The Residential Experience Guidebook
2 OWU Residential Life Table of Contents Learning Goals 2-5 OWU Residential Curriculum Rubric ............. 6-9 Strategies 10 Roles 11-12 Facilitator Guides and Assessments ............... 13 References 14
What is The Residential Experience?
The Residential Experience is an intentional, outcome-based learning model that guides our engagement efforts in the residential communities. Through our learning goals — Life Skills, Wellness, Belonging and Support, and Intercultural Community — students will engage in both fun events and educational opportunities to learn valuable skills and develop meaningful relationships. At the center of it all is the goal of fostering a sense of belonging — that students feel connected, cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the campus community.
The Residential Experience model was developed in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students using student development theories, institutional data, the university mission and values, and current university priorities. It will be assessed continuously and adjusted when appropriate.
Educational Priority
The Residential Experience will foster the development of life skills, cultivate a sense of belonging and support, and help actualize the intercultural community Ohio Wesleyan aspires to be.
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Learning Goals
Learning Goal 1: Life Skills
Students will develop the skills necessary to navigate through college and life.
Narrative
The transition from living at home toward independence is a path most college students navigate. Through their experiences living on campus, students will learn skills necessary for independence in an environment that balances supporting their needs and fostering their development. Students will learn life skills to use during college and prepare them for life after they graduate. Because navigating relationships is an important skill for every part of life, students also will learn how to develop meaningful and healthy relationships with those around them and manage those relationships through conflict.
Through this learning goal, students will:
Successfully build relationships and navigate through conflict.
Learning Goal 2: Wellness
Students will understand the importance of caring for oneself and how to incorporate wellness into their daily lives.
Practice the foundational skills necessary for independent living.
Narrative
Evaluate and prioritize their time.
Practicing components of wellness such as living an active lifestyle, proper sleep habits, balanced nutrition, and mindfulness enables students to navigate their daily lives more successfully, especially during periods of stress. Through their residential experience, students will come to understand and practice each element of wellness. Students also will support peers by role modeling healthy behaviors, recognizing when someone needs help, and knowing how to get them connected to the support they need.
Through this learning goal, students will:
Recognize and apply the eight dimensions of wellness in their lives.
Appropriately support themselves and peers through mental health concerns, including access and referral to resources, and calling for help in emergencies.
Understand how to use substances safely, identify the warning signs of overuse, and call for help when someone needs assistance.
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Learning Goals
Learning Goal 3: Belonging and Support
Students will be engaged in campus life, be connected to the support systems they need, and cultivate a trusted community.
Narrative
The goal of belonging and support is centered on how connected a student feels to the university, to the community of people around them, and to their friends. An engaged student will feel a stronger connection and sense of belonging. Through their residential experience, students will become increasingly engaged students and leaders in the community, build a support network on campus to foster their continued success, and come to feel strongly connected to the university community.
Through this learning goal, students will:
Explore opportunities in campus life, evaluate their interests and priorities, and engage in the community.
Learning Goal 4: Intercultural Community
Build a community and peer support system on campus and in the community that promotes their success.
Narrative
Students will demonstrate an ever-deepening understanding and respect for themselves, individuals, and cultures and will learn from one another and grow together.
Have ownership and pride in their residential community.
Recognize how they are contributing to the OWU community as formal and informal leaders, and describe how their actions will have a lasting impact.
To participate thoughtfully and respectfully in a community of people from diverse backgrounds, one must develop a firm understanding of self, develop an appreciation and acceptance of others’ experiences, and understand how to engage in productive conversations where differing perspectives exist. Through their residential experience, students will learn these values and skills while also learning how to take action when they see something that does not align with our institutional values.
Through this learning goal, students will:
Cultivate a curiosity for understanding themselves, individuals, and cultures in the context of power and privilege.
Articulate their personal responsibility to our community.
Intervene when another person’s actions do not match our institutional values.
Explore personal values and demonstrate self-awareness.
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OWU Residential Curriculum Rubric
Learning Goal 3: Belonging and Support
Students will be engaged in campus life, be connected to the support systems they need, and cultivate a trusted community.
Explore opportunities in campus life, evaluate their interests and priorities, and engage in the community.
Build a community and peer support system on campus and in the community that promotes their success.
Have ownership and pride in their residential community.
Learn about involvement opportunities and explore new interests.
Identify and solidify involvement in opportunities that have value for you.
Step into leadership roles in your organizations.
Mentor and foster new leadership, and leave the organization better for the group of students. Identify community groups to continue involvement beyond college.
Learn about resources and support systems available at OWU and in the community. Develop relationships with staff, faculty, and students.
Know how to report maintenance issues, know RLCs and RA/Moderators, understand the expectations of community living, and participate in hall events.
Recognize how they contribute to the OWU community as formal and informal leaders, and describe how actions have a lasting impact.
Understand the difference between informal and formal leadership and the important role both play in a community.
Identify the people at OWU and in the community who are part of your support system and work to strengthen those relationships.
Adjust your support network as your goals and needs change.
Develop an intentional plan to stay connected with friends and mentors after graduation.
Role model the expectations of community living, identify actions that don’t meet our community values, hold one another accountable, and be a leader.
Identify opportunities to make a positive impact in the OWU community that are meaningful to you.
Encourage new students to become involved in the residential life component of the OWU experience and advocate for other students when you see a need.
Foster collaboration in making change and new leadership in your area of passion or study.
Understand how you can continue to express the sense of pride and ownership you have in the residential experience after graduation.
Celebrate and recognize accomplishments, and ensure students after you can continue the work.
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Moving In (First-Year)
Moving Through (Sophomores)
Moving Through (Juniors)
Moving On (Seniors)
OWU Residential Curriculum Rubric
Learning Goal 4: Intercultural Community
Students will demonstrate an ever-deepening understanding and respect for themselves, individuals, and cultures and will learn from one another and grow together.
Cultivate a curiosity for understanding themselves, individuals, and cultures in the context of power and privilege.
Explore your personal identity and begin to learn about identities beyond your own.
Explore how power and privilege can impact your life and the lives of those around you.
Have a foundation of knowledge that allows for continued learning and exploring of yourself, individuals, and cultures in the context of power and privilege.
Describe their personal responsibility to our community and intervene when someone’s actions do not match our institutional values.
Learn about Bystander intervention, DEI/ Bias, physical campus, and student well-being.
Apply bystander intervention strategies beyond your social network on campus.
Have an understanding of the values OWU holds.
Exhibit standards and values of the university.
Explore personal values and demonstrate self-awareness.
Explore personal values.
Demonstrate selfawareness.
Recognize when your values and actions do not align.
Align your values and actions.
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Moving In (First-Year)
Moving Through (Sophomores)
Moving Through (Juniors)
Moving On (Seniors)
Strategies
owUChats – owUChats are conversations between Resident Assistants/Moderators and residents about important issues. The topics of these conversations will vary, but will take place at least once each semester. Not only do residents learn valuable information, but these chats also provide an opportunity for residents and Residential Life student leaders to personally connect with one another and talk about any topic of concern or interest to the resident.
Floor Programs – Floor programs are hosted by Resident Assistants/Moderators with the intention of creating community and a sense of belonging amongst the floor/area. They occur at least once per month and are organized by the Resident Assistant/ Moderator. Resident Assistants/Moderators love to hear from residents if you have ideas for these events.
Signature Events – Signature events are large events designed and hosted by Residential Life professional staff or student Programming Coordinators with strategic collaboration with campus and community partners.
Roommate Agreements – Roommate agreements serve as an opportunity for new roommates to discuss how they will live together successfully. You will discuss what personal belongings you will and will not share, when you can have guests over, how you’ll share cleaning responsibilities, etc.
Community Meetings – Community meetings are a great place for you to meet everyone on your floor. They are typically held at the start of a semester but also at other key points in the academic year. You will learn important information that every student will need to know.
Student-Led Programs – Students are able to get involved in the Residential Experience
through opportunities like SLU house projects and Hall Council.
Leadership Development
Initiatives – There are a number of ways students can engage in leadership development in the residential communities. Hall Council, serving in a Residential Life student staff role, and living in our leadership theme community are just a few examples.
Informal Opportunities – You might see someone handing out information near Smith Dining or have an opportunity to talk with a Resident Assistant or Moderator at the Smith Hall Late Night Desk. These are quick, informal opportunities for you to learn something new or get information you need.
Passive Initiatives – You will see bulletin boards on your floor/in your area with information on them. There may be posters for you to read. These are called ‘passive initiatives’ because you can learn information as you walk by them.
Living Learning Community
Engagement – Students who live in our theme communities and living learning communities will have opportunities to engage in events and activities related to your community’s theme or academic focus.
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Roles
Leadership Team
The role of the leadership team is to broadly guide the implementation of The Residential Experience. This includes ensuring initiatives are aligned with the goals and outcomes of the curriculum, planned in intentional ways, administratively supported, and add value to the student experience. Additionally, members of the leadership team serve as experts on the curriculum and, as such, continuously align The Residential Experience using assessment data, current research, and university priorities. The leadership team includes the Residential Life professional staff and OWU staff and faculty.
• Guide and provide leadership and expertise to the Residential Experience
• Ensure initiatives align with the learning goals and outcomes
• Use assessment tools to improve the curriculum
Residential Life Professional Staff
The role of the Residential Life professional team is to serve as experts in how The Residential Experience is used as a framework for learning and community development. The professional staff team guides the development and implementation of initiatives, creates facilitation guides to ensure intentionality, and uses assessment data to ensure the success of each initiative and the overall success of The Residential Experience. The professional staff team does not serve as educational experts in all outcomes of the curriculum, but instead works with campus and community experts to develop and deliver quality content to students. The professional team directly implements events and initiatives, and provides leadership to our student staff in their work with The Residential Experience initiatives.
• Plan and implement large Residential Experience initiatives
• Participate in curriculum development and strategic planning
• Support student staff initiated curriculum efforts
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Roles
Programming Assistants
Programming Assistants help in planning, implementing, and assessing Residential Experience events and initiatives. As student leaders, Programming Assistants provide expert information on the types of events students would engage with, appreciate, and enjoy. At times, Programming Assistants will use facilitation guides to host events and initiatives on their own; at other times, they will work alongside the professional staff team.
• Plan and implement large Residential Experience initiatives in collaboration with professional staff
• Provide student perspective in Residential Experience planning and implementation
Resident Assistants/Moderators
Resident Assistants and Moderators (RAs/Mods) play a critical role in The Residential Experience as they engage directly with students in their daily lives while living together in a residential community. RAs/Mods host owUChats, roommate agreement meetings, and community meetings, and offer a variety of other opportunities for students to engage directly with their RA/Mod and other members of the community in an effort to create a sense of community and belonging on the floor. The work RAs/Mods do to help students learn how to navigate conflict, develop healthy relationships, and cultivate a caring community is core to The Residential Experience. RAs/Mods host community events on the floor/in the area to help students get to know one another, develop new friendships, and have fun together. RAs/Mods also provide support to some of the larger Residential Experience initiatives.
• Focus on creating a sense of community and belonging on their floor
• Assist residents with the development of conflict management skills
• Provide support for at least one large Residential Experience initiative
Campus and Community Partners
The role our campus and community partners play in developing and implementing Residential Experience is critical to the overall success of the curriculum. Campus and community partners serve as experts in the development of content for Residential Experience initiatives. At times, partners may deliver content directly to students and at other times the professional staff, programming coordinators, and RAs/Mods may deliver the content provided by partners. The collaborative nature of The Residential Experience supports student learning in that we are ensuring the quality of the information being provided to students and cultivating their connections with members of the campus and local community. Partners include staff and faculty from across the university, support services and offices, and organizations and individuals from the local community.
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Facilitator Guides
Facilitator Guides are documents for Resident Assistants, Moderators, Programming Assistants, and professional staff to use in the implementation and facilitation of a Residential Experience initiative. They
provide staff with the information they’ll need to host the event without having to create the content themselves. These guides are created by content experts so we can be sure the information is accurate.
Assessment
Regular feedback from students helps us to understand what students have learned through and what they enjoy about Residential Experience
3-2-1 Assessment
Share 3 things you learned or gained from the event, 2 things you want to learn more about after attending the event, and 1 suggestion for future improvement. The assessment occurs after every signature event.
initiatives. Assessment allows us to make data-driven decisions to continuously enhance the experiences students have in the residential communities.
Annual Survey
We ask students every spring semester to share their experiences in our residential communities.
Floor Program Survey
Let us know how you feel about the floor program your Resident Assistant or Moderator hosted. This assessment occurs monthly during the academic year.
Analysis of institutional data
This is an ongoing process and occurs throughout the year.
ACPA Curriculum Self-Assessment Instrument
This assessment is conducted by the department using tools developed by ACPA, a leading professional development organization in higher education.
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References
The following set of articles, documents, and research was used to inform and guide the development of The Residential Experience.
Five practices of exemplary leadership – student leadership challenge – Building your legacy
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2011). The five practices of exemplary leadership. Pfeiffer.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom, B. S. (1956). “Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain.” New York: David McKay Co Inc.
SAMSHA Creating a Healthier Life
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA. (2016). Creating a Healthier Life: A Step-By-Step Guide to Wellness. https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma16-4958.pdf.
Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma16-4958.pdf
Shifting to Curriculum Approaches to Learning Beyond the Classroom
Kerr, K. G., Tweedy, J., Edwards, K. E., & Kimmel, D. (2017). Shifting to curricular approaches to learning beyond the classroom. About Campus: Enriching the Student Learning Experience, 22(1), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/abc.21279
The Time Has Come to Create Meaning-Making Centers on College Campuses
Nash, R. J., & Jang, J. J. (2013). The time has come to create meaning–making centers on college campuses. About Campus: Enriching the Student Learning Experience, 18(4), 2–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/abc.21124
College Students’ Sense of Belonging
Strayhorn, T. L. (2018). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Schlossberg’s Transition Theory
Schlossberg, N. K. (1984). Counseling adults in transition: Linking practice with theory. Springer Pub. Co.
Developing a Co-Curricular Learning Model
Brown, P.G. (2022). Developing a co-curricular learning model: A compendium on residential curriculum and curricular approaches in student affairs work. (4th ed.). Roompact.
OWU Strategic Plan
OWU Community Standards
OWU Graduate Capabilities
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