Going away to college is often the first step in your student’s life toward becoming independent. It can be hard to watch them struggle and make mistakes without stepping in. There are many ways that you can help your student while encouraging independence and self sufficiency. Here are some of our suggestions:
Your student has a resident assistant (RA) assigned to their floor. They are students who are trained to help your student transition to college life, build community, mediate conflicts and handle emergencies/crises. If your student is having a difficult time transitioning, doesn’t know where to go to get involved on campus or has any questions they can talk to their RA.
Your student has a residence hall director (RHD) or hall manager (HM) who serves as the administrator of the building. RHDs are full time, live-in professionals who have a bachelor’s or master’s degree and HMs are part-time, live-in professionals who have a bachelor’s degree and are working toward their master’s degree. They maintain daily office hours Monday-Friday and are available by appointment if the office hours do not fit into your student’s schedule. If your student has any concerns about the residence hall or needs to ask questions or to talk, they can talk to their RHD.
There are many other services that your student can take advantage of if they have an issue or concern.
All College correspondence occurs via their SUNY Cortland email account, through myRedDragon and through their on-campus mailbox. Please encourage your student to check all three of these on a daily basis to receive important information regarding financial aid, important dates and deadlines.
After your student has been here for a month, they will fill out a Roommate Agreement Form with their roommate. This is a time where they can talk to their roommate about study and sleep habits, guests and sharing items. Please encourage your student to be as honest as possible with their roommate.
If a conflict arises between your student and their roommate, encourage them to talk to their roommate about the concern — many times the roommate isn’t even aware that they are doing something that is a concern.
If the conflict continues, encourage your student to first seek out the RA for their floor. The RA is trained in conflict-mediation and will set up a time to meet with your student and their roommate to talk through the concern and reach a compromise. Encourage your student to keep the RA apprised of the situation.
Room changes as a result of roommate conflict are not common. Please encourage your student to keep an open mind through the mediation process and to remember that they need to be flexible and willing to compromise too.
The RHD can submit a work order.
Residence Life and Housing
Van Hoesen Hall, Room B-33
Email: Residence Life and Housing
Phone: 607-753-4724
Fax: 607-753-5984
Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.