This document summarizes research findings about loneliness, sexual harassment, and feelings of safety among students at the University of Massachusetts. It also provides a hypothetical story about a student named Will who felt lonely in his residence hall. Some key points: - 42% of students surveyed felt lonely occasionally or frequently, and 44% reported being sexually harassed in residence halls. Nearly 1/3 felt unsafe due to others' substance use. - Will, an out-of-state student, spent most of his free time alone in his room studying or playing video games. His hallmates tried to include him but had trouble connecting with him. - The document advocates cultivating compassionate residence halls through actively caring behaviors

1. Cultivating Compassionate Resident Halls
Kyle Pacque

2. Everyone please pair up:
– What is one thing you truly care about, that
most people don’t already know?
Introduction of Audience Members

3. 2014 NASPA Annual Conference * Baltimore, Maryland * March 15-19, 2014

4. LONELINESS AT UMASS
Findings from a 2012-2013 survey show that at the
of Massachusetts,
42% of respondents have felt
LONELY occasionally or
frequently. (Clark, Doughty, 2013)

5. SEXUAL HARASSMENT/ ASSAULT
AT UMASS
Roughly 1 in 3 students
somewhat or strongly agree
that Umass has a sexual harassment
and/or sexual assault problem (Clark &
Doughty, 2013).

6. LONELINESS AT UMASS
44% of the respondents said
they were sexually harassed in
residence halls. (Clark & Doughty, 2013).

7. Actively Caring:
Any behavior that goes above and beyond the call of duty
on behalf of the health, safety, or welfare of another person

8. Will’s Story
Will arrived at Umass with a story. He attended a good high school located
in a small town out of state. Everyone back home went to the same school from
elementary, middle and high school, so Will has had the same best friend since
third grade - James.
Will doesn’t know anyone else heading to Umass in the fall so he decided to
be randomly assigned to a roommate. When he got to UMass, Will spent most of his
free time studying or playing video games in his room. Many of his hallmates,
including his RA, noticed Will was always stressed about school work. To show
support, his hallmates would give him words of encouragement: “You got into
UMass, you’re obviously smart!” His RA would say: “ You’re smart, and as a psych
major, I bet it’s easy for you!” When Will wasn’t studying, you’d likely see Will with
a XBOX controller in his hand and a headset on his head as he talked to other
gamers. Hallmates would try to get him more involved by asking him out
to lunch, and inviting him out on the weekends. No one could connect with
Will, so eventually people just gave him space.
AC4P In Residence Halls

9. RESEARCH ON ENVIRONMENT
Nearly 1 in 3 respondents had
felt uncomfortable, unsafe, or
threatened due to others’ alcohol/ drug-
related behavior (Pacque & McCarty, 2013) .

10. “Hallmates would try to get him more involved by asking him out to lunch, and
inviting him out on the weekends.”
Golden Rule - Treat other how _____ want
to be treated
Platinum Rule - Treat others how _____
want to be treated
Will’s Story
you’d
they’d

11. 2014 NASPA Annual Conference * Baltimore, Maryland * March 15-19, 2014

12. See. Act. Pass. Share.

13. AC4P in Action: Scott’s Story - GSU

14. AC4P Action: Meghan’s Story

15. AC4P in Action: Riley’s Story (ASU)

16. Questions?