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An Interview with Becca Kitchell, Assistant Director of Residential Life
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Assistant Director of Residential Life Becca Kitchell, Director Patty Christiano and Secretary Denise Mackin
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Meet Staff(above image)
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The Residential Life staff, back row (blue shirts), from left: Mia Gadhia, Barbora Kollarova, Anna Samson, Robyn McMicken, Jasmine Snyder, Jessica Marconi, Mario Pierce, Aharon Singleton.
First row, from left: Kristina Bensley, Rich Stone, Maria Sosa, Marquis Bell, Paul Bradley, Chris Rinck, Mike Valente.
Second row, from left: Kim Fallon, Charlsie Cameron, Courtney Jones, Meg Bertini, Corinne Merjave, Sarah Teichert, Prescott Nadeau, Krystie Brown.
Third row, from left: Stephanie Sham, Danielle Latty, Billy Fogarty, Lydia Anello, Gary Steck.
Fourth row, from left: Liz Burdier, Amira Al-Zoubi, Annie Minervini, Shea Loy, Carrie Van Heusen, Sara Sullivan, Ashley McClellan, Jessica Morales, Amy Genthner.
Front row, from left: Brandon Fitzgerald, Pat Kelly, Jessica Aurora, Nikki Nadeau, Lisa Barker, Dena Umberger, Johnna Cumbo.
Not featured: Chad Lemos, Wilfred Burrows, Bobby Hughes, Dan Forlenzo, Lori LoGuidice, Jay Bennett, Alex Broder, Sam Sullivan.
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What are some of the biggest challenges of Residence Life for you and your staff?
We work hard to provide the best experience possible for the students with whom we work. Our jobs are not typical 9 to 5 office jobs. The staff may be programming in the halls at 7 p.m., having a hall breakfast at midnight, dealing with a situation at 2 a.m., and then getting up and going to class at 8:30 a.m. Members of our staff are dedicated and selfless individuals who often put the needs of the residents before their own.
Briefly, what are the goals of the staff of Residence Life, and how do you manage to accomplish your goals?
Our number one goal is to create a Residential Life program that meets the needs of the UNH students. We want to ensure that students are safe and happy in the residence halls. We want to provide them with experiential education opportunities outside the classroom through programming and involvement on campus. We want to expose them to new ways of thinking and seeing the world. We want them to graduate knowing that these years were their best, in part due to their residential life experience.
How many students live in University housing?
This year we are housing approximately 1,750 residents.
Tell us about you and your staff, and talk a bit about the training process for resident directors and undergraduate resident assistants.
The director of Residential Life, Patty Christiano, is starting her 16th year here, and I have been here four years this month. We work with eight graduate resident directors who oversee the residence halls. We also have 44 undergraduate resident assistants who live and work with residents. They serve as peer leaders to ensure that the students are living in a safe and fun environment. We have a great staff and we really enjoy working with the students.
The resident directors ended their summers early to return to UNH for an intensive week of training beginning on August 13. The resident assistants also cut their summer short to return to school on August 17. Their training covered topics such as healthy relationships, roommate mediation, GLBTQ issues in the halls, and diversity, to name a few. Some of the training was presented by guests from the Yale Consultation Center, University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Planned Parenthood. The staff spent many nights decorating the halls and getting them ready for the students to return. They look great!
What is your busiest time of year, and what departments do you work with most frequently?
The Office of Residential Life never slows down. We are in constant motion. When students leave in May, we are preparing for their return and prepping for the year to come. The summer months are busy with SOAR and room placements, the fall is busy with student issues and concerns. I could go on and on. We work with many offices on campus and we strive to have good relationships with offices such as Admissions, Financial Aid, Bursar, Facilities and Dining Services because we all share the same mission: to make UNH the best place possible for staff and students. Together, we are a fine-tuned machine.
Share an anecdote or two about your experiences with the Office of Residential Life.
Every day is an adventure, and we are prepared for anything all the time. So much happens; just recently, a male student was placed in a female room on campus because the gender of the student was tagged wrong in the system. That student thought he died and went to heaven when he moved in. We take many calls from students and parents with all sorts of questions (some of which may relate to Residential Life). We try to stay up to date on all campus happenings, offices, extensions, staff, etc, just in case. That is why UNH Today, the new e-newsletter will be so great for us; one-stop shopping for all our information. Every day something funny happens in our office; students have the craziest stories and adventures. We all love to laugh and have fun.
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