Residence Life: on the job 24/7Story and photo by Sharon Feder '06 With 100 resident assistants, 14 resident directors and a central administrative staff serving 3,000 students living on campus, the Office of Residence Life is one of the largest departments at SUNY New Paltz. The Residence Life team is unique in that they live where they work. All resident directors live in residences with students, making working at Residence Life a 24/7 job. Their primary function is to provide students with a safe environment to live in. However, they also strive to provide students with a community where they can learn and grow outside of the classroom, as well as learn skills for success in the classroom. They do so by creating helpful programs for students, which range from advance room sign-up to dealing with homesickness and time management. The Residence Life staff works with a number of other offices on campus to ensure that students living in the residence halls know about resources and events at New Paltz. "Students might not know about study abroad options, so we distribute information and bring people from the Office of International Programs to talk about it," said Corinna Caracci, director of Residence Life. The office also provides opportunities for student leadership with programs like the National Residence Hall Honorary (a group that recognizes student leadership and service for those who live in the residence halls) the Residence Hall Student Association, hall government and the Emerging Leaders Program. Through these programs, they send students into the community to volunteer, as well as to visit other colleges to attend conferences. The staff also keep track of students' academics. They are trained by the Office of Academic Advising to conduct outreach in response to students' mid-semester grade evaluations. Though the office keeps track of students, they are by no means baby-sitters. They simply provide students with options and resources and allow the students to make their own decisions. The Residence Life team likes to view themselves as role models who make a difference in the lives of their residents. "Observing the growth and development of students and being a part of their everyday lives is a rewarding experience," said Caracci. 
Members of Residence Life team -- top row, from left to right: Matt DeGuire, Jesse Valiante- Colvin, Roman Tavarez, Matt Griffiths, Stephen Shirley, Ray Gordon, Jennifer Slader, Rafael Calderon. Front row: Angela Bristol, Vidal Lopez, Corinna Caracci, Wadner Auguste, Corrie Schwabrow, Emily Spillman, Julliet Coxum. |
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FEBRUARY 28, 2005
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News Pulse is published every other week for the faculty and staff of SUNY New Paltz by the Office of Public Affairs. It is printed in-house on recycled paper. To submit information to the newsletter, please complete the online submission form. If you are requesting inclusion in the March 14 issue, your submission must be received by noon on Tuesday, March 8. Contact Eric Gullickson with any questions. Phone: 845-257-3245 | ||||