Our Mission
Rutgers Residence Life creates a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment where student learning, development, and individuality is championed and supported. Our commitment to student-centered programs and organizational development will enhance the student experience. We achieve this by encouraging critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and academic excellence while cultivating a residential experience that is intentional, exploratory, and reflective.
We Believe:
- Residents are our first priority.
- Success in our work can only be achieved through on-going assessment and improvement.
- Partnerships with the University community, including students, faculty, other University departments, and the families of students, are critical for our work to be successful.
- Living on campus is an opportunity for students to gain life experiences in a supportive environment, sometimes learning through trial and error.
- The residential experience provides students with unique personal interactions and the opportunity to develop life-long friendships.
- Every staff member contributes to the student experience and should be afforded the opportunity to learn and grow in their position.
- Staff are most productive when treated fairly, with respect, and involved in decision-making.
Our Strategic Areas
Belonging & Engagement
Living with a new group of people each year, especially when it is the first time away from home or at a new university, can be daunting. A residence hall can be made a welcoming place through intentional efforts of the staff, hall governments and residents themselves. Balancing one’s needs with those of the larger group and understanding how one’s actions affect others are essential lessons.
Discovery
Engaging with the academic community, gaining knowledge within and outside the formal classroom and lab, applying this learning to new situations, and incorporating an achievement orientation into one’s self-perception, are important for Rutgers residential students to encounter.
Support
The demands of college and the challenges of maturity manifest themselves in residents differently. Some experience anxiety or stress and need occasional reassurance and assistance in putting challenges into perspective. Others may show evidence of behavioral changes such as social withdrawal, academic failure, or substance abuse.
Diversity & Inclusion
Living in Rutgers residence halls will expose the resident to many people who are different from oneself, culturally, ethnically, and socially. Learning about these differences, respecting them and incorporating this knowledge into one’s worldview are important knowledge bases for the resident to comprehend.
We have created a diversity and inclusion calendar as a resource for students and staff to learn more about the variety of holidays/observances/festivals and more that occur throughout the year, utilizing them as talking points in your daily interactions with one another. We hope that you will find this beneficial in your learning and gives you additional ways to connect with the diverse array of students at Rutgers. The intent was to make this as diverse as possible through showcasing historical, religious and cultural events, however, we want to acknowledge that this is not an exhaustive list. Please send an email to us for additional calendar considerations.
Personal & Professional Development
Living on campus in a culture with intentional goals leads residents to make stronger connections with peers and provides for learning in the areas of relationships, acquisition of life-skills and maturity. Rutgers Residence Life will provide opportunities for resident learning, leading to personal development and self-advocacy that are the hallmarks of an independent adult.
