Section 8: Community Development
Developing community is one of the primary roles of an RA will take on during the course of the academic year. Residents bring with them a number of different life experiences and perspectives. Best RAs work with their residents to blend these backgrounds and ideas together to create an inclusive environment. Residents can take ownership of their community and be able to freely interact with and learn from each other.
Think beyond just your residents and your floor. Consider how you can connect your residents to others living in your building. Be mindful of how your actions, and those of your residents, impact others around you.
Also think about how you can connect residents to the larger Cornell College community. What activities and organizations are you promoting? What events are you encouraging residents to attend? How are you responding and following up on situations that may not have occurred in your area? Start small and think big. The more ways we're able to connect residents to each other and to what else is happening on campus the stronger and more close knit your community will become.
- Section 8.1: What is a Positive Community
- Section 8.2: Setting Community Standards
- Section 8.3: Individual Interactions
- Section 8.4: Floor Meetings
- Section 8.5: Door Decorations
- Section 8.6: Bulletin Boards