Activities and Programs
There are many opportunities for students to participate in programs within their residence planned by RAs. Residence Hall programming takes many forms (floor programs, trips to other campus events, and bulletin boards), but all are designed to meet one of the following outcomes:
Social/Community Building
- Develop a sense of community on a floor/building
- Help students improve their interpersonal and social skills
- Expand social acquaintances and friendships among residents
Cultural Awareness and the Arts
- Introduce residents to cultural traditions that may be different than their own
- Provide opportunities for exposure to various forms of expression
- Familiarize residents with cultural and artistic campus options
Academic/Intellectual
- Offer an educational experiences which may or may not be outside the residents’ major or previous knowledge base
- Challenge residents to think critically about new or previously acquired knowledge
- Engage residents in intellectual discourse outside of the classroom
Life Skills
- Encourage residents to develop insight into themselves and others
- Introduce information to help residents better manage daily life and plan for their future
- Provide opportunities to practice skills to help residents better manage daily life and plan for their future
Community Standards
Community standards are mutually agreed upon expectations which guide our residential communities in maintaining a safe and respectful environment in which all students are able to flourish as student-scholars.
Residents help establish these standards for their living environment which may include the use of common spaces, cleanliness, and addressing infractions. In order for these to be successful, it is important for residents to take responsibility for their own behavior and to hold each other accountable to these expectations.
Courtesy Hours
In order to maintain an environment that is conducive to the academic nature of the institution, residents are expected to be courteous towards their fellow students. At all times, courtesy hours are in effect throughout the residence halls. This means that at no time should one’s behavior negatively impact the potential academic activities that may be occurring in the residence hall.
Quiet Hours
In addition to 24-hour courtesy hours, the residence halls observe Quiet Hours from 10pm-8am Sunday through Thursday and 12am-10am Friday & Saturday. These are hours of the day when it is reasonable for a resident to be sleeping or studying. Quiet Hours are monitored by fellow residents and also student staff members.
Resident Advisors
Resident Advisors (RAs) are student staff members in the Office of Residence life charged with fostering relationships among and delivering services to an assigned community of residents. Resident Advisors work cooperatively with other residence hall and College staff to promote a welcoming environment that is conducive to learning and developing personal connections. The job of the RA combines many roles: information resource, activities organizer, liaison to the Office of Residence Life, adviser, and friend.
From 10pm – 7am every night, each building has a designated on-duty RA. The duty RA is available to respond to emergencies, report problems, and answer questions. They conduct periodic building rounds. Your RA is there to help you with a variety of needs so don’t hesitate to reach out to them.