Issue link: http://ihouse.uberflip.com/i/1472931
8 International House Times 8 International House Times Resident Temperature Check How Can We Make Your Experience Better? Overall, how satisfied are you with your International House Experience? O ver the past nine decades, I-House staff have mastered the art of providing the highest quality service to generations of residents. Many current staff members have been with I-House for more than two decades, and know how to deliver compelling excellence through attention to details both small and large. Executive Director Shaun Carver has instituted a weekly "temperature check" survey of residents to determine, through direct feedback, how well I-House is serving their needs, and to bring to light specific recommendations and concerns needing attention. Each Sunday morning, approximately one-sixth of the residents receive an invitation to provide their constructive input, followed each subsequent week by invitations to the next cohort so that every six weeks all residents are invited to participate. Comments and suggestions received are shared directly with key staff, and overall rankings are shared and discussed weekly at the senior team meeting. Over time, this process will allow for benchmarking results year to year, fixing and anticipating recurring challenges, and attaining better and better quality outcomes in terms of the resident experience at I-House. While issues raised are often known to staff and improvements may already be underway, it is of great importance to provide this feedback and satisfaction survey process for continuous improvement and responsiveness. Once improvements are identified and implemented, specific responses to issues raised via the survey process are communicated to all residents. In this manner, the Executive Office and relevant teams such as Dining and Operations close the feedback loop and let residents know unequivocally that they are heard and that their concerns are important. Working to deserve the recognition by residents that I-House management listens to concerns, acts to address them, and responds promptly is one of the ways in which we are striving to build community. n Whether you are currently retired or planning for it, Berkeley's Office of Gift Planning is available to help ensure that your gift meets both I-House's needs and your personal, financial, and philanthropic goals. You may wish to make beneficiary designations for IRAs, insurance policies, or Donor Advised Funds. Or, create a named scholarship or dedicated endowment during your lifetime, funded with special recurring gifts or appreciated securities. This way, you can see the gift's impact now and arrange to augment your support of I-House with a gift through your estate plan. To begin planning your legacy gift to I-House, please reach out to the Office of Gift Planning at 800.200.0575 or ogp@berkeley.edu or visit planyourlegacy.berkeley.edu. Have you considered making a gift to I-House in your living trust or will?