Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
by Claudia González Kanady We have all heard the saying, “We must meet our students where they are at.” I hear this when I was in undergrad from 2003-2008 and then again during graduate school from 2009- 2011. This saying was overused during my Resident Director years too, all 6.5 years. Meet them halfway. As... Continue Reading →
by Vicente Román The rising generation of college students is reshaping residence life practice in ways that require both reflection and adaptation. For professionals working with graduate and family housing populations, these shifts are especially pronounced. Students today are not only navigating academic responsibilities but also balancing professional careers, family obligations, and complex social and... Continue Reading →
by Mike Schilling, Ph.D. As a millennial student affairs practitioner—and more so as the millennial parent of a toddler—generational changes are often on my mind. I see how students engage with our residential environments, I see how my kiddo already understands how to “swipe” on a phone, and I know we need to continue to... Continue Reading →
by Diego Abraham The rising generation of college students is changing residence life practice through their earnestness, determination, and yearning for wealth, success, and admiration. I am of the very firm belief that in order to develop an excellent RA, you have to develop an excellent person. This particular role, alongside with the professional staff... Continue Reading →
by Sophia Muta My current favorite topic to talk about with my 18-year-old sister in her first year of college is about her use of AI. The big-sisterly advice I like to give her is to stop asking ChatGPT questions and start asking me first, so far, ChatGPT is winning the battle. While she may... Continue Reading →
By Danielle Jones Becoming an RA for the first time is an exciting time. There are many possibilities of what the future may hold and the impact one may get to have on their residents. However, returning as an RA can sometimes bring challenges. With a year or two of experience, returning may feel draining.... Continue Reading →
by Alli Hurtado Residence life is a field deeply rooted in tradition. Many of our core practices, health and safety inspections, multi-week student staff trainings, door decorations, on-call rotations, and structured programming models have remained largely unchanged for decades. These structures were built with care and intention, designed to create safe, supportive, and engaging residential communities, places... Continue Reading →
by Matthew M. Inman During a recent focus group with resident assistants (RAs), one staff member said, “I’m supposed to talk with my residents about leadership, but some can’t even speak to their neighbors.” As an educator, this statement had a lasting impact. It represents a misalignment between what we currently focus on in resident... Continue Reading →
By Austin Korynta In the (highly unlikely) event that nobody has told you this yet, congratulations on accepting the RA role! Being an RA is such an integral part to so many students’ lives. Throughout your time, you will make a significant impact on your community of residents’ lives, providing care in critical moments, outlets... Continue Reading →
Changing Residence Life Practice to Meet Current Student Needs by Austin Korynta As a young professional, one of my least favorite phrases from mid-to-upper-level administration is the phrase “I’m old school.” In my personal reflection on that phrase, “I’m old school” communicates, to me, an unwillingness to change and adapt to the current environment, the... Continue Reading →
by Yoke Tassent In many ways, college students will always be college students. They will be under-rested and over-caffeinated. Planning their days full of opportunities to prepare them for the work force while making “core memories”. They will have a large appetite they must fulfill on a small budget. Relying on ramen and a meal... Continue Reading →
By Abby Schuck It’s 7:30pm on Tuesday night (the time your Cocoa and Coloring program is set to start) but only you and a couple other RAs are there. You decide to give it a little more time. but now it’s 20 minutes later and still…nothing. You can’t figure out what happened. You were intentional... Continue Reading →
by Dr. Julie Ridgway Have you noticed your student staff engaged with your curricular approach? Are students attending or utilizing your strategies? Have you thought about if your curricular approach is Gen Z enough? Generation Z is the current generation of students living in our residence halls. As defined by Pew, Generation Z individuals were born... Continue Reading →
Abstract Am I ready for the next step in my career? Should I stay or should I go? If you are asking yourself these questions, then this presentation may assist in discussing when and how to move on or create space within. Content will also include what a mid-level mindset means as you consider advancing... Continue Reading →
by Ryan Taylor It’s been six (can you believe it, six years!) since the pandemic impacted how we do this work. Remember the Zoom 1:1s, the virtual curriculum strategies, and for some, the closed residential communities? It’s just wild to think that was now 6 years ago - it still feels so recent. Six years... Continue Reading →
by D.J. Moore From learning about En Loco Parentis during graduate school to attending Title IX and other important trainings as our institutions, part of working in Higher Education is being dedicated to a growth mindset and being a life-long learner (whether that learning takes place in a formal classroom or on the job). Psychologists and sociologists... Continue Reading →
~ Blog Posts Written By RAs for RAs ~ By Kiyauna Lewis When you start as an RA, your first initiative is to be as present for your residents as possible. Although this is a great way to start, it can become incredibly overwhelming and draining, almost immediately. The last thing you would want is... Continue Reading →
By Kate Pilcher Returning to the RA role often comes with a quiet, unspoken pressure: you should know this by now. You’ve already navigated your way around campus, duty, rounds, roommate conflicts, crisis protocols, and the sometimes emotionally taxing labor that comes with supporting residents. Due to exposure and experience, returning RAs are frequently seen... Continue Reading →
