Residence life and education, residential curriculum and curricular approaches, student housing, and technology.
Picture it, Summertimes. Perhaps you’re overseeing a project that couldn’t get done during the academic year or maybe you’re coordinating summer student housing or working with camps and conferences. There’s something about summer though that feels much more relaxed for many of us working in residence life. That is until July creeps up on us... Continue Reading →
Among professionals and student staff alike, there are few times as painstaking and perhaps controversial as returning staff training. Generally, responses can come back to “I learned this last year (or the year before),” “I could be doing other things right now,” and “this is too long” among returning staff. The reality is that annual... Continue Reading →
If you’ve ever looked at a training agenda and thought, “We should probably throw in something interactive here,” you are in very good company. Residence life has long relied on the hope that if we scatter enough icebreakers and small group discussions throughout training– a name game here, a marshmallow tower there, and sharing fun... Continue Reading →
Roompact is running a blog series where a variety of authors weigh in on the question, "How can we re-envision ResLife staff training?" Whether it's student staff training... or professional staff training... how can we think differently? Each author provides a unique insight into their point of view. We'll be adding more as we go.... Continue Reading →
Residence Life training programs have been under a microscope for the past decade, trying to evolve and seek out what is most effective at helping onboard staff members into critical roles within our halls. The biggest shift is understanding how to create a better balance to prevent burnout within the process. However, there are additional... Continue Reading →
When I started as a hall director, I was excited but also overwhelmed by the number of responsibilities. I had to supervise a student staff of 13, manage the hall’s administrative desk, oversee the community budget, advise hall government, adjudicate conduct cases, and all the other duties as assigned. Thankfully I received a full training... Continue Reading →
When you hear the word retreat, what comes to mind? For me, it’s statements like, “Lets start with an icebreaker,” “Everyone say your name, title, and what you do,” and “What is a fun or little known fact about you?” It’s traveling to a near or far location and blocking off your calendar. It’s sharing... Continue Reading →
Student Affairs offices, particularly those within residence life and education, typically see a steady turn over of professionals year-to-year. When building and maintaining a curriculum, it can sometimes be a challenge to onboard new staff members who (1) may not be familiar with the model at all or (2) are not familiar with your institution's... Continue Reading →
Transitioning to a residential curriculum is as much about educational plan development as it is about organizational change. The reason for this is that curricular approaches are often paradigmatic change--change predicated on an entirely new set of premises. In other words, rather than just rearranging the furniture in the room, you're changing the entire room... Continue Reading →
