Meet The Team
Our Mission
Residentiality is a key component of the mission of Valparaiso University. The residence halls are central to this effort by providing living and learning experiences that contribute to the growth and development of students while enhancing their overall education at Valpo. Residential Life provides various programs, services, and leadership opportunities, which promote the student learning mission.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
The Office of Residential Life is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and welcoming residential community for all. We are committed to confronting occurrences of bias and intolerance. We believe that occurrences of bias and intolerance are harmful toward both the individual and the community and are incompatible with the values and mission of our University. As such, we work to provide opportunities to our residential community to understand and appreciate each other through various methods, including intentional conversations, active programming, restorative reflection, and relationship-building. Our goal is to foster a sense of community that creates, promotes, and supports a respectful living space.
Departmental Goals
The goals of Residential Life are outlined through outcome statements, reflecting what is hoped students will learn through their experience of living in the residence halls. The learning outcomes provide a foundation for staff training, student group advising, hall programming, and other departmental initiatives. The outcomes are grouped into three areas.
I. SCHOLARSHIP
Goal: To assist students to grow intellectually, to draw connections between learning in the classroom and in the residence hall, to support students’ academic work, and to promote student/faculty interaction.
II. LEADERSHIP/PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Goal: To assist students to develop their individual potential, to learn self-management and leadership skills, to develop holistic, healthy lifestyles, and to help guide their faith and spiritual development.
III. CITIZENSHIP AND SERVICE
Goal: To assist students to understand the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and their interconnectedness with a larger and diverse society.
Programs and community development opportunities are designed with these three goals in mind. The Residential Life staff, under the direction of the Residential Learning Coordinator, then develop objectives for reaching these goals that focus on the three unique populations that make up our residential communities: The First-Year Experience, The Second-Year Experience, and The Final Years.
Central Office Staff
The Residential Life office is located on the second floor in the Harre Union, Suite 230. Our Central Office staff offer a wide range of experience and diverse skill set and are committed to the continued success of each student living on campus.
Residential Hall Staff
The Assistant Director and Residential Learning Coordinators (RLC) are professional members of the Student Life staff who actively promote student learning in the residence halls while enhancing the quality of life for students living on-campus. Reporting to the Director of Residential Life, Residence Hall Staff serve under the general auspices of the Dean of Students’ office. Residence Hall staff supervises a student staff of Resident Assistants and oversees the daily functions of a residence hall, or group of halls.
Miracle Faller Residential Learning Coordinator miraclejoy.faller@valpo.edu 219.464.6005 Alumni Hall
Sarah Rasing Assistant Director of Residential Life sarah.rasing@valpo.edu 219.464.6007 Brandt Hall & Wehrenberg Hall
Tiara Moore
Residential Learning Coordinator
tiara.moore@valpo.edu
219.464.5763
Guild/Memorial Hall & Kade Duesenberg
German House
Ellesha Smith Residential Learning Coordinator ellesha.smith@valpo.edu 219.464.5977 Beacon Hall & Promenade Apartments