“Through my time at Tech, I have had both ups and downs,” said Poteet. “I have made my fair share of mistakes but also learned many lessons. I know I am graduating a better leader and better student from Virginia Tech not only because of my work in the classroom, but also my work outside of it.”
That’s the idea behind Virginia Tech’s new residential well-being initiative, which launched with move-in in August: supporting the individual success, learning, and well-being of every student, both in and outside the classroom.
Poteet is one of 251 residential well-being student leaders. With experience as both a resident advisor and a Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets company commander, she is excited to take part in changing living-learning environments on campus.
“I see the potential of this model to transform the residential experience from just a residence hall to a place of growth for all students living on campus,” she said.
Rebecca Caldwell came to Virginia Tech last spring as director of residential well-being. She said the initiative is a proactive approach that brings holistic well-being and student success right to students’ doors.
“Rather than expecting the students to find Virginia Tech’s world-class campus experiences on their own, we are surrounding the student with the key elements of first-year success inside of their living environment,” said Caldwell. “The focus is care and relationships, while connecting students early to our campuswide web of resources and experiences.”
The residential well-being model organizes Virginia Tech’s large residential campus into smaller communities, each supported by professional case managers, well-being coordinators, ExperienceVT coordinators, embedded counselors, and highly trained student leaders who focus on inclusion and belonging, well-being and engagement.
Dalton Kaiser is a residential well-being student leader who is finishing an undergraduate degree in smart and sustainable cities while pursuing an accelerated master’s degree in urban and regional planning.
“I strongly believe that all students should be taught that it is OK to ask for help because that is what makes people wiser and stronger. One area where I know students can pick up on this is during those first few weeks of college in their residence halls,” said Kaiser. “It is especially important to continue to bring wellness resources into living-learning spaces as students learn to negotiate a healthy balance between work, life, academics, and the fun of the college experience,” said Olympia Ghosh, a residential well-being student leader and senior majoring in public health in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. ”Relationship building in a culture of kindness welcomes students to communicate their experiences and needs to caring administrators.”
Almost every undergraduate student at Virginia Tech begins their experience in a residence hall.
“We have a unique opportunity to equip our new students, when they arrive on campus, with habits, practices, and behaviors that can positively impact their well-being in their first year and beyond,” said Frances Keene, interim vice president for student affairs.
As senior director for Hokie Wellness, Epperley oversees the residential experience and was instrumental in developing the strategy for this new approach.
“I think it is this care and compassion for our students, and wanting the very best experience possible for them, that set the stage for this huge transformation,” said Epperley. “The team was committed to the vision and willing to work really, really hard to see this come true for our students.”
Virginia Tech officials knew they would need to have cross-department collaboration throughout the university to accomplish their goals.
“The opportunity to re-envision the work we do with our residential students, with the great programing already happening all across campus, led us to our goal of developing relationships as an important step in getting students connected,” said Chris Wise, assistant vice president for student affairs’ health and wellness areas. “We can’t just assume that because a student shows up to Virginia Tech that they will immediately feel a sense of place. We must reach out to students and develop relationships with them, have them develop relationships with each other, so they can feel welcome, included, and a part of their new community.”
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Crystal Graham
