Student Life
Residence Life Staff

Current Students

Image of group of DONS posing for a picture
Residence Life Staff
A Don is a student who, because of maturity, integrity, academic success, and interest in others, has been selected to assist the Residence Life Coordinator and Student Affairs Team with various aspects of the residence life program and residence administration.  The Don shall promote, by personal example and guidance, a mature and conscientious attitude toward scholarship, the philosophy of the residences at St. Jerome’s University, and the goals of the residence program.  
What is a Don?

One student Don is assigned to each floor of the residence. His/her role is to provide leadership and maintain discipline within the residences. They are also available to all residents for assistance and support in all aspects of residence living. Dons take an active role in the quality and enrichment of residence life, and show a personal interest in the residents on their floor. The Dons report to the Residence & Student Life Coordinator.

 

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 Life Coordinators

 

In addition to the hard-working student staff in our residence building, St. Jerome’s University employs multiple full time Residence Life Coordinators (RLCs). The role of the RLC is to support the students and student staff in residence to ensure they have both a resource and a voice on the professional side of St. Jerome’s. The RLCs are well connected with resources on campus and work with students to ensure they are getting the support they need. 

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Current Students