Housing and Residence Life: Community & Engagement | Competencies & Learning | Care & Case Management | Assessment
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 →
If you work in Residence Life, you’ve probably been at a family gathering or social event where someone asks, “So… what exactly do you do?” And then you find yourself trying to explain a job that somehow includes crisis response, student development, event planning, facilities management, counseling, and occasionally amateur plumbing. So, for everyone who... Continue Reading →
In an effort to expand our support of schools, we developed the Fellows program. Roompact Fellows act as scholars-in-residence to provide support to Roompact schools. They will be contributing to our blog, podcast, and webinar series throughout the year. They'll also be available and present at our R2 conference! An additional service they will provide... Continue Reading →
In this episode of Roompact's RA*Chat, join us for an insightful conversation with Dwayne Peterson as we delve beyond traditional resume tips to explore the full spectrum of career preparation, from strategic networking to intentional job applications. Learn how your RA experience translates into valuable, transferable skills that employers seek. This deep dive session will... Continue Reading →
Being a student worker for a housing department is both a high demand and high pressure environment. It requires extreme prioritizing, balancing, and accountability. While there can be considerable perks, your education and long-term health and goals should come first. It’s safe to say that being a Resident Advisor (or whatever your institution may call... Continue Reading →
We’ve all been there - you have a long night of duty, rushing around campus from one crisis to the next, and now you’re sitting at home, unwinding from the night. You might pop a favorite movie on (Shrek 2 was always my duty night comedown movie), eat a sweet treat (Cosmic Brownies have a... Continue Reading →
The student staff hiring process looks very different today than it did just a few years ago. With each new generation of students comes new challenges and opportunities for how we recruit, interview, and select our resident assistants and other student leaders. Today’s college students live online. Their social circles, studies, and even job searches... Continue Reading →
