Residence Life – Page 9 – UW-Green Bay Residence Life

Summer Staff Spotlight – Tom Sielaff

It’s time to recognize another one of the hardworking students working for us this summer. This spotlight is on UWGB super senior, Tom Sielaff. Tom is approaching a full year of working for Residence Life come this August. This summer he is working with us as a Business Services Assistant and we are extremely lucky to have him as part of the Residence Life team! Tom is a about to enter his fifth year at UWGB studying English (emphasis in Creative Writing) with minors in Music Studies and Arts Management. Along with working with us at the Office of Residence Life, Tom is involved in Sigma Tau Delta, Sheepshead Review, Making Arts Matter, and is a former University Student Ambassador. When asked what his favorite part about working with Residence Life is, Tom responded, “Getting to help students, and doing the official “RA/maintenance knock” when I’m on duty.”

Thank you Tom for an amazing year working with us here at Residence Life and we look forward to having you as part of the Residence Life team for the rest of the summer!

Fast Facts

Name: Tom Sielaff

Major: English (Creative Writing)

Minor: Music Studies & Arts Management

Hometown: Niagara, Wisconsin

Position in Residence Life: Business Services Assistant

Favorite Part about UWGB: Residence Life and the Cofrin Library! Also, the English and Arts Management programs

Favorite Class/Professor: Dr. Sarah Schuetze, Dr. Rebecca Meacham, Professor Ellen Rosewall, and Professor Courtney Sherman

Best Study Spot on Campus: Coffeeshop

Current Show you are binge watching on Netflix/Hulu: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Are you a cat or dog person? Dog!

If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, who would it be? Stephen King

If you were stranded on an island and could only bring three items, what would they be? My laptop, a notebook, and my shelf full of books

Summer Staff Spotlight – Sara Bichler

As they continue their hard work throughout the summer, it’s time to highlight another one of our stellar student employees joining us this summer. This Summer Staff Spotlight is on Summer Operations Assistant Sara Bichler! Sara is a going to be a senior this coming fall majoring in Communication (emphases in Mass Media, Public Relations, Organizational Communication, and Journalism). She is originally from South Image - Sara Plainfield, NJ, but moved to Waunakee, WI when she was ten years old. Throughout her time at UWGB she has been very active in the Residence Hall and Apartment Association (RHAA) and will be representing this organization as President for the 2018-2019 academic year. In addition to RHAA, Sara is also part of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) and the Green Bay Phoenix Pep Band.

When asked what her favorite part about working with Residence Life is, Sara responded, “I love all the people you can meet when working with Residence Life. I feel as if my voice matters when working with them and that they care about what the residents have to say. In this position, I love the small group we have. It makes working with them so much easier and more fun, because we all know each other so well.” Thank you Sara for all of your hard work this summer and we look forward to a great year with RHAA!

Fast Facts

Name: Sara Bichler

Major: Communication (Mass Media, Public Relations, Organizational Communication, & Journalism)

Hometown: Waunakee, WI

Position in Residence Life: Summer Operations Assistant (SOA)

Favorite Part about UWGB: I love how close, yet removed, campus is from the city. It’s great that campus feels like a small town, but if you want a smaller city experience it’s only a 15 minute drive.

Favorite Class/Professor: Professor Shauna Froelich due to her energy and enthusiasm. She always knows how to make a student feel included. I can’t decide a favorite class, because I love how all the Communication classes are very hands on and practical to the real world.

Best Study Spot on Campus: The newly renovated Library Commons (especially since those private rooms are great for group work)

Favorite Movie: I don’t know, Star Wars: A New Hope. It’s a classic.

Current show you are binge watching on Netflix/Hulu: Handmaid’s Tale

Hidden Talent: Some people don’t know that I play a few instruments. (Violin, mandolin, ukulele, and saxophone)

Are you a cat or dog person: Typically dog, but I like both

Best piece of advice you ever received: I don’t know if this is considered advice, but my former President-Nate Nichols, was the one who taught me through his actions to embrace critique and feedback and not just accept it.

If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, who would it be: Probably Beyoncé, cause she’s Beyoncé.

If you were stranded on an island and could only bring three items, what would they be: I mean to be practical: a working boat with a map and a compass, food, and clean water.

Summer Staff Spotlight – Logan O’Leary

Every summer, we have a group of amazing student employees and this summer is no different! Even with the heat and humidity that summer brings, these rockstar student employees never give anything less than 110%! So, we want to recognize them all throughout the summer and show our appreciation for all of their hard work! Our Summer Staff Spotlights will recognize our Summer Operations Assistants, Business Services Assistants, and Intern Staff throughout the duration of the summer!

The first Summer Staff Spotlight is on first-year Residence Life employee, Logan O’Leary! Logan is working this summer with us as a Business Services Assistant. He is a junior majoring in Communication (emphases in Journalism, Mass Media, and Public Relations) with a minor in History. His favorite part of working as a BSA is the awesome people that his fortunate enough to work with. When not working at the front desk or in the mail room, Logan can be found getting involved with Alternate Theatre and the Ballroom Dance Club. Thank you so much Logan for an awesome start to the summer and we cannot wait to see what the next few months brings!

Fast Facts

Name: Logan O’Leary

Major: Communication (Journalism, Mass Media, and Public Relations)

Minor: History

Hometown: Houghton, Michigan

Position in Residence Life: Business Services Assistant (BSA)

Favorite Part about UWGB: Natural Beauty

Favorite Class/Professor: Improv with Laura Riddle

Best Study Spot: 4^th floor of the library

Favorite Movie: Lord of the Rings

Are you a cat or dog person? Both, but I’ve developed an allergy to cats, so I’m forced to be exclusively a dog person

If you could trade lives with anyone for a day, who would it be? Jeff Nippard

If you were stranded on an island and could only bring three items, what would they be? a large boat, an experienced captain, and a fishing pole.

ResFest 2018

On Friday, May 4 from 3:00pm until 6:00pm, the Residence Hall and Apartment Association (RHAA) is hosting ResFest 2018 in Phoenix Park located outside of the University Union. ResFest 2018 is an end of the year event held right before finals to give students an opportunity to celebrate an amazing year with friends. This year the theme is Flannel Fest and will host themed activities and food. RHAA will host their end of the year Bingo during ResFest with the opportunity for students to win some fabulous prizes.

We are excited to announce that for a third year, ResFest will include an inflatable obstacle course, jousting ring, henna, balloon art, and face painting. Of course the question on every student’s mind is: what about food? ResFest will have a variety of snack options including sno-cones, cotton candy, and assorted beverages, just to name a few things. The National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) has partnered with RHAA to sponsor some delicious ice cream treats and sherbet pushups.

The best part is that all of these activities, snacks, and prizes are FREE! That’s right! If your student is looking for something fun to do to celebrate their accomplishments and have a great time unwinding with friends before the stress of final exams, encourage them to be in Phoenix Park on Friday, May 4 at 3:00pm.

The Survey Says…

Each November, the Office of Residence Life administers its annual Resident Satisfaction Survey.

The purpose of the survey is to assess student satisfaction with housing programs, services and facilities. Of the survey group (1911 students living on campus), 1231 students or 61.6% responded to this year’s survey. Following are some highlights of the results:

Learning, Academic Performance, and Retention

Living on campus positively contributes to student learning with 89.5% or 947 of students indicating that living on campus impacted their learning
The same is true of academic performance with 91.6% or 916 of students indicating that the on-campus housing experience contributed to their academic performance
Housing accommodations have an impact on retention with 84.7% or 834 students surveyed
indicating that that living on campus impacted their decision to return to UW-Green Bay next year
Students overall are satisfied with their housing experience with 88.4% or 949 students indicating being extremely to moderately satisfied
85.5% or 909 of respondents indicated that living on campus extremely to moderately contributed to a sense of belonging to this institution

The Office of Residence Life uses information from the survey to improve programs, services, and facilities for on-campus students. We look forward to the opportunity to serve your student in 2018-19.

Move-Out Day is Approaching!

All current housing contracts for the 2017/18 academic year end on Saturday, May 12 at 4:00 p.m. Students are required to vacate their accommodations by this date and time otherwise a $50.00 improper check-out fee will be assessed. Students who are graduating and may need more time to move out need to contact the Office of Residence Life by May 9, 2018.

Move Out Steps:

In order to avoid cleaning charges, students must clean their room or apartment thoroughly. This includes but is not limited to cleaning all surfaces, walls, furniture, medicine cabinet, appliances, cupboards and counter tops (if applicable), toilet, shower, vanity/sink, and the bathroom floor. Carpeted areas must be vacuumed and the vinyl or tile floor in the bathroom area mopped. For a detailed checklist of cleaning responsibilities, please see: uwgb.edu/housing
Remove all belongings from housing before leaving; check all drawers, closets, etc. Items left behind will be disposed of after 30 days.
Any items your student does not want to take home, but are still in good condition? Bring it to our donation bins located in the Community Center, contemporary apartment first floor lounges, and Roy Downham lounge. All items will be donated to the UWGB Camus Cupboard and St. Vincent de Paul.
Mailboxes need to be emptied and all packages picked up. We do not keep packages for students who do not live on campus over the summer. Packages and mail will begin to be accepted on August 1, 2018 for students moving in the fall.
The final step in the process is for your student to complete the online Express Check-out process by visiting the housing web site. Students who do not check out of their room or apartment will be assessed an improper checkout fee.

Our goal is to minimize charges to students by providing detailed instructions and having Resident Assistants work with your student to complete a Responsibility for Cleaning Form with their roommates. If your student has questions, please direct them to the Office of Residence Life or their Resident Assistant.

Go Green and Donate!

Again this year, Residence Life is partnering with the UW-Green Bay Campus Cupboard and St. Vincent de Paul to sponsor our annual donations drive from May 1 – May 14.

The UWGB Campus Cupboard provides students food, clothing, and household items at no charge. St. Vincent de Paul works to meet many of the same needs in the Green Bay area.

We are collecting items that your students may no longer need such as:

Non-perishable food items
Clothing
Kitchen items
Small household items in good condition
Shoes, boots, sandals
School supplies
Text Books

Collection stations will be located throughout housing, and in the Community Center. Encourage your student to show their school colors by going green and donating to these great causes which benefit UW-Green Bay students and the greater Green Bay community. Thousands of pounds of items are diverted from landfills each year through donations made to this program by our on-campus students.

Welcome from the Director of Residence Life

As I look at the calendar I can hardly believe it. April? How did that happen? So, once again, as with every spring I find myself reflecting on another fast-paced academic year. I would guess that your UWGB student is looking back on these last several months with the same thought. How could this year have been anything but a blur? Between the rigors of a full-time academic course load, making friends, seeking out employment and getting involved in activities/organizations, it had to have been an action-packed year. I hope along the way they have created GailSims many happy memories to take with them into the summer.

As I sit down to write this, our office is wrapping up the room selection process for the 2018-2019 year. By the looks of things, we will be bursting at the seams again come fall. If your student was undecided about living on campus next year and up until now has passed on the opportunity to sign a housing contract we will still be able to get them placed on a wait list. They can complete this process by visiting with the staff at the reception desk at the Community Center. We will do what we can in order to ensure your student has a bed on campus come September.

I want you to know what a pleasure it’s been to serve you and your student this year. For many of you, I know your student’s transition to college was not without challenge. Thank you for supporting them from home and know that we did our best to offer up assistance and campus resources as needed. Together we made a good team! Most of our residents will be leaving campus for the summer and returning home. Enjoy them and be sure to ask questions about all that they experienced at UWGB. I’m sure they’ll appreciate your interest. If your student would prefer to stay on campus for the summer, we can make that happen too. We may even have a job for them! Check out the entirety of this newsletter for more information.

Thanks again for your involvement this year! If your student is returning to campus housing, then we’ll be sure to catch you with these newsletters again starting in the fall. Enjoy your summer!

Gail Sims-Aubert
Director, Office of Residence Life

Re-Contracting 2018 – Winner #3

With Spring Break just a few days away, we need to announce our FINAL winner of our response question prize! This week we asked residents to share with us what they think the best part of living on campus is for a chance to win a $25 gift card to the Phoenix Bookstore. We had responses varying from being so close to your friends, to the being surrounded by the beautiful scenery.

Although all great responses, we can only have one winner and that winner is: Tyler Klackner. Tyler shared with us that the best part about living on campus is “the beautiful scenery throughout all seasons! The trees and trails are a must see!”

Thank you to everyone who participated and congratulations to all of our winners!

Re-Contracting 2018 – Winner #2

As the second week of #GBrecontracting18 comes to an end, it’s time to announce our second winner of a $25 gift card to The Phoenix Bookstore. This week we asked residents to share with us their favorite roommate memory. We got some really heartfelt responses and even some great pictures! However, there can be only one winner and that winner is . . .

Lindsey Ann (@lindssinger on Twitter)!

Lindsey told us that her favorite roommate memory was:

“I made two lifelong friends with my current roommate Amanda and former roommate Jen. We have so many memories from Bachelor Mondays to hockey games and roommate dinners, UWGB leads me to living with these two amazing women!”

Congratulations Lindsey!