network in university residential housing whereby young people can safely enjoy university life and culture with a reduced risk of becoming caught up in harmful behaviours. Red Frogs acts as an “off-ramp” to the momentum students can become caught up in, to try to provide a fence at the top of the cliff rather than an ambulance picking up pieces at the bottom. In 2009, Red Frogs surveyed 600 students living at on-campus residences across 23 different universities in Australia. We found that:

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Party Support Volunteers provide hydration stations where students can rehydrate with free water and icy poles and consume free donuts to slow drinking and ensure students aren’t drinking on an empty stomach. Red Frog volunteers provide positive role modelling through a sober presence and ensure non-drinkers aren’t isolated in the party environment.

Alternate Programming Red Frogs can assist through both the implementation of nonalcoholic events and by working alongside student committees during the planning process to value-add to their non-alcoholic events. Cafe Crawls, getaway trips and on campus suppers and games nights are just some of the ways Red Frogs help to ensure a balanced social program.

Student Leadership Training Red Frogs provide training for university student leaders both nationally and internationally. Training raises awareness of the culture set in O-Week, the need for pastoral care of students and the need for a balanced program of events throughout the year. To find out more about how the Red Frog Crew can assist or to book training or an event at your student residence, email us at unis@redfrogs.com.au n www.adbourne.com

Greening Your Operation An Energy Saving Project conducted at Charles Sturt University by Dr. Rosemary Black, Dr. Penny Davidson and Karen Retra. Presented at the 2010 AACUHO conference by Kurt Neville and Peter Bell.

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he project â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Facilitating Energy Saving behaviours among University student residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ran for a year from 2007-2008 with the purpose of testing the effectiveness of three behaviour change strategies to reduce household energy consumption by undergraduate students living in self catered on-campus housing. There were three strategies trialled; 1) social marketing tools (informative posters, shower timers, night lights & reminder stickers); 2) real-time feedback using in-house ecoMeters installed in the student residences. The ecoMeters displayed electricity and gas consumption allowing students to see their energy consumption in real-time and 3) a combined group that had ecoMeters and the social marketing tools. The project aimed to appeal to the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s intrinsic motivations to reduce their energy consumption. It is important to note that this project was set up to facilitate behaviour change within the student residences without any competitions, benefits or rewards. The philosophy underlying the project was that to create true cultural change it must come without the use of extrinsic motivators. The project was based on the CSU Wagga Wagga campus and involved 48 residences with a total of 384 student residents. Eight students in each residence. Targeted behaviours included shorter showers, turning lights off, turning standby and appliances off and reducing heating / cooling within the residences. The project took a quasi experiential approach, dividing the residential population into three groups, a control group (14 residences) which had no interaction with researchers or the research project; a social marketing group which received the The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

social marketing strategies (16 residences), and an ecoMeter/ combined strategies group (initially only ecoMeters then added social marketing tools) (18 residences). Every residence in the study was fitted with an external smart meter that sent usage data back to a central management system providing half hourly updates in a profile of gas and electricity use. Energy consumption was >

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Greening Your Operation (continued)

✔ Replace and repair any tools involved in the project on a regular basis to demonstrate that the program is being taken seriously and is important to the organisation. ✔ Ensure you have sufficient and adequate financial resources needed to implement a program. ✔ Student ‘buy-in’ - involve students and get them on board with the project. Utilise residential advisors as champions/contact points for the project. Other things to consider if you are working with students on energy conservation projects:

< monitored over the three study phases (October 2007- October 2008). In addition to the energy consumption data which indicated whether or not the strategies were having an impact, self-report data was collected from the students using focus groups and an on-line survey. Overall energy consumption data was collected from 48 cottages.

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Give regular feedback to your target group – they like to know how they are going.

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Ensure there’s no contradiction between the behaviour change requested and the activities of the institution

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Don’t expect change immediately it will be gradual

The main finding from this study was that all three strategies (ecoMeter, social marketing, and the combined approach) had a significant impact on energy consumption in the residences; however the social marketing tools appeared most popular with the students. Across the three research phases the rate of reduced electricity consumption for the interventions ranged from an average of 17% to 28% less than the control group.

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Multiple approaches/strategies are needed to suit the diversity in your target audiences i.e. we used shower timers, nightlights, posters etc

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Provide adequate training/instructions on any tools that you use i.e. ecoMeters, shower timers etc

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If using new technology e.g. ecoMeters ensure that you trial it first to make sure that it works

“Did the Energy Saving Project actually contribute to a cultural change within residences at CSU?” Well… energy data and student attitudes would certainly suggest this, as student feedback and participation has been positive overall. The project has resulted in good environmental outcomes, behaviour/cultural change shifting, as well as the ‘reach’ of the project which now extends far beyond CSU residences into homes and families of these students. So, ‘Yes’ this project has created a shift, a new ‘social norm’ and cultural awareness within the student residences at CSU. As a result of the success of this study, CSU has funded the roll out of the social marketing tools to all 90 self-catered student residences across the university. We are now monitoring energy use in all these residences. Key factors that assisted this project achieve successful behaviour change included: ✔ Researching the target group to understand them (by hosting focus groups) before developing your tools and strategies. Targeted strategies are needed. ✔ Promoting the program - Connecting with the students by giving them relevant information, presenting information sessions and focus groups. ✔ Attractive, informative posters placed in noticeable/readable positions like the back of the toilet door. ✔ Putting a personal face to the programme: including the employment of a research assistant enabling regular and easy contact with the students.

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It’s interesting to note that in Anders Sorman-Nilsson’s 2009 AACUHO presentation on Gen Y behaviours - ‘Full Force Forward/ Back to Basics’, he commented that a potential lifetime of conditioning influenced Gen Y behaviours. Combine this with the lack of real time feedback within halls of residence and you have a group of students whose concern for energy consumption was not an integral part of their basic conduct at University. The Project ‘Facilitating Energy Saving behaviours among University student residents’ demonstrates that ecoMeters, social marketing tools and supportive staff can influence these students, creating a potential generational change across the Gen Y population. Thanks to this project, the tools used and people driving it… the ‘back to basics’, intrinsic motivations for energy conservation in students has begun – what we believe is the start of a cultural shift. The hope is that the positive results of the study and the key factors of success provided, will inspire others to implement energy saving projects at other universities around Australia. Moving ‘Full force Forward’, with energy conservation within University residences across Australia. The Energy Saving Project at CSU was completed with the assistance of NSW Government’s Energy Savings Fund, Country Energy, Ampy metering and Telstra. n

For further information on the project, please visit: http://www.csu.edu.au/research/ilws/research/reports/docs/53_ energy_saving_behaviour.pdf

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The first HD TV truly designed for hotels and student accommodation

The high definition television experience is becoming the standard across Australia. As guests become more discerning they expect the same high quality TV experience they are used to at home. To make the switch to an energy efficient HD TV solution simple, Philips is now offering the first HD TV developed for hospitality – Ultimate HD TV. And with unique finance options available HD TV is now an affordable reality for you and your guests! The innovation comes from the unique combination of HD TV and inbuilt digital technology, providing your guests with a vivid, lifelike widescreen viewing experience. Philips Ultimate HD TV is available in 26”, 32”, 37” and 42” screen sizes, and offers a range of unique features: • HD premium movies for the guest • Interactive HD solution inbuilt - VSecure/VTrack embedded - Integrated SmartCard slot • HD Transmission Ready with DVB-T MPEG 4 • Connectivity Panel compatible • Intelligent energy saving features For further information contact Jannifer Black on 0412 325 996 or ozitv@bigpond.net.au

sense and simplicity

Asperger’s Syndrome – an insiders perspective

Rachael Harris

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was asked to share my insights on Asperger’s Syndrome from my perspective as an educator and as a women living the Asperger experience in my day to day life.

The story of our knowledge of A.S. began just over a hundred years ago, when an Austrian mother gave birth to a boy in a big old bed on the family farm outside Vienna. Hans Asperger was a highly intelligent lad, but a loner. He had been described variously as remote, lonely and as having difficulty making friends. He went on to excel academically, studying medicine, specializing as a paediatrician and eventually describing a group of symptoms to which his name was given-Asperger’s Syndrome-many of the traits he described as having himself. In his rooms at the University of Vienna, Asperger identified a consistent pattern of abilities and behaviour that was thought to predominantly occur in boys. These included a seeming lack of empathy, little ability to form friendships, one-sided conversations, and an intense absorption in a Special Interest and poor motor coordination. In 1944, Hans Asperger published the first definition of such children under the title of Autistic Personality. He observed a handful of boys in his clinic that shared a distinct profile of abilities. However, his pioneering work did not achieve international recognition until the 1990’s. By this time, and in honour of his research, the condition was re-named Asperger’s Syndrome. Approximately 1:250 individuals have Asperger’s Syndrome. The ratio of boys to girls diagnosed is 4:1. Asperger’s Syndrome expresses a neurological difference which contributes to the following characteristics:

• • • • • •

Delayed social maturity and reasoning Immature Empathy Difficulty making friends and bullying from other children Difficulty with the communication and regulation of emotions Unusual language abilities, including advanced vocabulary, but delayed conversational skills and a tendency to be pedantic A fascination with a topic that is unusual in intensity or focus

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The author spent time in a Carmelite Monastery in England. A life of order, of silence, of interminable routine – in short, Aspergian Paradise!

• •

An unusual profile of learning abilities

• • •

Clumsiness in terms of gait and co-ordination

A need for assistance with some self-help and organizational skills Preference for routine and consistency. Sensitivity to specific sounds, aromas, textures or touch

Those with Asperger’s Syndrome develop Special Interests that are unusual in their intensity and focus, to the extent that the individual may develop an encyclopaedic knowledge in a chosen area. It is precisely this thirst for knowledge, especially of the factual kind, that drives the Aspie towards University life. I have heard Dr. Tony Attwood state on many occassions that “universities are the sheltered workshops of people with Asperger’s Syndrome”. I would like to add Monasteries to that observation – the natural forerunners of Modern Academic Life. Having had a career running my own business as a Beauty Therapist, at the age of 25, never one to do anything by halves, I interrupted a European holiday by becoming a Nun, entering a Carmelite Monastery in England. When the doors of the Monastery closed behind me, I entered into a life of order, of silence, of interminable routine – in short, Aspergian Paradise! >

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An Aspie student is a lecturer’s dream. Prompt, studious, a sponge like capacity for soaking up knowledge and if you don’t mind flaws in your material being noted and corrected, a pleasure to teach! < Our days were spent in absolute silence and consisted of prayer, various work, study, meals and a recreation period, which broke the silence for one hour a day. I lived community life with these extraordinary women for 5 years, which gave me an education I could not have received from any other source. Among the nuns were:

An Oxford Professor

Political Activists

Authors

Artists

A Botanist

A Baroness

A Librarian

A Concert Organist

A Barrister

And me, the token Aspie! Creating order and routine helped define my working boundaries and therefore reduced and controlled my anxiety. Beauty Therapy, Monasticism and Counselling may seem very diverse occupations with little in common, but for me, as with many people on the

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Autism Spectrum, reduced noise, routine and attention to detail is the environment most conducive to productivity. You meet Aspies in every kind of occupation and academic field, but research shows that there are certain professions that Aspies gravitate towards:

• • • • • •

Engineers Computer Scientists, University Lecturers Lawyers Doctors Vets

And many more besides. One of the most notable paradoxes in young people with Asperger’s is the gap between academic and social development. An Aspie student is a lecturer’s dream. Prompt, studious, a sponge like capacity for soaking up knowledge and if you don’t mind flaws in your material being noted and corrected, a pleasure to teach! However, because the social development of a person with Asperger’s lags approximately 4 years behind their peers, they often find themselves bullied through school, taken advantage of and struggle with social behaviour that comes naturally to their peers. www.adbourne.com

As a result, their self esteem can plummet which often develops into secondary mood disorders, the most common amongst the Asperger population being anxiety and depression People with A.S. are natural born worriers. Up to 90% of individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome suffer from high levels of anxiety. As a blind person fears tripping and falling over unknown terrain, so to, the Aspie fears stumbling and falling over social terrain, which is never familiar! The difference? If a physically blind person falls, people will rush to them in pity to help them up. If an Aspie makes a social blunder, people judge them as insensitive, take offence and mentally file the incident away as a timely warning to keep their distance. For the child or adult with A.S. social interaction can feel like culture shock on a daily basis. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome want to have friends and interact socially, but like a person from a different country, they just do not understand the language. The risk is to think, “If I am going to be ridiculed and misunderstood, better not to interact with others at all.” They can, as a result, find themselves shut out of suitable employment, friendships, relationships and other social situations. Anxiety can soon turn to depression. Given the difficulties people with Asperger’s face in the social world, it is no wonder that a sense of hopelessness and low self-esteem creep in. An interesting attribute of A.S. functioning is ‘Visual Thinking’. People with A.S. tend to ‘think in pictures.’ Their thoughts run through their heads much like a movie. As such, a person with A.S. may look back on ‘failures’ or anticipate future failures in a way that is so vivid as to reinforce the negative self image. One aspect of helping students with A.S. is to recognize that there is the tendency towards ‘Self Medicating’. It is not uncommon for teenagers and adults with A.S to attempt to deal with their high levels of social anxiety by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and/or taking both legal and illegal drugs. Recent studies have shown that individuals with A.S. metabolise drugs differently to the typically wired population. A case in point is the potentially devastating effect that marijuana can have on a person with Asperger’s Syndrome. Marijuana, which would be considered a ‘soft drug’ to many, can bring on a psychotic episode in a person with A.S. Those who care for students on campus may come into contact with students with undiagnosed A.S. presenting with drug and alcohol issues. Given the social deficits and vulnerability inherent in the A.S. population, the individual often falls into a high risk category’ for physical, emotional and sexual abuse, as protracted adolescence extends far into adulthood. Anxiety, depression and anger may persist, but services often disappear by adulthood. For many people on the Autism Spectrum, self-worth remains elusive and even very young children experience depression and anxiety. There is a perennial argument in psychology, Nature or Nurture – which has the greatest influence? Asperger’s Syndrome can never be viewed in isolation. A.S. can only be viewed through the prism The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

Asperger’s Syndrome

– an insiders perspective

of environment, upbringing, personality, life experience, personal values, and all these aspects are interrelated and revolve around the quality of one’s relationships I would like to draw your attention to one facet of this prism: Environment. Over the last 50 years there has been a seismic shift in our cultural values. We have, by and large, moved from a ‘community based society’ to one of ‘individualism’. In the absence of a sense of community, family or otherwise, many young people with A.S. flounder in a culture where social norms are left to the discretion of the individual. Such a shift has developed across Society. For young people on the Autism Spectrum, retiring from Society can seem appealing. In the overall shift away from a community identity, the social scaffolding that once supported a way of relating and interacting, that gave structure and helped facilitate social interaction, collapsed. This left individuals with A.S. even more angry, anxious, and depressed than what they may have been, had the structures still been in place. I see Asperger’s Syndrome very much as a variation on normal and individuals on the spectrum as different but by no means defective. The argument, ‘nature or nurture’ continues, but for me, the overarching influence is Grace. I cannot stress how important it is for people with Asperger’s Syndrome to have a basic awareness of their own value and goodness and self-worth, independently of how others perceive them, or even how they perceive themselves. No one would deny the challenges particular to those with Asperger’s Syndrome, but I believe that the quality of my life is richer and deeper for the unique perspective that Asperger’s Syndrome has given me, and I wouldn’t swap my genetic inheritance for anything! n

Rachael Harris was born in Brisbane in 1969, the youngest in a family of five children. She was a mystery both to herself and others. Her search for self understanding led her to travelling in Europe and living and working in England. This enabled her to explore her creativity through experiences as diverse as Beauty Therapy and Monasticism. Rachael’s son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of four. On reading Tony Attwood’s book ‘Asperger’s Syndrome, A Guide for Parents and Professionals’, Rachael recognized her own story in its pages and never looked back. Drawing on her life experiences led Rachael towards becoming a Professional Counsellor specialising in Asperger’s Syndrome and High Functioning Autism. Rachael is passionate about improving the quality of life of children and adults on the Autism Spectrum and also their carers and partners through her private practice and speaking engagements. Kaleidoscope Counselling Services Specialising in Asperger’s Syndrome - Adults, Children, Carers and Partners Mob 0449 504 738 P.O. Box 424 Lawnton 4501 www.aspergercounselling.com.au

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BEYOND THE NUMBERS GAME I’d like to share an article I found in the August 2010 issue of National Accountant Magazine (the journal of the National Institute of Accountants). I liked the way the author talked about the “client experience” because it mirrors our “go to market” philosophy here at BigAir Universe Broadband. I think you’ll find this to be quite interesting! - Jean Morel, General Manager, BigAir Universe Broadband (formerly the broadband division of Star-Tech Communications)

Adopting an “experience-based” approach with clients will set an accountancy firm apart MAUREEN THURSTON

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he practice of good accountancy is grounded in the technical aspects of financial control strategies and balance sheet mechanics. This baseline expertise, however, only provides you a ticket to the game. How does an individual accountant, let alone an entire professional firm, stand out from the crowd of competitors? The spark that differentiates one service provider from another is rarely defined by technical competencies. Rather it lies in the quality-imbued character of the experience the professional provides the client. Although the charter of any accountant is to deliver accurate solutions, it’s the collective combination of “personal” experiences between accountant and their client that builds a strong, long term relationship.

Start with good impressions Creating a good “experience” is not the only domain of a marketing department with its branded brochures, advertising campaigns and guidelines for how the logo looks on the audit’s cover. It is the responsibility of everyone in the firm to engender the qualities and attributes that consistently deliver a good impression. While most professional service firms know how to make a strong first impression courting prospective clients then generating compelling proposals and presentations, it’s much more difficult to deliver a consistently good end-to-end experience throughout the entire client engagement. To achieve this, you need to first

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understand the variety of interactions you have with a client and then design each, specific touch point (or interaction) along the way. Taking this kind of holistic view of the “client relationship” is the only way to mine the gold that is buried within the details of every encounter.

Gain insight into your clients Of course, most accounting firms conduct quantitative client surveys to assess and measure their “service performance” but far fewer go the extra, all-important step to identify and address the unarticulated – or unspoken – needs of their clients, for example the wider business vision. Qualitative, observational research – or put more simply, meaningful conversations – are the only way to build a genuine appreciation of the complexity of a client’s world. Through discovering and understanding a client’s needs, the accountant is able to design new ways to meet these and overcome problems for the client rather than become trapped in a commodity cul-de-sac. When it comes to understanding your client’s needs, the key point to remember is that the power of a meaningful conversation is the art of listening. When working to meet these needs or overcome any issues, you need to ensure you have the right people in the room:

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The voice of intent – someone who can decide on the way forward and say yes or no to the next steps

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The voice of experience – someone who is involved in the project or issue who has on-the-ground experience on what you’re discussing

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The voice of design – the individual who is responsible for implementing the project www.adbourne.com

You could be in a meeting with many intelligent people, but missing one of these “voices” can result in answering the wrong question, developing a solution that no one can implement or that no one can sign off on.

A design approach One strategy that many are turning to is the discipline of experience-based service design. This is the process of designing services around the quality of the user experience with a focus on solutions that are culturally relevant to the client rather than on simply improving the outcomes. The “experience-based” approach sees users as central to the improvement of an innovation process rather than as passive recipients of a product or service.

Client-Centric Service At the very core of an experience-driven, client centric service strategy lies a deep appreciation of the client’s business goals and personal aspirations – concepts that advance well beyond “the numbers.” So the question to ponder is: Are you positioned as a “product provider” or an “experience-based service professional” that has a strong understanding of the complexities within the client’s context and culture? Certainly there is room for both.

Signing off an audit, meeting compliance regulations, preparing financial projections, are all worthy and necessary skills. The issue is these can be accomplished by most talented, competent firms.

Getting past the service edge To move past being trapped in a cycle of competing on price per product, a new strategy is required. A strong healthy accounting practice doesn’t merely profess to “put the client first.” You need to design your services to ensure you consistently deliver exceptional experiences at every step of the client engagement. n

Maureen Thurston is a design leverage consultant with consulting firm Second Road. A consultant, educator, entrepreneur, lecturer and author, Maureen was formerly an Adjunct Associate Professor in Design Management and Leadership at Art Centre College of Design. In 2005 she led the first international educational exchange between California based Art Centre College and INSEAD, a business school with campuses in France and Singapore. She serves on the Advisory Boards for the Design Management Institute and Suffolk University Sawyer School of Management: Innovation and Design Management EMBA. A guest lecturer both domestically and internationally, she has also authored several articles published in select professional journals.

More-accessible colleges from 2011 Rod Hunter

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t the start of May next year, the Building Code of Australia (BCA) will incorporate the provisions of the new Disability Standards on Access to Premises - Buildings (DSAPB) that will be simultaneously brought into effect. The new provisions are intended to enhance amenity and safety for building users with disabilities but the beneficiaries will be potentially all building users regardless of ability.

The new provisions will apply to buildings and parts of them for which an application for a building permit is made. This includes:

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new buildings;

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new parts of existing buildings (additions and alterations);

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the whole of existing buildings if proposed new parts of them are substantial;

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in some circumstances for new parts of buildings, parts outside the scope of works such as accessways and sanitary accommodation (denoted as ‘affected parts’); and

•

changes of building use under State or Territory building Acts which require a building permit, even if no additions or modifications are proposed.

The BCA already has requirements for accessibility for people with disabilities, but the revised BCA will go further. However, what is special about next year is that for the first time, compliance with the BCA will, because of the DSAPB, formally constitute compliance with the Disability Discrimination

Act (DDA). Presently, it is possible for a building to be compliant will the BCA but for formal action to be taken under the DDA that imposes additional or the modification of building features. Next year’s event is part of a process attributable to the civil and disability rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s and brought into focus by the International Year of the Disabled in 1981. A major milestone was the publication of the DDA in 1992 and, in 2000, the opportunity for formulating standards under it (different to the standards of Standards Australia). Other milestones have been the publication of

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Regulation Document RD97/01 in 1997, an early venture in harmonising the BCA with the DDA, and the initial draft in 2004 of the DSAPB. The standards of Standards Australia have been a vital part of the regulatory changes, with publication in 1997 of AS1428--1977: ‘Code of practice for design for access for the disabled’ and a major review of it, commencing in 1981 under the auspices of the precursor to the current Australian Building Codes Board. Since then, the standard has been slightly but importantly renamed, augmented by additional parts, and several times revised. >

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More-accessible colleges from 2011 (continued) Figure 1 From next year, this doorway will not comply because the warning marking on the glass does not extend for the full width of the glass (it also does not comply with current requirements because there is negligible luminance contrast with the background).

Figure 2 From next year, long passages wil need to have passing or turning spaces for wheelchair users; doorway recesses such as these can be used for this purpose.

The changes for next year are numerous, although not as much and nor as adequate, as argued by proponents, as they should have been. On the other hand, proponents of more affordable building argued that the provisions, though laudable, have gone too far. It was to balance these competing views that extensive industry and community consultation occurred and for which a Regulatory Impact Assessment was prepared. Whether too for or not for enough will be reconsidered in approximately four years’ time for the five-yearly review of the DSAPB. The provisions next year will include requirements for:

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more space in lifts and unisex (wheelchair accessible) toilets, provision for passing and turning spaces for wheelchairs in long or terminated corridors, and increased doorway widths; and more space for “accessible” car parking spaces

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a greater proportion of entrances to be wheelchair accessible;

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sanitary facilities, including a proportion of non-wheelchairaccessible toilet compartments to be suitable for use by ambulant people with a disability, and more-distributed unisex toilets;

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in theatre and auditoria and the like, greater provision for wheelchair spaces and more extensive provision of hearing augmentation facilities;

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for vertical access, provision of luminance contrasting strips at nosings of steps in fire escape stairways, a greater range of options for handrail ends at stairs and ramps, and changes to the allowable designs for ramps, and allowance of a greater range of lift types;

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additional requirements for signs;

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greater provision for access to swimming pools;

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more conspicuous marking of glass in doorways and the like.

Concessions apply for small buildings, mezzanines, lifts, existing sanitary facilities, and multi-tenanted buildings.

< Six statutory and regulatory entities underlie next year’s changes: the building Acts of the States and Territories; the BCA that is authorised and relied-upon by them; the DDA; the DSAPB under it; the Access Code for Buildings (ACB) that will be incorporated in the DSAPB and duplicated in the BCA; and standards of Standards Australia (SA) upon which the ACB and the BCA rely for technical detail. The relevant SA standards are AS 1428 Part 1 (the principal “accessibility” standard); AS 1428 Part 2 (the supplementary accessibility standard used with Part 1 for public transport buildings under the BCA); AS/NZS 1428 Part 4 (for tactile ground surface indicators- ‘TGSls’); AS1735 (for lifts) and AS/NZS 2890 (for car parking).

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Importantly, it is not just building designers, certifiers, developers, builders and owners who have obligations under the new provisions; it will also be managers and operators of colleges who will be required under the new provisions for the continued useability of accessways, sanitary facilities and other features required by the new provisions. More information can be obtained from the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Australian Building Codes Board and the Australian Government Attorney General’s Department (www.ag.gov.au/premisesstandards) n

Rod Hunter is an experienced architect, ACAA accredited access consultant, and a pedestrian access and safety researcher based in Melbourne.

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Beyond Compliance Reporting

Using stakeholder satisfaction surveys to support strategic planning Nicholas Guyatt

Nicholas Guyatt, head of education marketing consultancy MMG Education, says residential colleges and universities should view satisfaction surveys as more than an exercise in regulatory compliance. Gaining deep insights into the needs, views, expectations and behaviour of their stakeholders is critical to strategic management.

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he need to keep their ‘fingers firmly on the pulse’ of their colleges has always been a challenge for Principals and governing bodies. To further compound this challenge colleges are facing ever increasing demands including:

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State and federal government regulations mandating stakeholder feedback (eg registration compliance, federal performance reporting requirements)

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The need to provide quality accommodation and related services in an ever changing and demanding market place

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Demands on Principals’ time as they find themselves increasingly called on to be CEOs as well as fulfilling the traditional roles of Principals

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Residential staff seeking optimal living and tutoring conditions in which they can effectively practice their vocation Alumni whose moral, financial and other support is increasingly critical to the future success of a college.

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Students who review the quality of services being provided by their colleges – sometimes under microscopes! – and increasingly seek measures of ‘value adding’

•

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Prospective students who seek environments that they feel will best suit their particular requirements regardless of prior alumni connections, if any

Thus, the importance of colleges and other institutions being able to access ‘hard’, objective data that provides meaningful information about stakeholders’ views (the ‘pulse’) is greater than ever >

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Stakeholder satisfaction is important

Without a strong evidence base for decision making and review, quality strategic planning and the future success of a college can be undermined.

< The provision of quality college life is a complex endeavour characterised by human, not mechanical or technological processes. The attitudes of those engaged in this endeavour – the key stakeholders – are therefore critical to a college’s success. The satisfaction of students – and, more importantly, their advocacy – is critical if they are to continue their association with a college and act as strong advocates for it.

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Choose survey methodologies that return useful response rates. High response rates from students and staff provide high-value, statistically reliable information that has high ‘drill down’ capacity. High response rates combined with whole-ofpopulation surveys also assist Principals address the problem of the ‘squeaky wheel’ students: armed with informed, comprehensive data, a Principal can challenge those who approach at social, sporting and other events and introduce their complaint with ‘A number of students are saying …’.

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Ensure that the scope and quality of the research enables well informed decisions to be made by Principals and Boards when conducting their strategic reviews, Principal’s appraisals, etc. Many Board members glean their information about a college’s performance from ‘squeaky wheels’ and/or by ‘osmosis’. Quality research will confirm some of these views but challenge others.

The satisfaction of residential staff is similarly critical to the harmonious operation of the college and the achievement of its mission. In particular, the performance of those staff at the ‘coal face’ is a fundamental determinant of the success of a college: enabling the expression of their views in a comprehensive fashion will assist as it seeks to improve its performance. The opportunity to provide meaningful feedback to alumni may engender stronger interest, identify misalignment of views about a college’s performance and allow for the identification of ways in which the college and its alumni can work more effectively for the benefit of the school community. Prospective students who have registered an interest can inform a college of their views (including perceptions of current performance and comparisons with competitor colleges, reasons for choice, etc) and become better disposed to that college, especially as they see it being open to comment and performance review.

Effective measurement of stakeholder satisfaction Properly measured, stakeholder satisfaction can alert institutions to where remedial action is necessary. A good stakeholder satisfaction survey will identify far more than a misalignment of views; it can help identify poor performance or gaps in major aspects of college life. If they are to gather information of a quality suitable for strategic management, colleges must:

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Select a service provider with a deep understanding of college institutional behaviour. Colleges as institutions behave differently from corporate entities, a fact that needs to be acknowledged in the application of research methodologies and scoping. Proper scoping of survey instruments could allow, for example, a depth analysis of the views of students about the quality of accommodation, tutorial support, college management, leadership and corporate life. Be cautious about survey methodologies that canvas only a sample of students and staff. Risks of disenfranchising stakeholders in institutions characterised by high corporate awareness are high where survey sampling occurs: students and staff not included tend to discount findings and actions based upon them. Colleges are not selling cars or soap powder: in many instances, students and others are making significant financial and other commitments. No Principal wants to be in the position of having to explain to a student or staff member why their views had not been sought when those of others were.

The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

Stakeholder satisfaction and strategic management Colleges need to review regularly their stakeholders’ wishes and needs if they are to make well informed decision about their strategic and operational priorities. By doing so, they will:

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Drive changes in an informed, structured fashion

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Address or confirm perceptions

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Gain valuable insights for strategic planning

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Provide valuable feedback to their major marketing forces, their students and staff and other critical stakeholders as well as overall marketing strategy

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Encourage greater and better informed stakeholder advocacy.

A detailed understanding of satisfaction of critical stakeholders is fundamental to effective college management and strategic planning. Without a strong evidence base for decision making and review, quality strategic planning and the future success can be undermined. n

Nicholas Guyatt is the Head of MMG Education, a division of the Macquarie Marketing Group. A former Headmaster and senior administrator in the independent day and boarding school sector, Nicholas holds a MEdAdmin from UNSW, is a member of the Australian College of Educators, the Australian Market and Social Research Society and the Institute of Mediators and Arbitrators of Australia. MMG Education provides a number of services to educational institutions including stakeholder survey, strategic reviews, marketing effectiveness and registration process reviews, and senior academic and administration staff search and recruitment. For contact details visit www.mmgeducation.com.au.

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Who Leaders Are… What Leaders Do Shawn McGuirk | Assistant Director for Residential Life and Judicial Affairs
Boston College

To some, John F. Kennedy was a passionate, strong, effective and bold leader who was able to make the most difficult decisions and inspire others. Someone else may prefer to emulate a leader the likes of Mother Theresa, who gave of herself selflessly so that others may survive and flourish. Yet another may decide to look within their household; a parent, a sibling, or a child. And so amidst the definitions of leadership, and those that personify these definitions, I submit that all of them have something in common. And so this will serve as my personal definition on the topic: Leadership: n. a person or thing that demonstrates the courage to do something differently.

Leadership: n. a person or thing that leads. – Random House Dictionary

B

ut what do we mean when we use this term? When we say that someone is a leader, or has leadership qualities? How do we know? What attributes do we identify when making a statement such as this? How does anyone know what a true leader is and what a true leader does? In essence; what makes someone a leader? I may think that someone is a leader because they’re honest, hard working, forthright, and have demonstrated an ability to make important decisions. You may believe that these attributes are applicable, but that it is preferable for someone to be superbly intelligent, or that a person can motivate others and “make things happen.” So what is the “correct” definition of leadership? The truth is that the qualities of leadership will manifest themselves in others several different ways and at various times. We can take a look at history and quickly discover that the qualities of leadership in one person will be quite different than in another.

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I would challenge anyone to argue this point. Whether those we think of as leaders lead a million people or one does not matter. What does matter is that they have discovered a way to inspire those they lead. I don’t think the importance of being able to inspire another can be overstated. As Dale Carnegie states in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People: “There is only one way under heaven to get anybody to do anything…and that is by making the other person want to do it.” (p. 18) I believe that there are 4 things we must be able to do if we are going to be effective leaders. They are:

Be courageous enough to shift paradigms and see things differently I refer back to my personal definition of leadership. That a person must be able to change focus, recognize that there is another way, and then move in that direction. Colin Powell once said that effective leadership means that others are willing to follow you if only out of curiosity. What better way to instill curiosity than to promote the flow of creative thinking and action?

Help those we lead find meaning in what we are asking them to do Let’s face it, we have all been told to do things we may not have www.adbourne.com

wanted to do. It’s a fact of life. So how do we help people find meaning in what must be done? We invest in them. We show concern, we communicate, and we talk with them and not at them. I’ll share one sure-fire way to find out what’s important to people (it’s complex, so you might want to write this down) - we ask them.

Create involvement of the process for those we are leading Related to step #2 - Once we know what it is people want (what has meaning) we can begin to get them involved in the process. How? We provide opportunity for professional growth, which in turn demonstrates to them that we trust that they will do what needs to be done. I remember someone saying during a lecture once that it’s impossible to motivate people because they are already motivated, and it’s our job to find out what that motivation is and help them redirect it into completing the task at hand.

Reward and recognize achievement This should be self-explanatory and obvious. Too often I have heard people say that if you reward and recognize too much then it loses its meaning. WRONG! How many of us come home from

a long day at work thinking, “my boss praised me way too much today.” I’ll tell you - no one thinks that. And no one else will think that if steps 1-3 are done in advance. Instead it will continue to reaffirm in others that you think they are doing a good job, and that you think enough of them to include them in the process of decision-making. Understand that by this I do not suggest that they will be making the decisions, but those you are trying to lead will inevitably “buy-in” to your decisions if they know that their opinions on the matter have been heard. So what is it that makes someone a leader? Ultimately I believe that an effective leader will constantly be in the process of creating leaders. How? By having the courage to shift focus and try things differently, creating meaning and involvement, and rewarding and recognizing improvement and a job well done. As Wuzu said to Fojian, “When you give people tasks, probe them deeply to see if they are sincere… Leaders are naturally honored when their words are taken seriously; the community is naturally impressed when people are chosen for their sincerity.” (Zen Lessons, The Art of Leadership p. 18) n

About AHAUCHI

AACUHO Mission

There are approximately 50,000 students living in Colleges or Halls of Residence which are owned or affiliated with Australian Universities. These Colleges and Halls of Residence are managed by Heads of the College or Hall, who are generally members of the Association of Heads of Australian University Colleges and Halls Incorporated (AHAUCHI) the purpose of which is to advance, enhance and promote collegiate residence in Australian Universities.

To contribute to the improvement and coordination of housing residence life and food service operation for students in post secondary education.

The objectives of AHAUCHI are to: •

Promote the benefits of collegiate residence in Australian universities;

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Promote residence as a means to a broad education, including academic, social, cultural and moral development;

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Enhance the quality of life and welfare of residents in Australian university residential collegesand halls;

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Promote the Association as the responsible advisory body on matters relating to the purpose and functioning of university residential colleges and halls;

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Recommend fair and equitable conditions of employment for members of the Association foster the continuing professional development of the Association’s members and their staff;

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To promote the mutual support of members of the Association;

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To do such other things as may be required to support the achievement of the forgoing objectives.

AACUHO

AACUHO Vision: To be the premier professional organisation for all who work on student accommodation in any capacity in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. Benefits of AACUHO Membership A major benefit of being a member is the opportunity to come together and meet with others employed in the student accommodation industry at various conferences, workshops and other forums. Members attending these events share ideas and discuss latest developments and innovations, such as pastoral and technological, within the industry. There are opportunities to meet major equipment and service suppliers and to increase and broaden knowledge of the whole accommodation industry. Members obtain access through both individual network development and list serve facilities to assist them with any problems on which they may want advice.

For further details and membership application, please visit

For further details and membership application, please visit

www.ahauchi.edu.au

www.aacuho.edu.au

The Australasian Student Residences Management Journal

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Product News BigAir Universe Broadband

Universe Broadband. The business unit is still headed by Jean Morel (General Manager).

On the first of July 2010, the assets, customers and agreements of the broadband division of Unistar Enterprises Pty Ltd trading as Star-Tech Communications were acquired by BigAir Group Limited. All of Star-Tech’s tertiary residential customer sites have been migrated to the BigAir network.

BigAir Universe Broadband Pty Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of BigAir Group Limited.

BigAir is a licensed carrier and owns the largest fixed wireless network in Australia. A publicly listed firm (ASX:BGL), BigAir is profitable, cash flow positive, and has no debt. BigAir supplies its wholesale wireless internet solutions to a number of large carriers and enterprises in Australia. With filtered content available, BigAir also supplies its managed broadband ISP services to 12 prestigious secondary boarding schools and 49 residential hi-rise buildings around Australia. Key staff from Star-Tech have been retained, and the Star-Tech managed broadband internet service is currently being re-branded to BigAir

Please feel free to contact BigAir Universe Broadband at broadband@bigair.net.au or on 02 9993 1319. You can also call Jean directly on 0422 127 366, and of course Jean is attending the 2010 AHAUHI conference.

Intelligent Room Energy Controllers – The smart solution to saving energy In-room energy controllers first began being used in the 1970’s. Upon entering the room, the lights would only be activated if the guest inserted the plastic key tag into the switch on the wall. Nonetheless, it didn’t take very long for frequent travellers to realise that they could put almost any card into the slot, as the light switch was mechanical and merely disguised by a cover on the front of the switch. Well, now technology has been intelligent enough to find a way to catch up!

Vintech Systems are now able to offer properties both old and new - the Intelligent Energy Controller. The result of the Intelligent Energy Controller is the same as the Mechanical Switch Energy Controller except that it will not work with any card or instrument that activates an internal switch. This device reads the smart card to verify that it is a card valid and unique to that property. Once the intelligent reader validates the smart card, the power is then activated through the relays. Other than lights, the Intelligent Energy Controller can also control the operation of the air conditioner, power or under-floor heating. However, what is most ingenious about it is that we are able to integrate this smart card with the same keycard that is issued for the electronic door lock. Therefore guests are now forced into a position whereby, if they choose to leave the room, they must take the smart card with them (otherwise they can’t get back into the room!), thereby disconnecting the use of energy in that room. The resultant monetary savings makes this Intelligent Energy Controller a viable and important investment for residence managers. Vintech can be contacted on (02) 9472 2000 for more information, a sample and/or a demonstration.

Direct Products: Commercial Wall Bed Released at the April AACUHO expo / conference in Brisbane the Exceptional Wall Bed by Direct Products provides the ultimate space saving sleeping solution in student accommodation. Via its heavy duty construction the Wall - Bed is designed specifically for Commercial application with all -steel bed frame , heavy duty Gas Pistons, complimentary durable easy care cabinetry and includes Sleepmaker Commercial Innerspring mattress. With optional fully-integrated storage cabinetry and space saving workstations provides many possibilities making this new Bedding concept the ultimate solution where space is at a premium. The Wall Bed converts in seconds and is extremely light to operate with all bed linen intact. Available in Single and King single sizes and can be supplied Nationally. A design service supports the application of the Wall Bed in either existing and/or new accommodation buildings and is supplied as a complete package for installation on site by experienced installers. The Exceptional Wall Bed is on display at a convenient Melbourne CBD location and all inquiries can be directed to Phil Ellis at Direct Products - 0412 357 499 or email

phil@directproducts.net.au

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