Office of Residence Life

Residence Life is responsible for staffing, programming, and housekeeping services in the seven residence halls on campus. It is located on the 4th floor of Thomas Hall. The staff strives to maintain a positive community atmosphere in these residences and is available to assist you with your living and learning experiences here at Manhattan.

Residence Hall Living

The administration of Residence Life fully participates in the overall educational mission of the College. First and foremost, the residence halls are communities of learning. This means that the policies, guidelines, and resources dedicated to our college-administered housing are coordinated to help meet the personal needs of students in their quest for academic advancement. We take it as our task to ensure each students' right to study and live freely, to guarantee an open environment where the exchange of ideas happens easily and spontaneously, to an active and powerful force in the development of student leaders within the residence hall sphere of influence, and to secure a living/learning environment especially one which is focused on the formation of a community of individuals.

Resident Directors

The Resident Director (RD) is the person responsible for Resident Life programming. The RD supervises the Resident Assistants and is very familiar with students’ needs and concerns in a community living environment. All RDs maintain evening office hours.

Resident Assistants

Resident Assistants (RAs) are probably the most visible members of our staff. Since your RA is a student living on your floor or in your area, they are attuned to your particular needs. The RAs are concerned with two main areas of responsibility: first, they are paraprofessionals working at promoting an atmosphere conducive to academic achievement, social growth, and development of personal and group responsibilities; second, they assist residents personally or through appropriate referrals with academic, personal, and social problems which confront typical college students.

Resident Assistants are undergraduate members of Residence Life who have successfully completed an extensive selection process and training program. An RA lives on each floor/section of the residence halls and is available to offer peer assistance and direction to residents when needed. RAs also serve as resource persons within the halls, answering questions about the campus, explaining and enforcing college policies, sponsoring hall floor and/or hall programs and activities, and promoting a sense of community on the floor and in the building.