Our mission at Housing & Residential Education (HRE) is to cultivate individuals & inclusive communities. Providing every individual with the programs, facilities, and opportunities to achieve academic success and growth as an individual is how we live our mission. Our mission would not be able to exist without incorporating our core values of Diversity & Social Justice, Sustainability, and Student and Staff Support & Development. These core values take many different shapes and forms including the inclusive environment we create for all members of the community, emphasizing education regarding sustainability and diversity, as well as our overarching support for professional development for both students and staff.
A 4-D Residential Experience
Our Residential Education Model (REM) aims to integrate the dimensions of the University of Denver’s 4D Experience into the learning goals & outcomes intentionally developed to guide how we facilitate our residential student experience. Our team’s approach includes passive & active education, community development, and social engagement.
Students join the DU community with various beliefs and perspectives informed by their identities and prior experiences. By exploring the viewpoints of themselves and others, students can (re)define who they are and align their thoughts with their actions. Building an understanding of self and the value of others’ perspectives encourages community at DU and promotes future success in working and engaging with others.
Understand one’s held identities and lived experiences within community and societal contexts.
Explore perspectives of others with identities and lived experiences different from one’s own.
Examine how one’s worldview informs perspectives, actions, and decisions.
College presents the opportunity for students to have new academic experiences that contribute to future career and life goals. Through navigating college-level coursework, students define what they need to succeed academically and learn how to advocate for those needs. By engaging in different topics and perspectives, students learn how to use critical thinking to draw conclusions and make decisions. This skill supports students’ discovery of their personal strengths and passions and promotes progress toward their goals.
Understand the ways in which one learns best to engage in self-advocacy.
Identify personal strengths, passions, and goals to engage resources to pursue one’s interests.
Integrate multiple views to deepen knowledge and promote critical thinking.
College is a time of transition for many aspects of students’ lives, including their relationships. It is important for students to learn how to build positive connections not only to support their success at DU but also to promote a network after graduation. Mentors enhance students’ college experiences and achievement of personal and academic goals. Positive relationships in general (e.g., friends, mentors, etc.) are essential for student well-being and resilience through challenges.
Identify individuals and systems of support to navigate life’s events.
Develop a mentoring relationship to promote success.
Integrate experiences and observations to make personal and professional connections.
The college experience offers students the opportunity to learn how to be positive and engaged members of a community. By connecting to resources at DU, students will learn how others in the community can support them and how to take responsibility for supporting the safety, wellness, and belonging of those around them. Students will seek to connect with and learn about peers, building strong relationships that are inclusive of both commonalities and differences. Realizing their roles as responsible members of a community contributes to student connection – both at DU and beyond.
Identify resources on campus to support one’s well-being.
Engage across differences to foster understanding, support, and positive social relationships.