Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
Winter break provides a much needed time to rest after Fall semester, allowing students to reconnect with their lives away from campus. However, with this period of rest and recharging, it’s easy to lose the good habits that you developed during the semester– such as sleeping on a regular schedule, getting outside everyday, maintaining good... Continue Reading →
It’s always around the holiday times that I find myself pondering the things in my life that I am grateful for. As a student leader in housing or a Resident Assistant, it is important to reflect on the things you are grateful for as well because the job can be demanding and stressful. While I... Continue Reading →
In this final episode of the year, guest host Dustin Ramsdell speaks with Tamarah Humphreys about making lateral moves in your career. She details the reasons why someone might make these sideways pivots, and what to expect when they might occur. Tamarah shares reflections of her own experience making these transitions, and gives advice for how best to navigate them. Guest: Tamarah Humphreys (she/her) - Community Director at University of St. Thomas Host: Dustin Ramsdell, Independent Higher EdTech Content Creator
No Survey? No Problem! In the fast-paced, community-centered world of Residence Life, traditional surveys often fall short of capturing the real learning, growth, and engagement happening in our halls. This session introduces housing professionals to a practical—and surprisingly fun—toolkit of creative assessment methods designed specifically for the realities of Res Life work. Together, we’ll explore easy-to-adopt strategies that help you understand what students are actually learning outside the classroom. You’ll see how these methods can generate richer insights, build stronger assessment narratives, and support data-informed decision-making without adding hours to your workload. Whether you're assessment-curious or looking to expand your existing practice, this webinar will leave you inspired, confident, and ready to tell your learning story—no surveys required.
As the year draws to a close, Residence Life professionals might feel one of two ways: you’re either careening toward the end of the semester full-tilt, hair getting increasingly tangled, shooting espresso with alarming frequency, OR the office is getting a little quieter each day with more and more folks taking time off, events and... Continue Reading →
For this week's episode of ResEdChat, guest host Dustin Ramsdell chats with Alexis Karakas about her experience helping her student staff members understand the relevant skills they gain during their time serving the department, no matter what industry they pursue after graduation. Alexis also details her approach to this work, and what makes it so important. Guest: Alexis Karakas (she/her), Residential Living Coordinator, University of California - Irvine Host: Dustin Ramsdell, Independent Higher EdTech Content Creator
Does anyone else celebrate Spotify Wrapped release day? I certainly do. It sits firmly in my top 5 holidays of the year (nestled between Groundhog Day and Thanksgiving). As I mentioned in a previous Roompact article, music is a powerful way to foster a unique connection with someone. Spotify Wrapped allows us all to share... Continue Reading →
The Institute for the Curricular Approach in October was more than just a professional development event; it was a reaffirmation of our roles as a community of educators who are fundamentally invested in the holistic growth of our students. Engaging in the Institute provided a vital opportunity to pause, reflect, and collaboratively strategize on how... Continue Reading →
We know through our student educational work, whether within a curricular model or otherwise, that student learning happens with or without us. While every school has its own needs and philosophies informing their process, most schools incorporate current RAs in some part of the process. Participating in interviews on the other side of the table, so-to-speak,... Continue Reading →
Roompact is running a blog series where a variety of authors weigh in on the question, "How is the rising generation of college students changing residence life practice?" Each author provides a unique insight into their point of view. We'll be adding more as we go. Check them out... https://blog.roompact.com/2026/02/reslife-generational-change-parental-control/ https://blog.roompact.com/2026/01/reslife-generational-change-ready-or-not-the-future-is-now https://blog.roompact.com/2026/02/reslife-generational-change-adapt-to-survive https://blog.roompact.com/2026/02/reslife-generational-change-start-with-hello-rethinking-residential-education-from-the-ground-up/ This blog... Continue Reading →
Looking at the landscape of software options for housing and residence life in the past year, there has been a lot of upheaval and change. One thing we’ve tried to do is remain constant and stick to our mission and values. We’re still that family-owned business laser-focused on being the best software specifically for residence... Continue Reading →
In this week's episode, guest host Dustin Ramsdell spoke with Madison Vasich, a current Roompact blogger from the University of Montana to get her reflections and advice on starting as a new professional staff member straight from completing her undergraduate degree. Madison also shares her experience moving to a new area for your first professional job and how best to acclimate to a campus environment.
Many students are originally interested in an RA or student leadership position because they love being with people. Often they have good, healthy friendships, people like them right off the bat, and they don’t cause a lot of conflict. These are great things! However, it does mean that many RAs are not as used to... Continue Reading →
As we work with student leaders, we know that most of them do not plan on going into student affairs, or even Housing and Residence Life for the long term – essentially, we’re hoping they translate the skills and lessons they learn in our time with them to future positions and professional opportunities. However, many... Continue Reading →
At many Universities, the “RA” role is a competitive and highly sought-after student job. Because of this passion and drive students have for wanting to become a RA, as a current RA, you might get questions from residents about the role, your experience as a RA, and any advice you may be willing to share.... Continue Reading →
If you or someone you know is an amazing writer with a housing and residence life background, who is also looking for a professional development opportunity (while getting paid for it), take a look at our Freelance Content Contributor position. We've offered these positions for a number of years now, and they've been really successful... Continue Reading →
In this episode of the podcast, guest host Dustin Ramsdell chats with Katie Steele, a current Roompact blogger from the Seattle University about how best to prepare for and navigate applying for a job at your current institution. She shares perspectives on going through these interview processes as a candidate as well as managing them as a reviewer. Katie shares tips for listeners to make sure you're being transparent and evaluated fairly as a an applicant as well as able to provide an impartial view as a reviewer.
As a Resident Advisor (RA) or student staff member, you spent the beginning of your academic year helping residents create roommate agreements. You got them to sit down with you and created an informal contract that would serve as a living, breathing document. Nevertheless, even the best agreements can hit rough patches once real life... Continue Reading →
