Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
Every summer, Residence Life departments across the country run some version of the same script. Professional staff gather in conference rooms for days of policy review, emergency protocols, and community-building icebreakers. The binders are thick. The coffee is plentiful. And by move-in day, everyone is trained, certified, and ready to go. But are they connected?... Continue Reading →
When people first step into supervision, there’s often an unspoken assumption: if you pay attention, if you observe closely enough, you’ll catch issues early and fix them. Supervision, then, becomes a matter of having really good eyesight (see what I did there?). But the longer I sit in a mid-level role, the more I realize... Continue Reading →
It’s truly the most glorious time of the year. The days are longer, the sun is shining and we are days away from the peace that comes with our students moving out of the residence halls for a few months. This might be the time to deep clean your office, reach out to all of... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I became a residence life graduate assistant, drawing on prior experience as a student staff member, relevant coursework in pedagogy and sociology of higher education, and participation in a student affairs seminar led by my alma mater's senior student affairs officer. My undergraduate capstone project centered on the curricular approach, the main... Continue Reading →
I used to call the students that I work with my team or my students, but I don’t anymore. Surface level, there is nothing wrong with that. It is super normal to claim ownership over something you are a part of, especially if that something is a group of people that you hired. That group... Continue Reading →
Residence life is full of noise: resident needs, constant programming, staff follow-ups, and the day-to-day unpredictability of the work. Yet beneath that noise are patterns, rhythms, and repeated practices that shape our communities year after year. Ask yourself: when was the last time you truly reflected on your community or department’s practices? What did that... Continue Reading →
I am a major fan of both Hamilton: The Musical and utilizing a curricular approach, and recently presented these topics at the Western Association of College and University Housing Officers (WACUHO) annual conference. My fabulous colleague and I had the opportunity to share a few of the ways utilizing elements of a curriculum can help... Continue Reading →
Let’s set the scene: Your supervisor asks when you’re next planning to take a vacation. Maybe they’re even encouraging you to do so. Your (at least internal) response: “Yeah, sure, in the summer.” If you’re like me, that may come from the stress of planning leave at any. other. time. There’s always something - a... Continue Reading →
When I began supervising, I quickly identified my “go-to” RA. They always showed up, completed tasks, connected with the community, and followed through without reminders. When something was missed - a program, bulletin board, or interaction - I knew exactly who would step in. And they always did. At the time, it felt like good... Continue Reading →
I’ll admit it, I was one of those student affairs professionals who happily declared themselves a “ResLifer for Life”; I might as well have gotten it tattooed on me. Well, good thing I didn’t, because I had the curious experience of being asked to leave residence life and, this academic year, step in as the... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Host Paul sits down with one of our 2026 Roompact Fellows, Kaleigh Mrowka, to discuss student learning and curriculum, restorative practices, and encouraging campus dialogue. An interesting through-line develops which can give residence hall professionals multiple strategies and elements to incorporate in their work of making meaningful spaces for resident students. (Ledo's Pizza and a kitten also make an appearance.)
What makes a satisfying conclusion? Do you go for heartfelt with warm and fuzzy feelings? Or perhaps you like something more bittersweet. You might even like a surprise twist ending. I’m a sucker for a good ending to a movie (the original Halloween and The Shawshank Redemption are among my favorites, not that you asked),... Continue Reading →
Picture it, Summertimes. Perhaps you’re overseeing a project that couldn’t get done during the academic year or maybe you’re coordinating summer student housing or working with camps and conferences. There’s something about summer though that feels much more relaxed for many of us working in residence life. That is until July creeps up on us... Continue Reading →
“Is God real?” It’s a question students are already asking themselves, out loud and internally, even if not in those exact words. If you find yourself getting uncomfortable when presented with conversations about God, faith, religion, or belief systems, this blog post is for you. Let’s explore why we’re doing students a disservice by ignoring... Continue Reading →
Among professionals and student staff alike, there are few times as painstaking and perhaps controversial as returning staff training. Generally, responses can come back to “I learned this last year (or the year before),” “I could be doing other things right now,” and “this is too long” among returning staff. The reality is that annual... Continue Reading →
If you’ve ever looked at a training agenda and thought, “We should probably throw in something interactive here,” you are in very good company. Residence life has long relied on the hope that if we scatter enough icebreakers and small group discussions throughout training– a name game here, a marshmallow tower there, and sharing fun... Continue Reading →
When I served as a hall director – sometimes even now – I often would fall prey to working through my lunch hour, scarfing down my lunch while scanning emails, putting the finishing touches on a committee document to guide a process, completing a student of concern report, or meeting with someone – the list... Continue Reading →
Imagine it: You’re sitting through the eleventy-ninth candidate interview for a residence life position. You’re staring at your notes, trying to remember whether it was Candidate #14 or Candidate #17 who said their passion was “connecting with residents.” Or was it “resident connections”? Everything is blurring together. Your notes are turning into a string of... Continue Reading →
