Building A Strong Involving Community
Through the Establishment of Community Standards/Expectations
One of the most important things an CA does at the beginning of each year is guide their community in the development of common expectations for floor living. This is an important part of establishing a strong community.
The process of establishing community expectations is utilized at many universities and colleges across the nation. The community agreement provides an opportunity for students to have a say in the establishment of shared values and expectations for behavior within their community. It helps students and Residential Life staff members develop and maintain positive communities.
The Community Agreement is a social contract, developed, agreed upon, and regulated by each floor community. As a floor mentor, the CA will step in if Residential Life or university rules are violated, however, students within each community are expected to hold each other accountable to the established community agreement.
Creating this agreement is not a one-time event. Establishing an effective community agreement is a process that may take the whole year. Once it’s initially established, it should be revisited often as a floor community to discuss changes. These community standards do not replace existing policies, but address more of the day-to-day issues facing students in their every day life on the floor.
Possible Items For Discussion Include:
How will residents address concerns with one another?
How will residents treat each other?
How will we welcome new members to our community?
How will we coordinate intramural teams, floor events, etc
What should happen if the kitchen/lounge is consistently messy?
What types of academic standards do we wish to implement in our community?
