Residence Life

1. Residence Life Who we are and what we do Kristin Hunger Residence Life Coordinator kristin.hunger@ed.ac.uk

2. Overview • Who we are • Where we are • What we do (Benefits to Students) • Events • What our students say • Wellness/Welfare/Discipline

3. Who we work with • House 6,000+ students • UG: 4,000 • PG: 1,000 • Families/Couples/Returning Students: 1,000 • Provide more than just a bed

4. Professional Staff2012-2013Full time staff members at the University • Accommodation Services - Residence Life • Assistant Director – Lynne Duff • Residence Life Coordinators • Kristin Hunger • Katie Thorne • Administrative Assistant – Dawn Hibbert • Accommodation Managers • Halls (5) • Flats (9) • Wardens (Part-time members of Res Life staff) • 12

5. Paraprofessional Staff 2012-2013Students • Resident Assistants (RAs) • 134 • Emergency Response, on-call responsibilities, social coordinator for events, and assist professional staff when needed • Ratio of 1:40 RAs to students in UG & PG sites • No RAs in Family/Returner sites

6. Accommodation for UG With Wardens and RA staff : • Catered • Baird, Chancellor’s Court, Ewing, Grant, Holland, John Burnett, & Lee Houses • Self-Catered • Flats • Fraser Court • Houses • David Horn • Kitchener Lee House Chancellor’s Court David Horn House

7. Accommodation for UG With Accommodation Managers and RA staff : • Self-Catered • Flats • Beaverbank • Blackfriars Street • College Wynd • Darroch Court • East Newington Place • Fraser Court • Hermit’s Croft • Kincaid’s Court • Meadow Court • Morgan Court • New Arthur Place • 5 Nicolson & 5 South College • Robertson’s Close • Sciennes • South Clerk Street • Warrender Park Beaverbank Darroch Court Fraser Court

8. Accommodation for PG With Wardens & RAs • Self-catered • Mylne’s Court • Richmond Place • Catered (Pollock Halls) • John Burnett House • Lee House Mylne’s Court John Burnett

9. Accommodation for PG With AMs & RAs • Tentative Self-catered Flats • 5 Nicolson St • Ascham Court (new for 2011) • Blackwood Crescent / Causewayside • Morgan Court (9 months) • Ratcliffe Terrace • South Bridge • Warrender Park Road • West Mains Road Ratcliffe Terrace Warrender Park Road

10. What the varied sites look like… Ascham Court 5 Nicolson St / South College Street Morgan Court Warrender Park Crescent West Mains Road

11. Residence Life ExperienceCommunity Development & Events • Focus on Whole Student • We want to ensure that students are engaged and happy in their home away from home • Emphasis on Community Building • Academic Colleges focus on “school learning” Res Life focuses on “life lessons” • Offer students events throughout the year in the following areas: • Getting to Know Edinburgh • Wellness/Athletic • Cultural/Holiday • Site Tradition • Bus Trips • Sustainability • Charity • Academic Discussion Nights

12. Community Building • Cheese and Wine Movie Nights • Karaoke night • X-Factor • Pub Quizzes • Flat Swaps • Music nights in the common rooms • Welcome Barbecues

13. Getting to know the area • Open Doors Day • Trips to the Highlands • Tours of King’s Buildings • Trips to the Zoo • North Berwick • Rosslyn Chapel • National Trust of Scotland Corporate Members

14. Wellness / Athletic • Arthur’s Seat Walk • Football Tournaments • Yoga and Yogurt • Squash Tournaments • Fun Run • Games Day on the Meadows • Rock Climbing at CSE • Firbush • Making Stress Balls

15. Cultural & Holidays • Potluck Dinners • Guy Fawkes Night • Burns’ Night • St Andrew’s Day Celebrations • Halloween pumpkin carving • Canadian & American Thanksgiving • Chinese New Year • Chinese Moon Festival • Themed Movie Nights • Scottish • Bollywood • Japanese • Polish • Hungarian

16. House Balls Barbecues Annual Flats Party Ceilidhs Site Traditions

17. Charity • Carolling • Christmas Shoebox Appeal • Candy Cane • Clothing Drive • Bake Sales • Movie Rentals on site • Rose Distribution

18. Sustainability • Gardens in flat sites • Tree planting – Pollock • Stairs for Sustainability • Movie Nights • Green Pub Quizzes

19. Not focused on alcohol!! • Certain events will serve alcohol but only in specific quantities and with plenty of food • Also providing site wide events that focus on alcohol and drug education

20. Benefits • Become a part of the community • Meet new friends starting the day you move in! • Less anti-social behaviour • Help when you need it! • Awareness of welfare situations • Students not afraid to talk to staff so we can help find solutions in more timely manner

21. Student Feedback *Survey open October 2011.

22. A sample of student comments Comments from Student Satisfaction Survey, October 2011 The house events are great. These are the best way to get to know people! Good variety and well organised events, really enjoyed this aspect of AS Something is always going on and everyone is friendly and close! Love the events, really fun and easy/relaxed way to widen friendships The RAs are amazing! So glad they are here. They made it so much easier to move into a new place A few more please!

23. Welfare • Residence Life staff follow up with students on personal issues and help to connect them with the appropriate resources • Home sick • Academic struggles • Mental well-being

24. Welfare – What We Do • We are not psychologists, counsellors or health care professionals • We SIGN POST • Take the stress out of the situation • Provide contact to other offices for students and colleagues • Assist on next steps • Contact GP, Counselling, Disability Office, Chaplaincy

25. Discipline • Meet with residents to follow up on disciplinary areas including: • Fire safety violations • Conflicts with roommates or members of the building • Vandalism • Anti-social behaviour • Ensures a pleasant experience for everyone in our accommodation

26. Visit Us on the Uni Website