community development model
TRANSCRIPT
RA Training Fall 2015
Community Development Model
Overview:
• Community Development Methods– Meant as a quick snapshot
– Details will be covered in training
• Programming Model & Examples
• Door Decorations & Examples
• Bulletin Boards & Examples
• Welcome Letter & Example
• Things we DON’T want to see…
• More details will be in your RA Manual!
Community Development Methods
1. Programming Model
2. Area-Wide Programs
3. Personal Interactions
4. Welcome Letters5. Door
Decorations
7. Roommate Agreements
8. Building/Floor Meetings
9. Bulletin Boards10.RA Hours11.Health & Safety
Inspections12.Norman Dollars
Take a quick look and familiarize you with some of the methods. We’ll discuss more details in training.
Programming Model• 8 programs per semester
– 1 per semester must be collaborative with an outside office/person
– 2 per semester must be assessed– 1 per semester must be a
supportive program, must include a reflective/debrief component
• Program Theme Ideas • Self-awareness/interpersonal
– Welcome, Transition, Meeting New People, Communication and Active Listening, Interpersonal Relationships, Sleep and Stress (Part 1), Changing Relationships, Personal Wellness, Promoting Resilience
• Professional and Personal Readiness
• Academic Integrity, Campus Exploration, Personal Goal Setting, Planning, Prioritizing, Time Management, and Procrastination, Library Literacy, Professionalism, Self-Advocacy, Test Strategies, Test Anxiety, and Stress Reduction, Exploring Research Opportunities, Majors Exploration and Motivation, Preparing for Mid-terms, Academic Advising and the Registrar’s Office, Career and Co-Curricular Planning
• Professional and Personal Readiness
• Leadership Styles and Campus Involvement, Alcohol and Other Drugs, MLK Celebration, Extracurricular Involvement on Campus, Global Education
Programming Model
Month August September October November December
Number of
Programs
1 2 2 2 1
Category Communit
y Builder
(Self-Awareness and
Personal/Professional
Readiness or Civic/Social
Responsibility)
(Personal/Professional
Readiness and
Civic/Social
Responsibility or Self-
Awareness)
(Civic/social and
Self-Awareness or
Personal/Professional
Readiness)
Fun Pre-
Break Social
Month January February March April May
Number of
Programs
1 2 2 2 1
Category Welcome
Back
Social
(Self-Awareness and
Personal/Professional
Readiness or Civic/Social
Responsibility)
(Personal/Professional
Readiness and
Civic/Social
Responsibility or Self-
Awareness)
(Civic/social and
Self-Awareness or
Personal/Professional
Readiness)
Fun Pre-
Break Social
Programming Model: Examples
Question JengaSupplies – 2-3 Jenga games and markers
What – Write a “get to know you” kind of question on every Jenga piece. Set the game(s) up in a lounge and let the residents play. Each resident answers the questions on the pieces they move.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will get to know other members of the community
Puzzle PieceSupplies – puzzle, art and craft supplies, magazines, etc.
What – Pick any puzzle and hand a piece out to everyone on the floor. Tell them to decorate the blank side in a way that represents them as an individual. Bring everyone together to put the puzzle together and talk about individual identities. Frame the puzzle after and put it in the hall.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will get to know other members of the community and be more aware, understanding and appreciative of difference and how they come together.
Programming Model: Examples
My Stash
Supplies – Jars, painters marker, stencils, oven
What – Give everyone a jar and let them pick a stash stencil. Draw on the jars and cook in an oven. Supplemental to discussing about budgeting tips for college, healthy spending habits, credit cards, etc.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will learn helpful financial information while also having an additional way to save a little along the way.
College Eating
Supplies – Recipes, examples of the food talked about, microwave/oven
What – Give everyone a mini recipe book of easy and healthy recipes to make in a residence hall. For example, there are a lot of single serve dishes that can be made easily in a coffee cup in a microwave. Serve sample portions of some recipes in their booklets
Learning Outcomes – Residents will learn easy and healthy recipes they can make themselves in the residence hall. Also have a better understanding of the responsibility of cooking on their own.
Programming Model: Examples
Cultural Sensitivity
Supplies – Examples of insensitive costumes; We’re a culture, not a costume campaign information; other researched information.
What – Around Halloween, discuss cultural sensitivity and appropriateness surrounding costumes in regards to traditions, stereotypes, etc. Ask for assistance from Multicultural Affairs. Utilize resources from campaigns like We’re a Culture, Not a Costume.
Learning Outcomes – Residents will gain more understanding of different cultures, traditions, stereotypes, and perspectives. Have a greater sense of respect and knowledge when choosing their costume for the holiday.
Jared Boxes
Supplies – Shoebox sized plastic storage boxes and resources from Jared Box website (labels, cards, etc.)
What – Ask residents to participate in filling a box to be given to a chronically ill child in the hospital. They can do them solo or work in groups. Fill the box with age appropriate toys and items like crayons, matchbox cars, coloring books, silly putty, etc. Donate the completed boxes to a local children’s hospital (Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland participates in the program).
Learning Outcomes – Residents will learn how easy and fulfilling it can be to take part in helping others in the community.
Area Wide and All Campus Programs
• Area Wide Programs:• Each RA team must complete two area wide programs
during each semester for their respective areas. These programs are at the discretion of the RA team and supervising AC. Area wide programs should be designed to build overall community in the area. Each RA team must complete one campus wide event per semester.
• 2 Area Wide• Campus Wide • 1 late night program per semester• Each area takes a month for the campus-wide•
RA Room Hours
• RA availability is one of the most important factors in creating a cohesive and caring community. While RAs are expected to be both available and visible in their buildings and on their halls, identifying specific days and times where residents can find them in their rooms/suites is important. RAs will identify 5 hours per week where they will be in their rooms/suites for the sole purpose of assisting their residents and completing position related tasks. A minimum of 2 hours must be held in the evening after 5pm. RA Hours cannot be all on one day, must be spread over at least three days, and may not contain more than one weekend day. These hours are posted on the RAs door and made available to all of their residents. These hours will allow the RA to always have time set aside for residents to know when to find the RA. If an RA cannot hold their scheduled RA room hours they need to make up that time later in that week. RAs should inform their AC and residents ahead of time if these hours change for any reason at all (temporarily or permanently) and these changes will be updated on their doors in a timely manner.
• An RA’s first priority during scheduled room hours is to be available for residents to stop by. However, RAs can also utilize these hours by doing a round of their floor to check in with residents (indicate on their room’s dry erase board if they are doing a round of the floor), completing weekly Personal Interactions, completing programming prep work, working on bulletin boards/door decorations, completing administrative tasks, etc.
Door Decorations • Welcome residents to the community• Personalize them!
– Hand-made, creative, well-designed, eye-catching– Incorporate themes related to the floor/hall– Challenge yourself!
• Make extras! – Replace ones that get torn down or go missing– Have them ready when new students move onto your
floor• Door decorations will be done once per semester with the
understanding that if a student loses a door decoration or students enter a space (room changes) it will be replaced by the RA within a timely manner.
• Door decorations must be approved by your AC.
Door Decoration: Examples
Door Decoration: Examples
Bulletin Boards• Communicate relevant information to residents
– University information– Dates & deadlines– Upcoming programs & events
• Interact with community– Resident of the Month, Resident Birthdays, recognition– Floor/hall issues and concerns
• Plan ahead!– Think about upcoming months – Talk with your staff about themes and ideas to use
• Bulletin boards are to be done by the 1st of the month with the understanding that if it is damaged or torn down, it is to be replaced by the RA within a timely manner.
Bulletin Boards: Examples
• Best Practices:– Hand-made– Relevant to residents’
needs– Use many colors– Enough content to fill
board– May extend beyond
frame of bulletin board
Bulletin Board: Examples
Bulletin Board Examples
• Best Practices:– Catch attention with
humor– Limit text on each
paper to be readable at a glance (unlike this one )
– Get creative!
• Don’t consider yourself the “creative type?” Talk to your staff members and AC to brainstorm ideas
Intentional Interactions
• Personal interactions are RA-to-resident conversations/discussions/observing behaviors that take place in an informal setting. These interactions can take place walking to class, in the building, or in any community space. RAs should log all interactions in MAP-Works. RAs are required to do the following:
Week 3 Week 6 Week 10 Week 15
1st Interaction 2nd Interaction 3rd Interaction 4th Interaction
Welcome Letter
• Welcome residents to the residential community!– Introduce yourself to your residents– Familiarize residents with the building– Inform them of upcoming events and administrative
tasks• Floor meeting• Room Condition Report• Roommate Agreements
• Work ahead!– Start your draft now, & you can finish it during RA
Training
Welcome Letter: SampleHello Everyone!
My name is Abbey, and I am your Resident Advisor here in Dunlap-King Hall! I am a music major and am currently in my third year here at UNE. As an RA, I am here as a resource to help integrate you into the DK community and the larger campus community as well as to ensure you have a safe, healthy, and fun experience at UNE!
For those of you who are looking to get involved here on campus, there are so many opportunities to find your passion! We have over 80 student organizations on campus ranging from Intramural Sports to the Gamers Guild, from Orientation Leaders to Knit Wits! We also have opportunities for you to get involved in UNE’s Residential Student Life Association (RSLA) to represent and advocate for our hall and our larger residential community on campus. Doing this not only gives you leadership experience but also helps the entire hall get things we need. If you are interested, come and see me!
If you notice anything that is out of place, missing, or damaged in your room while you are moving in or within the first week, please document it on your Room Condition Report (RCR) and let me know. It is important for us to keep track of damages on your RCR so that you are not charged when you move out for things you did not damage. It is also important to report any damages that occur during the year so that we can get them fixed and keep the building in tip-top shape! Within the first week, I will also be coming around to help you with Roommate Agreement, which is meant to start you and your roommate talking about personal preferences within your room. This Agreement will set the community standards for your room that you and your roommate follow and can refer to during conflicts.
Specifically for DK, you will need your UNE ID to swipe into the building and your room key to access not only your room but also the door to your hallway. Never leave your room without both your ID and your room key! If I am not around and you need to contact me, send me an email at [email protected] or leave me a message on my dry-erase board. We also will have signs posted around the hall with contact information for the RA on duty, and you can call or stop by with any questions.
I look forward to meeting you all, and let’s make this an amazing year!~Abbey
Community Development:Things we DON’T want to
see…• Bulletin Boards:– All content is printed
pictures and text– Minimal content, board not
filled– Too much content,
overloaded with paragraphs of text
– All pictures & fun, does not address a relevant need or issue of residents
Community Development:Things we DON’T want to
see…• Door Decorations:– Printed and pixilated pictures– No effort put into it– Plain, bland, non-creative– Exclusive & non-welcoming– Sloppy handwriting/finishing
Community Development:Things we DON’T want to
see…• Programming:– Last-minute planning
• Asking another AC to sign your cash advance the day of your program
• Putting in your program proposal the day before your program
– Poor implementation– Plain & non-creative programs– Repetitive and/or duplicate programs in the
same staff– Paragraph(s) of text on advertisements
Community Development:Bottom Line?
• Plan Ahead
• Challenge Yourself
• Use your strengths, and
• Don’t be afraid to lean on each other!
Questions?
Bring them to RA Training!(Or ask Tony!)