Our Philosophy

Residential Life at the University of Washington offers a unique student affairs experience in housing.  We believe a healthy work culture that supports the members of our unit is vital to the work that we do to support the student experience, and thus we strive to for a work environment where we each feel valued, supported and respected, and encourage work-life balance.

The culture we aspire to within Residential Life is one that is rooted in our values of accountability, collaboration, growth, inclusion and intentionality.  Aligning our work with these values allows us to ensure every resident living in our communities has a rich residential experience rooted in student support while encouraging our staff to cultivate unique and versatile professional experiences:

• Accountability: The foundation of accountability is setting clear and consistent expectations.  Mistakes happen and accountability plays a central role in how we learn and grow as individuals and as a team.  We welcome opportunities to both provide and receive feedback, and reflect on our impact.
• Collaboration: A strength of our work is the many perspectives and experiences we bring together in serving our students and partners.  Collaboration empowers our team members to showcase their perspectives, experiences and expertise in unique and meaningful ways with others.
• Growth: We seek to be innovative and proactive in becoming knowledgeable about our work, continuing to imrpove our skills, adapting and developming habits and navigating various environments.
• Inclusion: We strive to cultivate spaces that foster connection and belonging by reflecting on areas of marginalization and privilege, respecting and honoring the experiences of others, approaching conversations with empathy and care, learning new information with intention, and taking responsibility and committing to actionable strategies that positively impact our culture.
• Intentionality: We approach our work with care, consideration of our potential impact and outcomes, and an awareness of our overall mission and goals.