Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
I’ll admit it—I’m a Millennial. And while that means I’m not the most credible source when it comes to understanding Gen Z, I have spent enough time in Higher Education to see how student engagement has shifted over the years. Now that I’ve stepped away from the world of learning outcomes and passive programming, I... Continue Reading →
We’d like to introduce the newest additions to our podcast host team! Roompact's ResEd Chat podcast produces new episodes weekly focusing on topics of interest to residence life and college student housing professionals. We're excited to grow the team and bring in new perspectives and guests. Below you can learn a little more about the... Continue Reading →
In this episode, host Crystal sits down with Director of Photography Justin Kosman, whose career has taken him worldwide, working with brands like Red Bull, Vans, and ESPN. Reflecting on his time as a resident, student-athlete, and English Literature major, Justin shares the lessons and regrets that shaped his path to success. Tune in for powerful insights on embracing challenges, fostering belonging, and how RAs can play a pivotal role in building community and connection.
We’d like to introduce the Roompact Blogging Cohorts for the upcoming year! Yes, that's plural! Two! Roompact hires bloggers to further increase our contributions to the field through the free dissemination of ideas and knowledge. Every year we refresh our blog cohort with new writers. Earlier this spring, we did a search for part-time bloggers,... Continue Reading →
In 2021, I was a part of a trio that did keynote speeches at the 2021 (virtual) SEAHO conference. Thanks again COVID! We were supposed to be in Charleston, SC but instead, I was in my makeshift home office staring at a computer screen and talking, what felt like, to myself. Each of the people... Continue Reading →
In this episode, join host Crystal and Travis Tucker, Assistant Dean and Director of the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Understanding at Princeton University, as they explore how campus housing staff can better support LGBT students by addressing privacy, community, and inclusivity. They discuss impactful policies, staff training, and partnerships, share success stories, and offer practical advice for creating spaces where students who identify as LGBTIA thrive.
~ Blog Posts Written By RAs for RAs ~ So if you’re anything like me, these past few months have been a bit…stressful at best. There’s nothing quite like the crushing reality of having to now either get a job or go back to more school, with graduation caps and uncertainty looming in the distance.... Continue Reading →
When people find out I’m in Residence Life, I often get asked: “what are some of the wildest things you’ve seen?” It’s a common ice breaker question that many of us in the field, if not all, have been asked at least once. Roles and responsibilities vary across careers in Residence Life and different institutions,... Continue Reading →
Congrats on your new role! Of course, before you get started, you need to learn and get train for your job. Staff training is an exciting (and often exhausting) time where you'll have the opportunity to learn a lot of new information, meet and develop relationships with your team members, and begin preparing your community... Continue Reading →
In this episode, Crystal sits down with Dr. Jeremy Moore, Dean of Students at Naropa University, who shares the unique challenges and opportunities of being an internal candidate for housing and residence roles. Our guest shares his personal stories on navigating the hiring process, receiving, and utilizing feedback, and managing the transition after not being selected. Whether you're an aspiring internal candidate or a hiring manager, this conversation offers valuable insights.
Chances are you may have an international student on your floor or in your community. Although they may face some of the seem challenges as your domestic residents, International students on U.S. college campuses face a unique set of challenges. These challenges can also differ based on your resident’s country of origin, their command of... Continue Reading →
When I was a new RA, I was placed in a hall with a majority of international students. Being from a small town I had little experience with people from other countries. I was intimidated by my residents. I was scared I would not pronounce their names correctly, that I wouldn’t understand their accent, that... Continue Reading →
~ Blog Posts Written By RAs for RAs ~ As the year plugs on, and a staff feels more comfortable, the list of challenges changes from introducing yourself and getting to know your coworkers to how to maintain a strong work environment and contrary to popular belief–not getting too comfortable! Maybe you’re really good friends... Continue Reading →
Steel yourselves, Residence Life colleagues near and far. When asked to think about a practice or tradition that residence life departments need to let go of, it didn’t take me long to determine my hottest of takes. What’s something that takes an inordinate amount of time, asks staff to employ skills that we don’t hire... Continue Reading →
We're pleased to welcome Crys to the show this week as they discuss with Dustin their email newsletter campaign initiative at their institution that seeks to provide relevant resources to students consistently. Crys also details the tools they use to develop the emails and the various strategies they use as collaborates with their colleagues to develop the content of each newsletter.
Roompact is running a blog series where a variety of authors weigh in on the question, "How can we re-envision ResLife staff training?" Whether it's student staff training... or professional staff training... how can we think differently? Each author provides a unique insight into their point of view. We'll be adding more as we go.... Continue Reading →
If I could time travel and talk to my impassioned-undergraduate-student-leader-self, I think she would be pretty pleased with how things look on paper. With almost a decade of experience at various institutions across the country, I’ve worked hard to become a successful mid-level residence life professional, which puts me right on track to become a... 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 →
