ENGAGING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

The staff of Residence Life believes that living within an engaged community is an essential part of a college student’s learning and contributes to the academic mission of the university. Realizing that different times of the semester bring different challenges for each person, staff members are asked to work closely with students living in their wings, floors, and residence halls in addressing these needs.

Staff use the following residential learning goals to aid in building a community that will benefit residents:

• Sense of belonging

• Health

• Global/Cultural competency

• Self-knowledge and advocacy

Throughout all community building efforts, residents are encouraged to establish meaningful and healthy relationships based on a foundation of clearly set and respected boundaries, open communication, and civilminded decision-making.

There are multiple ways you can become engaged with others in your residence hall. Here are a few:

• Attend campus events advertised by hall staff

• Engage with hall programs and events

• Participate in hall community nights, hall governance, or involvement teams

• Join your wing in attending the Friday Night Club events hosted by Residence Life every Friday night

• Check out Campus and Programming Relations (CPR) calendar of events including comedians, crafts, trips, and engaging activities each week

• Log in to your PioneerLink account and join one of the many UW-Platteville

Student Organizations

There are many ways to become engaged on the UW-Platteville campus, reach out if you are struggling to get connected. Our residence hall staff will knock on your door and issue invitations to join and participate, however, it is ultimately up to you, the student, to take the initiative to attend.

No Crystal Ball

Our residence hall staff members do not own a crystal ball. While we are often aware of general trends of what our students may be going through, we will not know a particular student’s situation unless they communicate directly with us.

Our staff members are interested in getting to know you. They want you to feel like you belong at UW-Platteville and have a home in the residence hall. It is up to you what you would like to share with your resident assistant, but some of the things that are helpful:

• Interest areas for programmatic efforts

• Areas of growth – studying habits, getting to know others, learning to live independently, etc.

• Areas of strength – what you’re great at, how you can assist others in the community, etc.

If you are experiencing a situation that would benefit from discussing it with a resident director or a resident assistant, we encourage you to initiate that conversation.

In summary, be in communication with us. We want to be as helpful as we can through the transition to UW-Platteville, as well as get you resources that can support your academic and social efforts.