Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
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 →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, we we are joined by Marcus Zacarias (UC Berkeley) to solve the puzzle of low attendance and low energy. The secret? It doesn’t require a massive budget or hours of planning. We dive deep into the art of micro-programming and intentional conversations. Discover how RAs and student staff members can maintain community momentum even during the busiest times of the year by focusing on low-effort, high-reward interactions that meet residents exactly where they are.
Within your role in Residence Life as a student leader there can be turnover. Sometimes a fellow student leader needs to step away, leaving a position that needs to be filled. Depending on the timing of this occurrence, it is typical for the now open role to be offered to a student leader candidate from... Continue Reading →
Number of events. Average attendance. Number of *unique* attendees in a semester. Average student staff GPA. Number of Intentional Interactions per month. Number of outreach attempts for unenrolled students. Percentage of monthly report forms turned in. Number of room moves. Number of duty calls related to a smoke detector. This is but a small portion... 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 Rachel Caine Welcome to an exciting new chapter in your college life! Being an RA requires a special kind of person, and I hope you are incredibly proud of yourself for landing this role! I invite you to go in ambitious, ready to take on new challenges and learn. You will learn so much... 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 →
On this episode of ResEdChat, join our host Noah Montague and guest Ben Williams as they talk about the needs of residential LGBTQIA+ students and the role of Residence Life Staff in supporting this population. While no student population is a monolith, especially when we are talking about marginalized students; LGBTQIA+ students have unique situations, supports, and joys that are crucial to consider and unpack, especially for live in staff. Join Ben and Noah as they explore these, share stories of their own experiences, and provide practical advice to Residence Life Staff.
January on campus tends to arrive with a mix of hope and pressure. It brings with it that new quarter/semester energy and, sometimes, new resolutions that feel motivating on January 1 but disheartening by the end of the first week. As Resident Advisors, you are not only navigating your own growth but also being role... Continue Reading →
Although it may sound a little odd, one of my favorite hobbies is budgeting. As a person who loves to collect many different types of items, and who carries an insatiable love of traveling, I’ve become rather skilled in how to make my money bend and stretch. There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from filling... Continue Reading →
Residence Life practices are changing with the times, or at least they should be. Technology is everywhere, including in the way the residential spaces are designed. The historic residential spaces persist and that age old motto “if it aint broke, don’t fix it” will continue for as long as possible, mostly due to replacement costs... Continue Reading →
Returning as a Resident Advisor is a deliberate choice. It’s a decision made after you’ve already experienced late-night duty rounds, difficult conversations, paperwork, and emotional labor. No one accidentally signs up to do this job twice. That’s why, when the year becomes demanding, it’s essential to remember why you came back to this job in... Continue Reading →
Universities typically provide different kinds of housing, catered towards different communities and resident populations. Typically, RA’s and student staff members will have areas that they prefer to live in, which makes these spaces more competitive for assignments. Here are some tips and tricks to help you get assigned to the area that you want. 1. Start... 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 →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Graduate Residence Hall Coordinator Mckenzie Howard at Eastern Kentucky University will share what's proven to be best practices to provide ongoing care, taking the time to debrief, and creating a culture that prioritizes well-being after critical incidents for student staff. Howard developed a "Comprehensive Care Plan" that she and other co-workers have used throughout the academic year to maintain the standard of care that has been set for her department. Let's discuss!
At some point in your time as a student leader, you may get a different supervisor. Sometimes this happens because you are put on a different community/building team at the start of a new school year, while other times it is because a supervisor has left and a new supervisor is hired in their place.... Continue Reading →
