The Mid-Level Leadership Institute is designed for professionals with 8+ years of experience and provides intensive learning, engagement, reflection, and networking opportunities that are customized for residence life and housing professionals who have established themselves in their careers. A robust agenda provides the insights necessary to take that next step confidently and begin laying the groundwork for future progression. Attendees will benefit from inspired ideas and exceptional practices to help them thrive in their current positions.
The Mid-Level Leadership Institute addresses a series of broad topic areas, including sessions focused on agency, supervision, project management, budgeting, how to be a successful leader, political climate, and professional development. Content is steered by expert speakers and facilitators from within and beyond housing and residence life who lead participants in its application to mid-level roles. One consultant-in-residence and multiple faculty with long-term experience will offer small group and individualized consultation and discussion for participants.
2026 Topics
At the Mid-Level Leadership Institute, participants engage with a variety of topic areas. The 2026 Institute will dedicate its sessions to:
Agency
Identify ways in which agency is shaped by one’s sense of belonging within social groups and communities.
Understand their scope and influence in the organization.
Understand methods to create meaning in routine team interactions.
Supervision
Identify your personal leadership values and style, and consider how that shows up in your team and as a supervisor.
Identify the different needs and styles of staff in varying classifications and roles.
Understanding of supervision that recognizes varied experiences and perspectives.
Leveraging AI
Integrate AI tools as a co-pilot to apply project and change management principles in university housing policy and program implementation (e.g., automating workflows for resident services).
Use AI to efficiently assess and allocate resources for housing project completion (e.g., predictive analytics for staffing and maintenance budgeting).
Employ AI-driven insights to identify project obstacles in housing operations (e.g., risk models for occupancy or compliance issues) and develop mitigation strategies for greater efficiency.
Campus Politics
Determine your political prowess as a mid-level leader on your campus.
Identify what influences the political climate at your institution.
Identify strategies and resources for engaging in campus politics.
How to be a Successful Mid-level Leader
Have the opportunity to discuss what it means to be a mid-level professional, and identify the challenges and opportunities.
Understand communication strategies to effectively manage staff above and below in the organizational chart.
Identify and understand how both personal and institutional identity influence your role and navigation as a mid-level professional.
Budgeting and Financial Management
Understand how department budgets and occupancy strategies intersect, and the impact of campus factors on projections.
Understand how administrative directives and institutional priorities inform occupancy and budget decisions and strategies.
Practice how factors like accommodations, facilities, and learning communities influence occupancy management and budget.
Current Events
Coordinate human resources for crisis response in student housing through role-play, aligning with ACUHO-I Emergency Management standards (e.g., staff deployment and communication protocols).
Develop training strategies for staff in crisis prevention and intervention, per ACUHO-I Human Resources competencies (e.g., brainstorming supervision techniques for housing teams).
Identify and mitigate people-related challenges in current-event housing crises, enhancing mid-level efficiency (e.g., via group simulations of resource allocation).
Professional Development
Reflection on ACUHO-I Core Competencies and which align to their current and desired roles.
Understand potential conflicts between professional development desires and current job responsibilities, and identify strategies to fill gaps while still fulfilling job responsibilities.
Begin to create a plan for professional development as a Mid-Level Professional.
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