About Residential Living and Learning

Resident Assistants are students with a desire to cultivate growth in Stetson's residential communities. As student employees for the Department of Residential Living & Learning, these students serve their communities through hall programs, daily interactions between students, and as a resource to their residents.

To learn more about the ways resident assistants contribute to the Stetson community or to learn about getting involved as a resident assistant or other on-campus leadership roles, click the links below!

• Find your RA
• Join the RA Staff

We will strive to...

• create an avenue for students to develop themselves as leaders within the residential campus and in the local DeLand community.
• facilitate a microcosm of opportunities for residents to explore their holistic and wellness development.
• foster a learning environment that is welcoming, safe, and secure.
• craft collaborative environments and campus partnerships to maximize the residential experience.
• be professionals who are attentive and courteous - as we work to understand each individual's perspective, concern, or need, and to clearly communicate services.

As a result of living on campus, Residential Hatters will develop their Personal Growth, Independence, Social Responsibility, and Sense of Belonging.

Personal Growth

Personal Growth is a student's ability to develop knowledge and skills that allow them to independently navigate the world. Students will be able to:

• Create healthy coping strategies
• Gain financial literacy
• Practice healthy habits

Independence

Independence is a student's ability to champion the importance of inclusion in their daily life. Students will be able to:

• Take ownership of their safety
• Explore their personal values
• Gain skills to successfully live independently 

Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility is a student's ability to gain and take ownership of positive relationships at Stetson and within the local community. Students will be able to:

• Explore concepts of social justice and equity
• Identify and take action regarding bias-related incidents
• Participate in service opportunities

Sense of Belonging

Sense of Belonging is a student's ability to utilize campus and community resources to manage their personal wellness and academic success. Students will be able to:

• Identify and resolve personal conflict and challenge
• Abide by the Code of Community Standards

We believe in and are committed to the advancement of human rights and to each other, which requires an appreciation of difference, transformation of oneself and an understanding of both one's own culture and the culture of others through their personal experiences.

We believe that living and learning in a diverse community of peers is a transformative experience that prepares students for their careers and to positively engage in their communities throughout their lives.

We acknowledge that the residents who are living in our communities come from a vast array of perspectives, beliefs, and understandings about the world and how to interact with one another.

We strive to cultivate a living environment and community in which all students feel safe, supported, welcome, and at home. Therefore, we make the following commitments to our residents:

• Education about justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, and the underlying impacts of prejudice, power and privilege are a priority of residential learning at Stetson University.
• We prioritize the investigation of actions that jeopardize another student’s ability to feel safe, welcome, and at home.
• We work to support affected students by being active participants in the pursuit of healing and growth within our community.
• We will seek out and remain open to your feedback and hearing your experience so that we can improve and create equitable systems and processes for every member of our community.
• We will maintain and expand a representationally diverse professional and student staff who have a clear understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.
• We will ensure that all of our staff will actively participate in appropriate and intentional training regarding prejudice, power, and privilege for their roles.
• We will seek to clearly and consistently communicate our ongoing commitment and actions related to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• We will annually review the progress of both our action plans for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as our departmental goals, outcomes, and operations.