Residence Life

A highlight of the Allen & O'Hara residence life program is our commitment to the creation of living-learning communities that encourage student involvement, foster social awareness, and help students learn to improve their interpersonal skills. Rooted in student development, we work with partner universities to create a residence life program that meets the needs of not only the students but the university as well.

It is our goal to promote the social, cultural and educational advantages of group living through interaction with the residential community and with outreach opportunities on campus. Our resident learning programs are built upon respect and honest dialogue among residents and staff and are based on the unique backgrounds and experiences students share in a residential community.

Resident Assistant Staffing

Allen & O'Hara has always provided outstanding staffing at all of its' student housing communities, not only to operate the property, but also to administer a full living-learning program. Resident assistants are selected using a comprehensive recruitment process that focuses on a student leader's ability to create a sense of community, program, engage students, and problem solve. We maintain an RA to resident ratio that permits staff to become acquainted with residents and creates an environment for residents to feel comfortable and at ease when utilizing residence life staff.

Focused Training

Like campus resident assistants, Allen & O'Hara's student staff members receive comprehensive training. We utilize Allen & O'Hara staff, university resources and community professionals when creating and executing resident assistant training. Training topics include programming, transitional and adjustment issues, accountability and personal responsibility, health and safety, and effective communication.

Our resident assistants are taught how to recognize issues, engage campus services for assistance and support a student until professional assistance is available. In-service training continues throughout the academic year. A comprehensive RA evaluation process takes place once a semester to help identify additional training avenues.

Programming

Allen & O'Hara's on-site program director works with residents to provide educational and social programming that appeals to a diverse student group. Our students face many new situations and decision-making challenges, often for the first time in their lives. With education and proper resources, our staff members help residents make decisions that are positive and productive.

Allen & O'Hara works diligently to create a truly enjoyable atmosphere for residents. Much time and effort is put into offering students opportunities to meet one another and make critical peer connections. We provide both small floor activities and building-wide events. Our activities give students a sense of home and a break from the pressures of school.

Safety and Security

Safety is a major concern on every college campus. Allen & O'Hara views safety as the top priority. On-site committees meet monthly to address and manage safety issues. Allen & O'Hara has in place a comprehensive loss and prevention program.

The incident reporting system is highly focused on the prevention of safety and security violations. Allen & O'Hara's management team is committed to the safety and welfare of students, employees and guests, and continuously evaluates all facilities and operations and promptly acts to correct risk exposures.