Patrick & Bayley’s Excellent
Student Affairs Adventure
We took our show on the road, giving 20 talks at 17 institutions during a 51-day trip that took us through 22 states and covering 9200.
The Tour: Why I Took it on the Road
The idea for a tour where I could inspire, challenge, and help develop student affairs professionals and their organizations began in 2003 when I drove my kids from New Jersey across the country to meet their mom in Alta, UT and visited with colleagues the entire way across the country. Several years later the idea of integrating a personal trip with a dynamic professional contribution occurred when I was invited to work with the student affairs division of Acadia University while traveling through Nova Scotia with my kids. Since then, the idea of taking a trip to work with student affairs professionals all over the country was something I planned to do after finishing working full time.
Thus, me and my dog, Bayley, undertook this epic 9200-mile journey in the Fall of 2023. I did the driving and presenting, training, and conversing, while she just went along for the ride and to keep me company!
Details
Each tour stop consisted of up to a half day (approximately 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.). The amount of time (two hours, three hours, or four hours) was up to the host. The modest cost didn't change. The full program looked like this:
9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. - Presentation/training
The host selected the topic from the presentations listed and described here. The hosting institution determined the audience for the training, such as the division, a unit (e.g., residence life), grad students, or a general professional development session where staff from other institutions were invited.
Additionally, if the host was interested, the following was added at no additional cost:
11:00 a.m. - noon - Conversation with entry-level/front-facing professionals
This conversation was an opportunity to follow up on the morning session, address other questions and issues they had, and, just as important, for me to ask them about the challenges they were facing, because I used this tour as an opportunity to learn about the day-to-day challenges student affairs professionals are facing in a post-pandemic world.
Noon - 1:30 p.m. - Lunch with leaders
I finished by having lunch with a small number of staff who were director level or above. This was a general conversation about the morning's topic and to discuss leadership and management issues/challenges they are facing.
Results
On a 10-point scale, the average evaluation score from the trip was 8.6.
Patrick was able to articulate innovation in a way that was appealing and could be understood by all. Old and new references with engaging videos allowed for the presentation to come to life. I feel empowered to go out and innovate intentionally.
I appreciated his candor and real life examples from his past experience. This was extremely helpful and I took away tangible steps for innovation. I've been in HIED for 20 years and this was very enlightening.
Clear and concise delivery of the message and information while still being engaging. Realistic and grounded lessons rather than lofty abstract ideas.
