The mission of the Office of Residential Life at Gustavus Adolphus College is to complement the academic mission of the institution by providing a living environment for students conducive to learning and development. Residential staff is committed to fostering a community in which students respect and affirm the dignity of all persons and develop the responsibility and values that will allow them to assume roles of leadership and service in society.
To this end, the Residential Life Office focuses on four areas of student learning in Gustavus residence halls:
Sense of Belonging
Includes having the ability to get along with others, feel acceptance and approval, and know one's role within a group or relationship. It can be seen and evaluated in several areas: emotional autonomy, interdependence, relationships with peers, and intimate relationships.
Acquiring Knowledge and Skills
Knowledge is sought and acquired in all environments and situations that a college student experiences. Acquiring knowledge includes increasing self-awareness, adjusting to one's surroundings, gathering and incorporating information, and learning effective decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Choosing Informed Attitudes
Developing an acceptance of one's self and others. That acceptance encompasses backgrounds, lifestyles, belief and value systems, and cultures. To attain it, students must begin to evaluate their own attitudes and values, be willing to listen to and try to understand, and make a commitment to be constantly relearning. Consider how a person's values influence a person's self-esteem, relationships with others, academic involvement, and career and lifestyle choices.
Self-Responsibility
Integrates one's sense of identity and purpose. It involves having trust in one's skills and abilities, accepting responsibility for one's decisions and actions, determining one's career and life plans, and taking risks in order to achieve personal growth.
