Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
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 →
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 →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal is joined by Jennifer Pridemore, Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual, for a practical and compassionate conversation about financial wellness for live-in housing professionals. Together, they explore how living on campus shapes financial habits, the importance of planning early, and ways to build healthy, realistic money practices. This episode encourages listeners to approach financial goals with flexibility and confidence.
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 →
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 →
In this episode of Roompact’s ResEdChat, Crystal is joined by her mentee, Leya Deickman, Associate Director of Residence Life at William & Mary, for an honest conversation about mentorship in housing and residence life. Together, they reflect on timing, expectations, boundaries, and accountability, encouraging listeners to think about how mentorship might support their own growth and leadership.
In this final episode of the year, guest host Dustin Ramsdell speaks with Tamarah Humphreys about making lateral moves in your career. She details the reasons why someone might make these sideways pivots, and what to expect when they might occur. Tamarah shares reflections of her own experience making these transitions, and gives advice for how best to navigate them. Guest: Tamarah Humphreys (she/her) - Community Director at University of St. Thomas Host: Dustin Ramsdell, Independent Higher EdTech Content Creator
In this week's episode, guest host Dustin Ramsdell spoke with Madison Vasich, a current Roompact blogger from the University of Montana to get her reflections and advice on starting as a new professional staff member straight from completing her undergraduate degree. Madison also shares her experience moving to a new area for your first professional job and how best to acclimate to a campus environment.
In this episode of the podcast, guest host Dustin Ramsdell chats with Ashley Unmacht, a current Roompact blogger from the University of Wisconsin-Madison about her path growing into a mid-level role early in her career. She shares advice for others as they navigate job related transitions as well as the unique dynamics of supervising students and colleagues when you move up as a young professional.
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Donovan Cyrus joins Jas to chat about making the leap into a mid-level role in housing and residence life earlier than most. Whether you're considering an early move up or mentoring someone who is, this conversation will offer insights and practical advice on breaking through perceived career timelines in student affairs.
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, join our host Noah and guest Emma Grupe, Resident Director at Miami University of Ohio, to talk about the field and what it looks like to enter Residence Life without a degree in Student Affairs. As we all know, Student Affairs is typically not a job that people plan on entering, but what does it look like when you go at it from another angle all together? How do we do a job while learning how to do it at the same time? Join Noah and Emma as they tackle these questions and share stories and advice for new Residence Life Professionals.
Other duties as assigned. We see this catch-all in every job description, and within Residence Life we know all too well how true it tends to be. I used to think that this notion was included to protect departments from backlash when needing to give special projects and tasks to staff outside of their day-to-day... Continue Reading →
In the dynamic and emotionally nuanced environment of residence life, professionals are expected to lead, support, and mentor students while navigating their own complex personal and professional development. One often-overlooked challenge that many in the field face is imposter syndrome. The persistent feeling of self-doubt despite evident success or qualifications. But what is it? How... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal sits down with Deanna Hughes, Associate Director of Residential Education at the University of South Florida-Tampa Campus, to discuss the art of balancing life as a housing professional, doctoral student, mom, and partner. Deanna shares valuable insights on time management, building support systems, navigating dissertation research, and embracing balance through simple joys like walking, journaling, and bowling. Tune in for an inspiring conversation filled with practical advice for managing it all!
This week, we're bringing Dustin and Paul together to have a deep exploration of all the things any higher ed professional should consider before they make the switch into a career in education technology. They discuss everything from how to evaluate different company dynamics, corporate culture shock, and how to stand out to prospective employers.
So, you’re a higher education professional about to begin your job search wondering, “What’s my next step in my career?” Vertical trajectory up the organizational chart is alluring for many, as it represents an idealized version of professional success in a capitalist society. After all, what’s a more concrete example of your hard work than... Continue Reading →
Housing is a unique place to hold a career due to all of the elements this functional area is responsible for. There are a lot of great experiences that can translate to future opportunities in which you can continue to build on a career within Student Affairs or pivot to a new field entirely. I... Continue Reading →
Moving out of the residence halls is a rite of passage for many of us working in Residence Life. For however long we called campus home, we did not pay rent; we got perks such as a meal plan, access to a gym, and free amenities (wifi, cable packages, utilities); and probably one of the... Continue Reading →
