Dorms To Establish A Sense Of Belonging At UVA

Dorms should be a place where residents can have small talk on their way to the bathroom and knock on my door or a fellow hallmates door if they are having a rough day. It should be a place to study as well as a place to have some good laughs. A place where residents can bond over similarities as well as differences.A place for residents to grow as people. Each resident should feel respected and a sense of belonging. The dorm environment which an RA fosters is essential. The tone I set as an RA can have at the very least a year long effect, but hopefully a life long effect. Hopefully resident leave appreciating the inclusive and welcoming environment that was establish and carries the values learned throughout their time at UVA. To create the most inclusive and welcoming community that fits the needs of each resident best, I would start off by having each resident establish their expectations for the dorms. For example, first years might want to have a fun and lively hall while upperclassman want a quiet and supportive hall.This will allow feedback so I can gear hall programs to fit the needs of my residents. In addition, it will establish cleanliness rules as well as noise level expectation, which will eliminate a

I really want student to understand UVA is not as homogenous as it seems. You cannot expect for everyone to be like or think like you. Just as you would like to be accepted so would everyone else. To really use this time to grow and meet new people and to not limit his or herself because someone is different. First year, my RA had us go to the quad and we did an activity that really set the tone for my experience at UVA. She showed that UVA is more diverse whether it be in background, ethnicity, values, skills, etc than it seems. I felt closer to everyone knowing that just racially we may be different, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t had similar