This blog series features different writers responding to the prompt, “What is the future of the RD position and role?”
Guest Post by Sean Watson, Residence Life Professional
The role of Residence Directors has been undergoing a transformative and challenging journey, as we negotiate the Great Resignation, an upended employment landscape, and changing expectations for navigating success in work and life. With all this change, I know I have found it incredibly valuable to look to concepts like “love,” which has been explored in ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization, bring it to the core of our work as student affairs practitioners. bell hooks defines love as “care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open communication,” to envision a future that fosters inclusive and nurturing living environments for students and staff.
Thinking about my own career, my time as an RD certainly had moments of profound connection and experience rooted in love, but inescapably, there were many experiences with the day-to-day operations of the residence halls, from flooding buildings and housing assignments concerns to mice infestations. While these are certainly important to ensuring the well-being and safety of the residents, but often, I felt like a faceless character in the university that gets yelled at, not a caring individual who got into this field to help others. For us to push the RD role in a way that transcends these administrative constraints, love can bring us back to the notion that we are humans, deserving of respect and rest working with other humans who deserve a place where they can flourish.
In the context of the RD role, hooks’ notion of love implies cultivating a genuine and empathetic connection with residents. It involves creating spaces where students feel seen, heard, and valued, transcending mere managerial responsibilities to become mentors and guides in the personal and academic journeys of the individuals they serve. As many departments explore and are informed by a curricular approach to our work, rooting any action we take in a defined philosophy ensures our work is no longer “day-to-day” but connects to the broader mission of higher education.
The future RD will embody a holistic approach to student development, recognizing that a nurturing living environment goes beyond physical safety. Emotional and psychological safety will become paramount, with RDs playing a pivotal role in fostering a sense of belonging and interconnectedness among residents. hooks’ concept of love emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and dismantling oppressive structures, and future RHDs will actively engage in creating inclusive communities that challenge stereotypes and promote social justice.
Furthermore, the digital age has ushered in new challenges and opportunities for student engagement within residence halls. Future RDs must be thoughtful at leveraging technology to enhance communication, build communities, and provide resources that support residents’ academic and personal growth. However, in this digital era, the essence of love will remind RHDs to approach technology with intentionality, ensuring it serves as a tool for connection rather than a barrier to genuine human interaction. As I think about how this has played out in my career, onboarding virtual components to manage our work, such as microsurveying, communications, and tools that give students agency in their experience not only free up time for RDs, but also demonstrate to our students that residential life programs are places that accept and love the whole of who they are.
The future of the Residence Hall Director role is in flux, responding to market and outside forces, but when we shape our efforts by a commitment to love in the vision of bell hooks, we create living environments that transcend the mundane and evolve into spaces where every resident feels seen, heard, and valued.
ACPA – College Student Educators International. (2019). A bold vision forward: A framework for the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization. https://myacpa.org/sirjd/.
hooks, b. (2001). All about love: new visions (1st Perennial ed.). Perennial.
