Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Host Paul Brown sits down with 2026 Roompact Fellow, Amanda Knerr to talk about assessment in residence life. Assessment can be scary. It can be difficult. But it doesn't have to be. Amanda and Paul talk about tangible and tangible steps departments can take to make assessment infused in all departmental practices from formative to summative.
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 →
Abstract Residential Education teams create powerful experiences, yet we often struggle to assess and communicate our impact in ways that influence decisions. In a time of tighter budgets and increased scrutiny, showing clear value has become essential. This session explores how building a culture of assessment, supported by intentional data visualization, can highlight outcomes, strengthen... 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 →
No Survey? No Problem! In the fast-paced, community-centered world of Residence Life, traditional surveys often fall short of capturing the real learning, growth, and engagement happening in our halls. This session introduces housing professionals to a practical—and surprisingly fun—toolkit of creative assessment methods designed specifically for the realities of Res Life work. Together, we’ll explore easy-to-adopt strategies that help you understand what students are actually learning outside the classroom. You’ll see how these methods can generate richer insights, build stronger assessment narratives, and support data-informed decision-making without adding hours to your workload. Whether you're assessment-curious or looking to expand your existing practice, this webinar will leave you inspired, confident, and ready to tell your learning story—no surveys required.
It’s that time of year. Students are cramming for final exams, holding their last student org events, and carrying stuff out of their residence halls by the laundry basketful. Over in professional staff world, we’re holding closing staff meetings, gearing up for move-out, and suddenly— somehow —the inbox feels like it’s bursting at the seams.... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, we rebroadcast a past webinar discussing storytelling through data and assessment with panelists from the University of South Carolina and University of South Florida. Through this session, the panelists explore best practices to collect, interpret, and present data to campus partners and departmental leadership to create buy-in and provide the “why” to students and staff. Additionally, panelists share how innovative curriculum assessment strategies can enhance the student experience and support departmental and institutional priorities.
We're welcoming Chad to the show this week to share with Dustin how his team at Concordia College was able to utilize quick student surveys to gather authentic and timely insights. Chad also details how his fellow staff members and student leaders were able to take action on the feedback to further their work enabling student learning in alignment with their curriculum.
This week, Dustin is joined by Danielle to discuss her recent work beginning to implement an assessment plan at her institution. She reflects on accomplishing similar work in prior roles and gives advice to others on how best to navigate the emotional and logistical aspects of this work.
Assessment in student affairs is often associated with data collection, reports, and metrics—a necessary but sometimes uninspiring aspect of the field. While spreadsheets and surveys are critical (and sometimes interesting to nerds…) tools, focusing solely on these parts makes us lose sight of why assessment matters. At its core, assessment is not a data project;... Continue Reading →
I didn’t do an assessment. I didn’t know how. I didn’t do an assessment. It seemed too time-consuming. I didn’t do an assessment. A student crisis took priority. I didn’t do an assessment. I had a creative idea for gathering data, but the university denied my funding request. I didn’t do an assessment. I have... Continue Reading →
Assessments and surveys are inescapable on a college campus. It’s an environment that prides itself on gathering information to identify how it can continue to improve for students and stay relevant among potential competitors. Residence Life is no exception to this: often there are assessments that are pushed out in fall and spring semesters to... Continue Reading →
We're pleased to welcome Jeanette to the show this week where she and Dustin discuss the importance and methods of utilizing the ACUHO-I Standards in our departmental processes. Jeanette also shares some reflections on recently earning her doctorate in Educational Leadership.
When I first entered the field of Higher Education as a Residence Hall Manager, I remember feeling that there was no way I had time to collect data, find meaningful ways to communicate said data, and depending on the day, if I knew where to start in looking for data. Between ensuring the safety and... Continue Reading →
Other Posts in This Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Within Student Affairs, assessment is often an expectation of everyone’s work. Whether you are someone in an entry level role or have been around the block for 20 academic years, assessment likely comes up. I believe it is critical... Continue Reading →
We welcome Paul back as our guest this week to explore the concept of "microsurveys". He explains what they are, how they can be used, and why residential education professionals should implementing them into their departmental strategy.
Other Posts in This Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Within Student Affairs, assessment is often an expectation of everyone’s work. Whether you are someone in an entry level role or have been around the block for 20 academic years, assessment likely comes up. I believe it is critical... Continue Reading →
One of the unique features of Roompact's software is the ability to send residents "Microsurveys." Microsurveys are short, one-question polls of your residents. These surveys can be sent via email or text message. They can be sent to the entire resident population or to specific buildings. And they can include a question that is open-ended,... Continue Reading →
