These resources are a part of our ongoing efforts to share research and insights into developing a residential curriculum. While these materials may help in providing a broad understanding what a curriculum entails, the ACPA Institute on the Curricular Approach, ICA, (formerly the Residential Curriculum Institute, RCI) goes through step-by-step detail into how to enact these principles in your work. Our staff member, Paul Gordon Brown, also offers workshops and other consultative services related to a residential curriculum. Roompact is a proud sponsor of the Institute on the Curricular Approach and is its official software partner.

If you’re looking to connect with others around curriculum, consider joining the Residential Curriculum Facebook Group or follow the #ACPARCI hashtag on Twitter and other platforms. There are a number of ways to connect with colleagues around this topic.

eBooks on Residential Curriculum and Curricular Approaches:

Roompact offers a number of eBooks related to curricular development and residence life and education. We make these freely available to everyone and encourage folks to utilize and share these widely. The following eBooks on residential curriculum and curricular approaches provide you with definitions, instructions, and review materials to aid you in your educational work on campus.

eBook Download - Curriculum 3rd Edition

Posts About the 10 Essential Elements of a Residential Curriculum:

Residential Curriculum

Case Studies:

Further Reading on Developing a Residential Curriculum or Curricular Approach:

Publications on Developing a Residential Curriculum or Curricular Approach:

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles:

About Curricular Approaches:

Reference Curricular Approaches:

Contain Sub-Sections on Curricular Approaches:

Learn More About Our Curriculum Workshops and Consulting Services

Research on the Curricular Approach:

Organizational Perspective On Implementing The Residential Curriculum ApproachDissertation: Organizational Perspective On Implementing the Residential Curriculum Approach: An Ethnographic Case Study by Hilary L. Lichterman

Abstract: How does a college or university housing department adopt and adapt to a new curricular approach? This qualitative descriptive case study describes how one, mid-size, co-educational residence life department in the Midwestern region of the United States adopted the residential curriculum approach based on “The 10 Essential Elements of a Residential Curriculum” (The 10EERC) that are a foundational aspect of the content discussed at the ACPA – College Student Educators International’s annual Residential Curriculum Institute (RCI). Research questions for the study address changes that occurred in the residence life unit when adopting the residential curriculum approach, participants’ perceptions of positives and challenges in the transition to the approach, and how residence life staff characterize their experience of adopting the approach.

Videos About The Curricular Approach:

PechaKucha – Claiming Our Roles As Educators: Residential Curriculum and Curricular Approaches
In this PechaKucha, the presenter will reflect on how participation in ACPA’s Institute on the Curricular Approach (formerly the Residential Curriculum Institute, RCI) has changed the way he views the creation of intentional learning environments. By drawing from principles found in classroom curriculum construction, professionals can re-envision their roles as educators and learners with their students. Find out what we’re doing wrong, what we can do right, and how we can truly transform our organizations into learning-centered, student-centered environments.

A Celebration of Residential Curricula: 10 Years Strong! A Celebration of Residential Curricula: 10 Years Strong!
This video is intended to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of ACPA’s Residential Curriculum Institute and the exemplary efforts with curricular work done in residence halls on various campuses throughout the world. Various colleagues captured their insights regarding benefits to students, biggest departmental and institutional successes, and major lessons learned from adopting the curricular approach to residential education. Originally presented at the 2016 Residential Curriculum Institute in Tampa, Florida. Source: ACPA Video on Demand

Reflecting on the Curricular Approach to Learning Beyond the ClassroomReflecting on the Curricular Approach to Learning Beyond the Classroom
The landscape of student affairs has changed dramatically over its lifetime, and the introduction of the curricular approach is helping campuses to realize some of their biggest aspirations for student learning. This video provides an overview of some of the benefits realized as a result of shifting to a curricular approach and what the experts have learned about its power to transform campus cultures. These shifts are increasingly important as student issues and expectations have changed over time. Source: ACPA Video on Demand

Using Rubrics to Assess LearningUsing Rubrics to Assess Learning
Rubrics are tools that are used by educators to help evaluate the learning and performance of students. They are written documents, often presented in a chart format, that help define progress and achievement levels towards various goals and performance indicators. Coco Du, Director of Residential Life, Macalester College, joins Eric Pernotto, Associate Director for Residential Learning, Clemson University, to discuss rubrics and their role in learning assessment in this session from the 2016 Residential Curriculum Institute. Source: ACPA Video on Demand

Building Assessment into Your Residential CurriculumBuilding Assessment into Your Residential Curriculum
Assessment is a critical part of building a successful residential curriculum. In this video, we show you some best practices for incorporating assessment into your residential education strategy. Furthermore it provides suggestions for integrating residential curriculum assessment strategies into your overall campus assessment plan. Being able to “tell your story” is critical for campus departments and divisions and the curricular approach can help you better define your outcomes as well as your success in achieving those outcomes. Source: ACPA Video on Demand

Educational Plans and Lesson Plans – Putting it all TogetherEducational Plans and Lesson Plans: Putting It All Together
Once learning goals and outcomes are defined, scaffolded, and sequenced, the development of lesson plans (facilitation guides) prescribes how these objectives should be put into practice. Steve Herndon, Assistant Dean of Students & Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life, University of Dayton, and David Shorey, Associate Director of Residence Education, Wilfrid Laurier University, share their experiences with educational plans and lesson plans in this session from the 2016 Residential Curriculum Institute. Source: ACPA Video on Demand

Developing a Residential Curriculum Review ProcessDeveloping a Residential Curriculum Review Process
Residential curricula need to be reviewed regularly to ensure they stay current and relevant. A review process entails a top-to-bottom assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of your overall educational plan and implementation. These reviews can involve departmental staff as well as internal and external stakeholders. Watch this video for tips on how to begin to structure your review process including strategies you can do to ensure your curriculum is best set up for success. Source: ACPA Video on Demand

Additional videos:

ACPA Institute on the Curricular Approach

Institute on the Curricular Approach / Residential Curriculum Institute:

2018 – Twitter Recap: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

2017 – Twitter Recap: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, #ACPARCI 2017 Recap by Erin Simpson (PDF)

2016 – Twitter Recap: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

2014 – Twitter Recap: Day 1 (PDF), Day 2 (PDF), Day 3 (PDF), Reflections on the 2014 Institute by Nicolas Babarskis

2013 – #ACPARCI 2013 Twitter Recap by ebeeler (PDF)

Past Institute Showcase Institutions:

  • American University (2010)
  • Appalachian State University (2017)
  • Carleton University (2017, 2018)
  • Central Michigan University (2017, 2018)
  • Clemson University (2014)
  • Colorado Mesa University (2012, 2013)
  • Dartmouth College (2009)
  • East Tennessee State University (2016)
  • Eastern Kentucky University (2018)
  • Georgia Southern University (2015)
  • Gettysburg College (2010, 2011)
  • Indiana State University (2014, 2015, 2018)
  • Indiana University Bloomington (2018)
  • Lehigh University (2013, 2014)
  • Macalester College (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016)
  • Messiah College (2011)
  • New York University (2010, 2015)
  • North Carolina State University (2017)
  • North Dakota State University (2016, 2017, 2018)
  • Northern Illinois University (2011, 2012)
  • Pennsylvania State University (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015)
  • Quinnipiac University (2018)
  • Radford University (2018)
  • St. Lawrence University (2012)
  • Saint Louis University (2011, 2012, 2013)
  • Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018)
  • SUNY Brockport (2011, 2013)
  • SUNY Fashion Institute of Technology (2018)
  • SUNY University of Buffalo (2014, 2018)
  • Syracuse University (2009)
  • University of Central Florida (2016, 2018)
  • University of Connecticut (2017)
  • University of Dayton (2012, 2015)
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2016)
  • University of Kansas (2018)
  • University of Massachusetts-Amherst (2017, 2018)
  • University of Minnesota (2010, 2012, 2013)
  • University of Mississippi (2016)
  • University of New Hampshire (2009, 2014, 2016)
  • University of North Carolina School of Arts (2018)
  • University of Oklahoma (2015, 2017, 2018)
  • University of South Carolina (2013, 2015, 2016)
  • University of South Florida (2014, 2016, 2018)
  • University of Utah (2018)
  • Virginia Tech (2013, 2014)
  • Western Washington University (2011, 2012)
  • Whitman College (2009)
  • Wilfrid Laurier University (2017)

Residential Curriculum

Residential Curriculum and Curricular Approach Examples:

Although there are many schools implementing curricular approaches to residential and student life, detailed information on these approaches can be difficult to find online. The following is a list of schools that have references to curricular frameworks and/or planning documents (including learning goals and outcomes, strategies, lesson plans, etc.) online. Note that these are of varying quality, and although an institution may list or reference a curricular-type frame work, they may not implement a true approach in practice. The links providing the most detail are listed first. Schools with demonstrated student affairs divisional curricula are noted with an asterisk.

Most useful links:

Additional institutions:

Residential Curriculum
Presentations on Residential Curriculum and Curricular Approaches:

The following are presentations on residential curriculum that are publicly available online. The most useful links are in bold.

Student Leader Training and Curricular Approaches:

The following are links provide information on student leader training and curricular approaches including RA training and residential curriculum.