Posts by: Alton Irwin

Over the past few months as the COVID-19 induced quarantine has evolved, COCM has been determined to catch up with staff across the nation and learn how different Universities and groups of student housing professionals have been adapting. The most recent interview was conducted by Gray Bekurs with Heather Smith, the Assistant Director of Operations…

We all want to work in an environment that somehow feeds our souls. What happens when we encounter a workplace that does the exact opposite? Heidi Yoder began researching workplace bullying within student affairs in the Fall of 2018. Now, she’s sharing some of her insights on preventing toxic workplace environments and handling instances of…

It’s well known that a career in higher education leaves you with many transferable skills. Are those skills useful outside of your workplace? How can we use what we’ve learned working with students to better ourselves and our communities?  In 2009, Nicole Terrell joined COCM as a first-time Assistant Director in a brand-new residence hall…

Rafael Cordwell believes that you don’t choose your profession, your profession chooses you. And in the beginning, Raf resisted a career in student affairs—despite encouragement from more than one of his supervisors at Southern Connecticut State. But higher education had other plans for Raf, and today, he aspires to impact campus culture and policy for…

Winston Churchill led Britain through both World Wars. But how would he fight the invisible enemy we face today? How might Churchill approach the current situation with Coronavirus? Dr. Larry P. Arnn is the President of Hillsdale College, where he also serves as a professor of politics and history. He earned degrees from Arkansas State…