The Association of College & University Housing Officers – International has set new standards for assessing housing operations and professional competencies.
The latest edition of the ACUHO-I Standards and Competencies for Campus Housing Professionals is now available to all ACUHO-I members. The updated document provides peer-determined standards (best practices that institutions of all sizes and types should regularly implement and aspire towards) and guidelines (recommended or aspirational practices that external factors can influence), as well as corresponding professional competencies (knowledge, skills, and behaviors housing professionals need to demonstrate success in their roles). This focus bridges the gap between program goals and workforce capabilities, ensuring that improvements in services are supported by corresponding growth and professional practice development.
Linking a department’s aspirational standards with the skills and knowledge individuals need to meet them in a single document creates a clear path for both professional and personal growth.
“The updates to this document will propel the campus housing profession into the future,” said ACUHO-I CEO and Executive Director, Mary DeNiro. “Since the standards were first established in 1984, they have demonstrated that campus housing is a profession filled with performance expectations and professionals who are prepared to meet them. This revised version shows just how much the profession has evolved over the last four decades.”
The updated ACUHO-I Standards and Competencies address nine functional domains that span campus housing.
- Foundations
- Student Learning and Development
- Residential Facilities
- Business Management
- Human Resources
- Ancillary Partnerships
- Public-Private Partnerships
- Emergency Management
- Dining Services
Leading the project was Amanda Knerr, the associate vice president for student affairs at Ball State University. She, along with more than 30 housing professionals, dedicated over five years to this project.
“We are indebted to the team who made these revisions a reality. They have combined their expertise with the work of those who came before them to create a resource that accurately captures what our profession needs now and into the future. Their work will influence colleges and universities, individual professionals, and ACUHO-I for years to come,” said ACUHO-I President Kathy Bush Hobgood.
Future projects will include an assessment guide and additional programs to instruct professionals in how to best utilize the document.
ACUHO-I members can download the ACUHO-I Standards and Competencies for Campus Housing Professionals via the ACUHO-I online community. In addition, ACUHO-I will host a webinar on September 18 to introduce the updated standards and competencies, as well as during sessions at the ACUHO-I Content Series Conferences in St. Louis.
