Current Students
Residence Life Staff
Image of group of DONS posing for a picture
Residence Student-Staff & Professional Staff
Supporting your success is a team of dedicated student-staff and professional staff. 
Residence Life Dons
Your Don is: 

  

  • Student-staff member in the Student Affairs department  

  • Full-time students and residents, just like you! 

  • Mentors and resource people who can refer you to the services you need on and off of campus 

  

What Dons do: 

  

  • They are community builders 

  • They are peer helpers 

  • They intervene during conflict situations on your floor, and inform appropriate Student Affairs staff 

  • They ease the transition of living in residence  

  • They promote and encourage your participation in curricular and extra curricular activities 

  • They work to ensure that community standards and values are maintained  

  • They act as mediators and encourage communication and support between you and other residents. 

  

Dons can help you throughout the year: 

  

  • By helping you find your way around the campus and by answering your questions 

  • By presenting you with opportunities to meet your floor mates and help you familiarize yourself with your new environment 

  • By informing you of appropriate support services on campus such as Counselling Services, Health Services, the AccessAbility Office and other resources 

  • By helping you navigate and work through any tension or conflict with your roommate or other community members 

  • By being a listening ear to the range of emotions that come with university transition 

  • By informing you of activities in residence and elsewhere on campus 

  

Dons’ responsibilities have limits: 
 
  • They have bad days, personal problems, and heavy school periods, just like you

  • They follow the same policies in residence as you  

  • They are not parents, floor cops, maids, or repair people 

  • They will not be present on the floor at all times 

  • They need your help to build a healthy community life 

 

Dons Must Document Disclosures and Incidents: 
 
  • They are obligated to document disclosures (mental and physical health, academic, sexual violence, etc.)  and conduct incidents in residence (policy violations, etc.).  

  • Documentation helps Student Affairs support our Residence Dons and students. Student Affairs staff may or may not reach out to a student after something has been documented. Documentation helps Student Affairs staff understand common trends in residence to better support current policies and inform how we educate our students and respond to conduct. 

   

You can expect your Dons to: 

  

  • Answer your messages within a reasonable time frame 

  • Hold mandatory floor meetings monthly 

  • Organize and participate in community activities 

  • Be accessible and approachable  

  • Be consistent 

  

Dons expects you to: 

  

  • Engage in community activities in whatever way possible for you (opening your residence room door, attending events, filling dining room tables, starting a workout group, etc.) 

  • Take responsibility for your actions 

  • Keep them informed of any problems or potential problems, as minor as they may seem 

  • Tell them about strangers in residence  

  • Connect with them regarding things impacting you or the community, from medical emergencies to noise complaints to theft 

  • Contribute to building a healthy and safe community 

  • Make the most out of your SJU residence experience (it’s more then a place to sleep and eat) 

  

Your Don is trained in: 

  

  • First aid and CPR 

  • safeTALK Suicide Alertness  

  • Peer counseling 

  • Community building 

  • Administration 

  • Leadership 

  • Communication 

  • Teamwork 

  • Your Don is NOT trained as a professional counselor or mental health professional. Dons will often refer students to on-campus resources such as Counseling Services, Health Services, the AccessAbility Office or other resources to provide the professional counseling and assistance students may need or want 

 

Your Don is:

 

  • A full-time student;
  • A resident, just like you, who has lived in residence for at least one year;
  • An administrator; and
  • A resource person who can refer you to the services you need

 

What Dons do:

 

  • They are community builders;
  • They are peer helpers;
  • They intervene during conflict situations on your floor, and inform the Residence & Student Life Coordinator when necessary;
  • They listen to you when you are happy, down or homesick;
  • They promote and encourage your participation in curricular and extra curricular activities;
  • Work to ensure that community standards, such as respect for others and reasonable noise levels are developed and maintained;
  • They act as mediators and encourage communication and support between you and the other residents.

 

Your Don can help you throughout the year:

 

  • By helping you find your way around the campus and by answering your questions;
  • By presenting you with opportunities to meet your floor mates and help you familiarize yourself with your new environment;
  • By informing you of appropriate support services on campus such as Counselling Services, Health Services, the AccessAbility Office and other resources;
  • By helping ease the transition of living in residence with your roommate;
  • By listening to you when you are happy, down, or homesick; and
  • By informing you of activities in residence and elsewhere on campus.

 

Your Dons’ responsibilities do have limits:
  • They do have occasional bad days, personal problems, and school work overloads just like you;
  • They are bound by the same rules in residence as you are;
  • They are not babysitters;
  • They are not parents, floor cops, maids, or repair people;
  • They need your help to build a healthy community life; and
  • They will not be present on the floor at all times.

 

A few other things you should know:

 

  • You will be part of a diverse community in residence;
  • Your Don strives to be consistent with all other Dons in residence;
  • You can expect your Don to use and disclose confidential informational only as is necessary and proper in the discharge of his/her functions and responsibilities, or as required by law.

 

You can expect your Don to:

 

  • Answer your messages within a reasonable time frame;
  • Hold floor meetings on a regular basis;
  • Organize floor activities;
  • Participate in floor activities and interests;
  • Be available, accessible and approachable;
  • Smile; and
  • Be consistent

 

Your Don expects you to:

 

  • Have fun and enjoy living in residence;
  • Take responsibility for your actions;
  • Participate in floor activities;
  • Keep him or her informed of any problems or potential problems, as minor as they may seem;
  • Report solicitors and canvassers;
  • Tell him or her about strangers on the floor; and
  • Go through him or her for all situations on the floor, from medical emergencies to noise complaints to theft.

 

Your Don is trained in:

 

  • First aid and CPR;
  • Peer counseling;
  • Community building;
  • Administration;
  • Leadership;
  • Communication; and
  • Teamwork
  • Your Don is not trained as a professional counselor or mental health professional. Dons will often refer students to on-campus resources such as Counseling Services, Health Services, the AccessAbility Office or other resources to provide the professional counseling and assistance students may need or want.
Professional Staff
Residence & Community Life Assistant:
 
The Residence and Community Life Assistant is a professional Student Affairs staff member who supports a team of student leaders at St. Jerome's University. The role of the RCLA is to support the facilitation of student engagement and residence life programming for SJU students. The RCLA also enhances leadership and engagement opportunities within the residence and student community. You can connect with the RCLA by clicking here.
 
Residence & Community Life Coordinator:


The Residence and Community Life Coordinator (RCLC) is a professional Student Affairs staff member who oversees the day-to-day operations of the residence program at St. Jerome’s University. The role of the RCLC is to support students transition to independent living, work to ensure residence policies and standards are maintained, and supervises the Don team. You can connect with the RCLC by clicking here.

 

Manager, Residence & Community Life:

 

The Manager, Residence and Community Life (MRCL) is a professional Student Affairs staff member who oversees the Residence and Community Life portfolio within the Student Affairs department. The role of the MRCL is to lead initiatives to make residence and community life at SJU a transformative experience for students. The MRCL also supports student conduct, food services, building operations and residence programming. You can connect with the MRCL by clicking here

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