M ONMOUTH U NIVERSITY OFFICE OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE The Residential Experience Presented By: Raymond D. Gonzalez Associate Director for Residential Life

 Responsible for students residing in 11 on-campus residence halls, 3 on-campus apartment complexes and 3 off-campus apartment complexes  Provide personal and developmental support to residential students  Assist in the development of a community within a floor, wing and building for students to:  Learn  Grow developmentally  Meet new people  Mediate conflict  Interact with classmates  Identify with peers  Experience college life in a safe and exciting way! The Role of the Office of Residential Life

 Leadership Team consisting of 2 Associate Directors and 1 Assistant Director  6 Full-time Area Coordinators Staff Members  1 st Responders 24/7-365  Supervise Areas  Foster Community  Train/Advise Student Staff  Work with MU Community  50+ Para-Professionals  Upper-class students  Responsible role models  2.5 GPA or better  Show ability to lead Staffing

 Students are Adults – They must know and understand the Student Code of Conduct – Residence Hall Guidebook and Housing Contract – Contributing members of their floor, suite and residence hall community – Ask questions and utilize resources on-campus  Respect – Each other, the staff and the community they live in  This is their “Home” now – Personal Accountability  See it, Hear it, Report it…Look out for each other  Respect MUPD and the building Staff  Sign-up for Connect-Ed  It is not “OK” to let strangers in  Fire Safety – Fire Drills and Equipment Our Expectation of Residents

Parent Traps: Advice for the whole family Remember To…  Allow your student to experience the new environment on his/her own  Call before you visit and meet in the lobby  Pay close attention to what your student says and urge them to talk to someone on-campus if needed  Discuss privacy and FERPA with your student since by law, the University cannot release certain information without consent from the student  Reiterate to your student that they need to be active and responsible for addressing their hurdles  Accept that your student may falter during this time of growth and that the University staff shall help them along their way of personal development Try to Avoid…  Dining or socializing with your student during the crucial first few weeks where he/she needs to be bonding with their peers  Popping in unannounced because your student will be active and engage in a lot of impromptu activities  Assuming that your student will “get over” a romantic break-up, death of a friend, or other personal crisis  Expecting the University to inform you of financial, academic, discipline and/or health problems  Jumping into protection mode and trying to fix any and all problems your student may encounter  “My child is an angel! They would never…”

 Move-In and Adjustment  Home Sickness  Setting Boundaries and Exploring…  New Friends and Old Friends  Learning about Roommates/Community  Dealing with Confrontation  Testing the Rules  Semester Break The Fall Semester

 Returning to Campus  Dealing with the previous fall  Spring Break Planning  Adjusting Priorities – Academic and Social  Planning for the next Fall  Handling Relationships  Going Home Spring Semester

 Encourage them to Share Ideas/Backgrounds  Getting Involved  Respecting Each Other  Managing Time and Avoiding Distractions  Becoming a Responsible Participant  Knowing how to use resources  More Talk – less TEXT  Identify Potential Obstacles  Set-up and check MU ! Help Your Student Be a Successful Community Member

 Year 1: Assigned by the Office of Residential Life based on the information provided on their housing contract (music, studying, etc.)  Year 2: Housing Selection System for on-campus housing  Year 3 and 4  Housing Selection System for on-campus housing  Application process for University Sponsored off- campus housing  Housing assignments will be mailed out on or around July 5th. This will include the roommate(s) name, phone number and address  Assignments are random and we are unable to accommodate specific building requests Housing at Monmouth University

QUESTIONS? We can be reached at , Monday through Friday, 8:45am – 5:00pm or via at @MonmouthResLife Monmouth University Office of Residential Life