Issue # 18– January 31, 2011

The REAL RIT Challenge

by: Sharon Kompalla, Center for Residence Life - Assistant Director

Administrators at Rochester Institute of Technology recently got the opportunity to live the “student experience” when they took up residence in campus housing for Student Government’s “The REAL RIT Challenge” which occurred January 19-21, 2011.

Nineteen RIT decision makers, including President Bill Destler, Provost Jeremy Haefner, Associate Director of Residence Life - Cha Ron Sattler, and Associate Vice President for Student Affairs - Dr. Heath Boice-Pardee, spent three days and two nights at the RIT Inn & Conference Center, Global Village and Perkins Green apartments. RIT’s newest “students” had to master campus transportation including learning how to read shuttle bus schedules and navigating themselves to off-campus excursions such as Wegmans, Park Point and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.

Participants were still engaged in their daily work, but all their free time was encouraged to be spent interacting with RIT students. Check-in took place on Wednesday evening in the 1829 Room, where participants received their assignments, room keys, and got a mini-orientation of "The Challenge" from SG staff.  Over the course of the three day experience, participants had the chance to live in campus housing, travel across campus via the shuttle system, complete mini-challenges, and hear various student perspectives on the benefits and challenges of on-campus living.  Additionally, they interacted with students in their living spaces both informally and through more formal opportunities such as the Rock Band competition sponsored by the Center for Residence Life Apartment Area staff at Charades Lounge in the RIT Inn & Conference Center.  The experience ended with an open forum at 4:15 p.m. on Friday, January 21 where participants shared what they have learned from the experience and answered questions from students and audience members.

This is the second time that RIT Student Government has offered the program. Two years ago, the "Dorm Challege" focused on living in the residence halls. This year, the "REAL RIT Challenge" drew attention to the experience of students living in on-campus apartments and suites or at the RIT Inn & Conference Center, with an emphasis on using campus and public transportation.

 Participants were asked to post blogs throughout the three-day challenge. We encourage you to check them out at www.rit.edu/sg/challenge and to provide any additional feedback about your on campus apartment experience to members of Student Government.  Kudos to the members of Student Government involved with this year's Challenge - it was exceptionally planned and executed!

 

Center for Residence Life Community Advocates Sara Essember, Dan Smith and Osborn de Lima assisting Student Government with checking in The Real RIT Challenge participants on 1/19/11!

 

 

 

For more articles from this issue, click here