Residential Life - Office of Student Development

Influenced by developmental theories and models, our department's values provide a practical base for developing services and programs. These values include academic success, shared community living, a supportive transition for students, and service to a diverse student body.

We have developed the ACTS programming model here at UC Berkeley to help our students grow and learn while living with us in the residence halls. The ACTS model reflects our values and our commitment to student development.

The ACTS programming model encourages events and activities that focus on the following areas:
A: Academic Services
C: Community Development
T: Transition Support
S: Service and Leadership

Our residence hall staff works to develop students' leadership skills and build cultural awareness. In order to achieve this, Resident Assistants in each unit put on Academic, Community, Transition, and Service programs throughout the school year. The following examples of past events are only a select few out of the hundreds of programs that hall staff has organized.

Nobel Lunches
	The Nobel Lunch program provides residents with the unique opportunity to enjoy a meal with one of Berkeley's many Nobel Laureates. The Nobel Laureate panel varies from time to time; on one occasion, students had the opportunity to meet distinguished guests 1964 Physics Laureate Charles Townes and 2001 Economics Laureate George Akerlof (left). Twenty students from all the residence halls sat down at Crossroads and dined with each professor. The topics of discussion range from religion and science to current research. ^ Top
Fit 4 a Queen
	F4AQ has raised hundreds of dollars for local LGBTQ-related charities, while inviting residents to participate in an energetic, enjoyable Drag performance by some of the SF Bay areas most famous Drag artists, including Heklina (left, with student Maytak). Residents engage with the performers after the show through a Q&A session, receive educational information on the LGBTQ community, as well as information regarding access to campus resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and ally students. ^ Top
Hurricane Katrina Poker Tournament
	In response to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, the Clark Kerr Hall Staff and Hall Association organized a benefit poker tournament, in which all entry fee proceeds went towards relief efforts. Over 60 residents took part in this event. The top three contestants took home gift cards to nearby stores; however, in an unexpected and much admired move, the second-place contestant donated all his prize money to the relief fund! The program was a large success, and succeeded not only in raising money for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts but also helped to bring together many of the residents at Clark Kerr in the spirit of playing poker. ^ Top
Eating Well at Cal
	Resident Assistants worked together with the Unit 2 Health Workers to design an interactive program that provided residents with a variety of healthy and filling breakfast options in both the dining commons and residents' rooms. The program included a segment on dispelling myths about good and bad fats, how the body metabolizes carbohydrates, and how eating at different hours of the day can affect current and long-term health. ^ Top
The Tunnel of Oppression
	The Tunnel of Oppression project builds awareness about various topics of diversity including race, gender, ability, class, spirituality, sexual orientation, and body image. Last year's Tunnel addressed these topics in the context of the daily life of a Berkeley student. Beyond providing information about these issues, the program created a safe, interactive learning environment which fostered discussion and personal development. The program uses interactive games, comment boards, image bombardment, films, physical props and other media to engage participants. Residents walked away awakened to the pervasive messages from society which impact individual identities and perpetuate oppression. ^ Top
Red Cross Blood Drive
	The Red Cross Blood Drive encouraged students to come together to save hundreds of lives. Participants learned about the different Bay Area organizations that offer the opportunity to make a difference. Residents and coordinators filled 95 out of 96 possible donation slots, making it the biggest blood drive in Residential Life history. Due to the Blood Drive's great impact on the lives of everyone involved, Unit 4 continues to hold a blood drive each year. ^ Top
Broomballing
	Many Resident Assistants encourage their residents to form intramural athletic teams or to participate in group activities. Several times during the school year, RAs organize trips to the Berkeley Iceland ice rink to go ice skating or broomballing. Residents really enjoy the opportunity to leave the campus area and bond while doing something active, which helps to alleviate the stresses that students encounter during the academic year. ^ Top
Salsa Lessons
	The Clark Kerr Salsa program was a great way to build community in the residence halls. Two members of the Cal Ballroom team came to CKC once a week for six weeks. They demonstrated basic salsa steps and added more complicated steps with each lesson. The salsa instruction, a relatively social program, helped CKC residents get to know each other better. The dancing required participants to dance with multiple partners, and residents met up over several weeks. This program also served as an opportunity for residents to de–stress in a fun and informal setting. ^ Top
Movie Nights: Crash
	Crash is a movie that addresses the role of race and racism in America. The program provided a forum for discussion with the intention to help residents better understand how race plays a role in their own daily lives. A week before the showing, residents were exposed to passive programming (pictures) that focused on depictions of race in the media (Hurricane Katrina) and were asked to consider what role stereotypes played in the depiction of current events. After watching the movie, a graduate student in Sociology facilitated a discussion on what residents learned and on how each interpreted the movie's message. Residents appreciated having a place to speak their mind on the topic after seeing such a powerful film. ^ Top