SA Community Life Committee

ResLife 11/27 Meeting Minutes

I. Announcements

1. Prof. Bell at Next Meeting — specializes in training (ILR)
2. Next Meeting - Tuesday (of study week), Dec. 4 @ 4:30

II. Training Resources�What resources (faculty, programs, etc) exist on-campus that could assist in creating effective training programs?

1. Nick, Rebecca, Scott
2. Professor Sean Way and Professor Bruce Tracey (Hotel School)
   • Will provide resources on how to better evaluate RA training practices
   • Willing to come in and talk with ResLife
   • Way suggests using a strategic approach in evaluating training (focus on feedback and testing)
3. ILR website breaks it down on who specializes on training & development So good reference to use
4. Could be an opportunity for research experiment by professors or students Cornell would love this

III. Peer Institutions�What are some of the best practices of our peer institutions in regards to residential staff training?

1. William, Gillian, Ben, Eliza
2. Look at top institutions in regards to college housing
   • Princeton
     • Different houses like West → family feel
   • Yale
     • RA and House Deans (not the same as academic deans)
     • Deans of each house do lots of in-house programming and training of RA
     • Residential college system (like Harvard, Chicago, Rice)
   • Harvard
     • Elves are graduate students who help out
     • RF (residential fellows) are students like RA
     • Similar to west campus → family/community feel
   • Indiana school
     • Sophomore advisor (peer person)
     • Junior year focus on programming, etc.
     • Finally become RA as third year
   • Brown
     • Leadership institute that is provided during summer
   • Stanford
     • Must pass RA class during spring quarter (2 credits)

IV. Key Staff�What other staff members or groups should be involved in this discussion? What will they add?

1. Mark, Elaine, Blaise, Iyore
2. Key Staff/Groups
   • RHD’s
   • Heads of Intercultural Dialogue Center and similar centers on campus
   • Gannett
   • Police
   • West Campus assistant deans (for helpful insight)
   • Academic advisors
   • Faculties in Residence/Faculty Fellows

V. Summary of Discussion

1. Academics and residential life feel very separate; should try and tie them together

because both play primary roles in creating college experience (especially first year)

1. Should be able to go back “home” and have all kinds of collegiate resources there (i.e. what classes should I take?, how should I pursue my future career dreams?, etc.)
2. Graduate fellows? Professors holding office hours in residential halls?
3. Consider academic discipline of individuals when placing them as RA (so can

avoid having 8 engineer RA’s in Low Rise 6)