This document provides an overview of community development methods for RAs, including examples of programming models, door decorations, bulletin boards, and welcome letters. It outlines requirements for area-wide programs, RA room hours, and intentional interactions. The document provides examples and best practices for these methods and highlights things that should be avoided, such as last-minute planning. The overall message is for RAs to plan ahead, challenge themselves creatively, use their strengths, and support each other in building community.

1. RA Training Fall 2015
Community Development Model

2. Overview:
• Community Development Methods
– Meant as a quick snapshot
– Details will be covered in training
• Programming Model & Examples
• Door Decorations & Examples
• Bulletin Boards & Examples
• Welcome Letter & Example
• Things we DON’T want to see…
• More details will be in your RA Manual!

3. Community Development Methods
1. Programming Model
2. Area-Wide Programs
3. Personal Interactions
4. Welcome Letters
5. Door Decorations
7. Roommate Agreements
8. Building/Floor
Meetings
9. Bulletin Boards
10.RA Hours
11.Health & Safety
Inspections
12.Norman Dollars
 Take a quick look and familiarize you with some of the methods.
 We’ll discuss more details in training.

4. Programming Model
• 8 programs per semester
– 1 per semester must be collaborative with an
outside office/person
– 2 per semester must be assessed
– 1 per semester must be a supportive program,
must include a reflective/debrief component
• Program Theme Ideas
• Self-awareness/interpersonal
– Welcome, Transition, Meeting New People,
Communication and Active Listening,
Interpersonal Relationships, Sleep and Stress
(Part 1), Changing Relationships, Personal
Wellness, Promoting Resilience
• Professional and Personal Readiness
• Academic Integrity, Campus Exploration,
Personal Goal Setting, Planning, Prioritizing,
Time Management, and Procrastination, Library
Literacy, Professionalism, Self-Advocacy, Test
Strategies, Test Anxiety, and Stress Reduction,
Exploring Research Opportunities, Majors
Exploration and Motivation, Preparing for Mid-
terms, Academic Advising and the Registrar’s
Office, Career and Co-Curricular Planning
• Professional and Personal Readiness
• Leadership Styles and Campus
Involvement, Alcohol and Other Drugs, MLK
Celebration, Extracurricular Involvement on
Campus, Global Education

5. Programming Model
Month August September October November December
Number of
Programs
1 2 2 2 1
Category Community
Builder
(Self-Awareness and
Personal/Professional
Readiness or Civic/Social
Responsibility)
(Personal/Professional
Readiness and Civic/Social
Responsibility or Self-
Awareness)
(Civic/social and Self-
Awareness or
Personal/Professional
Readiness)
Fun Pre-Break
Social
Month January February March April May
Number of
Programs
1 2 2 2 1
Category Welcome
Back Social
(Self-Awareness and
Personal/Professional
Readiness or Civic/Social
Responsibility)
(Personal/Professional
Readiness and Civic/Social
Responsibility or Self-
Awareness)
(Civic/social and Self-
Awareness or
Personal/Professional
Readiness)
Fun Pre-Break
Social

6. Programming Model: Examples
Question Jenga
Supplies – 2-3 Jenga games and markers
What – Write a “get to know you” kind of question on every Jenga piece.
Set the game(s) up in a lounge and let the residents play. Each resident
answers the questions on the pieces they move.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will get to know other members of the
community
Puzzle Piece
Supplies – puzzle, art and craft supplies, magazines, etc.
What – Pick any puzzle and hand a piece out to everyone on the floor.
Tell them to decorate the blank side in a way that represents them as an
individual. Bring everyone together to put the puzzle together and talk
about individual identities. Frame the puzzle after and put it in the hall.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will get to know other members of the
community and be more aware, understanding and appreciative of
difference and how they come together.

7. Programming Model: Examples
My Stash
Supplies – Jars, painters marker, stencils, oven
What – Give everyone a jar and let them pick a stash
stencil. Draw on the jars and cook in an oven.
Supplemental to discussing about budgeting tips for
college, healthy spending habits, credit cards, etc.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will learn helpful
financial information while also having an additional
way to save a little along the way.
College Eating
Supplies – Recipes, examples of the
food talked about, microwave/oven
What – Give everyone a mini recipe
book of easy and healthy recipes to
make in a residence hall. For
example, there are a lot of single
serve dishes that can be made easily
in a coffee cup in a microwave.
Serve sample portions of some
recipes in their booklets
Learning Outcomes – Residents
will learn easy and healthy recipes
they can make themselves in the
residence hall. Also have a better
understanding of the responsibility of
cooking on their own.

8. Programming Model: Examples
Cultural Sensitivity
Supplies – Examples of insensitive costumes; We’re a culture, not a costume campaign information;
other researched information.
What – Around Halloween, discuss cultural sensitivity and appropriateness surrounding costumes in
regards to traditions, stereotypes, etc. Ask for assistance from Multicultural Affairs. Utilize resources
from campaigns like We’re a Culture, Not a Costume.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will gain more understanding of different cultures, traditions,
stereotypes, and perspectives. Have a greater sense of respect and knowledge when choosing their
costume for the holiday.
Jared Boxes
Supplies – Shoebox sized plastic storage boxes and resources from Jared B
website (labels, cards, etc.)
What – Ask residents to participate in filling a box to be given to a chroni
ill child in the hospital. They can do them solo or work in groups. Fill the
with age appropriate toys and items like crayons, matchbox cars, coloring
books, silly putty, etc. Donate the completed boxes to a local children’s
hospital (Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland participates in the
program).
Learning Outcomes – Residents will learn how easy and fulfilling it can
take part in helping others in the community.

9. Area Wide and All Campus Programs
• Area Wide Programs:
• Each RA team must complete two area wide programs during
each semester for their respective areas. These programs are at
the discretion of the RA team and supervising AC. Area wide
programs should be designed to build overall community in
the area. Each RA team must complete one campus wide
event per semester.
• 2 Area Wide
• Campus Wide
• 1 late night program per semester
• Each area takes a month for the campus-wide
•

10. RA Room Hours
• RA availability is one of the most important factors in creating a cohesive and caring
community. While RAs are expected to be both available and visible in their buildings and on
their halls, identifying specific days and times where residents can find them in their
rooms/suites is important. RAs will identify 5 hours per week where they will be in their
rooms/suites for the sole purpose of assisting their residents and completing position related
tasks. A minimum of 2 hours must be held in the evening after 5pm. RA Hours cannot be all
on one day, must be spread over at least three days, and may not contain more than one
weekend day. These hours are posted on the RAs door and made available to all of their
residents. These hours will allow the RA to always have time set aside for residents to know
when to find the RA. If an RA cannot hold their scheduled RA room hours they need to make
up that time later in that week. RAs should inform their AC and residents ahead of time if
these hours change for any reason at all (temporarily or permanently) and these changes will
be updated on their doors in a timely manner.
• An RA’s first priority during scheduled room hours is to be available for residents to stop by.
However, RAs can also utilize these hours by doing a round of their floor to check in with
residents (indicate on their room’s dry erase board if they are doing a round of the floor),
completing weekly Personal Interactions, completing programming prep work, working on
bulletin boards/door decorations, completing administrative tasks, etc.

11. Door Decorations
• Welcome residents to the community
• Personalize them!
– Hand-made, creative, well-designed, eye-catching
– Incorporate themes related to the floor/hall
– Challenge yourself!
• Make extras!
– Replace ones that get torn down or go missing
– Have them ready when new students move onto your floor
• Door decorations will be done once per semester with the understanding
that if a student loses a door decoration or students enter a space (room
changes) it will be replaced by the RA within a timely manner.
• Door decorations must be approved by your AC.

12. Door Decoration: Examples

13. Door Decoration: Examples

14. Bulletin Boards
• Communicate relevant information to residents
– University information
– Dates & deadlines
– Upcoming programs & events
• Interact with community
– Resident of the Month, Resident Birthdays, recognition
– Floor/hall issues and concerns
• Plan ahead!
– Think about upcoming months
– Talk with your staff about themes and ideas to use
• Bulletin boards are to be done by the 1st of the month with the understanding that if
it is damaged or torn down, it is to be replaced by the RA within a timely manner.

15. Bulletin Boards: Examples
Best Practices:
– Hand-made
– Relevant to residents’ needs
– Use many colors
– Enough content to fill
board
– May extend beyond frame
of bulletin board

16. Bulletin Board: Examples

17. Bulletin Board Examples
• Best Practices:
– Catch attention with
humor
– Limit text on each paper
to be readable at a
glance (unlike this one
)
– Get creative!
• Don’t consider yourself the “creative
type?” Talk to your staff members and
AC to brainstorm ideas 

18. Intentional Interactions
• Personal interactions are RA-to-resident
conversations/discussions/observing behaviors that take place in
an informal setting. These interactions can take place walking to
class, in the building, or in any community space. RAs should
log all interactions in MAP-Works. RAs are required to do the
following:
Week 3 Week 6 Week 10 Week 15
1st Interaction 2nd Interaction 3rd Interaction 4th Interaction

19. Welcome Letter
• Welcome residents to the residential community!
– Introduce yourself to your residents
– Familiarize residents with the building
– Inform them of upcoming events and administrative tasks
• Floor meeting
• Room Condition Report
• Roommate Agreements
• Work ahead!
– Start your draft now, & you can finish it during RA Training

20. Welcome Letter: Sample
Hello Everyone!
My name is Abbey, and I am your Resident Advisor here in Dunlap-King Hall! I am a music major and am
currently in my third year here at UNE. As an RA, I am here as a resource to help integrate you into the DK community
and the larger campus community as well as to ensure you have a safe, healthy, and fun experience at UNE!
For those of you who are looking to get involved here on campus, there are so many opportunities to find your
passion! We have over 80 student organizations on campus ranging from Intramural Sports to the Gamers Guild, from
Orientation Leaders to Knit Wits! We also have opportunities for you to get involved in UNE’s Residential Student Life
Association (RSLA) to represent and advocate for our hall and our larger residential community on campus. Doing this
not only gives you leadership experience but also helps the entire hall get things we need. If you are interested, come and
see me!
If you notice anything that is out of place, missing, or damaged in your room while you are moving in or within
the first week, please document it on your Room Condition Report (RCR) and let me know. It is important for us to keep
track of damages on your RCR so that you are not charged when you move out for things you did not damage. It is also
important to report any damages that occur during the year so that we can get them fixed and keep the building in tip-top
shape! Within the first week, I will also be coming around to help you with Roommate Agreement, which is meant to
start you and your roommate talking about personal preferences within your room. This Agreement will set the
community standards for your room that you and your roommate follow and can refer to during conflicts.
Specifically for DK, you will need your UNE ID to swipe into the building and your room key to access not only
your room but also the door to your hallway. Never leave your room without both your ID and your room key! If I am
not around and you need to contact me, send me an email at abbey.hirt@une.edu or leave me a message on my dry-erase
board. We also will have signs posted around the hall with contact information for the RA on duty, and you can call or
stop by with any questions.
I look forward to meeting you all, and let’s make this an amazing year!
~Abbey

21. Community Development:
Things we DON’T want to see…
• Bulletin Boards:
– All content is printed pictures and
text
– Minimal content, board not filled
– Too much content, overloaded
with paragraphs of text
– All pictures & fun, does not
address a relevant need or issue of
residents

22. Community Development:
Things we DON’T want to see…
• Door Decorations:
– Printed and pixilated pictures
– No effort put into it
– Plain, bland, non-creative
– Exclusive & non-welcoming
– Sloppy handwriting/finishing

23. Community Development:
Things we DON’T want to see…
• Programming:
– Last-minute planning
• Asking another AC to sign your cash advance the day of your
program
• Putting in your program proposal the day before your program
– Poor implementation
– Plain & non-creative programs
– Repetitive and/or duplicate programs in the same staff
– Paragraph(s) of text on advertisements

24. Community Development:
Bottom Line?
• Plan Ahead
• Challenge Yourself
• Use your strengths, and
• Don’t be afraid to lean on each other!

25. Questions?
Bring them to RA Training!
(Or ask Tony!)