With the recent changes in Residence Life occurring this year, there has been a lot to report. In addition to a new ResLife director and three new hall directors, the department is undergoing sweeping curriculum changes. The changes are intended to provide a more uniform campus living experience across the halls and communities, as well as provide a more solid way to express its core values.
ResLife wants to promote connection, wellness, identity, professional competence and academic excellence within the residence halls with this new curriculum, Zac Burden, coordinator for Residence Life, said. Some aspects of the new curriculum — such as connection and wellness — have already been implemented into the activities and bulletin boards organized by student advisers.
We, The Index Editorial Board, are concerned about the amount of changes and how quickly they’re happening. Within just a few months, most of the top positions in ResLife have been turned over. While that’s not necessarily a problem, the situation has become even more complicated with the major changes to the ResLife system.
We are also concerned with the sustainability of this new curriculum. We question how responsibilities will be distributed among ResLife staff, what is expected of future student advisers and if the future staff will be set up for success.
Despite the delayed rollout of the new curriculum, these changes still seem rushed and sudden. With fewer hall directors than previous years, it does not seem like an opportune time to make sweeping changes to the ResLife structure.
We also believe that it is important for students to understand the changes happening in living facilities on campus, which means ResLife staff should be keeping residents informed of the changes. Many Truman State University students call the residence halls home, so they should constantly be in the loop about what is happening around them. Even if you don’t live on campus, it’s important to understand such a significant part of campus and the resources it offers.
While we appreciate the motivation and enthusiasm to improve, such drastic changes should be gradual and carefully considered before being implemented.