I am the current CAPPA historian. This means I’m old, and retired. I’m hopeful I can express how my CAPPA experience can provide value to you. Here’s the short version of my professional journey: I graduated with degrees in mechanical engineering and business administration, worked for a mechanical electrical design firm for 4 years, and got my engineering license. Since that time, I’ve worked in Higher Ed for 39 years, across 4 states, at 5 public universities. Two constants across this journey are the patience of my wife, Patty, and a connection to CAPPA.
With each job change, I hoped my skills were appropriate for the new job. And each time my skill set fell short. Each time I had to keep learning, keep growing in order to meet the challenges of the new job. In each case, CAPPA lessons helped bridge the gap between the skills I had and the skills I needed.
It probably took me longer than it should have to add certain work skills. I wanted to believe I knew all I needed. I finally accepted I had to keep sharpening the saw, because I didn’t know everything, and because the world around me was changing faster than I was keeping up.
My first CAPPA boss was in the original CAPPA meeting in 1953. He taught me that space in buildings was a resource to be managed, not trivialized. And he taught me you didn’t need the best toys to solve a problem, you needed a strategy to best use your resources.
My second CAPPA boss made me attend my first conference, and for that I’ll forever be grateful. It exposed me to a gathering of folks who come together to celebrate each other’s victories, big and small, and to fuss about our common problems, big and small. We don’t have all the answers; everybody’s issues are unique to them. But we have this opportunity to show folks how we approached a particular issue, what resources we put towards it, and what our results were.
My other bosses also encouraged me to participate in CAPPA. I didn’t verbalize it well, but I understood the value proposition of CAPPA. It was a net positive investment for my school, because of what I brought back in tools and ideas.
My CAPPA story includes many years spent on the Professional Development Committee, trying to share new tools and current success stories. CAPPA and APPA provide tools whether it be in education sessions, in Supervisor’s Toolkit, or Academy on Campus. Is your department struggling with having their training budgets cut? CAPPA’s Professional Development Committee can offer scholarships for folks that attend our conferences and other CAPPA and APPA trainings. Be aware and take advantage of this opportunity.
Before conversations I’ve had with others at the recent 2022 CAPPA Conference, this is where I would be done with my story. I would have wrapped up by saying how wonderful it is to get together and network. But these recent interactions reminded me that I’ve become that grumpy old guy saying ‘get off my grass’.
I was reminded that even though I enjoy reading a physical newspaper, most folks obtain information from social media that I’m not using. Yet that interaction really mattered.
So now my CAPPA story, and your CAPPA story, evolve around learning how to share known best practices in this social media era.
I’m the historian, right? The history of this organization is that a bunch of folks got together to compare data; to tell stories about problems they faced. Their formal interactions were based on presentations on physical paper about space use, about controlling energy use, about the training staff needed to get the job done, about tight budgets. At this most recent 2022 CAPPA Conference, we used laptops and projectors to talk about … space, energy, training, and budgets. Because there are new folks who need to hear these stories.
CAPPA is a great place, a safe place, for business folks and gearheads, and business partners to get context about common frustrations. Where is that level of frustration? Where is the pain point, that point of mutiny where you say, ‘THAT’S ENOUGH?’ My mutiny is with social media, I don’t want to learn that software, I’m retired, I don’t have to. That’s part of my CAPPA story. Part of your CAPPA story will be how you gather information, and how you use all your tools, including social media, to share these nuggets you get from our gatherings.
I’m a Star Trek guy. Much too late in my CAPPA journey I learned about this quote from series creator Gene Roddenberry. My hope is it summarizes your ongoing experience with CAPPA. Roddenberry said, “When we do become wise, we’ll learn that quite the loveliest statement in the world is: I disagree with you. And we’ll learn the answer is: Wonderful, please tell me how.”