Nipissing University is a small residential institution with approximately 975 students, largely first year, living within our residence system. The University believes that first year students benefit greatly from the opportunity to live within the residence system and that their transition from High School to University is much easier as a result. Consequently, the environment and programs in the residence focus on helping students deal with this transition as well as generally facilitating the development of students outside of the classroom.
For many years, university residences were known as dormitories and were thought of primarily as places to eat and sleep. As educators began to assess the impact of the total campus experiences on the education of young adults, residences became a focus for educational experiences that complement formal classroom instruction.
Students attending Nipissing University, like the majority of students everywhere, are undergoing a period of intense personal growth during their years at University. They are establishing their own value systems, changing attitudes, exploring career goals, gaining new beliefs, developing social and interpersonal skills, learning new skills and gaining academic competence. Educational research indicates that much of the personal growth and academic development of students occurs in a residential setting which is conducive to discussion and close interaction with peers of different academic programs, lifestyles, values, socioeconomic levels, races, religions and career goals.
The broad mission of residence life is to build a sense of community within our residence system, which facilitates the personal growth, and academic development of students. The University attempts to achieve this mission by:
- Providing a safe, comfortable, quality environment in which students may live and study;
- Selecting and developing staff committed to the concept of residential education and academic excellence;
- Developing programs that help first year students with their transition, both academically and socially, to university life;
- Providing opportunities for social interaction amongst students in the residence so that they can learn from each other;
- Developing residence programs that ensure that students explore and question their attitudes and beliefs and provide them with the opportunity for personal and academic growth;
- Developing policies, regulations, and procedures based primarily upon the philosophy of student government while at the same time recognizing the University’s role in safety, security, and the protection of rights;
- Providing and encouraging the opportunity for participation in student self-government and in the residence decision making process;
- Being a resource for faculty and administration for information about student lifestyles, interests, and problems through residence and communication within the residence system.