Advisor Wire

Getting To Know Some of the Other Players...

2008-08-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

We all know the rezlife staff do great things in their community. But there is another group of people who are also amazing and make things happen, so we figured we'd take a minute to give them a little shout out - way to go residence councils!

Residence Councils are elected bodies, responsible for planning, organizing and running events of interest, leisure and importance for residents and carrying out other tasks of the association.

Each council (GRA, PVRA, TPRA, MDRA, TRA, FRA and RURA) has elected members (executives) and depending on where you live “members at large.” All of these individuals represent the residents living within their residence community and make decisions for the association. There is also an overarching organization, called the Residence Hall Association (RHA), that works to create campus wide community for all residents at UBC.

Some events that councils have planned in the past are casino night, blood donor clinics, socials, and a number of functions to raise funds and awareness of local charities.

It is important that you – a Residence Advisor, spend some time to get to know your Residence Council. Why not invite them over for hot choclate or go to a movie with them? These are the individuals who volunteer their time to work with you to make your community a better place.

Over the course of the year you’ll be asked to sit on committees, work alongside and promote Residence Council events. Much in the same way Residence Council members will sit on committees, work alongside and promote Residence Life events. Think of it as a partnership in developing community; we’re all working towards the same goal.

Spend some time talking to the Residence Council members in your area and thank them for all the hard work that they do. Get ready for a great year!

What’s My Vancouver Number Going To Be?

2008-08-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

All Advisors are required to have telephone service. Advisor telephone numbers are regularly provided to residents, the Front Desk, and other Housing and Conference staff so that they can easily contact the advisors. So you may have been wondering, “What’s my number going to be when I move into Rez?”

Advisors are provided with phone service and phones for their work lines in their rooms by the department. It’s a little different in each area, so once you move in you’ll be able to get more information from your RLM.

What do you need to do? Absolutely nothing! Just show up for training and be ready to have fun and learn… the RLMs and RCs will take care of the rest!

In order for you to get paid as an advisor....

2008-08-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

In order for you to get paid as an advisor, there are some things you will need to have with you for our first meeting together on Thursday morning, August 23rd so that you will be able to properly fill out some paper work.

New advisors will need to bring:

social insurance number
blank cheque or your bank account information (bank transit number/branch number and account number)

Returning advisors:

if you were paid by direct deposit last year, the same information will be used this year unless you request otherwise
if you want to be paid to a different account, then you will need to bring along your new information

All International Students:

please bring along your student visa papers as we must have a copy of them on file

At that first meeting, you will all (new & returning advisors) fill out a TD-1 form as there must be a current one on file each year. Your RLM will walk you through the process - no worries!

See you in a few days! Happy packing!

Make a Date With Yourself!

2008-08-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

As you’ve heard us all say many times, Advisor Orientation is BUSY.

Year after year, Advisors have told us that they weren’t fully prepared with how jam packed the schedule was for those ten days. We recognize that you need time to prepare yourself for the upcoming year, so we've made sure to set aside a couple of chances for you to get your own to-do list completed.

First off, once you move in at 5pm on August 19, you have all of that evening as well as the next day to unpack, get settled, and get ready, so make sure you use that time wisely. Trust me, there is nothing worse than coming back from the retreat portion of training, only to realize you still have to unpack all you boxes!

Also, we've set aside some “Getting Ready for School Time” during business hours:
Thursday, August 28
8:00 am - 12:30 pm

Schedule now to use this time most effectively!
Book appointments with prof’s, supervisors, labs, banks, etc.
Figure out which textbooks you’ll need and plan to hit the bookstore
Make a list of school supplies and plan to head to Staples in the village
Know you’ll need a mental break? Schedule a gym visit, grab coffee with a friend, plan to run errands, etc.

Advisor Orientation Overview

2008-08-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

With Advisor Orientation just a week away, we wanted to let you know what you can expect. Below is an overview of what will happen from the day you arrive on campus until Opening Weekend:

Tuesday, August 19

You can move into your room after 5:00 pm (except for SAs and PRCAs - cuz you're already here!)

Wednesday, August 20
The day is yours to set up your room, buy books and generally settle in. Your RC or Senior Advisor will likely stop by to say hi. You'll also want to make sure you're ready to leave for UBC-O the next day.

Thursday, August 21
We're starting bright and early at 7:30 am! Don't forget to bring the super important paperwork from your room! Filled in of course :P

You'll also get to meet your team! Lots of icebreakers and fun stuff... we'll travel to Kelowna and get settled in. As is the case each night at Kelowna, there'll be some time for optional social activities, downtime and homework in the evening.

Friday, August 22
Each day in Kelowna, you'll start the day with your small area team for breakfast and reflection time. Then - workshops!! You'll be attending four workshops on topics ranging from community building in residence to communication skills. All workshops will take place in learning groups of about 35 people. You'll also have some planned rec time (to get outside!) and some debrief time with your team.

On this day, the workshops will focus on Assertiveness, Active Listening and Event Planning. Woo Hoo!

Saturday, August 23
Workshops this day will focus on the nuts and bolts of advising, peer helping, and the residence contract and standards. There'll be some time with your team and an afternoon recreation break.

Sunday, August 24
A few more workshops today: Community Building, The Standards Process, and Conflict Mediation. Then we'll head off to Kaloya Park for some fun. Bring your swimsuit – you may want to take a dip in the lake!

Monday, August 25
We head back to Vancouver today, arriving in time to join our colleagues in Housing & Conferences for a Barbecue to celebrate the hard work everyone's put in to prep for residence opening. This will be followed by team time, opening day training and the beginning of PRC orientations.

Tuesday, August 26
Now that we are back on campus, each day will again begin with breakfast with your small team. The workshop this day will focus on what your students need and you'll find out what the master plan is for the first six weeks in your area. The afternoon will be spent at the Student Leadership Summit will you will join other campus leaders for a workshop, keynote speaker and resource fair. The PRC will be open in the evening to pick up some supplies to work on your projects.

Wednesday, August 27
The morning will be spent on job expectations from both a department-wide and area-specific point-of-view, as well as a session on Emergencies in your area. In the afternoon, we'll look at some roommate issues and some more area nuts and bolts in trad style. In suite style, there will be an opportunity to put your learning into practice. Then, an evening of fun with the Advisor Orientation banquet: a chance to dress up and celebrate our hard work during training.

Thursday, August 28
Get a well-deserved morning to yourself to get ready for school and/or relax (if you've already got all your ducks in a row). We'll meet up for lunch and then an afternoon for trad style to put together everything you've learned in Advisor Orientation with some practice scenarios. Suite style will get an opportunity to spend some time in the PRC. PRC work parties will continue tonight.

Friday, August 29
Work Day! You'll have lots to get ready for September 1st Opening Day: door tags, banners, meeting council members, in/out boards, last visit to PRC before opening, etc.

Saturday, August 30
Opening Day! Busy day full of welcoming residents and getting the year started off on the right foot.

Suffice it to say that you're going to be BUSY - there's not a lot of personal time, although we have built in down time and enough time to sleep. Make sure you get lots of rest before you arrive and take advantage of opportunities for a good night's rest during training. You'll need it. We guarantee you'll be busy, you'll have fun, and you'll learn a lot.

Oh, and we think you'll meet some great people too! Here are some pictures from Advisor Orientations of Yore for you viewing pleasure :)

What Should I Bring To UBC-O?

2008-08-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

So by now you've heard all about our little retreat to Kelowna, and you may be wondering: What should I bring with me? Well, here's a list for your packing pleasure!

The morning of August 21st, you'll meet with your team for breakfast and some icebreakers. Then we load the buses and head to UBC-Okanagan (about 5 1/2 - 6 hours from UBC). We'll be meeting bright and early at 7:30am, so make sure you're packed and ready to go the night before!

You'll also find some paperwork waiting on your desk when you move in, so make sure you've filled it out and brought it to breakfast with you - it'll ensure you get paid! Yay!

Here are the things you should bring with you to Kelowna:

Water bottle
Reusable mug
Small backpack or bag for carrying around binder, water, snacks, etc (rez rooms are a little ways from the training rooms)
Comfortable pair of closed-toed shoes
Slippers (to wear in rez)
Comfortable clothes
Pillow
Sleeping bag or blanket and sheet
Rain gear
Jacket
Hat
Shorts
Bathing suit
Towel
Sunscreen and bug repellent
Toiletries
Baseball glove, frisbee, hiking shoes, guitar, book, etc. for free time activities
A talent for the Coffee House (i.e. a musical instrument you can play, or a poem to read, or some props to juggle...)
Notebook and pens (you want to be prepared like Carol don't you?)
A keen, willing-to-learn-and-try-new-things attitude!

Please note that if you choose to bring your cell phone to Kelowna, you will be asked to leave it in your room when we're doing training sessions. Also, this goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway... alcohol is not permitted for the retreat.

Viva Kelowna

2008-07-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Residence Life Staff, get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

For part of Advisor Orientation we're going on a trip to UBC-Okanagan. We'll be staying in the beautiful Valhalla residence (opened in September 2006) nestled in a quiet, pastoral setting. It is an inspiring setting for studying, socializing and recreation, which you’ll be doing a lot of :)

While in Kelowna we'll be busy learning, socializing and just plain old having some fun. As such, there won't be any time to see any family/friends in the Kelowna region (you'll be having too much fun anyways).

More information about orientation, Kelowna and what to bring will be posted soon - so keep on checking this page for more information.

If you have any questions please contact your RLM.

Early Move-in Offers

2008-07-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Soon, you'll be receiving an early move in offer from us via email. Please log into Housing Online Services, and accept this offer before it expires.

Residence Advisors can move-in after 5:00pm on the 19th, and PRCAs and Senior Advisors can move in after 5:00pm on the 17th.

Do you think your early move-in offer for the wrong date?

Not to worry, just contact your RLM and they'll look into it for you!

See you in 22 days.... eek!

Welcome to the New Assistant Director of Residence Life!

2008-07-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

I’m very pleased to be able to tell you that Kate Ferguson has accepted our offer to come to UBC as H&C’s new Assistant Director Residence Life.

Kate graduated from University of Guelph in 2002 and since that time has worked as a Residence Life Manager in 2 well-respected Canadian residence life programs for 6 years – first at Wilfred Laurier and then returned to her Alma Mater where she’d begun as a rez advisor (working for former UBC RLM Chad Elliott) several years previous.

She’s managed both traditional and suite-style residence areas and staff, been actively involved with residence student government, led service learning and community service projects that took students to both domestic and international locales, provided leadership to Guelph’s large residence life staff selection and training initiatives, and has regularly participated in the Ontario Association of College and University Housing Officers (OACUHO) and the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) conferences.

She comes with fine recommendations from her past supervisors, colleagues and staff - and is known, respected and liked by many other housing and residence life professionals across Canada. Kate will begin on campus in mid-August.

Janice

p.s. Rumour has it Kate has some good stories tucked away about Robbie Morrison, from when they both worked in Ontario rez life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Janice Robinson

Associate Director

Director Residence Life

UBC Housing and Conference

Come to the PRC! It's the Place to Be!

2008-07-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

You may have visited our website, heard about us from your colleagues, or even visited us at our BBQ but if you haven’t yet, we’re here to tell you why the PRC is a great place to be.
The PRC (located at the bottom of South Tower of Walter H. Gage Residence) is a resource center fully equipped with photocopiers, computers, laminators, colored paper, scissors, glue and pretty much everything you could ever need to make door-tags and “Where Am I?” boards (see the “Door Tags, BFBs, WTF?” blog post) in preparation for September. It is the perfect venue for both incoming and returning advisors to work on residence-related work prior to Residence Life Training in August. Training is usually a busy and hectic time for advisors so stopping by the PRC during the summer may help you stay ahead of the game and feel more relaxed come August.

If you are ever in need of help or have a question that you want to ask, feel free to talk to us, your friendly PRCAs. We have both been a part of Residence Life for several years and hope to make your experience at the PRC a positive one!
PRC Hours in the summer are Tuesdays to Saturdays 11am-5pm and on Wednesdays from 11am-7pm. Drop by and say hi!

-Prepared by Felicia and Mandy, the friendly PRCAs for the summer.

Door Tags, BFBs, WTF?

2008-07-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

So, like any group, we (RAs, RCs, RLMs and Janice) all have our own inside lingo. Here's an advance preview...

Door Tags/Door Decs are: a simple yet decorative piece that advisors make to put up on residents doors in preparation for move-in and Opening Day. Door Tags/Door Decs are used to make residents feel welcome in residence and to help residents learn their neighbours’ names.

BFBs are: the signature advertising pieces of any big program ... aka big effing banner. BFBs usually have a catchy title and include all of the important information that a resident would need to know about the program (think date, time, location).

Unit Meetings are: a proactive measure for any RA trying to prevent the deadly "roommate conflict". Unit meetings are also a great opportunity to have a really fun time visiting with your residents.

Team Meetings are: staff meetings with your small team which is typically made up of 6–10 Residence Life Staff. Meetings are times where advisors plan, check-in and team-build. There are also full-staff meetings where all Residence Life Staff from an area meet together. Check your RA contract for the details on the times of these meetings.

“Where Am I?” Boards are: the posters/boards/signs that all advisors have and maintain so that your residents know where you are and how to get a hold of you. Some of the locations you may want to include on your board are “In!”, “Studying”, “At Class” and “Off Campus”.

Opening Weekend is:our highlight of the year and when we put our best foot forward; it describes the weekend residence opens and when residents move-in to their residence area. At Residence Life Training, you will learn more about your roles on Opening Weekend. Be sure to mark your calendars! This year Opening Weekend is August 30-31, 2008.

The PRC is: located in Gage's South Tower. It's where advisors can get supplies, help and info for their programs, as well as resources for their house or floor. You can get a head start on the year if you go there this summer. Not sure what to do? The friendly PRC advisors, Mandy and Felicia, can point you in the right direction. Also, feel free to check out the PRC website at http://prc.housing.ubc.ca/

Are you "in" or "out"?

“In”s and “Out”s are a way of confirming who is in the building for the night. As you know, advisors provide coverage for our building by being around and visible in their communities in the evenings. All advisors are "in" 4 nights or more a week and coordinate their schedules with the other advisors on their small team as well as their Senior Advisor or Residence Coordinator.
Partners are:not describing your life partner. The word describes your advising partner or someone you will work with to program, build community and provide presence in your community.

We hope these brief descriptions of our inside lingo will make you feel more comfortable and at home with Residence Life as you prepare for training!

PRC Summer BBQ! Woo Hoo!

2008-07-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Even if you're new to Rezlife, you may have heard of this magical place called the Programming Resource Center (or PRC for short). But just in case you haven't heard of it, here's a little peak:

The PRC (located at the bottom South Tower in Walter Gage Residence) is a multimedia and multifaceted resource center for all Rezlife Staff. It's run by wonderful advisors just like yourselves, and stays open year-round, servicing all Residence Councils and Residence Advisors. But I won't go into too many details because you'll learn about all this soon enough!

Each summer, the PRC gets very excited about the upcoming year and the prospect of another great year in residence. Their excitement becomes contagious, and they hope to ignite some of that excitement in you as well by hosting a summer BBQ!

This year, the BBQ will be held at the PRC on Saturday, July 12 from 1pm-4pm. Drop by during that time to meet some of your co-workers, grab a burger and take a tour of the PRC! We look forward to seeing you here and will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about programming and advising.

Making Travel Plans? Keep These Dates in Mind...

2008-06-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

As you start to make plans to return to campus in August, please keep these dates in mind:

August 17:
Senior Advisors (Suite-style) and Programing Resource Center Advisors (PRCAs) can move in after 5 pm

August 18 - 20:
Senior Advisor Training (SAT) and PRCA Training

August 19:
Advisors from all areas can move in after 5 pm
*While SRA and PRCA Training continues, Advisors have August 20th to settle in, unpack, and get ready for the next day!

August 21:
Advisor Orientation starts at 7:30 am; we're loading up the buses and heading off to our training retreat at UBC Okanagan! Gooo Kelowna!

What the heck do RLMs do all summer???

2008-06-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Many people are often shocked to find out that we don’t get four months off over the summer, but in fact, we are busy busy people, so we thought we would give you a brief idea of some of the things we do. This way when you are relaxing at the beach thinking, “I wonder what Johanna Waggott is doing…?”, you’ll know!

The start of the summer has us focusing a lot on the past 8 months. We reflect and debrief much of the year and start to rap things up. This includes financial stuff, assessments, area clean up, programming evaluations, standards and transitioning many of the areas over to conferences.

In Thunderbird, Fairview and Marine Drive, residence remains open over the summer, so Robbie and Woo continue on with the summer staff team to continue to provide a positive residence experience for residents.

Once we get the year wrapped up we start to focus on next year, the largest project of which is Advisor Orientation. Essentially from May on, we are all working on Orientation, which includes going through each of the sessions and developing new ideas to better improve the program. A big part of planning is also dedicated to Residence Coordinator training, which begins on August 1st and goes until all of you arrive on August 19 th.

We also work with groups on campus over the summer such as REC, the Sustainability Office and the Student Development Office to develop both campus and residence programs. This summer RCs Coralie Jeffery and Benjamin Witt are working as summer interns to develop some innovative program plans for next year... stay tuned for some exciting news!

During the summer, we find the time to do some learning by going to conferences held around North America for Housing Officers. This summer RLMs will be going to Ontario and Oranldo to both present and learn at these professional development opportunities.

Amidst all the work that we do, we also manage to find some time to take vacation. In case you're wondering, the best way to get in touch with your RLM is by emailing them. They'll get back to you as soon as they can... and if you need to get a hold of someone right away, their out of office message will let you know who to direct your concerns to.

Like most of you we do enjoy the summer, but of course miss all of you as well! Can't wait for August!

Totem and Vanier Advisors: Meal Plan information

2008-06-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, some of you have contacted the RLMs to ask about your meal plan. Just a quick reminder for you as you are receiving your offers for residence. You need to pay the deposit of $700 for your housing fees, this $$ gets applied to your overall fees that you will pay for your *sweet* advisor pad. You will also be prompted to get a meal plan.

DO NOT PAY FOR YOUR MEAL PLAN THE TYPICAL WAY.

Housing & Conferences will buy your meal plan this summer then you will pay for your meal plan each month as part of the payment plan for Rez Advisors.

More questions? Email johanna.waggott(at)ubc.ca

Welcome to Residence Life and Advising

2008-06-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Residence Advising at UBC-V. We're super excited to have you on staff for the upcoming year. I imagine you have a number of questions about what next? - read on for some suggestions as the summer progresses.

Don't forget to keep checking this website on a regular basis for more information about being a Residence Advisor.

What to do now?

You'll soon receive a residence offer. Don't forget to accept it and pay your deposit by the due date. Don't worry if your offer is for a different residence area than where you'll be working. It will all be sorted out before you move in. The most important thing is to accept your offer! If you have any questions about your offer, contact your RLM.

When registering for classes, remember to keep Monday evenings free (Wednesdays from 5-7 pm as well if you are in Totem or Vanier)

Jump for JOY that you (yes YOU!) have been chosen to be one of the most important student leaders on UBC’s campus. Ya hooooooo!

Things you can do this summer....

Visit the PRC or PRC website. If you're in the Lower Mainland, stay tuned for an invitation to our summer PRC BBQ!

Check out residence life resources on the web (try www.reslife.net)

Brainstorm program ideas and door tag ideas

Browse the Residence Handbook for your area

Chat with your RLM about any questions or concerns (you can find their contact information at http://www.housing.ubc.ca/contacts/reslife.htm )

Begin to plan your return to UBC - how/when will you get here? Advisors can move into their residence rooms after 4 pm on August 19.

Make a list of things you need to get done before classes begin. Start now!

Welcome to Residence Life!

2008-04-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

May the count down to the start of the year begin.

If you're like us, you're a little excited about the summer (and summer fun) but also counting down the days to RA move-in + Opening weekend.

Keep checking here for more information.

Advisor Wire Editors

(Evan, Jo, Clint, Woo, Rana, Robbie, & Carol)