Frequently Asked Questions

VACUHO stands for the Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers. The highly diversified VACUHO Governing Council is comprised of housing & residence life graduate and professional staff from approximately a dozen Commonwealth institutions. Each year the Governing Council delegates the responsibility for hosting the RA Conference to a member institution. 2009’s RA Conference host institution is Shenandoah University. For more information on VACUHO, please visit:

www.vacuho.org

What Is The VACUHO RA Conference?

The VACUHO RA Conference is an opportunity for students from across the state in the Resident Advisor/Assistant (RA) position to meet, interact, network, share ideas on residential leadership, and gain insight into how to be more effective in their positions.

RAs are prominent leaders in their campus residential communities and provide educational opportunities for students to grow socially, intellectually and emotionally through their college experience.

Just as residents learn and grow from RAs, RAs at your institution can learn and grow—and help other RAs do the same--through the highly interactive & educational VACUHO RA conference experience.

When & Where Is The VACUHO RA Conference?

Shenandoah University Logo Graphic

This year’s conference will take place November 6-7, 2009 at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. Conference fee is $40.00 per attendee.

Who will be at the VACUHO RA Conference?

In previous years, as many as 300+ RAs have attended each conference from more than 20 Virginia schools. Graduate & professional housing & residence life staff will additionally be attending the conference as both presenters and delegation advisors. Members of the VACUHO Governing Council will also be on site.

What Goes On At The VACUHO RA Conference?

One of the most memorable aspects of the “RA conference experience” is that it is as unique & diverse as the RAs attending. Some annual events/activities include (but are certainly not limited to!):

Banner, Roll Call, Spirit, & Display competitions
Participation in a statewide philanthropy initiative
Exposure residential programs from all sizes & types of schools
Dozens of programs presented over 4 different educational sessions
Prominent keynote speakers at lunch & dinner banquet
“Swap Shop” exchange of campus memorabilia
Overall, Programmer, & New “RA Of The Year” annual awards

How Do RAs Benefit By Attending?

We’ve already mentioned that the overall VACUHO RA Conference experience can be of significant benefit to any institution’s RAs. Some of those specific experiences & benefits are listed below:

Networking with 200-300 other Virginia RAs
Residential leadership development
Social, educational, passive, & active programming ideas
Unique & creative approaches to resident issues
Exploration of housing, residence life, & other student affairs areas as a graduate school and professional experience
Skill development in areas such as: time management, personal wellness, confrontation, peer counseling, teamwork, & much more!

About Shenandoah University…

Established in 1875, Shenandoah University (SU) is a comprehensive Level V private university with an enrollment of approximately 3,500 students in five schools: School of Arts & Sciences, Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah Conservatory, Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy and the School of Health Professions (Athletic Training, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Respiratory Care, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy). The residential campus houses approximately 800 students. Located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah University offers more than 60 programs of study at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Please refer to our website for more information at http://www.su.edu