Before embarking on a curricular approach, it is important to conduct an audit, or archeological dig, to surface important characteristics and concepts that should be present and accounted for in your curriculum. As Siri Espy states, “Much like an archeological dig, your mission is to start with a set of bones and construct a skin... Continue Reading →
The Difference Between a “Mission Statement” and an “Educational Priority” in a Curriculum
In developing a residential curriculum, one of the first tasks a residence life department undertakes is the establishment of an educational priority. An educational priority is summative statement of what students will learn by their participation in a curriculum. An educational priority is broad, informed by research and theory, and contextualized to an individual campus and student population.... Continue Reading →
Four Ways Residence Life Education Can Go Wrong
Roompact "Perspective" posts are opportunities for individual staff members to work out ideas and provide their individual thoughts and opinions on a given topic. There are a number of practices in residential life and education that have become commonplace, but that don't always advance our roles as educators and student affairs professionals. Over my many years... Continue Reading →
Dear RAs… I want you to STOP PROGRAMMING!
Roompact "Perspective" posts are opportunities for individual staff members to work out ideas and provide their individual thoughts and opinions on a given topic. It's time for an intervention. PUT DOWN the glitter.STEP AWAY from the construction paper.DO NOT OPEN the pizza boxes. I WANT YOU TO STOP PROGRAMMING! I don't really want you to stop programming,... Continue Reading →
Why the Frequency of Residence Hall Programs Matters More Than the Overall Number of Them
Many traditional programs models within residence life are designed such that staff members must complete x number of events or programs a semester. Relying on an overall number of programs, however, ignores an important variable in the educational equation: frequency. Rather than focus on the total number of programs to be completed, it is perhaps even... Continue Reading →
Five Tips for Designing Your Residential Curriculum Assessment Plans
Assessment and accountability are important features of modern student affairs work. We have always known our work was important, but we are being asked to show how what we do impacts our students in tangible ways. The topic of assessment can make people nervous. What if the programs and services we offer aren’t as effective... Continue Reading →
Recapping Day 3 of the 2017 Residential Curriculum Institute
Roompact is proud to sponsor of ACPA's Residential Curriculum Institute. Offered annually to educators and professionals in residence life and education, the Institute is a three day series of sequential workshops and sessions that teach participants how to implement a curricular approach to education in the residence halls. As provider of software that enables colleges and universities... Continue Reading →
Recapping Day 2 of the 2017 Residential Curriculum Institute
Roompact is proud to sponsor of ACPA's Residential Curriculum Institute. Offered annually to educators and professionals in residence life and education, the Institute is a three day series of sequential workshops and sessions that teach participants how to implement a curricular approach to education in the residence halls. As provider of software that enables colleges and universities... Continue Reading →
Recapping Day 1 of the 2017 Residential Curriculum Institute
Roompact is proud to sponsor of ACPA's Residential Curriculum Institute. Offered annually to educators and professionals in residence life and education, the Institute is a three day series of sequential workshops and sessions that teach participants how to implement a curricular approach to education in the residence halls. As provider of software that enables colleges and universities... Continue Reading →
How To Develop Student Learning Rubrics For Student Affairs Curriculum
Rubrics are tools that are used by educators to help evaluate the learning and performance of students. They are written documents, often presented in a chart format, that help define progress and achievement levels towards various goals and performance indicators. When developing learning goals and their constituent outcomes in a residential curriculum, rubrics can help. Rubrics ensure that... Continue Reading →
Ways to Connect With Others Around Residential Curriculum and Curricular Approaches On Social Media…
Like every endeavor, understanding and implementing a curricular approach to residential life and student affairs is a journey. That journey, like most learning, is often a messy process. Although there is an Institute, a number of resources that can help guide you, and trainers and consultants that can help, connecting with peers and sharing challenges... Continue Reading →
Download the Residential Curriculum Standards Self-Assessment Tool
At Roompact, we're committed to helping advance knowledge and research for the betterment of professional practice. To that end, we've developed a departmental self-assessment document that that is intended to be a helpful guide for schools utilizing a curricular approach to their educational efforts. The Residential Curriculum Standards Self-Assessment tool provides staff and review committees with suggested... Continue Reading →
Five Tips for Building Residential Curriculum “Buy-in”
In my 5 years of working with residential curriculum, there have been many successes and many failures. This is perfectly natural when developing a residential curriculum—you continuously review your strategies each year and adapt and refine your work over time. However, year after year, it seemed that buy-in was something that consistently came up as... Continue Reading →
How to Track and Assess Intentional Conversations for a Residential Curriculum
Intentional Conversations are one-on-one meetings between student staff and their residents guided by a suggested set of questions and prompts that are developmentally appropriate and situated within the context of a resident’s experience. This post is one of a multi-part series examining and providing suggestions for residence life and education departments that utilize Intentional Conversations... Continue Reading →
Don’t Be Creepy: Training Student Staff For Genuine Intentional Conversations
Intentional Conversations are one-on-one meetings between student staff and their residents guided by a suggested set of questions and prompts that are developmentally appropriate and situated within the context of a resident’s experience. This post is one of a multi-part series examining and providing suggestions for residence life and education departments that utilize Intentional Conversations... Continue Reading →
100 Questions You Can Use for “Intentional Conversations” in the Residence Halls
Intentional Conversations are one-on-one meetings between student staff and their residents guided by a suggested set of questions and prompts that are developmentally appropriate and situated within the context of a resident’s experience. This post is one of a multi-part series examining and providing suggestions for residence life and education departments that utilize Intentional Conversations... Continue Reading →
Developing an Intentional Conversation Curriculum Guide for Student Staff
Intentional Conversations are one-on-one meetings between student staff and their residents guided by a suggested set of questions and prompts that are developmentally appropriate and situated within the context of a resident’s experience. This post is one of a multi-part series examining and providing suggestions for residence life and education departments that utilize Intentional Conversations... Continue Reading →
How to Structure Intentional Conversations in a Residential Curriculum
Intentional Conversations are one-on-one meetings between student staff and their residents guided by a suggested set of questions and prompts that are developmentally appropriate and situated within the context of a resident’s experience. This post is one of a multi-part series examining and providing suggestions for residence life and education departments that utilize Intentional Conversations... Continue Reading →