In keeping with our goals of fostering the academic, social, cultural, and personal growth of our student residents, the Office of Residence Life administers the following programs.

ARH and Leadership Development Programs
The Residence Life Programs Office oversees all financial operations of hall governments, as well as advising ARH. It also provides various leadership development programs for student leaders, including leadership conferences, individual programs, and individual student advising.

earthwords
This annual publication features student writing in prose and poetry and original artwork. The student staff is responsible for all aspects of the publication including soliciting materials, judging the submissions, and publication layout and design. Final copies are free. This group is advised by a staff member and receives funding from ARH, UISG, and Residence Life.

Night Games
A monthly later Saturday night event held at the Field House. Free activities, food and fun. Funded by University Housing and Recreation Services.

Residence Hall Programs
The staff in Residence Life plan many activities for students to participate in throughout the year. The purpose of these activities is to build community in the residence halls and throughout campus. The department has identified five learning outcomes it would like to see all resident students achieve while living in the halls. These outcomes are described below.

Community Development
The Five Outcomes

Outcomes of College: Living in the Residence Halls

Outcome Two: Focus on Academics & Expanding Knowledge
"Colleges and universities often pursue this outcome by maintaining a campus community, or set of communities, with an intentional focus on learning, applying knowledge, and extending the learning into other aspects of one's life."

Outcome Three: Personal Wellness and Health Choices
"This outcome involves developing skills to facilitate, if not improve one's quality of life-such as literacy in personal finance, health and wellness maintenance, and leisure priorities."

Outcome Four: Attending to the Wellbeing of Others Through Social Action
"Colleges and Universities are well positioned to offer students the opportunity to understand deeply the rights and responsibilities of citizens, to host occasions for meaningful exercise of collective self determination, and to affirm the citizenship aspects of students' principle dissent."

Outcome Five: Commitment to Career Preparation
"Colleges and Universities often complement the development of skilled workers by offering career counseling or mandating an experiential component within an academic degree program. Internship also assists student in evaluating their career choices and prospective employment settings."

Traditional activities planned in the residence halls include:

• Annual Cup Challenge - weekly activities with floors competing to win The Cup;
• Boxes and Walls - a living museum to teach about diversity and oppression;
• Block Party - West neighborhood welcome picnic, with music and games;
• May Daze - East neighborhood spring bash-first Saturday in May; and

Numerous educational activities that teach students life skills are also offered- some feature nationally known speakers, Iowa Faculty and staff, and local personalities.

Late-Night Activities - With so much to do at Iowa, it is amazing students sometimes say they are bored. The staff sponsors weekend activities for fun and socialization around the halls. Also we sponsor NIGHT GAMES - a monthly event held in the Field House for recreational fun.

Programming emphasizes an experiential approach and recognizes the fact that everyone is responsible for their own lifestyles and actions.

Staff Resources and Development
The Residence Life staff offers a variety of resources and training to RAs and other staff. Our resources for programming include such topics as academic success, career development, leadership, relationship education, alcohol/substance abuse, and diversity programming, to name a few. The professional development opportunities that we offer center around helping RAs and other staff learn ways to encourage positive student growth through programming, advising, and educating.

Welcome Week
Staff members in Residence Life play an important role in planning and implementing welcome programs for new students at the beginning of the academic year. They are active contributors to the Welcome Week programming held around campus. Programs include a welcome picnic, an ice cream social, a concert, a job fair, and a hypnotist, to name a few.