RIT Administrators Survived the Dorms!
Innovation happens not only with projects and in classes, but can also happen with various student clubs and activities. This past winter, administrators of Rochester Institute of Technology gained a "youthful" perspective regarding the student experience on campus. Student Government invited 20 "decision makers" into the RIT residence halls for three days and two nights as part of the REAL RIT: Dorm Challenge. Through this experience, which took place January 18th through January 20th, Student Government hopes that administrators are better able to relate to the freshmen students who live in the dorms.
The Student Government exhibit featured a recap video of the Dorm Challenge as well as several members from Student Government who helped put the event on. Matt Danna, event coordinator, says, "The 'REAL RIT' programs were designed to connect the faculty, staff, and administration with the everyday lives of students. They may know what the student experience is like during the day, but we totally immersed them in student life for the 3 day program".
For the Dorm Challenge, participants included RIT’s President, Bill Destler, his wife, Rebecca Johnson, several of the university’s vice presidents and many staff that interact with students daily. They checked into the dorms on Sunday, January 18, 2009 in Grace Watson Hall. After check in, resident advisors helped to unload the participants’ vehicles before they parked in the student restricted parking lots. Afterwards, the participants moved into their rooms with student roommates. From then on, the administrators were on their own. They were to eat, sleep, and socialize as freshmen do. They were not allowed to eat anywhere other than the freshmen dining hall, Gracie’s. They were only permitted to shower in the dormitories and did not have the luxury of being able to drive to work.
The experience ended on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 with an open forum in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s Panara Theatre. At the open forum, all the participants were there, with some sharing their experiences. They discussed what they learned from the students and about dorm life. Additionally, they answered several questions from student audience members.
The Student Government exhibitors are excited to run the program again next year and are looking to get different staff, faculty, and administrators to participate. Cory Gregory, one of the exhibitors, called the program "[a] huge success! It was like nothing we've ever done on this campus, and we look forward to doing more of these connection and experience challenges in the future." For more information about this program and Student Government, visit them at http://sg.rit.edu/.