Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
The academic year is in full swing. You’re supervising student staff, building community, answering emails, navigating yet another roommate conflict, and putting out a million little fires. Then your duty phone rings at 2 a.m. You probably got into this work because you wanted to make a difference. Maybe you had an incredible Res Life experience yourself. Maybe... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact’s ResEdChat, Crystal connects with Dr. Catherine LaRoche, Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement at Western Kentucky University, to explore what AVPs need from Housing and Residence Life leaders. Catherine shares how housing leaders can communicate data and risk, build trust, anticipate their AVP’s needs, and help senior housing leaders confidently advocate for the department.
Recently, a colleague, Paige Harris, and I were working on a presentation about incorporating joy at work. We were brainstorming about what joy looks like for each person and that each supervisor doesn’t have to create joy in the same way for it to be meaningful for a team. We ended up coming up with... Continue Reading →
“Buy-in” is one of the most common challenges in student affairs. Whether it’s residential curriculum, assessment, or new initiatives, staff are often told they need to “get others on board”—but rarely given tools that actually work on a Tuesday when they’re trying to do their job. This session reframes the conversation. Instead of focusing on convincing people to care, we’ll explore how everyday work can be designed so that key priorities are easier to follow through on—and harder to avoid. Participants will walk away with practical ways to build expectations, simplify processes, and reduce friction in their own roles, regardless of position.
In this episode of Roompact’s ResEdChat, Crystal connects with Dr. Heather French, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at San José State University, to discuss what AVPs need from Housing leaders. Heather shares how clear communication and trust can help leaders advocate for Housing at the senior level.
There is a strange transition that happens when you move from entry-level housing work into mid-level leadership. For years, many of us watch Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, and Directors from a distance and create assumptions about what their jobs - and lives - must look like. We hear things like, “You’ll lose money if you... Continue Reading →
Whimsy has become an internet phenomenon in the year of 2026 - and for good reason! The concept of whimsy has helped bring joy and fun into small moments during day-to-day life. From adding sprinkles to a coffee to getting lost on purpose, whimsy is how a lot of people are intentionally slowing down and... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal sits down with Sarah Leahy, Associate Director of Campus Life for Residence Life and Housing at Dickinson College to discuss breaking unhealthy professional norms, creating more human-centered work environments, establishing healthy boundaries, and helping emerging professionals build confidence, self-advocacy skills, and sustainable approaches to leadership.
Abstract "Being a live-in professional means you’re always on—navigating resident crises, supervising student staff, building community, and somehow trying to have a life of your own. It’s easy to slip into survival mode or feel like you have to “perform” leadership instead of actually feeling like yourself in the role. Using The 15 Commitments of... 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 →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal sits down with Ryan Taylor-Gonzalez, Assistant Director of Learning and Assessment at CSU Monterey Bay, to talk about the transition from hall director to mid-level leader in housing. Ryan reflects on the growth, identity shifts, and leadership lessons that come with stepping into broader responsibility.
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.
When I entered my third year as a Resident Director, I itched for the days when I finally had a seat at the leadership table – making actual contributions to departmental decisions, dedicating most of my time to long-term departmental planning, processes – vowing that when I was in a position of leadership, I would... Continue Reading →
In this first episode of the year, guest host Dustin Ramsdell speaks with Katie Munshaw to wrap up our episodes featuring the 2025 blogging team. They discuss how to lead with vulnerability and what makes it especially important when working in the residence halls. Katie shares reflections from her own life that have reinforced these lessons as well as encouragement for how others can find the right balance of how to do the same. Guest: Katie Munshaw (she/her) - Residence Director at Roosevelt University Host: Dustin Ramsdell, Independent Higher EdTech Content Creator
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal talks with Kristen Rollins about how gatherings and various forms of communication in residence life can move beyond routine to become catalysts for change. Kristen shares lessons on leading transformation in student affairs, emphasizing the power of honoring people’s time, presence, and humanity to create lasting cultural shifts.
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, join our host Noah and guest Evelyn Mendlowitz, Resident Director at Miami University of Ohio, to talk about ghost stories. What do ghost stories have to do with Residence Life, you ask? Well, let us tell you. Most, if not all college campuses have at least one ghost story, and oftentimes, these stories are clung to and repeatedly told and known. These stories, while often dark, provided important history into college campuses and can even invite students and staff alike to learn, lead, and build community together Noah and Evelyn discuss this topic, tell stories themselves, and provide advice rooted in trauma informed care and emotionally intelligent leadership for Residence Life staff to further incorporate storytelling into their regular practice.
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal talks with DeVante Parker from UC Berkeley about why fun isn’t optional—it’s essential. From wrestling metaphors to low-cost team strategies, DeVante shares how joy, structure, and care can transform Residence Life culture.
