Residence Life

Now that your student has completed their first semester and have begun second semester classes, you may be wondering about what campus resources to assist with your student’s academic success.

Student satisfaction and success research suggests that students who are satisfied with their university experience tend to perform well in college. Factors that contribute to student success include connecting with others, utilizing faculty office hours, getting involved in activities and events, staying healthy, and taking advantage of campus resources.

Some examples of important campus resources include Academic Advising which provides personalized developmental advising to first-year, new transfer, and undeclared students. Through one-to-one and group sessions, students receive information and support to help them become good decision-makers and managers of their academic career. Another campus service commonly used by students is Tutoring Services offering one-to-one and group tutoring services for a variety of courses.

The Counseling and Health Center offers on-campus counseling and health services including free counseling services by licensed professional counselors and limited psychiatric services. The center also offers access to nurses for minor illnesses, vaccinations, and much more.

Finally, the Office of Residence Life employs five Area Coordinators (ACs) each supervising an “area” of residence hall and apartment buildings. Our goal is to provide guidance and advisement to students who need a Resident Assistant or Area Coordinator’s assistance, and to make appropriate referrals to campus offices and services. Students may schedule an appointment with their Area Coordinator by contacting the front desk of the Office of Residence Life, (920) 465-2040.

Krash the Kress is a super cool event especially for UWGB alumni, students and friends. On February 16, for the first time ever, a Green Bay men’s conference basketball game will be played on campus on Carol’s Court at the Kress Events Center, so we’ve put together an awesome tailgate party to get everyone ready to cheer on the Phoenix!

Krash the Kress registration includes your game ticket, great tailgate food, two beverage tickets good, an epically awesome, long sleeve Krash the Kress t-shirt and fun swag to cheer on the team. The UW-Green Bay Pep Band, Green Bay cheerleaders and Phlash will be there too. Finally, there will be lots of drawings for fantastic prizes.

Date: Friday, February 16
Time: Tailgate Party from 6 p.m. – 7:45 p.m., Green Bay Men’s Basketball game vs. UIC at 8 p.m.
Location: Tailgate Party in the East and West Gyms, Game on Carol’s Court – Kress Events Center
Cost: $20 adult ticket and tailgate, $10 youth ticket and tailgate, $10 adult tailgate only, $5 youth tailgate only

Students are encouraged to purchase their KRASH THE KRESS tickets by midnight on February 9, 2018 to ensure securing tickets to the game.

Please direct questions to the Director of Alumni Relations Kari Moody at 920-465-2226 or moodyk@uwgb.edu.

Student employment is an important part of the college experience. Residence Life at UWGB employs many students in a variety of different positions that will provide students with the opportunity to gain skills that will be used both during their time in college and after they graduate from the university.

A quick visit to the Residence Life Student Employment page will reveal that there are a variety of student employment opportunities that are available to students at UW-Green Bay. Each position offers different tasks and experiences which also promote learning outside of the classroom. What a visit to the employment page will not reveal directly are the other invaluable reasons that students should apply for a student employment experience in Residence Life.

Academic Focus

Student employees are first and foremost students. As an employer, we understand this. Our focus is on our student employees’ academic success. This starts at the beginning of the semester by ensuring that a work schedule does not interfere with your student’s class schedule. It occurs during regular conversations, some formal and some casual, where a staff member will ask, “How are you classes going?” Each semester our department also asks students to complete a mid-semester grade check for most positions. This encourages the student to connect with their professors to receive an assessment of how they are doing. These connections can often make the difference on the pathway to academic success.

Mentorship

One of the core values that we take very seriously in Residence Life is the mentorship. As a department, we maintain an intentional focus on building relationships with the students that reside on campus but the students that work for us receive the benefit of having that interaction on a daily basis. Our staff, from our custodians all the way up to the director, take the time to ask, “How are you doing today?” We make sure that our student employees know that they have an on-campus resource available to ask questions. We are invested in their success and in building relationships that last through their time at UWGB and often long after.

Teamwork

While teamwork may not always seem like a benefit, learning how to communicate and operate with others to accomplish a task is one of the most important transferable skills a student employee will master during employment with our department. Nearly all of our student employment positions offer the opportunity to operate as part of a larger team. In some areas, like being a Resident Assistant, your student would work directly with other RAs in their building and area to ensure that their communities remain safe and fun environments to learn and grow.

As we begin this spring semester, Residence Life will be recruiting for summer and 2018-19 student employment positions. More information is available on the Student Employment Page. Encourage your student to apply today to take advantage of the great experience and benefits that student employment offers!

The Resident Assistant (RA) position is among the most respected student employment opportunities on the UWGB campus. Being an RA is more than a job for most, it is a self-development opportunity. Residence Life strives to build leaders, not just hire student employees. If your student is ready for a great experience, send them our way! In a few short weeks, the RA selection process will begin for candidates who want to be a RA for next fall.

RAs work 15 hours a week during the academic year and up to 40 hours a week during pre-semester training. RAs’ housing costs (ranging from $4100 – $5200 per academic year) are waived as part of the RA’s earnings. They receive a bi-weekly paycheck of $140-154 – enough for most students to put gas in their car, buy incidentals, and occasionally go out to eat or to a movie. They also receive training, support and mentoring by professional staff unparalleled in the student employment arena.

Successful RA candidates will have a minimum of 2 semesters living on a campus (which includes Spring 2018), a grade point average of 2.4 or better, a passion to learn about themselves and others, and a commitment to serve students. More information, including applications and a job description can be found online.   For initial consideration, applications should be submitted by February 6, 11:59 p.m.

Our RA selection process begins in early February, but we accept applications all year long. This allows Residence Life to select the brightest and most passionate students for these important leadership positions. The benefits of being a RA truly compliment the academic experience and give students transferable skills that are applicable to their new careers after graduation.

It is that time again! Students who currently live in housing will soon need to decide if they are living on-campus for the 2018/19 academic year.

Recontracting has its benefits!

• Students who return will have the option to choose their own roommates.
• Students can select their own housing! At UW-Green Bay, we offer shared bedroom apartments, private bedroom apartments, and shared residence hall rooms.
• The advance deposit for current residents is rolled over for the next year.

The re-contracting process opens on Monday, February 12 and ends on Tuesday, March 20 at 11:59PM. On March 28 – March 30, students who have contracted will be able to select their apartment or residence hall room. The time and date for students to select their room or apartment is determined by a student’s number of semesters on campus and academic credits earned.

Regardless of accommodations type, students enjoy the following amenities: private bathrooms, furnished rooms and apartments, high-speed internet access including Wi-Fi, high definition cable television service, and laundry facilities in each building.

We hope that your student has had a positive living experience on campus, and chooses to return to campus housing for another year. Many of our students remain on campus through graduation due to the variety of living options, and the many opportunities to grow and learn in a residential setting.

If your students has questions about the re-contracting process, please have them visit the Office of Residence Life, call (920) 465-2040, or email housing@uwgb.edu.

Happy New Year! My salutation is a little late-in-coming, but I really do hope that 2018 is treating you well. January regularly gets off to a slow start for us here in Residence Life, as our students spend most of the month enjoying the remainder of their winter break. However, their absence gives us a lot of opportunity to prepare for what always turns out to be a busy and exciting spring semester. We were happy to welcome everyone back as they safely returned to life on campus, and officially get things started.

In this edition of our newsletter you will find much of the information that your UWGB student will be receiving in the coming weeks. It may seem early, but our residents will soon need to contract for housing for the 2018-2019 academic year. Space is always at a premium, so it’s good to have a conversation with your student now about where they intend to live in the coming year. We will also be looking to fill many summer and fall student employment positions, which is an excellent opportunity for those students who want to both live and work on campus.

Over the winter break period, students also received their fall semester grades. For some, that was a reason to celebrate, but for many others it was likely a time to reflect on an academic performance that could have been better managed. For those of you working with a student in that situation, there are valuable resources in this newsletter that will assist you in working with them to be more academically successful. I encourage you to read the entirety of this edition, and be sure to reach out to the Office of Residence Life at 920-465-2040 or by sending a message to housing@uwgb.edu, if there’s anything we can do to assist you or your student this spring!

Sincerely,

Gail Sims-Aubert
Office of Residence Life, Director