RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Residential Services at Northwestern is committed to providing an environment that fosters the academic and personal success of every student.

Our Mission and Vision

Values

The mission and vision of Residential Services support and align with the mission and vision of the Division of Student Affairs. We embrace the divisional values below as organizational values as well as the full Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan.   

We lead with Compassion.

• Approaching our work from a place of care and empathy.
• Demonstrating concern for the welfare of others through decisions, words, actions, and owning our impact.
• Seeking first to listen and understand.
• Centering the humanity of others in our interactions.

We model Responsibility.

• Upholding university and divisional policies and procedures.
• Behaving in an integrous manner.
• Stewarding resources ethically and sustainably, and in alignment with our mission.
• Owning our mistakes, apologizing sincerely for them, and accepting consequences that may arise from these mistakes.

We commit to Social Justice.

• Centering the most marginalized communities in our decisions, programs, and services.
• Seeking out and actively including diverse perspectives.
• Confronting people, policies, practices, and structures that inhibit equity and justice.
• Holding ourselves and each other accountable for living this value in our work.
• Assessing and disaggregating assessment data to better understand and co-create an equitable and inclusive Northwestern.

We embrace Well-being.

• Role-modeling the integration of self-care and investment in our work.
• Increasing our own understanding of well-being.
• Connecting ourselves and others with resources to provide intervention and support.
• Understanding our own limits and asking for help.
• Maintaining awareness of our impact on the well-being of others 

We learn through Discovery.

• Developing our own capacity and knowledge.
• Being curious and open to learning.
• Asking questions instead of ascribing intent.
• Being open to and soliciting feedback and applying this learning to our own growth and development.

We engage in Collaboration.

• Practicing open and authentic communication, grounded in dialogue and being clear about expectations.
• Keeping division, campus, and community partners informed and involved.
• Cultivating strong working relationships in and outside of our division.
• Helping others develop through candid and constructive feedback.
• Recognizing the contributions of others.

Our Learning Outcomes

Residential students will be living in a diverse community of learners.  This community will include individuals of various academic class standings, ethnicities, gender identities, national origins, religious identities, socioeconomic statuses, and more.  Our residential areas are also resourced by professionals, both on-campus and within the local community, who provide opportunities to gain unique skills and knowledge.   

As a result of engaging with the opportunities and services available to those living on campus, students will… 

• Identify systems of support that will aid in the management of their individual actions, emotions, and relationships. 
• Be connected with opportunities to link their academic experience to their residential spaces through faculty interactions, residential classes, tutoring, and integration of academic resources. 
• Demonstrate a commitment to justice and inclusivity by engaging in dialogue and learning through exposure to difference, resulting in the ability to function effectively in a multicultural environment.  
• Navigate systems and processes which will aid students in developing practical skills to negotiate day-to-day life during and after their time at Northwestern.  
• Build their leadership skills by participating in opportunities in a variety of formal and informal student roles.