Where can I start with programming in this building too.

Deb,

Townhouse style living does present some problems, but the same principles and philosophies as "normal" living situations are applicable. You want to create a community with interaction between residents. You want your residents to obey policies and be aware of your expectations around them. You also want develop a relationship with each resident so that you can easily reach out to them and they feel comfortable going to you.

To begin you will want to establish your expectations for your residents if you have not done this already. Plan a meeting and go over the policies and how you will enforce them. You will want to discuss your approach with your supervisor so that you are consistent with other RAs. If you don't have a space large enough for everyone have smaller meetings with different groups or meet with each apartment. Your job as policy enforcer will be easier if your residents know what to expect. They will also know their limits. Remind them that you are the RA now, not the person who was there last semester so things may be different.

The second thing you will should do is also the most important. You want to establish a relationship with your residents. It is going to be more difficult in your type of setting than on a floor. Set up meetings with each apartment and make sure each resident can be there. It is probably best to meet in their apartment and then invite them to stop by your apartment another day so that they know where you live. In this way you are reaching out to them. You may want to plan an open house with food for your residents so that they know where you live. During your initial meeting just spend the time getting to know your residents. Follow up with them later by stopping by. It is important that you do this continually.

By getting to know your residents they will respect you more. They may be less likely to violate policy and when you do have to confront them it will actually be easier.

In regard to programming I hesitate to list a bunch of programs for you to do. I feel that assessment of YOUR community is an essential step. Try to determine what your residents need and want. This will depend on things like their gender and year in school. First year woman generally want and need different things than senior men. You also want to plan programs that will get them out of their apartments. It is also important to ask your residents what they want to see. You can talk about this when you meet with them. Also try to get them to co-sponsor programs with you. Maybe the program can be in their apartment. This gets residents invested and their friends are more likely to attend also. A resume program would likely be successful it would seem that most of your residents are upper classmen.

Ask your career services office for help or check out ResidentAssistant.com for resources. A cooking club might be successful.

Each week have a different apartment host and cook/bake a dish. You could also host a "Round the Townhouse Party." Each apartment is given a certain time slot (15 minutes) to host a mini party with "legal" food and beverages. Other residents stop by and check out that apartment. When the time is up the group travels to another apartment. That way people get to see others' apartments. It is helpful to give prizes for "messiest", "cleanest", "most original" apartment etc. You will know your residents best and what will work with them. Their input is vital to your success.

Good Luck!!

Gavin Henning
Property Manager - Forest Park Apartments

Deb,

I think you gain respect in the same way you've always gained respect. I suggest getting out and meeting your residents. This means spending a lot of time going door to door saying hello and actually getting students to invite you into their townhouse so you can sit and chat with them. The RAs I have supervised in the past in these types of buildings have usually made some types of passive programs which have allowed them to gain entrance to the apartments. Usually things like a newsletter or doorhanger can be informative, but they don't require that residents let you into their townhouse. If you do something like making magnetic signs for refrigerators, making message boards for the townhouse residents to use to leave messages for each other, etc., then the students will feel more like they need to invite you in, and that's the point where you can talk to them. Obviously, policy enforcement will be easier if you know the residents and they know you. For programming, beyond the passive progams, I encourage you to plan some fun activities. When it gets warmer a cook-out for dinner is good, if you have an activity room you can do things like card tournaments and pool tournaments (if you have a pool table). I've always been able to give my RA in a building like this a decent amount of money to use for programming since I have assumed they would need to supply some snacks and/or prizes for events to draw students. Tie dye parties are always fun too since these types of buildings usually have a courtyard area or parking lot that can be used for the buckets of dye water. Those are some rambling thoughts.

Tracy

Dear Deb;

Townhouse living is a balance between independence and community. First let your residents know who you are. Invite them to your townhouse or apartment for a potluck dinner, have all the participants write down the recipes and compile them into a cookbook, then do some icebreakers so they will get to know you outside of confrontations.

You may not get residents out of their townhouses so try a newsletter and have each townhouse contribute a column or update. You could feature a townhouse a week and write a description of each resident. Include a section on yourself in the introductory issue.

Utilize campus programs, get your residents to attend other programs together and then have a resident or yourself host a roundtable with coffee and desert afterwards. The key is to bring the programs to them. All the best.

Jennifer Kilroy-Tobin Area Director Texas Tech University

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