Presentation at the AMOSSHE Conference in 2015

1. Shades of grey in
residential life
Perspectives on practice
from around the world

2. MSU
Where in the world are we?
La Trobe
Sussex

3. Laura Burge
Residential
Education Manager
AACUHO President
Emelie Helsen
Assistant Community
Director
Student Affairs
Administration MA
student
Christopher
Tucker
Residential Student
Support Manager
Background information and context

4. Learning
outcomes
What is the purpose of
this session?

5. Purpose
■ Understand approaches to residential
life across three countries.
■ Identify challenges and opportunities
presented through residential life
programming.
■ Develop a plan to apply successful
strategies and good practice at your
own institution.

6. So what is res
life all about?
Why do we do what we do?
Residence life/education vs. Accommodation

7. 2200/ 35,000
Amount of students in housing/total students
160
Number of Resident Assistants/ Student leaders
Metro & Regional campus
Amount of residence halls

8. Amount of students in housing/total students
79
10
Residence areas on campus and in the city of
Brighton

9. La Trobe University- Australia
Focus:
■ Value adding to student
experience
■ Access, support & opportunity
Assessment:
■ Academic results comparison
■ Retention
■ Student satisfaction
■ Skill Development

10. Pillars of Residential Education at La Trobe
Health &
Wellbeing
Dimensions: Healthy relationships,
mental health, personal
responsibility, financial fitness,
physical wellbeing
Academic
Excellence
FY mentoring, at risk support,
specialist tutors, academic
associates
Social
Engagement
Cultural, sports, social events
International student support
Community
standards
Personal responsibility, community
living
Student
leadership
Community service and
volunteering

11. Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges Opportunities
Resourcing
Recognition
Changing student cohort
Programming on residence
Tracking and assessment
Partners in Learning

12. 15,000/50,000
Amount of students in housing/total students
400
Number of Resident Assistants/ICA’s.
27 on one campus
Amount of residence halls

14. Michigan State University- the United States
REHS department
■ 3rd largest on campus
housing in the US
■ Neighborhood model &
Partnerships
■ Our vision/mission
■ Outcomes
■ Assessment
■ Foundations in student
development theory http://rhs.msu.edu/rehs
#MSUREHS
#MSULiveOn

15. Pillars of Residential Education at MSU
LIVE.LEARN.LEAD.
Impact the world
Safety &
Security
Of the building, individual
Programming
Weekly floor and hall programs
Leadership
Development
Graduate assistant and RA’s
Community
standards
Includes conduct, ICA stuff,
Student success
Reaserch on res life/ live on living
contributes to SOB, academic and
personal success
Faculty (LLC’s)
Role of faculty in connecting
classroom with outside the
classroom.

16. Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges Opportunities
Finances (cost of edu,
buildings/ maintenance)
Parents
Legal (Title IX, Obamacare)
Succession planning- aging
work force
Strong vision
Neighborhood model
Partnership working with
professional associations
Partnering with faculty

17. 5000/13,000
Amount of students in housing/total students
79
Number of Residential Advisors
10
Residence areas on campus and in the city of
Brighton

19. Sussex University- the United Kingdom
Holistic approach
■ Communicate
expectations/ values
■ Community building
■ Address conflict early
and often
■ Recognise and address
welfare issues
■ Challenge behaviour

20. Values of Residential Education at Sussex
LIVE.LEARN.LEAD.
Impact the world
Tolerance Flexibility Cordiality
Pragmatism Diversity Acceptance

21. Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges Opportunities
Cultural attitudes
Academic staff buy-in
Staff resources
Progressive staff
Strong social environment
Socially active student
body
Students’ Union buy-in

22. A little about…student development theory

23. RA/Student Leadership – Diverse and Varied
 Undergraduate non-first years & PG students
 Various student leadership roles (Senior Residential Advisors and
RA’s at Sussex, RA’s, ICA’s, ACD’s at MSU and RA’s (portfolio
focused: Health, Social, Academic)
 Training and supervision (In crisis intervention, welfare issues,
safety & security, and peer mediation, community building/
programming)
 Role Descriptions can include anything from being on duty/on call,
programming to conflict resolution/pastoral care

24. Understand your
environment
(resources, staff, budget,
student cohort)
Use your
partners and allies
So how can this work for you?
Create a vision
(what works for you?)
But don’t get hung up on the semiotics or semantics!

25. Further information
Professional organisations
ACPA http://www.myacpa.org
NASPA http://www.naspa.org
ACUHOI http://www.acuho-i.org
AACUHO http://www.aacuho.edu.au

26. Thanks!
Any questions?
Contact us…
Laura Burge L.Burge@latrobe.edu.au
Emelie Helsen Helsene1@rhs.msu.edu
@emeliehelsen
Chris Tucker c.tucker@sussex.ac.uk