CAMPUS COLLABORATORS
We value scholastic environments and opportunities that enhance academic success.
We know the importance of collaborating with academic and student affairs units to promote the success of our students. Recognizing that academic and student affairs collaborations support such success, we encourage intentional integration of residential education efforts with the student persistence and success efforts.
Types of Collaborations
Types of programs:
- use of academic spaces for student organization meetings,
- one-time space or facility usage,
- sponsorship of on campus students to attend a program/event.
Units engage in a partnership that results in a mutually beneficial exchange beyond facilities and funding, but does not constitute a long-term, coordinated relationship between the units.
Types of programs:
- inviting faculty/staff to speak at/attend events;
- Student Affairs staff speak at/attend other events;
- typically one time use of someone’s expertise.
Units engage in a coordinated relationship, where roles are designated by independent expertise and responsibilities are shared over a long-term, recurring relationship between units.
Types of programs:
- advisory boards,
- advisory committees,
- task forces
Units share full responsibility in an integrated partnership which includes planning and researching, financing, decision-making, coordinating and assessment of project or experience. This partnership is often a long-term and sustained coordinated relationship that is mutually beneficial for the units.
Types of programs:
- Learning communities/living learning programs,
- study abroad,
- internships/assistantships
- joint research and project engagement
- shared staff with academics areas.
Start Collaborating
Residence Life is excited by your interest in collaborating to provide students with unique and transformational experiences.
Below are common questions in getting started on a collaboration with Residence Life.
Academic colleges, departments, or other units as well as student affairs and administrative offices are welcome to create a residential learning community or dream up a new collaboration for on-campus Aggies.
The first step would be to consider the desired goals, vision, and outcomes for your community or new collaboration. Who would it serve? What value would this community/service for our students? Who would be expected to serve as a liaison from your college/school/department/office?
A Campus Collaborator is a designee whose responsibilities is to partner with the Department of Residence Life to enhance the student experience.
Depending on the category of collaboration, there may be other expectations to assure sustainability of long-term collaborations.
For example, some Campus Collaborator responsibilities would include attendance at a monthly logistics/program meeting, attendance at occasional housing assignments meetings during the year, selection of students for your specific community, arrange common courses in consultation with the Registrar, and is responsible for planning programs and activities for the community students in your community throughout the year.
Benefits for our partners include access to a budget to assist in supporting community-builders or programs for the students living in your community, a direct communication link with housing staff about your community, a direct link with a cluster of students who share an interest relevant to your college/department/office’s mission, and ability to connect with students who may display capabilities of talent for leadership, academic, and/or research engagement early on in their careers as students at Texas A&M University.
The Department of Residence Life Academic Support Initiatives area collaborates with liaisons to ensure a true partnership. Academic Support Initiatives provides each of the liaisons with a programming budget for their community, blocks residence hall/apartment room space and manages assignments, provides the technical guidance for the system for which liaisons will use to select students, and collaborates with stakeholders to execute programs and market their community to incoming students.
Then reach out to the Academic Support Initiatives area, by visiting the contact page or emailing academics@reslife.tamu.edu.
Current Partnerships
Our campus collaborators make transformative experiences possible in our residential communities.
Below are our current campus collaborators and their respective collaboration.
| Collaborating Unit | Type of Collaboration | Description of Collaboration |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Success Center - Office of the Associate Provost of Undergraduate Studies | Cooperation | Residential Tutoring - Provides tutoring services to students in convenient locations on campus, Sunday - Thursday from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The Academic Success Center provides to tutors while Residence Life provides compensation and space. |
| LAUNCH: Honors Program | Collaboration | Honors Housing - All participants must be freshmen University Honors students. All participants live together in two residence hall communities. Sophomores and Juniors return to the community as advisors, mentors, and additional support for the freshmen students. |
| Academic Success Center - Office of the Associate Provost of Undergraduate Studies | Support | The Academic Success Center provides "Commit to Success Classes," which are academic success seminars, at least twice a semester within a Residence Life facility. |
| College of Architecture | Collaboration | The College of Architecture is collaborating with the Department of Residence Life in designing outdoor study spaces to better support our students. |
| Offices of the Dean of Student Life - Student Conduct Office | Collaboration | Professional staff members within the Department of Residence Life with with the Student Conduct Office to assist with adjudicating cases, serving on Panels, and investigating more serious code violation allegations. |
| Department of Student Activities | Support | Student Leadership Exchange Qatar, Undergraduate Student Leadership Conference |
| Association of College and University Housing Officers International (ACUHO-I) | Exchange | ACUHO-I is the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International. ACUHO-I members believe in developing exceptional residential experiences at colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions around the world. Several staff members serve on ACUHO-I committees, as well as present at and attend the Annual Conference and Exposition. |
| NASPA, Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education | Exchange | NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession. Several staff members serve on NASPA committees, as well as present at and attend the annual conference. |
| National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) | Exchange | Internships - The Department has worked with NODA Interns who assist with New Student Conferences during the summer months. |
| Aggie Athletics | Support | Clustered Housing is provided to some athletic groups. The Department of Residence Life also supports Aggie Athletics by providing support staff to work Midnight Yell, advertising upcoming events, sponsoring watch parties and tailgates, and sending students to events. |
| Memorial Student Center - L.T. Jordan Institute | Exchange | UNOGWAJA Light Foundation and housing speaker |
| Brazos Valley Goodwill | Support | Residence Life encourages residents to donate unwanted items to the Brazos Valley Goodwill during move out every spring. Donation trucks are located in multiple areas across campus. |
| International Student Services | Support | |
| Study Abroad | Collaboration | |
| Women's & Gender Studies | Collaboration | The IntersXtions Living Learning Community (IntersXtions) welcomes undergraduate students from all majors who wish to explore issues of social justice and diversity through academic and community engagement. Through service-learning projects, facilitated dialogues, and for-credit courses, the LLC fosters a safe (and brave) space for students to confront a multitude of social inequalities. |
| Dwight D. Look College of Engineering | Collaboration | The Engineering Living Learning Community (ELLC) is a residential program for first-year engineering students. The ELLC is designed to ease the transition to college by offering academic, professional and social support throughout the freshman year. |
| Academic Affairs | Exchange | Dinner with a Prof - A monthly program that is open to any TAMU student, a different faculty member is invited to speak to students and share a meal. Faculty are encouraged to speak about aspects of their lives that “made them into who they are today.” This event takes place in front of the fireplace in the Live Oak Lounge in Hullabaloo Hall. Additional events will occur in the South Commons upon completion of the renovation. |
| Colleges of Education & Human Development, Public Health, Engineering, etc. | Collaboration | Graduate Hall Directors (GHDs) - Graduate students are employed to supervise residence hall staff and students as a means of gaining practical experience associated with their graduate study. |
| Academic Affairs | Support | Guest Apartments - On campus housing is provided for short term guest stays. Those housed previously include visiting faculty, researches, invited speakers, post docs, and others. |
| Transition Academic Programs, Office of the Associate Provost of Undergraduate Studies | Collaboration | Housing for Gateway Program Students (Summer Academic Session) - All participants are freshmen who live on campus while completing summer academic provisional requirements. Students are fully admitted to Texas A&M University when and if summer academic provisional requirements are completed/met. Residence Life Staff provides additional support and programming opportunities in order to assist with the transition of Gateway students into college. |
| Academic Affairs | Exchange | Sustainability Dinner - Residence Life hosts a dinner for students (Aggie Eco Reps and student leaders) that invites faculty whose research and teaching relate to global sustainability to be guest speakers. This event is hosted annually as a part of the Sustainability Challenge. Chartwells caters the meal using sustainable products and locally sourced food. |