Residence Halls & Residential Philosophy
Research has shown that students who live in residence halls...
- earn higher grades.
- are less likely to drop out.
- build closer relationships with faculty, staff and students.
- are more involved in student activities.
- have fewer emotional problems.
- report less conflict with parents.
- are more generally satisfied with their overall college experience.
Each of these benefits are reflected in decades of Ouachita students who have shared
life on campus. Ouachita feels so strongly about the value of residential living that
all students under 22 years of age who are not living with a parent or guardian are required to live on campus.
Here's why...
Living on campus also means that the student's life happens on campus. Students are in the midst of the many student activities offered by clubs and organizations. They have immediate and unlimited access to the Ouachita Commons. A student's meal plan also comes with $450 that may be spent at Dr. Jack's coffee and the Evans Food Court. Students are also close to Evans Student Center, where they may do anything from work-out to hang-out. Being close to Ouachita's intramural fields and facilities means that nearly 75% of the student body participate.
Students are also only a short walk from the library, eleven campus computer labs, and other academic facilities like art studios and music practice facilities.
ResLife Staff Philosophy
A Resident Director (RD), a student development professional, or an Associate Resident Director, an upperclassman who works closely with an RD, lives in each of Ouachita's nine residence halls. There is also a student staff member on each floor, a Resident Assistant (RA). Each building has a ResLife staff member available to students each evening.
It is the staff teams' privilege to build relationships with the students living in their residence hall. Relationships are formed any way that life overlaps, from sharing a class together to sharing meals together. These settings provide the venue for peer to peer relationships to grow. Finally, the ResLife staff offers care for students who may struggle in any area of life while at Ouachita.
All ResLife staff members meet each week with their mentoring supervisor and as a staff team to discuss anything from spiritual wellbeing and student care to the World Series. These relationships provide the foundation for facilitating healthy relationships in the halls.
Residential Philosophy and Ouachita's Facilities
Ouachita's facilities also reflect the residential philosophy. Freshmen are encouraged
to request a roommate or complete a roommate matching form, which admissions and housing
staffs use to pair a student with a roommate and suitemates. Freshmen women are housed
in Frances Crawford Hall while men are housed both in Flippen-Perrin Hall and O.C. Bailey. These halls are large, allowing students to get to know many of their classmates.
Upperclass students choose their own roommates and suitemates. Based on seniority,
they also choose thier housing assignment.
