Department of Residence Life

 

 

The Department of Residence Life is proud to share our 2009-2010 Departmental Initiatives.  The following are the initiatives we plan to work on this year with the hope of accomplishing or taking strides to accomplishing them.

Department of Residence Life

Initiatives Overview

2009-2010

 

Initiative #1: Develop and hire a third Area Coordinator Position that divides the duties of the current LaLaHAC Area Coordinator to better serve the needs of the residential students.

Does this Initiative/Item address a specific issue raised during the department’s Program Review?

With the transformation of LaGrange Hall into a fully themed living environment and Lafayette Hall serving as the Honors Hall, the current Area Coordinator position has doubled in its workload.  Currently that position is responsible for the day-to-day management of the above-mentioned buildings plus the four Cluster buildings.  This year’s assessment of the area showed double the amount of judicial cases compared to the Area Coordinator of Rice and Rivers, roughly three times as many programs compared to the counterpart and three times as many physical buildings.  What was discovered was that the Theme Residence Halls, due to their unique make-up require more attention, which takes away from the time that can be devoted to the Cluster Style Halls.   

UNA’s Strategic Goals/President’s Priority Initiative/Action Item 1 supports:

Supports University Strategic Goals – High Quality Programs, Diversity and Student Centered University
Supports University Annual Goals – TBD

Discussion of strategies and tactics to reach Action Item 1:

Intended Learning/Process Outcomes:

  • Increased visibility within the Residence Halls.
  • Better utilization of available human resources creating more balanced and focused workloads.
  • Provide educational opportunities for students outside the classroom.
  • Engage faculty and staff in the residential experience.
  • Partner with other departments on campus for programming opportunities.
  • Higher level of oversight of Theme Housing Program for the Theme Housing Area Coordinator.
  • Higher level of oversight of Cluster Residence Halls for the Cluster Area Coordinator.
  • Increased efficiency in the Student Discipline process ensuring an educational approach.
  • Further the development of the Department of Residence Life by being able to place a higher emphasis on Quality Program Development of the two different areas.

Measurement/Assessment Instrument(s)

  • Retention rates of residential students.
  • Retention rates of current students for same living arrangements.
  • Theme Housing requests and ensuing waiting lists.
  • Pre and Post Test Perception and Reality of Residence Hall Experience Surveys.
  • Recognition of Students.
  • Professional Staff Member morale.

Person responsible for assessment:

  • Kevin Jacques, Director of Residence Life

Use of evaluation results for future planning and decision making:

  • Change or modify departmental programming options

           

Initiative #2: Turn Hawthorne and/or Covington Hall(s) into upper-class co-ed by suite style living with self decided visitation policies.

Does this Initiative/Item address a specific issue raised during the department’s Program Review?

With the end of the year survey conducted by the Department of Residence Life and the Student Affairs Assessment Office, it was noted that there was a large request for true co-ed by suite housing (men in one suite and women in the next door suite, not men and women in the same suite) and the desire to change visitation policies to one which allows the suitemates to decide what their visitation policy will look like (i.e. no overnight opposite sex guests, only Friday and Saturday overnight opposite sex guests, any time overnight opposite sex guests).  With the current Pre-Test Expectations Survey we have conducted, these themes came out again.  The Residence Hall Association has also brought this (visitation) up as something to work on this year.   

UNA’s Strategic Goals/President’s Priority Initiative/Action Item 1 supports:

Supports University Strategic Goals – High Quality Programs, Student Centered University
Supports University Annual Goals – TBD

Discussion of strategies and tactics to reach Action Item 1:

Intended Learning/Process Outcomes:

  • 100% occupancy achieved during MANE Event.
  • Engaging students in their living arrangements.
  • Higher level of satisfaction in Residence Hall experience.
  • Higher level of retention of residential students.
  • Lower rate of Judicial hearings.
  • Creating meaningful interpersonal relationships by students exhibiting maturity and handling decision making responsibilities constructively.

Measurement/Assessment Instrument(s)

  • Retention rates of residential students.
  • Cluster Housing requests and ensuing waiting lists.
  • Pre and Post Test Perception and Reality of Residence Hall Experience Surveys.
  • Student morale.

Person responsible for assessment:

  • Kevin Jacques, Director of Residence Life
  • Jami Schepman, Assistant Director of Residence Life
  • Amy Ryder, Area Coordinator

Use of evaluation results for future planning and decision making:

Change or modify departmental policy options