The Students

“Without a doubt, the best part of my work as a hall director is the daily interaction I have with ISU students. Whether I am in a staff or hall council meeting, attending a house program or a hall event, or having a conversation with residents who just stopped by my office, I enjoy the time spent getting to know them and working with them to make Martin Hall a great place to live, learn, and lead. No two days are alike, and I continue to learn and grow along with my residents because each day brings new opportunities and challenges for all of us.” – Cindy Sheehy, Martin Hall Director

“My number one priority as a Hall Director is to insure student success. ISU students make this an easy task because they want to succeed! I work with students to develop and maintain a positive learning community, develop study skills and connect with other campus resources. I love our students ‘can do’ attitude and their willingness to work hard for what they want.” - Jan Scoville, Wallace-Wilson Hall Director

The students at Iowa State University are not only committed to being successful academically but also in their personal lives. Many of our students seek out leadership opportunities in their houses, halls, across campus and in the Ames community. The Department of Residence staff at Iowa State University work hard to provide leadership opportunities to the students living in the halls through the many advising roles that are available. In addition, the staff encourage a community learning environment where the students are able to recognize their potential and help students develop confidence in their own abilities and skills in working with others.

The Living, Learning, Leading (LLL) Model

The Living, Learning, Leading (LLL) Model was developed to help us achieve our primary residence life mission: to support and increase student engagement in the university community, which will lead to increased persistence and higher graduation rates. Together, staff and students develop strategies to help students achieve the desired outcomes including academic skills, personal skills, understanding and appreciation of human differences, leadership skills, and civic and community responsibility. Each of our student staff members work in cooperation with the Hall Directors to achieve these desired outcomes through tracking and intentional conversations revolving around the LLL Model.

Graduation Rates/Statistics

Living on campus can have an enormous impact on the students at Iowa State University. For instance, students who live in the residence halls for 1 year are retained/graduated at approximately a 10% higher rate than students who live off campus their first year.  Throughout the year the Hall Director staff plays a vital role in increasing the graduation and retention rates through academic outreach and support of the residents living in the halls.

MAP-Works

MAP-Works is a program that was implemented in fall 2008 at Iowa State University in cooperation with Educational Benchmarking, Inc. to help incoming high school students be successful during their first year. Approximately three weeks into the Fall semester, all first-year students enrolled directly from high school are given the MAP-Works First-Year Transition Survey. Though the Department of Residence was initially the sole proprietor of the program, other departments across campus as well as the colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences have joined in the effort to help improve academic success, retention, student development, and student involvement. Last year, students who participated in the

MAP-Works assessment recorded final GPAs roughly .3 of a grade point higher than those who did not complete the assessment.

Community Advisor (CA) Staff

Community Advisors (CAs) are specially selected student staff responsible for developing a strong community that welcomes and supports all house members. Community Advisors establish personal relationships with each student living on their house. They become a resource for personal issues and co-curricular opportunities and are responsible for ensuring that students have access to programs and services designated to support personal and academic success. Community Advisors are also responsible for advising and training for the student government leadership on the house.

IRHA and ORC

The Inter-Residence Hall Association (IRHA) is a student-run organization that represents all residence hall students at Iowa State University. The leaders that represent each hall help determine what activities, policies, and programs/events occur in the halls. This provides residents with many opportunities for personal growth and development, in addition to building communities that cause many people to stay throughout their entire college career. There are 43 parliament members, consisting of seven executive members, a mixture of 34 presidents, vice presidents, and representatives from each hall, and two advisors. 

The Order of the Rose and Chessman (ORC) is an organization comprised of the top 1% of leaders at Iowa State University. Its duty is to recognize student leaders and people who provide an example to others, whether it is students, faculty, or staff. ORC is affiliated with the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) and is responsible for the oversight of the Of The Month Program as well as involvement with IRHA and other leadership opportunities on the Iowa State University campus.