Residential Life Mission Statement

The College of Saint Benedict residential life program is concerned with the life and learning of each student and encourages her to develop her potential as a Christian woman in contemporary society.

We encourage students to have an integrated approach to learning and living. They are encouraged to develop a sense of the community in which learning takes place, balanced with the desire to develop a sense of personal identity.

Residential life creates an environment that is community based and provides an experience of belonging and being valued. Community life is sharing our personal strengths, weaknesses and meeting together to share our life events. This supportive environment provides the framework for personal growth and a commitment to community living. We recognize that growth occurs primarily within the context of supportive relationships with others, in community.

We encourage students to extend the concept of community by a commitment to social transformation and becoming a part of a world community. Combining leadership and service to others extends this community far beyond the residential halls.

Residential life staff members base their work on the following principles and practices. Each of us value and model these areas and further teach these principles and practices to students. In the context of our quality supportive and challenging relationships, we listen to students, allow them to practice the specific things they have learned, give them feedback, and evaluate their progress. Based on our values (principles) we do (practice) and lead students to discover their potential as individuals in community.

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Principles and Practices

(clarify, value, model, teach, practice, give feedback, evaluate, lead)

A. We reverence and respect dignity and wonder of each student as a unique gift- each with special gifts, talents, and limitations.

• We look at situations taking into consideration unique and individual circumstances.
• We recognize that what is fair for one is not necessarily what is fair for all. We accept individual differences and relish them, opening ourselves to the diversity of people.
• We approach students as adult women, taking into consideration their feelings, thoughts, and needs. Each situation is approached with the question, "How can I assist this student to grow from this experience?"
• We spend our time cultivating quality relationships with students and staff recognizing that our main purpose is service to students and student staff members. We develop relationships with students that have the breadth and depth to challenge and support them; understanding the subtleties and uniqueness of each individual.

B. We value women; their perspective, needs, wants, ways of knowing, ways of leading.

• We study, discuss, write and learn about the experience of women. We interpret what we know about women's experience and women's leadership for the benefit of students.
• We honor women and plan programs and encourage experiences that allow them to grow as educated, self-confident, integrated, women leaders.
• We take care to cultivate community in residential areas knowing that women learn in supportive relationships.
• We develop our training programs for students and staff members with regard for their experiences as women.

C. We support students in their task of self-identity, assist them on their development of personal goals. We recognize that development and love of learning is a life-long commitment and always in process.

We model to students a continuous journey of development in our lives. We share our journey, recognizing and sharing those things that would be helpful for the development of the student.

• We spend time with individuals and groups of students assisting them to be aware of their own development and encouraging them to plan and record their own growth processes.
• We are involved in measuring student progress along developmental lines. We are aware of both the observable and the otherwise measurable developmental changes of our students.

D. We celebrate the importance of community and provide an environment that is sportive and challenging. We acknowledge the interrelatedness of persons as expressed in a supportive and challenging community.

We plan, organize, and evaluate community building efforts and activities in our areas. We spend time in both formal and informal community building activities.

• We use community building and interdependence as goals for experiences and programs in our areas.
• We support and challenge residents to be a part of the community while allowing them to develop their sense of personal identity.
• We recognize our own interdependence with student development and academic departments and serve as a clearing house for resources and communication entering the residential halls. We provide resources from these departments for students.

E. We understand that balancing the needs of individuals and community rights and privileges is a worth undertaking and journey we are ever on.

We confront residents not living up to community standards with the goal of educating them to make decisions that recognize both community and individual needs.

• We understand, in our own lives, the balance between individual and community rights and privileges and attempt to have our lives regularly in balance.
• We educate residents as to the ways our world does not recognize the balance between community and individual rights/privileges.
• We invite, but do not demand, participation in the community. Both the individual and common good are considered.

F. We prize leadership that is value based, integrated, justice and service orientated.

We lead in a way that is, most importantly, consistent with our values, recognizing also the values of the college and the values of our professional organizations.

• We set up experiences of leadership with students that allow for feedback, for positive reinforcement and a sense of integrating values and leading.
• We encourage service and the integration of service, learning and leadership.

G. We are responsible to be conscientious stewards of our gifts and to provide a safe and clean environment to our own community and in the world around us.

We model concern for safety, cleanliness, and stewardship of resources in our area and in the larger world community.

• We set up programs and experiences with students that encourage safety and stewardship. We help students discover the resources available to them.
• We conscientiously manage buildings and financial resources and teach students to be good stewards of what they have.

H. We view our work in this community as ministry. WE are called to live among students, work with individuals, as we continue our own personal and professional development.

We encourage that our primary relationship with God serves both as an example and as basis for our relationships within the community.

• We hold ourselves to a higher professional standard. We are committed to examining our own decisions and behaviors, questioning and articulating the things we do.
• We work to make our interactions with students purposeful and our programs intentional.
• We reflect on our relationship and integrate our strengths and weaknesses. In so doing we become more aware of both.