Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
Students with chronic illnesses deal with many additional stressors that other college students would struggle to imagine. As someone who went through cancer while in college, this topic is important to me, especially as I haven’t seen it talked much about in Higher Education circles. Resident Assistants (RAs) and student leaders won’t always know which... Continue Reading →
Around this time of year, it used to be common to see different curated lists that speak to what this incoming first-year class has experienced during their 18 years or so on this Earth. These lists would include little historical and social factoids like “these students have always lived with e-books” or “most of these... Continue Reading →
Residence life is about building community and supporting all students who call your hall home. Among those students are individuals with a wide range of disabilities with some visible and others not immediately apparent. Understanding how to effectively support these residents is essential for creating an inclusive, welcoming environment. You might wonder how best to... Continue Reading →
Understanding student identities is essential, but applying that knowledge is where the real work begins. As an RA or student staff member, being able to articulate, explore, and reflect on identity isn’t just a training module, it’s a daily practice, showing up in everything from the way you mediate a roommate conflict to how you... Continue Reading →
College is one of the most intense times of self-discovery, questions, and big life transitions. As an RA or student staff member, you’ve probably seen this firsthand: a resident staying up late wrestling with questions about their identity, or someone trying to figure out where they belong after leaving home for the first time. A... Continue Reading →
Being an RA or student staff member puts you in a unique position to shape the culture and community your residents experience every day. One of the most meaningful parts of your role is making sure everyone feels like they belong, including students who identify as LGBTQIA+. While you might not always know exactly what... Continue Reading →
When you think about your role as an RA or student staff member, one of your core responsibilities is building community. That includes connecting residents with one another, creating a sense of belonging, and making sure every voice is valued. But there’s one group of residents who often get overlooked in our programming and community-building... Continue Reading →
As an RA or student staff member, you’re often the first point of contact for residents who are figuring out how to feel at home on campus. However, not every student shows up with the same set of experiences or feels immediately included in campus life. For Indigenous students, the transition to college can come... Continue Reading →
Chances are you may have an international student on your floor or in your community. Although they may face some of the seem challenges as your domestic residents, International students on U.S. college campuses face a unique set of challenges. These challenges can also differ based on your resident’s country of origin, their command of... Continue Reading →
When I was a new RA, I was placed in a hall with a majority of international students. Being from a small town I had little experience with people from other countries. I was intimidated by my residents. I was scared I would not pronounce their names correctly, that I wouldn’t understand their accent, that... Continue Reading →
