Calvin University equips students
to think deeply,
to act justly,
and to live wholeheartedly
as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
As servants of God and partners in education, we challenge and support students as they seek meaning in their college experiences. With delight and anticipation, we present them to the world as people who are learning to love the things that God loves, so that the world is blessed by their leadership.
Practice regularly the spiritual discipline required to become increasingly aware of God’s presence, power, and love, thus to model more and more the life of Jesus Christ (faith formation & Ecclesiastical development).
Make sense of their pre-college lives and develop patterns that increase self-understanding and whole health (emotional and physical development).
Understand and cultivate relationships of integrity with other humans made in God’s own image, including family members, friends, neighbors, strangers, and those different from themselves in any way (relational development).
Discover and profess what they believe as true in the midst of what others past and present believe and profess as true (cognitive development).
Frame their future working lives in the context of calling and vocation (vocational development).
Cherish their obligation to be citizens in the public square whose importance and impact must count for justice and shalom (political/communal development).
Practice wisdom in spending and giving as well as caring for local and world environments (stewardship development).
Experience with revelry and wonder the delightful nuances inherent in God’s good creation (aesthetic development).
As partners in enacting the mission of Calvin University, the Residence Life Department is dedicated to the learning experience of students through on-campus living. We challenge and support students in their development as whole persons, as responsible participants in their communities, and as faithful citizens of God’s kingdom. Through vibrant experiences and opportunities we strive to connect students’ hearts to God’s heart in all things.
Healthy relationships
Through fun times and conflicts, with people similar and different than you, expect to grow in your understanding of healthy relationships as you learn from one another in community.
Faith development
Through group and individual opportunities such as Bible studies, times of prayer, worship, or late night conversations, you’ll develop a more personal Christian faith and kingdom vision.
Social responsibility
You’ll be challenged to see how your decisions and behaviors, and also those of others, impact people in community so that we all share responsibility for our neighbor.
Self-management
Whether it’s time management, personal hygiene, wellness or self-control, you’ll learn about motivation and management of your life as you grow in independence.
Congruent decision making
You’ll begin to connect beliefs and actions, learning and living—recognizing how your knowledge and faith should impact your decisions and choices as people living in God’s world.
To effectively promote student learning and the Christian character of our communities, the Residence Life Department is committed to the following goals:
To ensure safe, well-maintained and accessible facilities for all residents.
To encourage learning, retention and graduation.
To uphold and encourage student responsibility to campus standards of conduct.
To promote campus and community resources for students related to health, wellness and academic success.
To shape intentional settings, events, and opportunities for student learning to promote understanding of diversity, justice and citizenship in God’s world.
To lead by example in our own conduct, relationships with students, and development as professionals and Christ-followers.
Through all of the above, to nurture personal and communal faith formation in our communities so that students grow in lives of faith and congruence.
Residence Life programming happens in a variety of ways. There are 5 main programming initiators: Residence Life Professional Staff (Area Coordinators, Resident Directors, and Graduate Assistants), Resident Assistants, RHET and the CLC. Residence Life programming has several intended purposes, one of which includes building relationships so that Christian community and thought-provoking conversations can take root. All Residence Life programming will have elements of relationship-building (fun) because through vibrant relationships we achieve our learning outcomes. Below are descriptions of Residence Life programming, categorized by the primary program planning groups.
The Community Life Council (CLC), facilitated by the Residence Life Professional Staff and composed of Resident Assistants, Barnabas, Multicultural Activities Coordinators, Community Partnership Coordinators, Sustainability Coordinators, Academic Help Ambassadors, SET and RHET, exists to embody the ta panta concept: all of our work is interconnected and directed at the goal of student learning and growth towards discipleship in God’s all-encompassing kingdom. The CLC model puts a high value on community and partnership.
With this purpose in mind, CLC meetings exist to connect students as a team (team building), plan events that support student learning (plan weeklies, tap-ins, and retreats), gain better understanding of and build momentum for hall situations (pulse taking and consensus building), and train when possible on relevant topics (student training).
Meeting Purpose
Team Building – mutual support, excitement for community, relational focus
Information sharing – communicating upcoming events in the community or on campus
Pulse Taking and Consensus Building – “Open lines of community communication”
Student Training – as possible, not every meeting
Meeting Guidelines
Once a month to continue “group” mentality (SET/RHET meets on alternate weeks)
Mondays at 9:30pm or 10pm
30 minutes team building, pulse taking, and/or student training - highest priority on team building
Meeting plus planning time should normally last about 30 minutes, occasionally they will go 60 minutes
Campus wide CLC meetings will happen 1-2 times per semester
Programming Requirements
Each CLC is responsible for planning 2-3 events per semester.
A possibility: Plan an event focused on Big Questions generated by the community, framed by learning outcomes
A possibility: Plan an event focused on debriefing a “Tap-In” of another Calvin-sponsored event
A possibility: Initiative to get faculty/staff into the residence halls as guests
A Must: Assign a CLC group to host any Programming Grant traveling programs
A Must: Tap-in to UnLearn Week activities (during October)
A Must: Participate in leading hall programming related to Kill-a-watt (during January)
Area Coordinators (AC)
Area Coordinators collaborate with Graduate Assistants and are responsible for all programming elements within their two residence hall communities and facilitate the CLC in both halls.
Resident Directors (RD)
Resident Directors are responsible for all programming elements within their community and facilitate the CLC within their halls.
Graduate Assistants (GA)
Graduate Assistants assist the Area Coordinator in helping oversee the CLC, RHET, and SET in one or two halls.
Social Events Team (SET)
SET is overseen by the RA of each floor and includes 2 sophomores and 2 first year students. The SET is responsible for ongoing floor-focused events. The RHET Vice President will be a liaison to each floor SET. SET may also provide support for all-hall activities.
Residence Hall Executive Team (RHET)
RHET is overseen by the Residence Life Professional staff (ACs, RDs, and GAs) and Hall President and is responsible for community wide programs like dorm retreat and dorm banquet.
Academic Help Ambassadors
AHAs are overseen by Student Success and promote cultures, opportunities, and practices that help residence hall students practice academic faithfulness, achieve academic success, and maximize their learning.
Barnabas
Barnabas are overseen by Campus Ministries and are responsible for providing weekly community worship and empowering small groups for Bible Study, prayer, accountability and/or a book study.
Multicultural Activities Coordinators
MACs are overseen by Residence Life through an RD and are responsible for engaging residential communities in the areas of cultural diversity.
Community Partnership Coordinators
CPCs are overseen by the Service Learning Center and are responsible for coordinating residential communities’ service to a particular community partner organization.
Sustainability Coordinators
SCs are overseen by the Director of Residence Life and are responsible for promoting creation care in the halls and planning Kill-a-watt, a hall-wide sustainability program.
Resident Assistants
RAs are overseen by their Area Coordinator or Resident Director and are responsible for community development and community accountability.
Knollcrest East offers programs through student leadership positions including Ras and PAC (Program Activities Council). The upper-class student task force, made up of staff across Student Life, have developed a comprehensive programming strategy to meet the unique needs of Calvin junior and seniors.
In an effort to create ownership within living communities, Residence Life staff will engage residents in conversation about common-ground agreements, to develop a community charter. Residence Life staff will also engage roommates and suitemates in creating roommate agreements regarding the details of living together (i.e. borrowing items, noise levels, cleaning the bathroom, etc.). Both community charters and roommate agreements are intended to teach residents how to live with one another well and create productive pathways for conflict resolution.
While every residence hall is considered a place of living and learning in community, several floors house intentionally focused experiences: the Grassroots Community (focusing on culture, ethnicity and anti-racism in a North American context), the Outdoor Recreation and Creation Care Community (focusing on sustainability, environmental stewardship, and outdoor recreation), and the Honors Community (for academically motivated and qualifying students looking for a more active community of peers).
“Responsible freedom” vs. Rules and policies for a safe/orderly community (policy creation)
Engaged learning opportunities vs. Entertainment (programming)
Consequences vs. Punishment (policy enforcement)
Life balance vs. Living where you work (personal and supervisory)
Challenge and Support (fostering growth in students)