A new name, a new focus for Office of Residence Life
The newly coined Office of Residential Living and Learning reflects a growing commitment to student belonging and development
This summer, Case Western Reserve University is unveiling a new identity for the home of student experience. Effective July 1, the Office of Residence Life will be renamed the Office of Residential Living and Learning.
More than just a new name for a familiar face, this change reflects the office’s growing commitment to enhancing the residential experience of Case Western Reserve’s students.
“This change reflects that pivot of our residential community into a living and learning model,” noted associate director Devin Fabian. “By championing the personal, social and professional development of our students, we ensure that their living experience compliments the first-in-class scholarly experiences they engage in with our faculty in laboratories and lecture halls.”
“Student success is closely tied to a strong sense of connection within the campus community," said Fabian. "By facilitating the process of students engaging and building relationships at CWRU, students will have a heightened sense of belonging and readily access enhanced support structures that foster their academic and personal success.”
Beginning this fall, the Office of Residential Living and Learning is ambitiously planning to infuse learning within the living environment in exciting and innovative ways. In doing so, they will ensure holistic development remains at the center of all residential students’ experiences.
Their three-pronged approach aims to simultaneously simplify the student experience and increase the impacts of living on campus.
- Amplify Student Belonging (Community Development) - Encouraging student connection, belonging and fun.
- Increase Student Development (Residential Experience) - Focusing on specific interpersonal development milestones residents will achieve over time.
- Individualized Support (Culture of Care) - Scaffolding strategies for the wellbeing of individual residents.
As part of this initiative, Residential Living and Learning will launch new experience models this fall. While taking advantage of the cohort-based living environments, these models will intentionally structure residential student development from their arrival during their first year, through the second and third years, and into their final year on campus as they transition to life beyond CWRU.
“The first year is foundational, ensuring connections to campus and undergraduate advising support. We will help students connect with activities and leadership opportunities as well as civic engagement, so that our students make connections and get involved,” said Fabian. “In the second and third year, students begin taking more difficult courses and might need extra academic support. They’re also starting to think about career success after graduation, education abroad opportunities and taking on leadership roles. We’ll connect them with colleagues in The Center for Career Success to seek internships, or first professional jobs, setting up a strong foundation for their future.”
The final year asks students to consider what it looks like to live on their own, to step out of their comfort zone and move outside of the structure of an academic institution. Students will be encouraged to further build their independence, growing life skills and utilize the tools they will need to succeed beyond Case Western Reserve.
As part of the new framework, Residential Living and Learning will center their work on:
- Facilitating the creation of engaging and unique communities each year that make tangible and lasting impacts on student trajectories;
- Establishing and promoting a culture of care by providing direct support, connections to campus resources and fostering essential behaviors that contribute to lifelong success; and
- Investing in collaborative relationships across campus that enhance the overall student experience.
“The experience of transitioning to university can be challenging,” said Fabian. “For some, it’s a rapid change from 18 years of your life spent in one environment or family unit to an entirely new operating procedure. You’re in a new state or a new city, you’re not living at your parents' house and no one just magically figures it out. It takes time and patience, and it sometimes takes asking for help and making mistakes. This structure is designed to support that growth.”
Residential Living and Learning’s mission will still center on building tight-knit, intentional communities within our campus residence halls. Residential staff will continue to connect students to the myriad services and resources that are crucial to student success, with an increased focus on relationship-building across campus. Collaborative relationships across campus will be at the forefront of efforts to bridge living and learning throughout the residential student journey.
“This new strategic direction represents our commitment to the holistic growth of our students, through the residential experience,” said Travis Apgar, vice president for student affairs. “It is a thrilling time to live on our campus. This structure will cultivate a powerful student community, serving as a proven launchpad for their lifelong academic and professional success.”
