Our Curricular Approach in Residence
Educational Priority
“Living in residence at Carleton University will develop resilient and inclusive leaders who belong and meaningfully contribute to their communities.”
The educational priority focuses on the connections that students have with each other and with their communities. Students are encouraged to connect to any community in which they feel an affinity for so they can identify that they are part of something bigger. Our priority is to create spaces where students are welcome in the residence community so that they ultimately feel as though they matter and are included. When students participate and actively engage, they will intentionally act for the betterment of their current and future communities.
Learning Goals
Personal Development
Personal Development is a foundational piece of our learning experience, as it empowers students to discover, appreciate and strengthen the unique traits that define them. We value the many ways their personal identities intersect and shape who they are, who they will become, how they enter into and are perceived in the world and how their own identities interact with others. As our students grow, they will learn the necessary skills to live independently, both in current and future communities, and recognize the importance of taking ownership of their decisions. Through the exploration of values, strengths and motivations, students are supported in discovering their individual purpose, while intentionally examining their personal goals and future aspirations. When students experience and overcome challenges, they are encouraged to adopt a growth mindset, develop resilience, and see failure as an opportunity for personal reflection and future development. This is in combination with the ongoing discovery of individual holistic wellness will lead to greater future success.
Strengthening Indigenous Awareness
A learning goal specific to Indigenous Awareness has been created in order to highlight distinct nature of the relationships between Indigenous people and settlers. A focus on better understanding issues which impact Indigenous peoples in Canada, as well as reconciliation and decolonization, will be the main focus in creating learning opportunities for residence students. This includes providing capacity building in order to practice active allyship and creating initiatives which create positive and systemic change in order to make truth and reconciliation a reality in the residence community.
Strengthening Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are central learning concepts of our student experience in residence. This learning goal is important in order for students to understand the impact of oppressive systems and oppressions in the life of students. This includes the acknowledgment, understanding, and dismantling of the barriers and oppressive systems that our equity-deserving students and staff face within the institutional context and land in which residence is situated. These priorities will foster inclusive leadership and a student’s ability to make healthy connections with their peers. Through conversations and strategies that promote and celebrate the strength of diverse perspectives and intersectional identities, students will contribute to the creation of equitable and inclusive communities. As well, through these conversations, students will develop the transferable skill of communicating across difference, which can be applied within and beyond the residence community.
Community Engagement
Community Engagement is a central learning goal of our student experience as it fosters a holistic learning environment outside of the classroom. An engaged community allows students to make positive contributions while upholding the Residence Rights and Responsibilities. While living in residence, students have opportunities to repair harms through accountability and reflection and residents are recognized for making a positive impact on their community. Community engagement provides learning experiences, both organized and self-directed, that students will carry into their future communities. These experiences will include opportunities to reflect on their engagement with the wellness of the community through sustainability efforts.
Learning Outcomes
Personal Development
Students who live in residence will be able to:
- Apply methods of individual holistic wellness (Wellness)
- Identify resilience strategies to overcome challenges and achieve personal success (Resilience)
- Demonstrate transferable skills necessary to live independently (Skill Development)
- Understand the unique traits that define them in relation to their goals and how they interact with others (Goal Setting)
- Examine aspects of personal and social identity (Personal and social identity)
Strengthening Indigenous Awareness
Students who live in residence will be able to:
- Describe historical and contemporary issues that impact treaty relationships with Indigenous peoples and Non-Indigenous peoples (Treaty Relationships)
- Identify the role of non-Indigenous peoples in decolonization (Decolonization)
- Demonstrate how non-Indigenous peoples can practice allyship with Indigenous people (Capacity Building)
Strengthening Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Students who live in residence will be able to:
- Discuss the impact of various forms of oppression that students face, such as racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia and other oppressions of identity (Oppression)
- Use strategies to effectively communicate across difference (Communication)
- Illustrate the importance of celebrating differences between individuals (Celebrating Differences)
- Create equitable communities that promote diverse ideas, needs and values of others (Inclusion)
Community Engagement
Students who live in residence will be able to:
- Explain the Rights and Responsibilities of living in a community (Accountability)
- Utilize strategies that support positive environmental impacts (Sustainability)
- Demonstrate the importance of developing meaningful relationships (Relationship Building)
- Apply behaviours that positive affect communities (Civic Engagement)