Over the past academic year, the University of Utah Student Affairs division has implemented a series of innovations and programs that have directly impacted the campus experience. To improve and re-envision services and support provided to students, Housing & Residential Education (HRE) developed ResX, a sequence model that focuses on residents’ learning.

The Residential Education team focuses on helping students grow, engage, and learn while living on campus. To make this possible, student leaders and staff members work in two close units—Residential Engagement and Care and Conduct—supporting residents 24/7 through three learning goals: personal development, social development, and inclusive excellence.

One of ResX major tactics is called ‘community socials and traditions.’ The onsite team, comprised of 15 professional staff includes eight Resident Directors (RDs), one general manager, six coordinators, as well as 163 student leaders that build programs and creates events on campus, teaching students about several topics that contribute toward leadership, social justice, and belonging.

“Critical learning happens outside of the classroom,” explained Shigeo Iwamiya, director of Residential Education. “In residence halls, students learn about civility, respect, trust, community relations, and social justice. And this learning happens among peers, sometimes making mistakes and managing conflicts. After graduation, students will get jobs, return home, or travel abroad, and they will use this learning; they will have the tools to succeed and have a better career and life because they lived on campus.”

Other tactics are the ‘U Talks,’ intentional conversations with students around certain subjects, including inclusion, community standards, respect, and convivence.

“We create a lot of educational opportunities,” said Iwamiya. “Assessments, meetings, roommate agreements, all can be opportunities to create a safe space where students can learn from each other.”

Care and conduct

Besides the educational component, HRE supports the residential experience with a caring and conduct side.

“If a student in the halls needs support with anything from academics, financial concerns, mental health, or just being connected to resources on campus, that is what the care team is present for,” said Kristi Manwill, associate director of conduct management & resident outreach. “We have a mobile crisis team that works with our residential students struggling with mental health concerns called MH1 (Mental Health First Responders). MH1 is available from 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. to work solely with the residential students needing additional support.”

HRE also has a strong partnership with the University Department of Public Safety. This academic year, the Public Safety Department helped to train student leaders in their new role: Community Advisors (CAs). “We currently have 40 CAs in our communities, who conduct rounds on each residential building to create a safe environment and contribute to the well-being of the residential communities,” added Manwill.

What is ResX?

The ResX model is closely tied to all the initiatives HRE is running, including the Student Leadership Program, the work with Social Justice advocates, and the Residence Halls Association (RHA) activities. The team developed a curriculum with intentional learning outcomes to follow, and at the end of the year, they measured what or how much residents learned.

ResX goals

1. Personal development: students will demonstrate an understanding of the values they contribute while discovering their role in the larger community.
2. Social development: students will foster meaningful, engaged, and healthy relationships to create a sense of belonging in their community.
3. Inclusive excellence: students will demonstrate an understanding of the values they contribute while discovering their role in the larger community.

Key student leader positions in HRE

• Resident Advisors (RAs) serve on each floor to facilitate a cooperative, considerate group living environment and to promote learning in the floor/house/building community.
• Community Advisors (CAs) support safety elements and responses on campus to promote a safe environment for residents.
• Social Justice Advocates (SJAs) are a team of students committed to educating students on social justice topics.

The team

Residential Directors (RDs) are pivotal staff in Residential Education. They act as buildings’ managers, and are advocates of their communities, supervising student leaders, supporting residents, and completing important administrative work.

“I love working at the U developing relationships with students and student leaders,” said Amanda Walton, Resident Director of Kahlert Village—Honors & Health & Wellness Tower. “I was a victim advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in the past, and that experience helped me to realize I can help students to navigate difficult situations, but also handle conflicts and roommate mediations while supporting my team and contributing to the curriculum.”

Walton believes that the ResX program allows students to grow and feel safe in their new home, knowing that the institution that they are going is prioritizing their safety and that level of connection with the community.

“The safety and well-being of our communities are our top priority. I’m always surprised by student leaders’ creativity and the different events they plan for residents. They try to connect with the residents on many levels, including events, movies, fake campfire nights, and one-on-one meetings. I feel like we are not just making a great experience living here on campus, but preparing students to live off campus, dealing with the conflicts you’ll deal with roommates when you’re 30.”

For Jacob Bastian, one of the new CAs on campus and a junior majoring in biology and psychology, this new role came as a unique opportunity to find a student leader position and contribute to the campus community. “I really enjoyed the experience of living in Kahlert Village as a freshman, and when I saw this role, I was excited about the opportunity to continue living in housing and to help grow communities and serve people better,” indicated Bastian.

Between doing rounds, walking around buildings, doing safety initiatives, and ensuring that everything is under control in the communities, part of their responsibilities is to write incident reports and help submit maintenance requests.

“In this position, you get to help coordinate and communicate what is needed on campus in terms of safety. We also interact with peers during the meetings and have one-on-ones with our advisors, explained Bastian. “Our role kind of has a pulse on campus safety. It’s a really important role, and I enjoy it.”

 The future

With the anticipated growth of the University of Utah main campus, including the addition of 5,000+ beds, HRE expects to continue innovating to adapt to students’ needs.

“Our campus is currently undergoing a transformative period that welcomes more students living on campus. We recognize that our growing student housing population needs more than just additional beds to have a fulfilling student experience,” said Lori McDonald, Vice President for Student Affairs. “Through supportive and innovative programs, such as ResX, housing students can create meaningful connections, gain real-life experiences, and make the most of their time at the U.”