By Leanna Payton

A friend and colleague told me at the last SWACUHO annual conference in February 2026, "You thrive at conferences." 

The more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right.

Conferences have played an incredibly significant role in my personal and professional journey. Some of my closest friendships, greatest mentors, leadership opportunities, and favorite memories have all come from conference experiences.

Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss this topic on the Arkansas Student Affairs Association podcast, and it made me reflect on why conferences have always meant so much to me.

I realized that I don't simply attend conferences.

I experience them. I invest in them.

And because of that, they have invested back into me.

It All Started in 2011

I attended my first SWACUHO conference in 2011 as a graduate student. At the time, I had no idea how much that experience would impact my career.

That year, I had the opportunity to present and was fortunate enough to receive Program of the Year. That recognition led to another incredible opportunity: attending the ACUHO-I conference and presenting there.

As a graduate student, those experiences were transformative.

I met professionals who would later become mentors and friends. 

I built relationships with colleagues who are still some of my closest friends today.

I began to see the possibilities within our profession and the importance of professional involvement.

Most importantly, I found community.

Looking back now, I realize that conference was not simply an event I attended. It was a defining moment in my professional journey.

Fifteen years later, I have had the privilege of serving in numerous leadership roles and now serve as the Arkansas State Director for SWACUHO. If my first conference taught me anything, it is this: you never know where one conference experience may lead.

Remember Why You're There

It can be easy to become focused on the schedule, educational sessions, and checking off professional development requirements. While those things are important, conferences are so much more than that.

Conferences are opportunities to grow.

They allow us to step away from our campuses and intentionally pour into ourselves so that we can return better leaders, supervisors, colleagues, and professionals.

Some of the most impactful lessons I have learned did not come from a PowerPoint presentation. They came from conversations in hallways, meals shared with colleagues, and hearing someone else's story.

Don't Just Attend—Get Involved

One of the biggest pieces of advice I shared on the Arkansas Student Affairs Association podcast was this:

Do not simply attend conferences.

Get involved.

• Volunteer

• Present

• Serve on committees

• Help with conference planning

• Apply for leadership positions

• Network with others

• Meet and build relationships with corporate partners 

Some of the greatest opportunities in my career happened because I chose involvement over attendance.

Organizations like SWACUHO and the Arkansas Student Affairs Association have provided opportunities that have shaped me both personally and professionally. Through these experiences, I have been able to lead, serve, and give back to a profession that has given so much to me.

When you become involved, conferences become more than annual events. They become communities.

Put Yourself Out There

One of the biggest pieces of advice I give to first-time attendees is simple: talk to people.

Do not spend the entire conference with the colleagues you traveled with from your university. 

I know it feels comfortable, but some of the best relationships I have built started because I sat at a different table, introduced myself to someone new, or stayed after a session to continue a conversation.

Housing and student affairs are relationship-driven professions.

The person sitting beside you today may become:

• A future mentor

• A collaborator

• A supervisor

• A presenter

• A lifelong friend

• An employee 

You simply never know.

Be Where Your Feet Are

One of my favorite reminders is to "be where your feet are." 

The emails will still be there. The work will be waiting on us. Allow yourself to be fully present.

• Listen during sessions and learn something. 

• Attend social events

• Engage in conversations

• Take notes

• Laugh with colleagues

• Make memories

Some of the best conference moments happen in the spaces between sessions, at breakfast, in the exhibit hall, or at social activities. 

Those moments matter.

Say Yes

Some of the greatest opportunities in my career happened because I said yes.

• Yes to presenting

• Yes to volunteering

• Yes to leadership opportunities

• Yes to meeting new people

• Yes to stepping outside my comfort zone

Conferences have a way of opening doors when we are willing to walk through them. You do not have to know everyone. You do not have to know anyone. You do not have to have all the answers.

You simply have to be willing.

Give More Than You Take

I firmly believe conferences should not only be about what we can gain. They should also be about what we can give.

• Encourage first-time attendees

• Make introductions

• Share resources

• Celebrate others

• Help someone feel like they belong

• Be genuine 

• Be grateful for the opportunity. 

Many of us are where we are today because someone took the time to invest in us. We should strive to do the same for others.

Follow Up

Do not let the relationships end when the conference does.

• Send the email

• Connect on social media or professional platforms. 

• Share the presentation

• Continue the conversation

Some of my most meaningful professional relationships began at conferences and continued long after everyone returned home.

That is where the real value often lies.

The People Are the Magic

Years from now, I probably will not remember every session I attended or every handout I received.

But I will remember the people.

I will remember the mentors who encouraged me. I will remember the colleagues who became friends.

I will remember the conversations that challenged me to think differently.

I will remember the opportunities that changed the trajectory of my career.

That is why I love conferences so much.

If I truly thrive at conferences, it is because I show up intentionally.

I choose to be involved. I invest in relationships. I say yes to opportunities.

I allow myself to fully experience everything a conference has to offer.

So my advice is simple:

Do not just attend your next conference.

Experience it.

Get involved.

Meet people.

Be present.

Say yes.

Because the true magic of conferences has never been the conference itself.

It has always been the people.

Leanna Payton

Director of Housing & Community Standards at Henderson State University

By J.C. Stoner

I recently found myself responsible for scheduling student staff shifts for our central office front desk. It had been a while since I had personally tackled something like this, and just thinking about class schedules, availability, and personal preferences gave me a headache. I’m sure there are platforms these days that automate this process, but if they exist, I don’t know them. So I went old school and returned to a method from my RA on-call selection days: the scheduling snake.

The concept is simple. Put everyone in an order: seniority, random draw, alphabetical, whatever. Starting at the top of the list and working the way down, each person selects an available shift. Once you reach the bottom, the order reverses, and the last person picks twice before the selection continues back up the list. Rinse and repeat until all shifts are filled.

Unsurprisingly, the tried-and-true process worked. We ended up scheduling 100 shifts in less than 45 minutes. Everyone had direct ownership of their schedule. The staff engaged in negotiating, compromising, and problem-solving when we got to the end. And perhaps most importantly, nobody cried.

Over the years, I’ve put a lot of thought into the game theory of the scheduling snake. Most people instinctively want to be at the top of the list. Going first guarantees you the single best available shift or on-call assignment. But personally, if given the choice, I would rather be at the bottom.

When I think about my preferences across all available shifts, they usually resemble a bell curve of some sort. There are a handful of highly desirable shifts, a handful of absolute hard passes, and then the meaty middle category of shifts that are just fine.

By picking near the bottom, I still have a strong chance of landing at least one shift from that “highly desirable” category (or close to it), but I also gain the advantage of consecutive selections when the order reverses. If I pick first, I secure my top choice immediately, but then I wait while everyone else picks twice before my next turn. That second selection likely falls much lower in my preference rankings. Meanwhile, the person at the bottom sacrifices the absolute top pick but gains substantially more control over the overall shape of their schedule with rapid selections.

That back-to-back selection also creates strategic flexibility. It allows someone to stack desk shifts, frontload on-calls, or build more intentional spacing throughout the semester.

As an overly simplified example, say you have eight Hall Directors picking on-call for a 16-week semester. The math tells us that each person will get two on-call shifts. Say the distribution curve consists of three “ideal” weeks, three “terrible” weeks, and ten “just fine” weeks. If I were first to pick, I’d also be the last to pick. I would get the best week and the worst week (moveout weekend?). But if I’m last, I get two weeks guaranteed to be “just fine”. 

Of course, everyone’s preferences are different and the snake frequently wraps multiple times. But on the most basic level, there is something to be said about sacrificing the number one pick for more overall control of a reasonable and “just fine” schedule.

J.C. Stoner, Ph.D.
Director of Housing Systems and Services at University of North Texas

By Sydney Valentine-Parris

You may not think of yourself as a “policy person,” but policy shows up in our work every single day. From room assignments to crisis response and incident reporting, policy is behind it all. Understanding policy and how it works helps professionals like you better navigate their environment and role, ultimately empowering you to better support students. 

Higher Education and Organizational Policy
Organizational policies are mandatory, formal, and written guidelines that aim to communicate expectations for how the organization should operate. For organization members and stakeholders to best understand and adhere to these policies, they should be written in neutral terms and focus on the intended outcome. Such policies outline the purpose, identify who is responsible, clarify roles and duties, and connect to related policies at subsequent levels. Organizational policy serves as the highest-level directive, thus providing foundational authority for all other standards, guidelines, and procedures within the organization. In higher education, the highest-level directives come from state governments (per the Tenth Amendment), often through their respective state higher education agencies. In the Southwest region, the state higher education agencies are the Arkansas Division of Higher Education, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Why Policy Matters at Every Level
Organizational policies are relevant and important at all levels of an organization’s structure because they provide a clear structure that guides organizational behavior, supports consistent decision-making, and shapes daily operations. In higher education, the levels of our structure range from the state government and associated education agencies, to institutional/system boards of regents, to senior institutional leadership, and all the way to office/department leadership and staff. 

More specific areas of importance include legal compliance, consistency and fairness, employee behavior and conduct, communication, employee training and development, and conflict resolution. Policies help organizations consistently meet relevant legal requirements, reduce risk, and promote equal treatment through consistent decision-making. Policies also establish expectations for professional conduct and serve as communication tools to ensure members understand organizational expectations and processes. This is especially true for onboarding and training new members, while also providing structured processes for addressing issues such as grievances, disciplinary actions, and disputes.  

Understanding Policy Development
Effective policy development follows a continuous cycle of stages, not a one-time process (Burke, 2019). The five stages of policy development are (1) agenda setting, (2) policy formulation, (3) policy adoption, (4) policy implementation, and (5) policy evaluation. Policy development begins by identifying and defining an issue that needs attention, followed by formulating a policy to address it. Next, the created policy is usually adopted in the form of rules, but to implement it and make it work, the organization is tasked with “establishing procedures, [and] writing guidance documents” (Texas Politics Project, n.d.). After implementing the policy, evaluation is needed to determine whether it truly addresses the identified issue; if not, revisions can be made to improve effectiveness. Although characterized as the fifth stage, evaluation is not the last stage, as revisions often occur, sending the development process back to agenda setting, policy formulation, or implementation, as depicted in the Texas Politics Project’s (n.d.) Policy Making and Policy Implementation diagram. 

The Importance of Policy Evaluation
Educational policies should be evaluated, as policy development without evaluation is likely to produce ineffective or outdated policies. Policy evaluation helps determine whether policies are effective, how implementation may or may not be effective, and whether the benefits justify the cost to the organization. Following policy implementation, decision-makers should evaluate how the policy is impacting and addressing the issue, whether implementation strategies are effective, and whether the policy’s costs justify its benefits (Burke, 2019). Educational policies require a lot of time and financial resources; it is not enough to simply assume the problem is addressed. Policymakers have a responsibility to tangibly determine effectiveness and, if needed, make revisions.    

Challenges Facing Higher Education Policy
When discussing the challenges and problems policies face, it is important to note that policies range from wide-reaching federal and state policies, all the way to those of the individual institutional units. Given the variety of policies, there are often conflicting missions and goals among organizations and their environmental factors. For example, federal immigration policy and presidential executive orders affect federal and state higher education policies, as well as institutional policies.

Another challenge policies face is that our world and environmental factors are constantly evolving, which requires policies to be updated and reevaluated to better fit and address the present. More specifically, an example is the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on academic integrity policies in higher education, as AI has prompted institutions to feverishly update their policies. Initially, many institutions implemented policies banning the use of AI, but soon realized that its prevalence was only expected to increase. This has led to policies once focused on bans being replaced by policies that promote the ethical use of AI and provide faculty, students, and staff with a usage framework.

Before You Go…
Please remember that, as a professional, understanding policy is not limited to senior leadership roles. Policy is the foundation of what we do and how we do it. It is important to know how to interpret, implement, and influence the policies that shape our work and the experiences of our students.

References

Burke, A. S. (2019). The stages of policy development. Introduction to the American Criminal Justice System.

Texas Politics Project. (n.d.). A diagram of the policy making process. The Texas Politics Project.

Sydney Valentine-Parris
Texas Southern University, Public Policy Co-Chair

SWACUHO Executive Board Highlights — June 2026

Meeting Overview

Date: June 12, 2026

The Executive Board met virtually to continue planning for upcoming conferences, prepare for the 2026-2027 membership drive, transition into the new fiscal year, and discuss new and ongoing initiatives focused on member engagement. Below are a few key highlights:

Key Discussion Areas

Student Staff Leadership Conference (SSLC) 2026 Planning

• Miguel Najera of Texas Woman’s University gave an SSLC planning status update and presented their proposed budget and rate structure, which were approved.

• Registration rates will remain unchanged from last year, helping keep the conference affordable for student leaders and their departments.

• Discussed opportunities to maximize conference resources while maintaining a high-quality attendee experience.

• The conference will be November 13 - 14, 2026, in Denton.

Membership Drive

• Finalized plans for the annual membership renewal campaign, which will begin in July. Current membership ends September 30.

• State Directors will assist with outreach to current and prospective members throughout the renewal period.

• Board members will also work to reconnect with institutions that are not currently represented in SWACUHO.

• Developed calendar of regular administrative actions to serve as a checklist for future iterations of the membership drive.

Regional Reception

• Decided to only purchase lemonade at the SWACUHO Regional Reception at Campus Home Live conference.

• Remaining budgeted funds will be used for door prizes (~$500) with the rest reinvested in SWACUHO membership (~$2500) through scholarships and member recruitment.

• Specific initiatives and strategies for reinvesting that money will be developed and presented at the next board meeting.

Expanding Access and Engagement

• Explored new ways to reduce barriers to participation for professionals from smaller and underrepresented institutions.

• Discussed using available funds to support outreach, engagement opportunities, and future scholarship initiatives.

• Plans are underway to form an ad hoc committee to develop recommendations for these efforts.

Annual Conference Planning Progress

• Reviewed the proposed schedule and planning timeline for the 2027 Annual Conference.

• Discussed registration timelines, conference programming, and attendee engagement opportunities.

• Continued preparations for registration to open this fall.

Upcoming Regional Events

• Received planning updates for the Arkansas Drive-In Conference.

• Encouraged conference organizers to share event information and photos to help highlight SWACUHO programming across the region.

• Celebrated the success of the recent Mid-Level Summit.

Fiscal Stewardship

• Fiscal year 2026-2027 began on 6/1/26.

• 2025-2026 Tax information has been sent to our CPA.

• 2025-2026 End of Fiscal Year Information (as of 5/31/26)

• • End Organization Budget Balance: $45,709.24

  • End Checking Account Balance: $70,844.25

  • End Savings Account Balance: $80,599.57

  • End of April to End May Income: $12,911.00

  • End of April to End May Expenses: $479.69

• See Treasurer Snapshot for current accounting.

Nuts and Bolts

• Discussed adding clearer descriptions of SWACUHO's listservs to the website and registration forms.

• Established a recurring audit process to help keep listserv membership accurate.

• Collected content generated from previous meetings to create event-specific webpages with general descriptions and information.

Voting Items

✅ Approved a resolution of commendation for two retirements in the region.

✅ Approved a resolution of condolence for the passing of Past President, John White (virtual vote on 5/28/26).

✅ Approved the 2026 SSLC budget.

✅ Approved two resolutions honoring housing professionals graduating with advanced degrees across the region.

Treasurer Snapshot

• Updated budget details are available via theTreasurer’s shared Google Sheet.

• Robert C. Cooke Endowment Quarterly Update (Q1, 3/31/26)

• • Fund Balance: $49,232.85

  • Available Funds for Distribution: $1,615.74

Upcoming Events

• Arkansas Roundtable – June 29 3:00pm

• Texas Roundtable – June 30 Noon

•  Mid-Level Roundtable – July 1 Noon

• Arkansas Summer Drive-In Conference (Conway, AR) July 15

Questions or Ideas?

Reach out to your State Director if you would like more information about anything mentioned here!

Arkansas State Director
Leanna Payton
Henderson State University
arkansas@swacuho.org

Oklahoma State Director
Whitney Arbaugh
Northeastern State University 
oklahoma@swacuho.org

Texas State Director
Nicholas Brown
East Texas A&M University
texas@swacuho.org

By Whitney Arbaugh

I used to consider myself an optimistic yet realist type of person. Glass is half full kind/there’s always room for more mind set. But to be honest, 2026 did not start off kindly towards me. I shifted into pessimistic, self-preservation mode real quick. 

In January I hit a massive milestone in life by turning 40. For the first time, a birthday felt different. Maybe it was the sudden snow day we experienced, the frigid temperatures, or the leaking pipes at work that popped up in the days post-turning 40 that set the mood for the year. 

For four months, life was stuck in high gear. My own institution and department is working through several shifts in the ever-changing landscape of higher education, my two children (15 and 11) have activity schedules that kept me on my toes, my husband picked up a second job, and family health concerns consumed by free time physically and mentally. 

In April, for the first time in recent memory, I failed to meet an important deadline. I also forgot about a personal appointment and was charged a fee. It was at that moment I rallied me, myself and I for a big conversation about how I was not managing. I scheduled a day off, I did not tell a soul in my household, and I spent a few hours at a local coffee bar just writing. The final product: a set of strategies to help settle my struggles and work on thriving in this new chapter of life. The last two months have had some outstanding results in two areas. 

Setting New Boundaries: This comes in two parts. Learning to say no and overcoming guilt. We teach our students “No” is a complete sentence but I did not walk the talk. My time and energy are high-value assets. No means no and if I do not elicit a hell yes from myself or family, then it's not a priority. When I am able, I’ve learned to “outsource” my guilt. I love grocery pick up now. I ask my husband for help more than ever. I share responsibilities around our house with all members of the household. If the dog could sweep, I’d let him. But on the other hand, if we miss something, we miss something. If the house is lived in, that’s great. That load of laundry will always be there. That dirty dish in the sink can wait. 

Career Realignment: I’ll say it out loud. “I am not an entry level employee. I am a well seasoned, experienced professional.” I am also the first daughter, the oldest sibling, over motivated at times, and hard headed. But in the last two months, I’ve shifted my focus away from having to prove myself or my worth to focusing energy on tasks that bring the highest value. I cultivate relationships based on substance instead of performance. I value flexibility for myself and my team when it comes to deadlines, tasks, and needs during work hours.  

For mid June through mid August, I am adding some strategies around finding new hobbies or revisiting old ones as well as finding the little joys at work again. There are aspects to those entry level residence life jobs that get lost as you move up in title and responsibility. I aim to find those joys for myself and incorporate them into my work life once again. 

Whitney Arbaugh
Director of Housing & Residence Life at Northeastern State University - Tahlequah, OK

By Beth Eppinger

When you wrote a long report as a professional or a research paper as a student, did you wonder if your supervisor or instructor would actually take the time to read it? If you had this doubt, you likely did not believe they cared enough about your time or efforts. When I was an RA, my RD and senior RA left the staff suddenly. During the interim time of no leader, I of course still had to perform my job duties, which included completing program evaluations. In the middle of a program evaluation, I wrote a very snarky sentence about my displeasure with the lack of leadership. I learned within a few days that indeed, someone in the central office still cared enough to read my evaluation and call me in for a meeting. They were clear yet kind that my unprofessional approach was not the correct method of communicating. We ended up having a very good conversation, and communication with the remaining staff quickly improved.

The idea of caring is not mine alone. Just last year, Kevin McClure published The Caring University. Instead of being about how we as practitioners can care for our students, it instead focuses on employees. A caring university cultivates the strengths of its employees so the entire institution may benefit. Focusing on the workforce does not mean students are no longer the focus, but instead strengthening the workforce keeps a department or university student centric. The book may be aimed at university-wide change, but it has plenty of nuggets of wisdom for anyone in higher education. I encourage you to give it a read or a listen as an individual or a team effort. What you learn from it could become a blog post!

How do you show your employees and colleagues that you care about them? Caring may be a more touchy-feely word than you are used to in the workplace. Other more professional words instead of caring may include supportive, attentive, communicative, collaborative, trust, and inclusive. What are you going to start, stop, or continue doing to show genuine care to others around you? Keep reimagining what you, your colleagues, your employees, and your student staff need to feel they are genuinely valued in your department. We all know someone who is burned out or overwhelmed. Show them some care.

By JC Stoner

In Fall 2002 I was enrolled in Computation and Experimentation in Physics, a three-credit science class at Kansas State University. It was a wild course full of impractical, but actually quite practical, projects and labs with a lot of math. For example, for one assignment we used Excel to create a table with the X-Y coordinates of two objects, their masses, the gravitational force between them, and starting velocities (among other things) that then calculated the objects’ placement relative to each other over time. For hundreds of thousands of rows… Once we finally graphed the table, the instructor said, “you just plotted the Earth and an asteroid’s trajectory over time. Now spend the next 30 minutes experimenting with the starting distances and velocities and masses and try and ‘catch’ the asteroid in Earth’s orbit.” Nobody ever caught an asteroid. I think I got to six complete orbits before the asteroid still got flung off outside my graph.

That assignment was my first introduction to the sheer power of Excel’s; particularly its ability to run recursive formulas and rolling calculations. Over my career I’ve thought about that assignment frequently as I continued to advance my Excel abilities and formula usage when building budgets, compiled assessment and programming data, and sometimes just for fun when making spreadsheets more complex than necessary. 

But the assignment that really stuck with me started off with an even stranger prompt.

“How many molecules are in the width of a car tire?”

Everyone in the class looked at each other like we didn’t expect those words to come out of anyone’s mouth that day. But we had the assignment and we “understood” the assignment. We all worked independently and came up with our numbers. The instructor told us to write all our individual answers on the board.

As each person wrote their answer on the board, the class collectively chuckled. All of our responses appeared to be so wildly different it was almost hysterical. I’m talking numbers ranging from 250M to 750M, if I remember correctly.

The instructor responded: “Nice job. Believe it or not, you are all correct.” 

He continued by explaining that the exact number itself didn’t matter. The order of magnitude is what mattered. 

As it turns out, being off by several hundreds of millions is inconsequential when looking at a scale of billions or even tens of billions. At any scale, differences within the same order of magnitude matters far less than differences across orders of magnitude. There is no meaningful difference between 26 and 78, provided there is also something in a different order of magnitude (i.e., 3 or 470). In other words, even wildly different estimates can still be “correct” if they fall within the same order of magnitude.

I think about this every day. Not the car tire. The lesson on magnitude and scale.

• A $100 RA program is insignificant within a $45M operational budget. But a $100 RA program means something on a $500 hall programming budget. One is 0.0002% and the other is 20%.

• In my first full-time job I had a campus-wide maximum occupancy of 400 beds. Missing my occupancy projections by 1 resident had a substantially bigger budgetary impact there than if I miss my current occupancy projections by 1 out of 6500, even with the same room rate at both campuses. 

• Replacing one closet door in a dorm room isn’t a big deal (~$300). But adding 1000 closet doors in a new build adds up quickly ($300K, or 3 orders of magnitude more). But then again, on a $150M new build project budget, it’s still only about 0.2% of the total cost.

• Logistically, there isn’t much of a difference in planning an event for 30 people and 60 people. But scaling up an order of magnitude and planning for 100+ people feels very different. The difference feels even more substantial when planning for one more order of magnitude up (1000+ people). Scale up another order of magnitude (10K+) and all of a sudden your event is actually just running a university.

• I know from my residence life days, there is a noticeable difference between directly supervising fewer than 10 RAs and 10 or more RAs. It’s nearly impossible to increase full-time direct reports more than one order of magnitude, but indirect reports can easily scale on orders of magnitude. In my previous job I had nearly 75 in my reporting umbrella. Now I’ve got ~150. The guy across the hall from me runs our in-house dining program. He has 1,500 in his reporting umbrella.

It’s certainly interesting to think about the economy of scale. It can actually be quite addictive because not only do the numbers grow, but they also accelerate. 

Thinking one order of magnitude up is also a valuable skill to develop. What would I have to expand, change, or modify in my process/procedure/system to handle the volume one order of magnitude higher? What techniques would I have to change in my management style if my staff size were to increase by one order of magnitude? What budget strategies would be effective or ineffective if my budget were to increase by one order of magnitude?

If these sound like questions you might get asked in your next job interview, they very well could be. Minimally, the answers to these questions should be imbedded into your responses in your next interview. If you want to move up, you should already be thinking about the next order of magnitude.

J.C. Stoner, Ph.D.
Director of Housing Systems & Services
University of North Texas

By Sydney Valentine-Parris

What is Policy?
Broadly, policy is the documented and formal guidelines and procedures that provide direction for functions and operations, decision-making, and maintaining standards. Policies are important because they function as a structural framework that outlines expectations, responsibilities, and processes within an organization or institution, big or small.   

Policy Types
There are four main types of policy: regulatory, constituent, distributive, and redistributive. Regulatory policy outlines what an entity can and cannot do and regulates it, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and Title IX. Constituent policies are often public policies made by federal, state, and local governments; for example, the Texas Public School Nutrition Policy dictates what foods are served in Texas public schools. Distributive policies are related to how funds, benefits, and resources are distributed to a specific group without directly taxing another group. Public research grants, such as those from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are an example. Redistributive policies redistribute resources in an effort to achieve equity, like providing healthcare to low-income individuals through Medicaid and determining the distribution of benefits to low-income households via food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).   

Impactful Educational Policies
Federal educational policies have undoubtedly impacted and have fundamentally shaped American education, influencing structure, funding, accountability, and privacy. Such policies include the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the later Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Educate America Act, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).    

The civil rights-era Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was a landmark federal law enacted in 1965 that aimed to improve educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged students by directing federal funding to low-income student-serving school districts. In particular, Title I-A of ESEA is the primary source of federal funding for American elementary and secondary education (Skinner, 2024). ESEA was a civil rights-focused law designed to reduce the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their peers through additional academic resources and support programs. The impact of ESEA is significant, as it was the first major federal involvement in public education funding, helped expand educational access, and highlighted a federal responsibility for educational equity. The more recent Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), established in 2015, is the main federal K-12 education policy. ESSA replaced the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act and reauthorized provisions of ESEA (Skinner, 2024). ESSA aims to ensure an equal and high-quality education for all students. Notably, ESSA still requires annual standardized testing and reporting of school performance, but shifts authority to states by allowing states to create accountability plans, set their own academic standards, and identify schools that need improvement. ESSA is impactful because it allows for a more balanced approach to federal oversight by increasing state control over educational policy, while also maintaining the federal commitment to education equity.    

In 1994, President Clinton's Educate America Act, also known as Goals 2000, established eight national education goals to be achieved by the year 2000. The Educate America Act focused on school readiness, high graduation rates, student achievement, teacher development, subject-matter competency, adult literacy, safe schools, and parental participation. The Educate America Act provided funding for state and local educational reform, setting a precedent for standards-based accountability in education, as did the aforementioned No Child Left Behind Act. While not all eight goals were fully achieved by 2000, the Educate America Act was impactful as it initiated long-term improvements in content standards, student performance, and high school graduation rates. However, states experienced "difficulty developing performance standards and assessments" (Orr, 2022).   

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, which applies to all schools receiving funding from the United States Department of Education (United States Department of Education, 2021). FERPA grants parents the right to inspect records and controls disclosure until the student turns 18 years of age or attends a postsecondary institution, at which point those rights transfer to the student. FERPA has impacted education by establishing clear and strict privacy protections for students and their sensitive information. As a result, institutions are required to manage student records and data diligently and must receive proper consent to release student information. 

References

Orr, A. J. (2022). Educate america act of 1994. EBSCO Knowledge Advantage.
Skinner, R. R. (2024). The elementary and secondary education act (ESEA), as amended by the every student succeeds act (ESSA): A primer. Library of Congress.
United States Department of Education, Student Privacy Policy Office. (2021). A parent guide to the family educational rights and privacy act (FERPA). United States Department of Education.

Sydney Valentine-Parris 
Texas Southern University, Public Policy Co-Chair

SWACUHO Executive Board Highlights — May 2026

Meeting Overview

Date: May 8, 2026

Meeting Time: 8:31am – 10:20 am

The Executive Board met virtually to discuss ongoing initiatives, upcoming events, and strategic priorities for the organization. Here are the key highlights:

Key Discussion Areas

Research, Assessment, & Information

• Annual Conference assessment data has been finalized. Overall, positive feedback with some noted concerns surrounding catering. 

• RAI is refining assessment tools and aligning survey questions with organizational goals.

• Plans underway to:

• • Reintroduce the Research Grant Application

  • Incorporate data into marketing efforts

  • Collect more targeted feedback (including exhibitor and host experiences)

• Board and committee members are encouraged to finalize assessment tools at least one month before events.

Programs, Engagement, & Communications 

• Roundtables continue to be highly successful across the region, with strong attendance and engagement.

• Communications will begin targeted outreach to committee chairs to increase blog submissions.

• A new Events webpage is in development to better highlight key programs and opportunities.

• Podcast engagement continues to grow with recent episodes released!

New Initiatives & Decisions

• Approved $1,000 in seed funding for a West Texas Drive-In working group pilot program.

• Approved resolutions honoring 16 graduating professionals across the region.

• A Money/Scholarship/Fiscal Task Force is forming, with recommendations expected by Mid-Year.

• Development of an Event Wrap-Up Report tool to improve continuity and institutional knowledge.

Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorships

• Work is underway to enhance corporate partnership structures, including:

• • Clearer sponsorship levels and benefits

  • Improved communication guidelines with sponsors

• A new webpage is being developed to expand corporate partner engagement opportunities.

Website & Technology Updates

• Continued improvements to SWACUHO’s website, including:

• • Awards & Recognition updates

  • Future centralized Events page

• Increased focus on making key information more accessible outside of the handbook.

Awards & Recognition

• The SHINE form is now live on the website! This is a great way to provide some additional recognition throughout the year.

• Efforts are underway to streamline awards processes and increase visibility of recipients.

• Resolution of Commendation certificates for graduates will be distributed to recipients.

Financial Snapshot

• Major conference expenses processed; continued monitoring of budget and revenue streams.

• Mid-Level Summit registration is underway with steady participation.

Looking Ahead

• Continued focus on:

• • Data-informed decision-making

  • Expanding access to professional development

  • Strengthening member engagement across the region

Voting Items

• ✅ Approved $1,000 in seed funding for a West Texas Drive-In working group pilot program.

• ✅ Approved 16 resolutions honoring professionals graduating with advanced degrees across the region.

Treasurer Snapshot

• Updated budget details are available via the Treasurer’s shared Google Sheet.

Upcoming Events

• AR Roundtable – May 26, 9 a.m.

• May Texas Roundtable - May 26 from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm CST. 

• SHO Virtual Roundtable - May 28, 2-4 p.m.

• Mid-Level Summit - June 4-5

• Campus Home. Live! - June 21 – 24, 2026

• Graduate and Entry-Level Roundtable - June 25 at 11am

• SHO Virtual Roundtable - July 21, 2-4 p.m.

• Graduate and Entry-Level Roundtable - September 2

• SWACUHO-U at Rose State College in Oklahoma - September 28-30

• Graduate and Entry-Level Roundtable - November 13

• Student Staff Leadership Conference at TWU - November 13-14

Questions or Ideas?

Reach out to your State Director if you would like more information about anything mentioned here!

Arkansas State Director
Leanna Payton
Henderson State University
arkansas@swacuho.org

Oklahoma State Director
Whitney Arbaugh
Northeastern State University 
oklahoma@swacuho.org

Texas State Director
Nicholas Brown
East Texas A&M University
texas@swacuho.org