Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
When I entered my third year as a Resident Director, I itched for the days when I finally had a seat at the leadership table – making actual contributions to departmental decisions, dedicating most of my time to long-term departmental planning, processes – vowing that when I was in a position of leadership, I would... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, it's a post-break reset for RAs focused on rebuilding momentum, re-establishing expectations, and reconnecting with residents after winter break, with Assistant Director Chasten Conway. This episode covers strategies for addressing burnout, re-engaging residents, and setting a strong tone for the semester ahead.
❄️ Biggest Year Yet? ❄️ We're releasing a small avalanche of big new software features including Tasks, and Staffing. Not to mention we've got our first stand-alone users conference this year. Keep reading on. What has Roompact been up to in 2025? Read our annual letter from our founder, Matt Unger, to find out! Read the Letter ⬆️... Continue Reading →
For many of us working in student affairs, whether fresh out of our undergraduate programs or a few — or fine, many — years into our careers, it can feel exhausting to field the steady stream of Resident Advisor questions that dissect every policy, procedure, and email. It can feel like there’s always something. Our... Continue Reading →
Residence life is one of the most change-saturated environments on a college campus. Students arrive during moments of transition, staff juggle evolving expectations, and institutions regularly introduce new priorities, policies, and pressures. In this context, change can either feel intentional and supportive or confusing and destabilizing, often simultaneously. Change models provide residence life professionals with... Continue Reading →
You can look at change in one of two ways: either the thought of adapting and trying new things feels daunting and super scary, or it excites you. Either way, the only constant in life is change and that’s exactly what our students do year after year. They evolve, and so do their expectations of... Continue Reading →
We're awarding a "Top Ten" Get a little something back for your time and effort. Roompact is holding its annual RA bulletin board contest! Here’s how it goes. This contest is only open to RAs at schools who currently use Roompact's software on their campus. Create a bulletin board and email us a photo (high-quality... Continue Reading →
Roompact's poster competition is now closed and we're ready to announce the winners. With so many diverse designs, events, and topics, picking ten was incredibly difficult. In some cases it was the design, in other cases it was the event or information itself. We tried to select a diverse group of winners that reflected the... Continue Reading →
In this first episode of the year, guest host Dustin Ramsdell speaks with Katie Munshaw to wrap up our episodes featuring the 2025 blogging team. They discuss how to lead with vulnerability and what makes it especially important when working in the residence halls. Katie shares reflections from her own life that have reinforced these lessons as well as encouragement for how others can find the right balance of how to do the same. Guest: Katie Munshaw (she/her) - Residence Director at Roosevelt University Host: Dustin Ramsdell, Independent Higher EdTech Content Creator
This blog series features different writers responding to the prompt, "How is the rising generation of college students changing residence life practice?" Read More From The Series Re-evaluating Traditions Today’s college students are not interested in “what we’ve always done”, and they’re not afraid to show it. When first year students unapologetically call students just... Continue Reading →
Every year, Roompact puts out a ton of content on topics of interest to college student housing and residence life professionals. This year included nearly ~300 new posts, including ~70 new podcast episodes. Come take a look at our most viewed content of 2025. In our most viewed post of the year, it was the... Continue Reading →
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 →
