Thank you for stopping by to learn more about the Commission for Housing & Residential Life (CHRL). Take some time to look through our content and don’t hesitate to share how you’d like to get involved. Use the menu below to jump to a section of interest.
Please contact us at CHRL@acpa.nche.edu or connect with the members of our Directorate Body with questions or ideas.
About the Commission for Housing and Residential Life
Residence halls are one of the primary settings for student development programs in colleges and universities. The Commission for Housing and Residential Life (CHRL) is one of the largest of ACPA’s commissions and actively involves its members in meeting seven major objectives:
- To provide leadership to ACPA and the profession in general for student development in college residence halls.
- To identify issues of special concern and advise colleagues regarding these concerns through the support of research efforts, survey information, reports, position papers, and task force investigations.
- To communicate innovative ideas, special issues, problem resolution, and research information with a broad base of individuals throughout the country who are involved in residence education.
- To maintain a working relationship with other professional organizations, student associations, and other commissions, divisions, and agencies within ACPA that maintain similar or overlapping objectives.
- To cultivate professional development experiences through sponsoring and implementing convention programs and regional workshops.
- To assist in developing a set of professional standards for staff working in residence halls.
- To develop a plan and a process for evaluating the work and leadership of the Commission.
Meet the Directorate
Dr. Leah Shaw-Bruton
Chair
Kent State University
Dr. DeAndre Taylor
Past Chair
Teddy Howell
Directorate Member
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Abigail Leppert
Directorate Member
University of Colorado Boulder
Tracy Toscano
Directorate Member
Stony Brook University
Jasmine Wilkerson
Directorate Member
Past Chairs for the Commission for Housing and Residential Life
The Commission for Housing and Residential Life is proud of its extensive history of Housing and Residence Life leaders who, in addition to the leadership of their respective HRL departments, have contributed to ACPA and the field of Student Affairs broadly. Many Past Chairs of ACPA have gone on to leading and developing other ACPA Commissions and Communities of Practice, advanced to senior-level roles in their institutions, and many past CHRL Chairs have gone on to serve as Past Presidents of ACPA and/or other governing body roles. As a part of our history, we seek to honor and recognize our Past Chairs for their contributions to the success of CHRL.
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| Dr. Harold Riker Commission III Chair: 1962-1963 |
Thelma Miatt Commission III Chair: 1964-1966 |
Dr. Harold Marquardt Commission III Chair: 1966-1968 |
James Duncan Commission III Chair: 1968-1970 |
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| Phyllis Mable Commission III Chair: 1970-1972 (ACPA Past President, 1979-1980) |
Dr. David DeCoster Commission III Chair: 1972-1974 |
Dr. Susan Komives Commission III Chair: 1974-1976 (ACPA Past President, 1982-1983) |
Sherrill Ragans Commission III Chair: 1976-1978 |
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| Dr. Charles Schroeder Commission III Chair: 1978-1980 (ACPA Past President, 1986-1987, 1993-1994) |
Stephen Peterson Commission III Chair: 1980-1982 |
Pat Kearney Commission III Chair: 1982-1984 (ACPA Past President, 1988-1989 |
Dr. Jill Carnaghi Commission III Chair: 1984-1986 (ACPA Past President, 2000-2001) |
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| Dr. Chuck Werring Commission III Chair: 1986-1988 |
Kent Sampson Commission III Chair: 1988-1990 |
Tim Pierson Commission III Chair: 1990-1992 |
Connie Foley Commission III Chair: 1992-1994 |
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| Jackie Mims-Hickmon Commission III Chair: 1994-1996 |
Dr. Andrea J. Trinklein CHRL Chair: 1996-1998 |
LeeAnna Lamb CHRL Chair: 1998-2000 |
Dr. Cathy Akens CHRL Chair: 2000-2002 |
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| Dr. Derek Jackson CHRL Chair: 2002-2004 |
Dr. Todd Clark CHRL Chair: 2004-2006 |
Dr. Kathleen G. Kerr CHRL Chair: 2006 – 2008 (ACPA Past President, 2013-2014) |
Adrian Gage CHRL Chair: 2008 – 2010 |
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| Dr. Kathleen Gardner CHRL Chair: 2010 – 2012 |
Jerome Holland CHRL Chair: 2012 – 2013 |
Dr. Amy Franklin-Craft CHRL Chair: 2013 – 2015 |
Dr. Troy Seppelt CHRL Chair: 2015-2017 |
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| Dr. Laura Arroyo CHRL Chair: 2017-2019 |
Dr. Claire Semer CHRL Chair: 2019-2021 |
Dr. Brandin Howard CHRL Chair: 2021-2023 |
Dr. DeAndre Taylor CHRL Chair: 2023-2025 Current Past Chair |
Get Involved
CHRL is always looking for involved members! It is easy to join us and at this time by following the steps below!
Ready to join?
Joining an Entity through the ACPA Member Portal automatically identifies you as a member of that Entity! You will begin to receive Entity communications through their respective email listserv and have access to any resources they share!
- Login to your ACPA Member Account
- Click on Community Groups (Chatter)
- Click Groups
- Click Active Groups
- Find the entity you want to join and within that group, click +Join
Contact chrl@acpa.nche.edu, to learn more about ACPA’s Commission for Housing & Residential Life!
Any ACPA member can become involved and there are varying levels of involvement:
- Join our listserv (sign up under “my profile” in the ACPA membership area)
- Attend our open business meeting at the annual ACPA convention
- Review conference programs for the annual convention
- Submit a sponsored program proposal for the annual convention
- Host a webinar
- Submit a proposal for a paper to be published on our website
Chrl Awards
Award Nominations for 2026 are now OPEN and are due October 31, 2025. Please note that you do not have to be a current ACPA member to nominate or be nominated for the awards below.
Since 1977, the Commission for Housing and Residential Life has recognized outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of student housing. The CHRL Directorate Body is proud to carry on the coordination of this important tradition.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ACPA 2025 Award Winners!
Outstanding Experienced Professional Award 4-9 Years of Experience
Dr. Brandon Johnson, School of the Art Institute Chicago
Outstanding New Professional In Residential Life
Annabelle Sowah, University of Delaware
Outstanding Graduate Student Staff Member
Hima Bindu Kodali, University of Memphis
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Staff Member
Dorian Cheyney, Goucher College
Excellence in Service
Vincent “Vinny” Jackson, University of Delaware
Outstanding Innovation in Housing and Residential Life
Engineering Connections, CU Boulder
Commission for Housing and Residence Life Annual Awards
Commitment to Racial and Social Justice in Housing and Residence Life Award
The Commitment to Racial Justice Award is presented in recognition of outstanding work in fostering diversity and racial justice education, competency, and/or action among students, staff, and/or faculty at their institution or in their community.
Selection criteria include:
- An outstanding or exceptional contribution to one’s campus community in the area of diversity, interculturalism, and racial justice.
- The identified contribution may have resulted in a wide range of identifiable outcomes, including, but not limited to,
- Further community engagement in diversity dialogue and education,
- Examined and modified current practices and policies impacting one’s department/institution,
- Addressed the particular needs of underrepresented populations, and
- Implemented projects and initiatives that foster diversity and racial justice.
- Successful candidates have sought to address marginalization, oppression, and/or privilege through their academic, co-curricular, and/or social engagements.
- Through their efforts, successful candidates will have helped promote critical awareness, perspective-taking, understanding, critical thinking, and/or action for fairness and the common good.
Excellence In Service Award
In the tradition of the National Residence Hall Honorary’s (NRHH) Spotlight Award, this award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to her/his campus and/or the housing profession and is not eligible for any of the other awards; therefore, the nominee cannot be a student or professional housing staff member. Possible nominees could be food service personnel, night security staff, administrative assistants, or custodial staff.
Selection criteria include:
- Performance and contributions in current position
- Contributions to student success,
- Contributions to the community in which the university or college is located.
Excellence In Sustainability
There are three categories of excellence in sustainability awards. This award is presented to a program, an individual, or a department that has demonstrated outstanding contributions toward sustainability on their campus and/or to the housing profession.
The individual award criteria for excellence in sustainability are: individual responsibility, integration, collaboration, and assessment.
Excellence in departmental sustainability criteria include: integration of sustainable practices, responsible growth and management, education, and conservation.
Outstanding initiatives or programs include: the holistic nature of the program or activity (advancing students’ understanding of the relationship between environmental stewardship, social justice, and economic growth), the relationship of initiative to the ACPA learning outcomes for sustainability, degree of collaboration, assessment, and sustainability of the initiative, embedded nature of practice and conservation.
Note: Not all initiatives will address each criterion equally.
Outstanding Innovation in Housing and Residential Life
This award recognizes and honors excellence for an innovative program, project, collaboration with student affairs or academic departments, or service sponsored by a housing or residential life department.
Selection criteria include:
- The nominated program or initiative should demonstrate improvement in the quality of life for students, the efficiency in the department and/or the effectiveness in service delivery.
- Should address a problem or need in housing and residential life
- May be student or staff initiated
- Should advance the field/profession
- Should impact campus-specific efforts
- Must be allowed to be shared with other housing operations across the nation.
Outstanding New Professional In Residence Life
This award is presented to an individual in the first three years of their professional career who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to their campus and/or the housing profession.
Selection criteria include:
- Must be a full-time new housing professional (1-3 years of professional employment).
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity which was above and beyond normal expectations.
- Contributions to student affairs scholarship and or the profession, and contributions to the community.
- Must demonstrate potential for a successful career in housing or residence life.
Outstanding Graduate Student Staff Member
This award is presented to an outstanding full-time graduate student employed in a paraprofessional staff position.
Selection criteria includes:
- Performance and contributions in current graduate assistantship or paraprofessional position
- Contributions within the nominee’s academic program
- Contributions to the Student Affairs profession
- Other recognitions of achievement.
- Must be a full-time graduate pursuing a Master’s Degree, currently employed in a graduate assistant position within residence life.
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity which was above and beyond normal expectations.
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Staff Member
This award is presented to an outstanding undergraduate student employed in a paraprofessional staff position.
Selection criteria include:
- Performance and contributions in a current undergraduate paraprofessional position
- Contributions to the nominee’s academic program
- Contributions to community and university, and other recognitions of achievement.
- Must be a current undergraduate student employed in a paraprofessional position in student housing.
- Should have demonstrated outstanding performance in that position above and beyond normal expectations.
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity.
Outstanding Experienced Professional Award
This award is presented to an individual with 4 or more years of professional employment who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to their campus and/or the housing profession.
Selection criteria include:
- Performance and contributions within current position,
- Contributions to student affairs scholarship, contributions to the profession and/or contributions to the community.
Awarded in two categories: 4-9 years of experience and 10+ years of experience