The Department of Residence Life is committed to celebrating and supporting a diverse residential population of over 15,000 by ensuring that our residential communities offer a welcoming, equitable and inclusive environment for all.
To achieve this, we have many initiatives in place, some of which include:
- Student Staff Training
Resident Assistants (RAs) are student staff members that live in our residence halls, serve as role models, help build community, and are a resource for our residents.
The Department of Residence Life offers a 5-phase DEI training that is delivered over a period of 3 years for RAs. The phases cover critical DEI information and skills, and information is delivered through both online work and in-person interactive trainings. Our goal is to provide RAs with key skills that will help them interact with and build community amongst a diverse residential population.
Some of the topics covered within the Phases are:
- Identity development and how it shapes individual experiences.
- How stereotypes play a factor into how we understand the world around us and our understanding of identities.
- The impact of oppressive structures on identity development.
- The continued development of cultural competency skills.
- The continued development of the ability to facilitate intergroup dialogue.
- Professional Development for Full-Time and Graduate Staff
All Residence Life staff – both professional and graduate – participate in DEI professional development opportunities throughout the academic year. We identified a list of eight core DEI competencies (listed below) that we want staff to grow their knowledge in so they may better serve our residents.
Departmental DEI Competencies:
- Foundations of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
- Unconscious / Implicit Bias
- Historically and Currently Marginalized Social and Group Identities
- Power and Privilege
- Microaggressions
- Structural, Systemic, and Institutional Racism and Oppression
- Social Justice Development and Application
- Repairing Harm
Each year, staff select a competency from the above list to focus on and choose from a diverse set of learning opportunities (podcasts, books, seminars, conferences, etc.) that best fits their needs to further their knowledge on that competency.
At the end of the year, the department hosts a DEI Share-Out where staff can share key takeaways from what they learned about their competency during the semester.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the department spent over 504 hours in active learning on DEI topics!
- Skill-Building via the Residential Curriculum
Our Residential Curriculum lists key skills that we want residents to learn while living in the halls guides the way we program in the halls.
Our Curriculum has four goals, two of which are DEI-focused:
- Cultural Competence & Global Citizenship
- Engagement, Identity, and Introspection
Through intentional programming throughout the year, we aim to build these skills in our residents.
- Leveraging Campus Resources
There are many campus partners who are focused on advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion work. We both collaborate with these partners and encourage both residents and Residence Life staff to attend their events to enhance their learning and community experience. Some of those partners are listed below:
The Cultural Center Collaborative
The Collaborative is made up of our four cultural centers: The Paul Robeson Cultural Center, the Center for Latino Arts and Culture, the Center for Social Justice Education & LGBT Communities, and the Asian American Cultural Center. They facilitate interactive learning, promote self-awareness, foster leadership development, encourage dialogue, and challenge traditional notions of diversity and inclusion while working with undergraduate and graduate students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the New Brunswick / Piscataway community.
Tyler Clementi Center for Bias Education and Prevention
The Tyler Clementi Center serves as a campus resource that promotes understanding and engagement on issues related to diversity and bias prevention, increasing the capacity of the campus community to engage across differences.
Rutgers Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement (DICE)
DICE leads efforts that advance and advocate for inclusiveness, diversity, and equity at Rutgers University–New Brunswick. They are stewards of the New Brunswick Diversity Plan and offer events for faculty and staff to nurture a vibrant, inclusive campus.
Restorative Justice at Rutgers
Restorative Justice (RJ) is a set of principles and practices inspired by indigenous traditions used to build community, address harm, and aid in healing. RJ often leads to a positive transformation of people, relationships, and communities. Many Residence Life staff members are trained RJ facilitators, and use these practices in their work.
