Applications for Break Housing received by the Office of Residence Life by the published deadlines are approved if the following conditions are present.  The student: is unable to leave for the break. is unable to leave until after the residence halls have closed. needs to return prior to the residence halls reopening. The application for break housing is located on MyUMW.  Navigate to https://orgsync.com/59554/forms/86018 in order to complete the application. … [Read more...]

At the beginning of each semester and throughout the semester as needed residence life staff members conduct community floor meetings.  These meetings are designed to facilitate getting to know other members of the floor community, set expectations for community members through the development of community standards, and to convey important information to residents regarding topics such as; policy, closing procedures, and check out procedures. … [Read more...]

Residence Life is designating a series of events on campus as Signature Events of the Residential Curriculum. These Signature Events are events co-sponsored by other departments, offices, or organizations on campus and the Office of Residence Life. In order to be designated a Signature Event the event must support one or more of the goals of the Residential Curriculum. As part of the partnership the Office of Residence Life works with RAs to encourage students to attend these Signature Event and promote the event on our website and in any publications created for the Residential Curriculum. For these events RAs are asked to attend along with their residents and then facilitate some form of discussion following the event. Signature Events for 2015-2016 Refer to the Tracks by Year drop down menu to see a list of signature events for each track. … [Read more...]

In all residential communities on campus residence life staff members engage residents in intentional conversations and interactions in order to build relationships and communicate relevant information that is pertinent to community members. These conversations are spread out throughout the year with at least two conversations happening in the fall and two happening in the spring. Residence life staff members are encouraged to talk with their residents more regularly than this of course. The two per semester is set as a minimum to ensure that even those students that are incredibly busy are seen by the RA semi-regularly. … [Read more...]

In apartment style residences including Eagle Landing and the UMW Apartments, residence life staff utilize electronic newsletters to communicate information that is relevant to residents of those communities.  These newsletters consist of brief articles written by resident assistants that highlight various aspects of the residential curriculum in informative, fun, and entertaining ways.  Whenever possible interactive components are included in the newsletters in order to engage residents in the learning process. … [Read more...]

In the traditional residence halls including Alvey, Arrington, Ball, Bushnell, Custis, Jefferson, Madison, Marshall, Mason, Randolph, Russell, Virginia, Westmoreland, and Willard, residence life staff utilize bulletin boards as a way to communicate information to residents about topics that apply to the population of the community.  At least one bulletin board changes each month in order to highlight an area of responsibility of the curriculum.  Whenever possible staff members try to incorporate interactive components into these bulletin boards.  The interactive components are designed to engage students in the learning process. … [Read more...]

Global responsibility refers to the fact that the world today consists of one global community. This creates a need for individuals to consider the impact of their actions on a global scale. Thus, global responsibility focuses on the competencies of humanitarianism and civic engagement. Humanitarianism includes having an understanding and appreciation of human differences, the ability to learn about and interact effectively with people from different cultures coupled with overall social responsibility. Civic engagement includes a sense of civic responsibility, commitment to public life through communities of practice, the ability to engage in principled dissent, and effective leadership. Key Concepts: Humanitarianism Community Service Effective Leadership … [Read more...]

Personal responsibility centers on one’s personal beliefs in self, the dreams they have and the actions to be taken to make these dreams a reality. Personal responsibility focuses on the intrapersonal competencies of personal responsibility, which include personal attributes such as ethics and integrity and personal goal setting as well as practical competencies that include the ability to maintain personal health and wellness; prioritize time to achieve a balance in academics, leisure activities, and other obligations; and economic self-sufficiency. Key Concepts: Honor & Integrity Goal Achievement Personal Health & Wellness Life after college … [Read more...]