Managing On-Campus Living Expectations

Life in the res halls should be fun, safe and engaging.

We know residents’ learning is not limited to the classroom. It also happens through living in our residence halls. Our commitment to residents is to provide a student-focused living and learning environment that supports their academic experience by offering programs and services in safe and well-maintained facilities. In addition to their academic course of study, students will also develop their identities, beliefs, and life goals. Our talented professional and student staff members are trained to engage students through conversations, events, and opportunities that inspire growth and enhance residents’ college experience. University Housing employs the Connect-Prepare-Thrive model to engage students in experiences beyond the classroom. Panthers will grow personally and make meaningful contributions in their communities.

People To Meet

As residents move into University Housing, there may be certain staff members they meet and interact with on a more regular basis. Our Residence Life professional and student staff live within the buildings in which they work. Their first priority is resident safety and should be seen as a resident’s main support when first transitioning to college life.

Resident Assistants (RAs)

Resident Assistants are upper-level students who are carefully selected and extensively trained to meet the diverse needs of our residents. Each residence hall community, excluding Kenilworth, has an RA assigned to live and work with its residents. Our RAs will engage residents in activities and events, form connections with their residents, help make meaning of the college experience through one-on-one conversations, and help resident students connect with others through community meetings, bulletin boards, and emails. RAs are also available to assist if residents are experiencing difficulties throughout their college careers. We recommend these staff members as a first stop if residents have questions about their community or campus life.

Residence Life Professional Staff

In addition to many student staff members, University Housing also employs professional staff members, many of whom possess advanced degrees, and are experienced at assisting students with transitions into and through the college experience. Residence Life Coordinators (RLCs) and Complex Coordinators may work with residents in a variety of capacities. They coach residents individually on academic success or study skills, help them build leadership skills as advisors to Housing student organizations or Living Learning Community staff, or facilitate activities or events that occur in the residence halls. They assist students who may not be comfortable in their housing assignment to work to resolve their concerns, or assist in finding an alternative room assignment*. These individuals are also experienced at holding students accountable should they violate our policies or fail to meet the expectations as a member of the UWM community. A final important role of our professional live-in staff is supporting our student staff and residents in after-hours crises or emergencies. At least one RLC (or more, depending on the time of year) are available after business hours to respond to urgent situations on an on-call basis. Our student staff members have contact numbers to access this resource at our Service Desks.

*For more information on room assignment changes, please visit Contracts & Assignments.

Living in a Diverse Community

Part of becoming a member of a university environment is learning to understand and appreciate new cultures, customs, or ideas.

UWM is a diverse environment that educates students from various backgrounds, means, and walks-of-life. University Housing is committed to a safe and comfortable living environment for all of our residents. Living in a diverse community may mean that residents have to take a step out of their comfort zone to live with someone who does not look, talk, or think like they do. University Housing will not tolerate language or behavior that discriminates or denigrates residents living in our residence halls or apartments. If, at any time, residents feel uncomfortable or feel like they are being harassed, we encourage them to seek our professional staff members to discuss the matter.

Inclusive Housing

UW-Milwaukee is proud to have been the first university of the Universities of Wisconsin to offer Inclusive Housing. This self-selected contract preference offers a welcoming space for students who self-identify as transgender, gender nonbinary, cisgender, with gender non-conforming expression, LGBTQ+, and students identifying as allies, related to living in University Housing at UW-Milwaukee. University Housing offers suites (and some floors, depending upon student interest) where students may reside with any roommate without regard to gender identity or legal gender. Students interested in Inclusive Housing should indicate this through the Contract Process in their Housing Portal, starting on the Community Profile page.

Roommates and Suite Mates

Suite Mates and Roommate Expectations

At the start of the semester, Resident Assistants (RAs) will aide suite mates in the creation of a Suite Mate Agreement that directs them to think about what expectations they have for each other as well as some common items we know roommates should address when living together (cleaning, quiet hours, use of personal/shared items, etc). Creating this agreement is not mandatory, but highly encouraged. All suite mates can do it together through the Housing Portal and are encouraged to address any concerns or hesitancies they may have about living with people they may not already know. If an agreement needs to be reset/revisited, residents should let their RA know.

While everyone should expect some form of minor conflict or disagreement (we are human, after all), most residents enjoy their roommate and suite mate experience and never experience problems that need assistance from our staff. In fact, when asked about their experience, most residents claim that meeting people, most often their room- and suite mates, was the best thing about living in University Housing.