In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Paul sits down with Sophia Muta to discuss ways to approach supervision to ensure staff members are taking care of themselves and growing as human beings, not just as employees. In her "side hustle" as a fitness instructor, Sophia has leveraged her experience to bring staff together and cultivate a more authentic and approachable supervision style. Come learn about ways you can incorporate practicality into your supervision style.
More Than a Gold Duck: Recognition in Residence Life
We all have moments in our careers where we cringe. I remember a regular departmental staff meeting my second year of graduate school, where our director shared with us that we were doing something new today. Depending on your demeanor, the words, โsomething newโ can either be very exciting or terrifying. I wasnโt quite sure... Continue Reading →
Hey ResLife! What Archetype of Joy-Maker are you at Work?
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 doesnโt have to create joy in the same way for it to be meaningful for a team. We ended up coming up with... Continue Reading →
Keep it in the Family: Supervising Student Staff Siblings
I have supervised three sibling groups in the past three years - on the same staff team and one year after the other! Many RDs intentionally do not hire siblings or departments have unwritten expectations that siblings donโt get hired to the same staff team. I was warned not to hire siblings onto the same... Continue Reading →
The Myths We Carry into Mid-Level Leadership in Housing and Residence Life
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, โYouโll lose money if you... Continue Reading →
Building Together: Participatory Practices for Residential Life Supervisors [Webinar Recording]
This webinar introduces supervisors of student and professional staff teams in residential life to participatory processes as a foundation for effective team leadership. We'll cover practical tools for inclusive decision-making, active listening, and co-creating community norms and agreements with your team. You'll also learn how to use circles as a structure for building connection and navigating difficult conversations, alongside frameworks for approaching conflict and accountability in your residential community.
ResEdChat Ep 190: Supervision & Student Development – Let’s Talk About Student Staff
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat,ย join our host Noah Montague and guestย Siobhร n Anderson-Judkins as they talk about student staff supervision.ย Student staff, RAs, or whatever other acronym your institution uses are all coming into the role for different reasons; so how can we best supervise them? How do we hold them accountable while also being understanding and supportive? These are important questions for every Residence Life Staff member to be considering and some of the questions Noah andย Siobhร nย think about as well. Join them as they answer these, share stories, and offer practicalย advice to Residence Life staff looking to learn more about supervision.
Are you Supervising or Mentoring your ResLife Staff?
What comes to mind when you hear the word โsupervisorโ? That was a question posed to several other incoming graduate assistants and me during our onboarding. Many of the initial reactions were less than positive, ranging from the person who conducts your evaluation to the person who can terminate you from your job. What a... Continue Reading →
Design Thinking With RAs [Webinar Recording]
Abstract Oftentimes, RAs will resist a new process or complain about how a problem is solved, but asking for their input does not always lead to a positive solution. This session will show supervisors how to use design thinking with their RAs to solve problems and create processes. Outcomes Participants will be able to define... Continue Reading →
Become a Better Supervisor in 15 mins or less!
Send a Supervision Questionnaire Include the cutesy get-to-know-you things like favorite color and favorite snack, but also ask about how a supervisee likes to receive feedback or praise! Add birthdays to your calendar (and maybe write birthday cards!) Check first with a supervisee if they like to celebrate their birthday (insert it into that supervision... Continue Reading →
The Only Inheritance You Donโt Want: Planning for an Inherited Staff
A lot of people dream about a big inheritance someday and what they plan to do with it. No one would turn down an inheritance, right? I mean at least in the movies, Iโve known a person or two to even kill for an inheritance. When it comes to inheriting a team of student staff,... Continue Reading →
Supervision is More than Really Good Eyesight: Musings from a Mid-Level Manager
When people first step into supervision, thereโs often an unspoken assumption: if you pay attention, if you observe closely enough, youโll catch issues early and fix them. Supervision, then, becomes a matter of having really good eyesight (see what I did there?). But the longer I sit in a mid-level role, the more I realize... Continue Reading →
There Is No โMYโ In Team: RAs Donโt Belong To You
I used to call the students that I work with my team or my students, but I donโt anymore. Surface level, there is nothing wrong with that. It is super normal to claim ownership over something you are a part of, especially if that something is a group of people that you hired. That group... Continue Reading →
Stop Rewarding Your Best RAs with More Work
When I began supervising, I quickly identified my โgo-toโ RA. They always showed up, completed tasks, connected with the community, and followed through without reminders. When something was missed - a program, bulletin board, or interaction - I knew exactly who would step in. And they always did. At the time, it felt like good... Continue Reading →
Supervising the Supervisors in ResLife
Professionals supervising student staff, such as RAs and peer mentors, face unique challenges distinct from those supervising other professionals. Effective supervision involves understanding decision-making limits, providing clear instruction, and fostering collaboration. The role is both challenging and rewarding, emphasizing continuous learning and support for staff in their supervisory responsibilities.
1-on-1 101: The Dos and Donโts ResLife Pros Never Got
Do you actually know how to have a 1-on-1 meeting? For most of us in residence life, one-on-one meetings with supervisees are built into the job. But whenโs the last time you thought about how youโre doing them? Too often, we slap them on the calendar and call it โsupervision,โ when in reality, theyโre structured... Continue Reading →
New Boss: Advice for Working with a New Supervisor in Residence Life
At some point in your time as a student leader, you may get a different supervisor. Sometimes this happens because you are put on a different community/building team at the start of a new school year, while other times it is because a supervisor has left and a new supervisor is hired in their place.... Continue Reading →
Feedback Freakout: Learning to Take Criticism in ResLife
A tale as old as time! A supervisor asks, โHow do you like to receive feedback?โ and the supervisee confidently replies, โI prefer direct feedback.โ Time passes, the supervisor provides that direct feedback, and suddenly, the supervisee is shocked, defensive, and hurt. Everyone leaves the conversation feeling a little worse for wear. Feedback is one... Continue Reading →



