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		Programming: Mission Possible By Michael P. Connolly, Associate Dean of Students St. Joseph’s College of Maine Many of us in the housing and residence life field coordinate and offer educational programs to improve the quality of life at our institutions. Many of us ascribe to a wellness based program model. This model challenges residence life staff to offer a wide variety of programs to educate holistically. In theory, this is a great model. It is diverse with its offerings and easy for new staff members to understand. Sometimes, however, these models do not fit the mission or the purpose of the institution. In fact, many were created with topics or current event issues as the motivating force. Don’t get me wrong, these are important in our changing world. Here is a different twist... In the past decade; most Colleges and Universities have undergone an extensive planning process. Much of this was dictated by the new millennium. Department heads in the mid-nineties asked themselves what type of residence life program do I want to have in the year 2000. In turn, mission statements with detailed goals and objectives were established. This planning document is the blue print for the future. I firmly believe that a residence life programming model needs to be clearly tied to the institution’s goals and objectives. The model should reflect what type of institution you are and should be driven by its core values. When designing a residence life programming model, it is critical that you review institutional data, such as: College or University mission statement and/or core values Long range planning document (College, Division, and Department) Annual CIRP data (if your College or University participates) Regional Accreditation documents (10 year and interim) Annual resident student quality of life surveys After careful review and assessment of the above information you can begin to "draft" your model. The model should have clear and direct connections with the college mission. For instance, if the college mission states that it is rooted in faith or prescribes to particular teachings, great effort should be made to include these as components of the programming model. Ultimately, faculty and staff (both professional and student) should review this model. This review can help you to fine tune your model and build support for your mission based programming model. Educational programming can be a concrete medium to convey the college mission. In turn, keeping data, both anecdotal and quantitative, on these programs can be useful for the housing and residence life department’s future planning. My experience tells me that if I can clearly articulate the mission of the college and department both verbally and in action (educational programs) I can build a case for additional resources to assist the students whom we serve as educators. In closing, get out of the rut of offering the same programming model year after year and create a model that has a direct institutional connection. You will gain colleagues on all levels of the institution. This is not easy, but if successful, will help your department in numerous ways in the future. About the Author Mike Connolly has been a housing professional for 11 years. Currently Mike is serving as the Associate Dean of Students at St. Joseph’s College in Maine. Prior to relocating to the Northeast, Mike served the Mid-Atlantic Association of College and University Housing Officers (MACUHO) for 6 years, serving in the roles of committee chair, Treasurer and President.