About Housing & Residence Life

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Our Mission

In support of the university’s mission, Housing & Residence Life aims to foster respectful and safe living environments that are conducive to a student’s holistic growth and wellbeing, their sense of belonging, and the university’s traditions of civility and honor. Students actively engaged in their residential experience will be afforded growth and wellbeing opportunities that support self-discovery, citizenship, and future planning.

The W&L Residential Experience

Your journey at Washington and Lee starts right here on campus! We believe that the residential experience is the gateway to the greater W&L student experience. You’ll quickly enhance your interpersonal skills, develop or fine-tune life skills, and develop a greater appreciation for independent and responsible living. We’re excited to have you join our residential community, which is required for your first three years. As a first-year student, you’ll live in one of our two first-year residence halls, quickly becoming part of a tight-knit community supported by a student Resident Advisor (RA). When you become a sophomore and junior, you’ll have a fantastic variety of upper-division housing choices, including apartments, community housing, townhouses, or fraternity and sorority housing, all supported by our helpful Community Assistants (CAs) or fraternity and sorority House Directors (HDs). Most seniors choose to live off campus; however, we may be able to accommodate seniors on campus, which depends largely on availability following our selection process where priority is given to juniors and sophomores. Check out our campus housing options for more information!

Growth Opportunities

Our Community Assistants (CAs) and Resident Advisors (RAs) use the Residential Experience Model (REM), which incorporates the Being Well W&L initiative, to ensure your life on campus is full of opportunities for academic, personal, and professional growth. The REM serves as our planning framework, helping staff focus on key learning goals outside the classroom, such as citizenship, self-discovery, and future planning when creating growth opportunities. This type of programming refers to the organized events, workshops, and/or gatherings your CAs and RAs host around campus. These opportunities include everything from community meetings to discuss residential life, to social events like a caving trip out of town or a trip downtown to support small businesses. CAs and RAs also provide educational opportunities tailored to students’ needs/interests, such as a session on studying abroad with the Center for International Education or resume workshops with the Office of Career and Professional Development. The RAs and CAs evaluate these opportunities, and we use the data to strengthen our REM.

The REM also supports two large-scale programming initiatives that enhance the community experience: the First-Year Residential Experience (FYRE) Board and the Campus Unity Initiative (CUI). The FYRE Board offers first-year students, led by a RA, the opportunity to advocate for their residential community and create large-scale events for their peers, such as the annual fall and spring festivals. CUI events focus on building campus-wide community through events, like the annual 3v3 basketball tournament or the hazing prevention week pledge.

Learn more about the Residential Experience Model (REM).

Our Team and How to Join

In addition to our professional staff, whose offices are located on the third floor of Elrod Commons, the Office of Housing & Residence Life provides support through our carefully selected student staff: Resident Advisors (RAs), Community Assistants (CAs), and the HRL student leadership team. Both RAs and CAs are sophomores, juniors, and seniors who undergo a rigorous selection and training process. They are knowledgeable resources available to answer questions, discuss problems, build community, and safeguard university policies all in support of the HRL and W&L mission.

RAs live in the first-year residence halls to support our mission, provide growth opportunities, and assist new students with the academic and social transition to college. CAs live in upper-division housing and support their peers (approximately 20–25 students) by serving as referral agents, safeguarding policy, and providing programming tailored to upper-division students. Finally, the Housing & Residence Life (HRL) leadership team consists of nine CAs and RAs who have been chosen to lead other CAs and RAs in essential roles such as Senior CA or RA, Head CA or RA, or one of two Programming Coordinators. Individuals on the HRL leadership team have typically served in HRL for 2-3 years.

Want to join the HRL team?