Highlights The Residential Hall Association (RHA)
Office of Residential Life What We Do The mission of the Office of Residential Life is to assist students to live the College’s Franciscan and Catholic mission within the residence halls by emphasizing community and the value of relationships, personal and group accountability, mutual respect and a sense of cooperation and sharing. We:
Cultivate conditions that enhance academic and social learning opportunities within the residence halls.
Develop and implement activities and programs that focus on social, academic, service and faith/spiritual experiences.
Foster a safe and healthy living environment on campus.
Encourage students to get involved with and provide leadership opportunities for residential activities such as serving as a Resident Assistant or on the Residential Hall Association executive board and hall councils.
Resident Assistants plan and deliver programs for residential students throughout the academic year. These programs cover topics related to health and wellness, social, exploration, community service, faith/spirituality, academics and multicultural awareness.
Assessment Results 79% of Siena student responders reported that they were aware of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) as an organization that provides programs and advocates for residential students (n=291)* 64% of Siena student responders reported that RHA provides communications and programming that are of interest to them (n=291)* 84% of Siena residential student responders reported that they felt their Resident Assistant promoted the Franciscan and Catholic values that Siena is founded upon (n=2118)** 88% of Siena residential student responders reported that their RA was a positive role model in their wing/floor/building (n=2118)** *Data from the ACUI/EBI Student Activities Assessment, administered spring 2011, a representative sample from across all four class year (n=295). Percentages are for students who indicated quite a bit or some on a three point scale for these questions. ** Data from the Resident Assistant Performance Evaluation, Fall 2010 (n=2118)
served its first academic year as a student organization advised by the Office of Residential Life. RHA was formed with the mission to act as a governing student body; to serve as the official liaison between the residential students at Siena College with Siena College staff and administration; to strive to make Siena’s residence halls and townhouses a desirable community; to be the official voice of Siena’s residential students; and to serve as a programming organization within residential communities. RHA introduced the CORE initiative (Community, Opportunity, Responsibility, Enrichment) and successfully programmed service, social, awareness and campus-wide events including Project Linus, Safety Awareness, Vandalism Awareness, Rez Hall Rumbles (residence hall competitions) and Siena’s Amazing Race. RHA worked closely with Residential Life to address facilities concerns and collaborated with Senate and SEB on programming. On January 17, 2011 RHA, Senate and SEB held their first joint retreat. The Residential Life staff opened the New Residence Hall in August, 2010. This 264 bed hall features double occupancy rooms with private baths, multiple study lounges on each floor in the residential areas, the Massry Commons – a dining facility, as well as a fitness center, meeting space, business center and computer lab, classroom space, and media and game lounges. The Residential Life staff hosted the NEACUHO RD2B conference at Siena’s campus on February 12, 2011. Over 60 attendees from 14 colleges and universities visited campus and learned about the Residence Director’s position, including five students from Siena.
Goals Review the Housing Selection process, in collaboration with RHA, to assess, evaluate and streamline housing selection.
Restructure Resident Assistant programming model to focus on the department and division's missions and to include greater collaboration with other departments and offices.
Enhance the visibility and understanding of RHA as a student organization throughout the campus.
Survey residential students in fall, 2011 through the ACUHO-I/ EBI survey and develop action plans based on the survey results.