Residential Engagement Model

Residential Curriculum

Our Residential Engagement model is designed using current best practices around co-curricular student learning in higher education. By harnessing the power of a co-curricular approach and combining with the opportunity for experiential learning, our residential education staff provide learning and social opportunities through a variety of engagements.

Area Coordinators, our full-time residential education staff members, follow the same educational priority and learning goals when developing their building's residential education plans. This allows for all campus residents to experience the same learning goal(s) at the same time allowing for residents to have a shared learning experience regardless of which resident hall they live in. To allow for flexibility, each of our full-time residential education staff who oversee the residence halls create a building specific engagement plan for their building's student population each semester.

Our Education Priority

Residence Life cultivates an environment that promotes opportunities for students to become global citizens who are academically, civically, culturally, and personally responsible as engaged members of their current and future communities.

Our Four Learning Goals

  1. Academic Pursuit
    • We understand that a student's academic experience is not limited to only academic buildings on our campus. Residence Life is uniquely situated to assist students by providing a living environment that encourages students to develop skills to bridge classroom and real-world experiences. Academic pursuit is the process by which students work to achieve their degree and career goals. Residence Life supports our students' academic endeavors by providing connection to campus resources.
  2. Belonging
    • We define belonging as the extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, included, and supported by others in the academic and social environment at UMass Lowell. A sense of belonging is important as it influences a student's motivation, self-confidence, engagement, and achievement. In Residence Life, we believe we play a critical role in fostering a sense of belonging through our individual and community-focused activities and events.
  3. Citizenship
    • We believe that choosing to live in the residence halls at UMass Lowell is an opportunity to learn what it means to be a local and global citizen. We define citizenship as the development of communities where others are respected and valued, where individuals understand their role in creating a culture of respect, and where individuals take ownership for the place in which they live. Citizenship encapsulates an understanding as to how one's worldviews are shaped by cultural norms, values, beliefs, identity, and biases.
  4. Well-Being
    • Holistic well-being is an important focal area of Higher Education in the United States as we are uniquely positioned to assist our students in developing skills and behaviors that can help them be more successful in navigating life. Our concept of well-being is built off the understanding that all forms of well-being (emotional, physical, social, developmental, psychological, and life satisfaction) are essential to the support and care of our students and communities. Obtaining knowledge and developing skills that promote holistic self-care will benefit a student's overall college experience. Within Residence Life, we strive to provide access to opportunities for our students to develop well-being habits that can assist them in achieving their goals.