Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
Residence life supervisors spend a lot of time and energy supporting staff who are struggling, and rightfully so. But you can’t forget about the anchors of your team. You know, the ones who turn things in early, show up to every event, and volunteer before you even finish the sentence? That’s right, I’m talking about... Continue Reading →
I recently read The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and percolated on the ideas of reciprocity in human connections. In "The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance," the author, a botanist by training, explores how ecological relationships can inspire a shift from extractive, scarcity-driven economies to systems rooted in reciprocity, mutual flourishing, and gratitude. Using the... Continue Reading →
Picture this: You walk into your weekly staff meeting, armed with the agenda, a hopeful smile, and maybe a cup of coffee that screams, “I haven’t slept in two days.” But instead of being met with enthusiasm, your team seems disengaged. They avoid eye contact, their responses are curt, and there’s a weird vibe in... Continue Reading →
December is upon us and you made it to the end of the line with your team. The end of the semester is typically a pivotal time for a Residence Life staff. This is often when transitions happen with team members, students and full-timers alike. And even if there aren’t staffing changes on your team,... Continue Reading →
Gratitude is a powerful force in the workplace and, with the culture of Residence Life, is a point of emphasis when it comes to team dynamics. We’re constantly looking to affirm those who go above and beyond, recognizing their efforts and contributions to our team, department, and to the profession as a whole. It’s fitting... Continue Reading →
You’ve seen your team through a lot: you have onboarded them during training in the forming stage, you helped them navigate the prominent conflict of the storming stage, and you supported the team as they found their new normal and made the role their own in the norming stage. But how do you push your... Continue Reading →
At this point in the semester, your staff should be falling into the natural rhythms of the semester and are getting more acclimated to the expectations of their roles. Sure, there will always be different questions about what-if scenarios but, by and large, the staff have a foundational understanding of what is expected of them.... Continue Reading →
September is often when it feels like ResLife professionals are in the thick of it. The feeling of newness is starting to wear off, students are starting to test limits with policy and misbehave in a variety of ways, and your staff is moving past their seemingly fake smiles and are starting to lose their... Continue Reading →
With the arrival of August come preparations for the fall semester and the excitement of staff training. This is what you’ve been waiting for: getting connected with your staff and welcoming students as they make their way back to campus. When you consider the performance of your team, it will be helpful to view their... Continue Reading →
Resident Assistants (RAs) play a crucial role in fostering a supportive and inclusive community within university residence halls. Understanding the dynamics and relationships among residents is essential for creating a positive living environment. A floor sociogram is a powerful tool that can help RAs gain valuable insights into these dynamics. In this blog post, we... Continue Reading →
The "Pro-D in a Bag" series provides all the details you'll need to create a professional development opportunity for your staff around a given topic. Each facilitation guide outlines free and open source videos to watch, articles to read, quizzes and inventories to complete, and suggested questions for discussion and activities. You can facilitate this... Continue Reading →
The following is part of a series of blog posts addressing a number of areas related to developing a training program for RAs and student staff members working within a residential curriculum model. Posts included in this series are: An Overview Tone Setting and Basics Involving RAs and Generating Buy-In Sequencing and Planning Resources and... Continue Reading →
Intentional Conversations are one-on-one meetings between student staff and their residents guided by a suggested set of questions and prompts that are developmentally appropriate and situated within the context of a resident’s experience. This post is one of a multi-part series examining and providing suggestions for residence life and education departments that utilize Intentional Conversations... Continue Reading →
Intentional Conversations are one-on-one meetings between student staff and their residents guided by a suggested set of questions and prompts that are developmentally appropriate and situated within the context of a resident’s experience. This post is one of a multi-part series examining and providing suggestions for residence life and education departments that utilize Intentional Conversations... Continue Reading →
