exterior of Alumni Hall residence.Resident assistants are working to ensure a sense of community in campus housing.

Resident assistants stepping up during pandemic

Due to COVID-19, life in residence will be significantly different this fall. As always, creating a sense of community will be an important part of the UWindsor residence experience, and resident assistants (RAs) are stepping up to make that happen.

RAs are being specially trained to help reduce feelings of isolation caused by physical distancing and are involved in planning and hosting online events to allow students to get to know each other. This will help students to create lasting connections despite the barriers created by COVID-19. During Move-in Week, RAs will host introductory, including a Zoom version of Meet your Neighbour, an Instagram Res Cribs contest, and Junk Food Bingo.

Throughout the semester, RAs will also host TGI Fridays in partnership with other areas of campus to offer virtual Friday evening activities to students. A Paint Night will open the series on Sept. 11.

“I’m proud of how our Residence Life professional staff stepped up and re-designed residence programming to meet the challenges of the year ahead,” said Diane Rawlings, department head of Residence Services. “They’ve also worked closely with campus colleagues through the summer to make this happen and together, I’m confident that we’ll be ready to welcome our new Lancers.”

Since moving away from home is often new to students, RAs will provide necessary support for students entering in this phase of their lives. Many of these supports will be delivered online, and RAs are planning on prioritizing one-on-one conversations with each resident as part of an overall focus on mental health and wellness and transitional support.

—Bridget Heuvel