Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
Bring On Opening! As residence hall opening season approaches, we've got updates for you and some helpful information to make sure you're prepared and ready. First things first, check out the opening checklist to make sure your Roompact environment is ready to go: Review The Opening Checklist ⬆️ Software Updates ⬆️ We've made a number... Continue Reading →
IT'S BACK! Roompact is holding its ninth annual door dec contest! This contest is open to student staff (RAs, CAs, etc.) at schools who currently use Roompact's software on their campus. Create a door dec with the name “Roompact” on it and email it to us at contests@roompact.com from your institutional email address (*.edu) with... Continue Reading →
During ACUHO-I's Residence Education Conference (and the Business Operations, and Housing Facilities Conferences) we'll be holding a social! Date: Tuesday, October 27th, 2026 Time: 5pm-7pm Location: On The ROX The social will have some free adult (and non-adult) beverages and nibbly bites. It's right across the street from the Hyatt Regency, next to the Sheraton.... Continue Reading →
What advice would you give to an incoming first year student? How can you enable them to build community and a sense of belonging? Consider writing your own or sharing this with your incoming residents. One of your first experiences in college is likely going to be meeting the individuals living near you in the... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, host Paul Brown sits down with Roompact Blogger Cohort member, Jordan Dedrick, to discuss her research into RA and student staff self-efficacy as it pertains to addressing conflict and mediations. Many campuses struggle with roommate conflicts in particular, and this episode provides some practical tips on equipping staff to help residents reach towards resolution.
It is relatively uncommon to meet someone who works professionally in residence life who was not a student leader at some point in their academic career. They may not have been an RA, but they likely found themselves connected to an office within the realm of student support. This is likely when they learned that... Continue Reading →
I have supervised three sibling groups in the past three years - on the same staff team and one year after the other! Many RDs intentionally do not hire siblings or departments have unwritten expectations that siblings don’t get hired to the same staff team. I was warned not to hire siblings onto the same... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, we explore one of the most meaningful parts of being an RA with Iyanna Williams and her experience on this topic: becoming a trusted support person for residents. Beyond programs and policy enforcement, RAs are often the first people residents turn to during moments of stress, conflict, loneliness, homesickness, or personal challenges. This conversation focuses on how RAs can navigate vulnerable conversations with empathy, professionalism, and care while also understanding their role, boundaries, and available campus resources.
If you’ve worked as a Resident Assistant or student staff member for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard them all. “Do you have a stapler?” “Can I borrow a vacuum?” “Do you know where my package is?” “My roommate locked themselves out…again.” At first glance, these questions don’t seem particularly memorable. They’re quick interactions... Continue Reading →
Can you believe summer is over? While the actual calendar says there's still plenty of the year left, anyone who works in Residence Life knows exactly what's coming. Goodbye to quiet residence halls, summer planning sessions, and those ambitious plans to finally create the perfect new process that will solve everyone’s problems. Maybe next year,... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, join Noah and Taylor Hogan as they talk about joy. Being in a caring field can take its toll. Residence Life staff are often requested to do more with less all while living where we work and being constantly surrounded by the work itself. Thus, it becomes crucial to find the joy to make the work and being people in the work sustainable. Join Noah and Taylor as they talk about finding joy, tell stories, and provide advice to Residence Life staff.
Whether you're a new or returning RA or Student Leader, you've probably heard how important first impressions are. Chances are, you've also heard that the first few weeks after move-in set the tone for your community. A lot of Residence Life professionals will tell you the first two, three, or four weeks are the most... Continue Reading →
As move-in season approaches, many new staff members find themselves more nervous about interacting with parents than students. We hear stories of our peers’ past experiences, and maybe have some lingering in the back of our brains as well. The truth is that most parents are not trying to be difficult. They're doing something incredibly... Continue Reading →
Full-time live-in staff might feel like they are the oldest person in the building. Maybe feel a little like they are the supposed “adult” in their residence hall who is there to follow up with student conduct issues, students of concern, and make sure that their Resident Assistants are doing their jobs. They could feel... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal connects with Demarcus Merritt, Sr., Assistant Director of Residence Life at George Mason University, on how burnout and the expectation to "push through" have become normalized within housing and residence life. Through a thoughtful conversation on supervision, wellness, move-in culture, and professional sustainability, Demarcus challenges us to rethink long-held traditions and consider what it would look like to prioritize staff wellbeing with the same intentionality we bring to student success.
When you think about preparing for a new academic year as a student staff member, your mind probably goes straight to everything you need to accomplish. Complete training. ✅ Learn your policies. ✅ Set up your community. ✅ Prepare your bulletin boards. ✅ Meet your staff team. ✅ Make sure you are ready for residents... Continue Reading →
There is a strange transition that happens when you move from entry-level housing work into mid-level leadership. For years, many of us watch Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, and Directors from a distance and create assumptions about what their jobs - and lives - must look like. We hear things like, “You’ll lose money if you... Continue Reading →
Students in college will almost certainly face some loneliness, whether that’s when they first arrive and don’t know anyone or later in the year when they feel everyone else has connections but them. While some loneliness is expected in the residence hall, it is also something that Residence Life can help tackle. Here are my... Continue Reading →
Move-in day is arguably the most chaotic, sweat-drenched, and high-stakes day of the entire academic year. For RAs and student staff members, it’s the ultimate "go time." You’re balancing logistics, heavy boxes, and roughly a thousand questions about where the nearest trash chute is. But beyond the physical exhaustion, move-in day is where the real... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, host Paul sits down with a member of the Roompact Blog Cohort, Matthew Inman, to discuss a wide range of topics from focusing on students' socio emotional learning to Pizza Hut (yes, Pizza Hut). As a recently graduated Masters degree student from Clemson University, Matthew also reflects on lessons learned and gives advice for incoming graduate students as well as those transitioning to a first time professional role.
Move-in is exciting, chaotic, loud and usually uncomfortably hot. As a Resident Advisor or other student leader, it's easy to feel like it’s an intense challenge, and like you need to have amazing conversations with every resident you see. First - you’re going to rock it, no matter what. Second - some of the best... Continue Reading →
