Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
There is something about a long drive that refuses to let your mind stay in one place. The pavement seems to stretch on forever in front of you. You don’t see anything familiar behind you. Mile after mile, stop after stop, conversations replay, memories and feelings resurface, a busy mind becomes quite yet filled with... Continue Reading →
What comes to mind when you hear the word “supervisor”? 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 →
Two years ago, I became a residence life graduate assistant, drawing on prior experience as a student staff member, relevant coursework in pedagogy and sociology of higher education, and participation in a student affairs seminar led by my alma mater's senior student affairs officer. My undergraduate capstone project centered on the curricular approach, the main... 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 →
