Gettysburg College
Office of Residence Life
First-Year Community Development Learning Plan
2010-2011
Citizenship Pillars
Gettysburgians…
Respect
Embrace Conflict
Own their Choices
Make a Positive Difference
Learning Plan Foundation
“The individual is not dwarfed by the institution, but magnified by the experience; not
mired in indifference, but raised up in responsibility; not waiting in the wings, but
standing on the world’s stage.”
- “I am Gettysburg”
The Division of College Life acts in partnership with the faculty in promoting the personal and
intellectual development of our students. Our overarching goal is for students to leave Gettysburg
with the leadership capacities needed to take purposeful action in service of their community. We
accomplish this goal by supporting students’ development as self-directed young adults, able to take
personal responsibility over all dimensions of their lives. This learning occurs through students’
active decision making and engagement in the learning environment, both in and out of the
classroom.
The Residence Life Office operates with the College Life Division Strategic Goals as its guide. These
goals guide our work when determining priorities. Residence Life works to measure our success in
these areas through a combination of data analysis, comparisons with peer institutions, and
alignment with professional standards. The four strategic goals are:
 GOAL 1: Provide for the well-being and safety of all students
 GOAL 2: Provide a high quality student social and residential experience
 GOAL 3: Develop a strong and distinctive co-curricular student learning experience
 GOAL 4: Support an increasingly diverse student body
 GOAL 5: Strategically manage personnel, technology, and budget
The Residence Life Learning Plan presented in this document has elements that address all five
strategic goals but the focus is on Goal 3. The intent is to provide students with a learning based
residential experience in the first-year halls that challenges them to be deeply engaged citizens. The
learning goals upon which this program is based derive from the College Life Division’s Educational
Priority Statement and the Division’s Co-Curricular Learning Goals
Educational Priority Statement
Gettysburg prepares students to be active leaders: taking purposeful action in service of the
community.
Co-Curricular Learning Goals
The four overarching learning goal categories are the following:
 Citizenship: Responsibility to the community
 Integrity: Aligning values and actions
 Inclusiveness: Engaging multiple perspectives
 Emotional Intelligence: Building interpersonal relationships
The Residence Life Learning Plan uses the Co-Curricular Learning Goals as the foundation for the
four Residence Life Pillars that capture the essence of life in the residence halls as a Gettysburgian.
Gettysburgians…
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1. Respect
 Gettysburgians treat the community with respect (people, campus, and Gettysburg
Borough)
2. Embrace Conflict
 Gettysburgians communicate constructively, rather than avoid conflict
3. Own their Choices
 Gettysburgians understand and exercise their rights members of the community while
taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions and inactions
4. Make a Positive Difference
 Gettysburgians engage in thoughtful reflection and participate in the life of the
community, striving to enrich the community by making a positive difference
The learning plan presents goals, strategies, and assessment tools to guide professional staff and
student staff (RCs and RAs) in implementing a residential experience that challenges students to be
engaged learners and citizens.
Residence Life Organizational Structure
The Associate Director for Residence Life, Danielle Phillips, coordinates the implementation of the
learning plan. She serves as the “chief education officer” for the Office of Residence Life. The
Associate Director directly supervises two professional staff who serve as Area Coordinators,
Nichole Batt and Sarah Grandstaff. Each Area Coordinator supervises an Area that comprises three
first-year residence halls. Within each area there are approximately 20 student staff (Residence
Coordinators and Resident Assistants) who work in floor, building, and area teams to manage the
day to day implementation of the learning plan with students. Each building is led by a senior
student staff member (Residence Coordinator) and roughly three to six Resident Assistants. The vast
majority of floors have two RAs living on the floor. The strategies described in the pages that follow
are implemented by the staff described above with support from the Director of Residence Life,
Victor Arcelus.
West Area – Supervised by Nichole Batt
 Rice Hall – 117 residents living on three floors with one RC and four RAs
 Paul Hall – 116 residents living on three floors with one RC and four RAs
 Stine Hall – 115 residents living on three floors with one RC and four RAs
East Area – Supervised by Sarah Grandstaff
 Hanson Hall – 148 residents living on four floors with one RC and six RAs
 Huber Hall – 102 residents living on three floors with one RC and three RAs
 Patrick Hall – 142 residents living on four floors with one RC and six RAs
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Learning Goals with Narratives, Outcomes, and Strategies
The Office of Residence Life has identified four “pillars” that capture what it means to be a
Gettysburgian. These Citizenship Pillars are sequential in nature in that they build on each other.
Our work will touch on all four, but the learning will most likely happen in a linear fashion, starting
with the first pillar and moving to the fourth. Below are the four pillars, a narrative defining the
pillar, and accompanying learning outcomes for each pillar. Also included are the strategies that will
be implemented in order to advance student learning.
1. Respect – Gettysburgians Treat the community with respect (people, campus, and
Gettysburg Borough)
Through the residential experience, first-year students will have the opportunity to learn from
people different from themselves. It is our goal that students will become increasingly familiar with
their own values, beliefs, goals, as well as their needs within the community in order to be successful.
Through this self-discovery process they will also learn about the values, beliefs, goals, needs, and
expectations of other students. Respect is demonstrated through the awareness of self, the
appreciation of others within the community, and acknowledgement of institutional values and
expectations.
Outcomes
 First-year students will identify their needs for living in a residence hall.
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs.
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community.
 First-year students will develop mutually agreed upon expectations that are in alignment with
those of the institution.
Strategies
 Community Meetings
 Community Agreements
 Roommate Agreements
 GChats
 FYE Program
 Conduct Hearings
 Citizenship Discussions
 Community Disruption Meetings
2. Embrace Conflict – Gettysburgians communicate constructively, rather than avoid
conflict
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As a result of living and communicating with others different from themselves, first-year students
will encounter conflict during their time at Gettysburg College. It is our goal that students will
appreciate that their experience will not be “perfect” and that it is in the imperfect moments that
they have the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills and their interpersonal
communication skills. First-year students will be challenged to communicate with others about their
thoughts, feelings, and concerns in a constructive manner. A goal will be to limit many students’
tendency to avoid conflict and also to minimize aggressive verbal and physical responses. Their
experience will not be exactly as they expected, but as their path unfolds they will learn about
themselves and others in ways that will make them effective leaders on campus and in their lives
after college.
Outcomes
 First-year students will identify what steps will be taken to address conflicts.
 First-year students will choose to constructively challenge peers when there is incongruity
between their expectations and others’ actions.
 First-year students will be familiar with campus resources that they can utilize for support.
 First-year students will demonstrate respectful communication with college staff and
Gettysburg community members.
Strategies
 Community Meetings
 Community Agreements
 Roommate Agreements
 GChats
 FYE Program
 Conduct Hearings
 Citizenship Discussions
 Community Disruption Meetings
3. Own their Choices – Gettysburgians understand and exercise their rights as members of
the community while taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions and
inactions
The Residence Life Office operates on the premise that being a member of our Gettysburg College
community (particularly in the residence halls) entitles students to a set of rights that are coupled
with a set of responsibilities to the community. It is our goal that first-year students will exercise
their rights as part of the community but that they will also respect the responsibilities that they have
to the community. Students will be challenged to identify moments when their behavior is not in
alignment with their responsibilities. In addition, students will be asked to reflect on their role in
making the choices they made and the impact that these choices had on people around them.
Outcomes
 First-year students will proactively reflect upon how their choices impact others.
 First-year students will choose to evaluate feedback as it relates to their actions within the
community.
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First-year students will formulate collaborative solutions to conflict.
Strategies
 Community Meetings
 Community Agreements
 Roommate Agreements
 Conduct Hearings
 Citizenship Discussions
 Community Disruption Meetings
4. Make a Positive Difference – Gettysburgians engage in thoughtful reflection and
participate in the life of the community, striving to enrich the community by making a
positive difference
Gettysburg College believes that the student learning experience extends beyond the classroom and
that students will benefit most from their college experience by engaging in the community and
connecting with other students and individuals. It is our goal that first-year students will explore
ways to get involved on campus and chose to participate in at least one initiative beyond their
scheduled classroom activities. Students will make an effort to connect with others on campus and,
as a result, will feel a sense of belonging that strengthens their commitment to the institution.
Outcomes
 First-year students will engage in the daily life of the hall community.
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
 First-year students will demonstrate commitment to an initiative(s) that extends beyond
scheduled classroom activities.
 First-year students will connect with people who share similar interests and values to their
own.
Strategies
 Community Meetings
 GChats
 Activity Fair
 Area Programming Boards
 Community Calendar
 FYE Program
 Conduct Hearings
Learning Strategies with Narratives, Outcomes, and Assessment Tools
Community Meetings – There will be ten (10) community meetings (beginning during Orientation
and running monthly through May). These meetings will be conducted in classrooms and be
facilitated by the RC or RA pair for each floor. All floor members will be expected to participate. Six
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(6) of these meetings (August-January) will be part of the FYE program. The first community
meeting will be during Orientation and begin with a building meeting entitled “What It Means to be
a Gettysburgian.” During these meetings, the staff will use institutional and community specific
expectations to create and/or revise their community agreements. The meetings will also be used to
build relationships, address any student or staff concerns within the community, relay important
information/procedures (i.e. closing, break housing, etc.), and discuss academic/educational topics.
(See the attached document for tentative agendas for all ten meetings. These documents will be
adapted as needed.
Outcomes
 First-year students will identify their needs for living in a residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs. (R)
 First-year students will develop mutually agreed upon expectations for living with peers in
the residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community. (R)
 First-year students will identify what steps will be taken to address future conflicts. (E)
 First-year students will choose to constructively challenge peers when there is incongruity
between their expectations and others’ actions. (E)
 First-year students will be familiar with campus resources that they can utilize for support.
(E)
 First-year students will proactively reflect upon how their choices impact others. (O)
 First-year students will choose to evaluate feedback as it relates to their actions within the
community. (O)
 First-year students will formulate collaborative solutions to conflict. (O)
 First-year students will engage in the daily life of the hall community. (M)
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
(M)
 First-year students will connect with people who share similar interests and values to their
own. (M)
Assessment Tools
 Quality of Life Survey
 FYE Assessment
 One Minute Papers
 Resident Focus Groups
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
Community Agreements – Community agreements are “living” documents established by each
floor community within the first couple of weeks on campus. These agreements establish the
expectations for life on the floor. They include discussions of the “Rights and Responsibilities”
document which outlines what rights a student has as a part of the residential community and the
responsibilities that accompany those rights. Residents of a floor will create this agreement during
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the orientation community meeting. It will address individuals’ responsibilities to the community
and the actions that the individuals on the floor will take when expectations are not being met. It is a
dynamic document that will be displayed on the floor and will be revised monthly at the community
meetings.
Outcomes
 First-year students will identify their needs for living in a residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs. (R)
 First-year students will develop mutually agreed upon expectations for living with peers in
the residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community. (R)
 First-year students will develop mutually agreed upon expectations that are in alignment with
those of the institution. (R)
 First-year students will identify what steps will be taken to address future conflicts. (E)
 First-year students will choose to constructively challenge peers when there is incongruity
between their expectations and others’ actions. (E)
 First-year students will proactively reflect upon how their choices impact others. (O)
 First-year students will choose to evaluate feedback as it relates to their actions within the
community. (O)
 First-year students will formulate collaborative solutions to conflict. (O)
Assessment Tools
 Quality of Life Survey
 Resident Focus Groups
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
Roommate Agreements – After a few weeks of living together, roommates will sit down and
discuss their preferences as it relates to personal habits, guests, sharing belongings, cleaning, privacy,
communication, studying, and sleeping. They will discuss and document their conversation on the
roommate agreement form, along with their means for addressing and discussing any conflicts that
should arise. The students’ RC/RA will then meet and discuss the agreement with the roommates
and revisit it with them as often as necessary to maintain a positive relationship between the
roommates. Ultimately, the goal will be that the roommates will proactively use this agreement
(without the ongoing intervention of the RA) to address concerns.
Outcomes
 First-year students will identify their needs for living in a residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs. (R)
 First-year students will develop mutually agreed upon expectations for living with peers in
the residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community. (R)
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First-year students will develop mutually agreed upon expectations that are in alignment with
those of the institution. (R)
First-year students will identify what steps will be taken to address future conflicts. (E)
First-year students will choose to constructively challenge peers when there is incongruity
between their expectations and others’ actions. (E)
First-year students will proactively reflect upon how their choices impact others. (O)
First-year students will choose to evaluate feedback as it relates to their actions within the
community. (O)
First-year students will formulate collaborative solutions to conflict. (O)
Assessment Tools
 Quality of Life Survey
 Resident Focus Groups
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
GChats (One-on-Ones) – During the course of the academic year, each student will engage in
three planned conversations with their RC/RA focusing on their interests, goals, experiences at
college, and other areas. Through these conversations, students’ RCs/RAs will connect them with
people and resources that can support them as they look to increase their engagement with the
community. The student staff member will also use this one-on-one time to support the student by
listening to residents express concerns or issues.
Outcomes
 First-year students will identify their needs for living in a residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs. (R)
 First-year students will identify what steps will be taken to address future conflicts. (E)
 First-year students will be familiar with campus resources that they can utilize for support.
(E)
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
(M)
Assessment Tools
 GChats Assessment
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
Activities Fair – During the existing Activities Fair students are exposed to many organizations,
clubs, and other opportunities on campus. A new component will be added to Activities Fair;
students will be asked to identify activities that fit into three categories:
 Activities that they know that they want to get involved in
 Activities that they had not considered ahead of time but may want to get involved in
 Activities that they aspire to engage in at some point in their four years at Gettysburg.
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Outcomes
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
(M)
 First-year students will demonstrate commitment to an initiative(s) that extends beyond
scheduled classroom activity. (M)
 First-year students will connect with people who share similar interests and values to their
own. (M)
Assessment Tools
 Survey at the end of the event
 Resident Focus Groups
Area Programming Boards – An Area Programming Board (APB) will be formed in each area to
provide student-initiated programming that support residents’ interests within the areas. The APBs
will have a budget to support their programming efforts. The APB leadership will be selected
through elections building off of Student Senate structure. Each hall has a senator; the three senators
within each area will serve as the core leadership group for the APB (chair, co-chair/secretary, and
treasurer). The programming developed through the APBs will provide opportunities for students to
connect socially with others in their community. It will also provide information regarding
organizations, activities, and other opportunities that students can get involved with on campus.
Residence Life will work in an advisory role with the APBs to implement programming and
effectively use their budgeted funds.
Outcomes
 First-year students will engage in the daily life of the hall community. (M)
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
(M)
 First-year students will demonstrate commitment to an initiative(s) that extends beyond
scheduled classroom activity. (M)
 First-year students will connect with people who share similar interests and values to their
own. (M)
Assessment Tools
 Quality of Life Survey
 Resident Focus Groups
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
Community Calendar – The RAs of each floor will create and post a calendar in a common area
on the floor where students can add student-initiated programming, campus events, and other
activities. Students, individually or through their APB, can plan and then advertise their
programming on these calendars. Students can also add athletic events, musical performances,
service opportunities, or other campus events that they are involved in so that hallmates can support
each other by attending each others’ events. This initiative seeks to promote a cohesive and positive
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hall community while simultaneously exposing students to the many opportunities to become
involved on campus.
Outcomes
 First-year students will engage in the daily life of the hall community. (M)
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
(M)
 First-year students will demonstrate commitment to an initiative(s) that extends beyond
scheduled classroom activity. (M)
 First-year students will connect with people who share similar interests and values to their
own. (M)
Assessment Tools
 Quality of Life Survey
 Resident Focus Groups
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
First-Year Experience (FYE) Program (Pilot and Traditional) – The traditional FYE program
will contain a series of large group and small group discussions that introduce first-year students to
their role within the communities of which they become a part when they chose to become a
Gettysburg student. These discussions will assist students in understanding themselves (their
interests and needs), as well as their role in impacting others. Some of the topics within the FYE
program includes diversity, time management, academic life, and community membership (through
community meetings). The program also includes a slate of electives (a multitude of sessions hosted
by a variety of campus programs) and Fall Convocation. Students involved in the FYS/FYE Pilot
Program will discuss these topics with their seminar class during an extra Thursday hour cofacilitated by their professor and an administrator.
Outcomes
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community. (R)
 First-year students will choose to constructively challenge peers when there is incongruity
between their expectations and others’ actions. (E)
 First-year students will be familiar with campus resources that they can utilize for support.
(E)
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
(M)
 First-year students will connect with people who share similar interests and values to their
own. (M)
Assessment Tools
 FYE Assessment
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
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Conduct Hearings – Through conversations with Residence Life student staff during the
documentation process, Area Coordinators and other professional staff serving as hearing officers,
and the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities, students will be challenged to engage in
conversations about their behavior and its impact on others and the community. Students will
understand that the choices that they make impact their experience and that of others.
Outcomes
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community. (R)
 First-year students will be familiar with campus resources that they can utilize for support.
(E)
 First-year students will demonstrate respectful communication with college staff and
Gettysburg community members. (E)
 First-year students will choose to evaluate feedback as it relates to their actions within the
community. (O)
 First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
(M)
Assessment Tools
 One Minute Paper
 Resident Focus Groups
Citizenship Discussions – Students who are documented for quiet hour or trash violations will be
required to attend a group meeting (facilitated by a Residence Life professional staff member) to
discuss how their actions impacted others and their community. The intent of this meeting will be
to help students appreciate the fact that community members need to hold each other accountable
and to also help students understand how their choices and behavior affect others. The presentation
and discussion will be based on the concepts presented in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Outcomes
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community. (R)
 First-year students will identify what steps will be taken to address future conflicts. (E)
 First-year students will choose to constructively challenge peers when there is incongruity
between their expectations and others’ actions. (E)
 First-year students will demonstrate respectful communication with college staff and
Gettysburg community members. (E)
 First-year students will choose to evaluate feedback as it relates to their actions within the
community. (O)
Assessment Tools
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Quality of Life Survey
One Minute Paper
Resident Focus Groups
Community Disruption Meetings – When there is an incident on a floor or within a building
(such as vandalism, bias-related graffiti, etc.), a professional staff members will work with the
RC/RAs on the floor or in the building to pull the community together for a community meeting.
The intent of the meeting is to discuss the incident, provide students with the opportunity to express
their feelings about the incident and how the incident impacts their experience. In addition, the
people responsible for the incident will be encouraged to identify themselves in public or private and
other members of the community will be encouraged to provide any information they have about
the incident. The intent is for students responsible for an incident to own their actions and for
others in the community to acknowledge their responsibility to voice their concerns and create the
conditions within which the problematic behavior will not be accepted.
Outcomes
 First-year students will recognize that others in their residence hall have both shared and
differing needs. (R)
 First-year students will develop mutually agreed upon expectations for living with peers in
the residence hall. (R)
 First-year students will recognize that the college has expectations for the way that they
engage with others on campus and within the Gettysburg community. (R)
 First-year students will identify what steps will be taken to address future conflicts. (E)
 First-year students will choose to constructively challenge peers when there is incongruity
between their expectations and others’ actions. (E)
 First-year students will demonstrate respectful communication with college staff and
Gettysburg community members. (E)
 First-year students will choose to evaluate feedback as it relates to their actions within the
community. (O)
 First-year students will formulate collaborative solutions to conflict. (O)
Assessment Tools
 Quality of Life Survey
 One Minute Paper
 Resident Focus Groups
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
Bulletin Boards – RCs/RAs will use passive programming to acquaint students with the campus
(its resources, activities, and educational information). This will aid students in making informed
choices around how to get involved and where to seek help if needed. Topics for bulletin boards
will be planned by individual staff members or building staffs.
Outcomes
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First-year students will be familiar with campus resources that they can utilize for support.
(E)
First-year students will engage in the daily life of the hall community. (M)
First-year students will explore opportunities for engagement within our campus community.
First-year students will connect with people who share similar interests and values to their
own.
Assessment Tools
 Resident Focus Groups
 RA Self-Reflection/Observation
Assessment Plan
Quality of Life Survey – Students will take an online survey twice a year (early October and early
April) regarding their experience in the residence hall. The short survey will ask questions regarding
their environment, interaction with others, and overall impressions of their experience. The survey
in October will assist out staff in making immediate adjustments to assist students with any current
concerns. The survey in April will provide information to help in our revisions of our program over
the summer months. This survey can provide information regarding many of our strategies
including Community Meetings, Community Agreements, Roommate Agreements, the Community
Calendar, Area Programming Boards, Citizenship Discussions, and Community Disruption
Meetings.
GChat Assessment – At the end of the academic year (late April), students will take an online
survey inquiring about their learning through the one-on-one conversations (GChats) that they have
had with their RC/RA. The survey will include questions regarding their relationship with their
RC/RA, the content of their conversations, their learning/reflection as a result of the conversations,
and their satisfaction with the conversations/experience. The information gained through this
survey will allow us to measure our success in achieveing the learning goals for the GChat program
as well as assist us in revisiting and possibly redesigning the program over the summer months. (This
assessment could be combined with the second Quality of Life survey if we are concerned about too
many surveys at the end of the year. Both are very brief and have different purposes, but it is
possible to combine them.)
FYE Assessment – At the end of the FYE program (late November and/or late January) students
will complete an assessment of the overall program. This survey will inquire about student learning
through the 12 sessions of FYE. The assessment will provide information on the effectiveness of
the community meetings, and we will use this information to guide revisions of the program over
the summer months. (The students in the FYS/FYE Pilot program will participate in a number of
assessments to measure the effectiveness of that program.)
One Minute Papers – Immediately following a number of meetings/conversations, students will
complete a one minute paper specific to a learning outcome for that strategy (each lesson plan
details the “questions” for the paper for each strategy). The strategies that this tool will be used for
include the Citizenship Discussions, the Community Disruption Meetings, Conduct Hearings, and
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certain Community Meetings. These tools will help us address any immediate concerns and
learning, as well as help us plan for the future of our program.
Resident Focus Groups – There will be three sets of focus groups after Spring Break during the
Spring Semester. The first set will focus on the development of community on the hall with
questions and discussions related to Community Meetings, Community Agreements (including their
role in the FYE program), and Roommate Agreements. The second set will focus on the response
to community issues and concerns with questions and discussions related to the Citizenship
Discussions, Community Disruption Meetings, and Conduct Hearings with the goal of gauging their
effectiveness on the atmosphere within the community. The final set will focus on
social/programmatic efforts within the community with questions and discussion related to the
Community Calendar, Bulletin Boards, the Activities Fair, and the Area Programming Boards.
RA Self-Reflection/Observation – During one-on-ones (specifically at the end of the fall semester
and the beginning and end of the spring semester, but throughout the semesters as needed) and also
in a final written reflection question in May, the Residence Life student staff will reflect on and note
observations about their hall communities. This observation will encompass the staff member’s
learning and all strategies within their communities. At certain times of the year based on ongoing
use of other assessment tools, the staff will be asked to reflect on specific strategies. The details of
the staff reflections are outlined in the lesson plans for the staff learning goal strategies, as well as on
the attached calendar.
Other Surveys – Other surveys may be used to assess specific strategies/initiatives. For example,
the main assessment for the Activities Fair will be a brief survey that the students who attend the fair
will complete upon leaving the event.
Sequencing of Learning
See attached calendar.
Staff Development
Spring Training for incoming staff – On two Sunday evenings in April, the student staff for the
incoming academic year will gather to begin preparations for their time on staff the following year.
The first meeting will be mainly introductions to each other, the office, and the overarching mission
and goals of the department. Relationship development and community building will be two
concepts discussed during this time. The second meeting will be by area where new staff can begin
to get to know each other better, ask and have questions answered about their upcoming experience,
and begin to plan for the communities that they will be working with come August.
Fall Training in August – Training in August will run two weeks including 3 days of Residence
Coordinator (RC) training, a week of RC/RA training, and 3 days of First-Year specific staff training
(regarding orientation and FYE). See the training schedules for full details. During the training
times, student staff will become familiar with the office’s learning goals, their role in implementing
these goals, and the resources to assist them in doing so. This includes, but is not limited to, training
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around CARE, the student staff model, GChats, this community development educational plan,
campus resources, and many other topics.
January Training – This training is a 2-3 day training (depending on if you are a RC or a RA) at the
beginning of the spring semester. It will cover topics that are pertinent based on the fall semester.
These topics will cover areas of deficiency and concern or subjects that will continue to enhance the
staff member and community members experience for the remainder of the academic year.
Monthly First-Year Area Check-In Meetings (formerly All Staff Meetings) – One Monday area
meeting each month (usually the week following the community meetings) will be a joint First-Year
staff meeting with both the East and West Area staff. These meetings will cover a debrief of the
community meetings and previous month as well as a review of the coming month, including any
pertinent discussion or training to implement the program over the next month.
Staff Developments within each staff meeting – Each Area Coordinator will decide on areas that
need to be revisited or addressed with staff members and cover these areas during weekly staff
meetings. These areas may include addressing current issues or other additional
development/learning for the benefit of the staff.
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