Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
IT'S BACK! Roompact is holding its ninth annual door dec contest! This contest is open to student staff (RAs, CAs, etc.) at schools who currently use Roompact's software on their campus. Create a door dec with the name “Roompact” on it and email it to us at contests@roompact.com from your institutional email address (*.edu) with... Continue Reading →
During ACUHO-I's Residence Education Conference (and the Business Operations, and Housing Facilities Conferences) we'll be holding a social! Date: Tuesday, October 27th, 2026 Time: 5pm-7pm Location: On The ROX The social will have some free adult (and non-adult) beverages and nibbly bites. It's right across the street from the Hyatt Regency, next to the Sheraton.... Continue Reading →
We're excited to join you in Orlando this year near the house of the mouse. Join us for our social... Date: Monday, June 22nd, 2026 Our social starts just after the first full day of the ACUHO-I conference, after the regional receptions. Check out the ACUHO-I ACE schedule here. Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm Come any time for... Continue Reading →
Creating a sense of belonging and an atmosphere that we often describe as a student’s new “home away from home” is central to the work that we do as Housing and Residence Life practitioners. But, there isn’t a singular “right” way to do it– if there was, wouldn’t we all be doing so uniformly? And... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, join our host Noah Montague and guest DJ Harris-Sumrall as they talk about the job search. Whether you love it or hate it, the sometimes dreaded job search is a part of every Residence Life Professional's story but what does it really look like? In the changing landscape of higher education, how people job search and how people experience interviewing is changing as well. Listen as Noah and DJ tell stories, discuss interview prep and give advice, and also think about how to center the self in the job search as well.
If you've found yourself browsing job postings while preparing for summer, you're not alone. For many student staff members, summer employment in Housing and Residence Life comes with a significant benefit: housing. Depending on your institution, you may also receive a stipend, meal plan, or other compensation. Because of this, there can sometimes be an... Continue Reading →
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary this Fourth of July, colleges and universities across the country will likely join in the celebration. There will be patriotic social media posts, historical reflections, and conversations about progress, democracy, and the opportunity education affords us. And to be clear, there has been progress. More students from... Continue Reading →
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 →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, Crystal sits down with Taj Julien, Residence Hall Director at the University of Connecticut, to discuss entering housing and residence life from a nontraditional pathway. Taj shares how their identity, previous experiences, and support from supervisors have shaped their professional journey, and why different perspectives make our field stronger.
For many student staff members, receiving golf cart access feels like a milestone. One day you're carrying supplies across campus by hand, and the next you’re behind the wheel of a university vehicle, headed to a program setup or responding to a lockout. While golf carts may not seem like a big deal at first,... Continue Reading →
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 →
In this episode of Roompact's ResEdChat, host Paul sits down with Roompact Fellow, Erin Simpson, to discuss how residence life departments can find a secure footing when external forces can make it feel like they're being asked to make hard pivot. Paul and Erin also discuss how departments can find solutions that borrow from others while contextualizing them to the unique needs of their students.
Summer training for student staff members is usually jam-packed with learning policies, absorbing information, and acting out real-life crisis scenarios. Although all of this is incredibly important for being a trained student staff member, we often forget that there are many ways student staff members can and should learn to incorporate fun into their roles.... Continue Reading →
One of the many facets of our work in Residence Life is incident and crisis response. And unless you’re at a school where most, if not all, of this work is dedicated to a specialized incident response team, you may struggle to find an effective approach to training the on-call staff on this part of... Continue Reading →
Abstract It's easy to copy and paste RA Training from year to year or from other institutions, but what does YOUR campus need? This session will bring practitioners together to discuss approaches to planning RA training whether you are starting from scratch or looking to improve upon the foundations you have in place. With reflective... Continue Reading →
How many residence life trainings have you been to? 10? 15? Do you see your staff spending more time on their laptops and phones, rather than engaging? I started to feel that over the past few years. Yes, staff still know how to do their jobs once they have sat through boring training, but how... Continue Reading →
Door decorations and bulletin boards are more than check-the-box tasks; they are often the first impression residents have of their community. In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat,, we sit down with a Nikki Garcia to explore how RAs can create intentional, engaging, and meaningful visuals that go beyond aesthetics. From planning timelines to interactive strategies,... Continue Reading →
You’re walking down the hall in your building when you see a group of your freshman residents “covertly” rushing a case of beer into their room. And for a second or two, a lot of RAs and student staff aren’t solely thinking about policy. They’re thinking: “Why me?”, “Why would they do that?”, and “Man,... Continue Reading →
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, I’ve known a person or two to even kill for an inheritance. When it comes to inheriting a team of student staff,... Continue Reading →
Every summer, Residence Life departments across the country run some version of the same script. Professional staff gather in conference rooms for days of policy review, emergency protocols, and community-building icebreakers. The binders are thick. The coffee is plentiful. And by move-in day, everyone is trained, certified, and ready to go. But are they connected?... Continue Reading →
