New Student Transitions - Helpful Resources

April

By Carmen M. Vazquez

Vice President, Student Affairs

Dear USD Parents,

When your student returns home for spring break, you and your student will likely be exploring housing options for next year.  As I shared with you last month, the benefits of living on campus are numerous.  The current issue of Living On, the official electronic newsletter of the department of Residential Life, provides a comprehensive overview of the benefits of and process by which students can secure on-campus housing for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Living on campus provides many experiences and academic enrichment opportunities that are not available in an off-campus living situation.  Research shows that students who live on campus are more likely to engage in co-curricular activities and more likely to interact with students different than themselves.  Quality, furnished accommodations with community lounges provide an educational living environment conducive to group learning, while on-campus technology support ensures that your student’s computing needs are met.  In addition, a review of on- and off-campus student grade point averages at USD reveals that living on campus is correlated with an increased grade point average.

As a Catholic university committed to preparing leaders dedicated to ethical conduct and compassionate service, USD’s residential living experience provides support systems that uniquely meet the needs of our students.  Resident Faculty, currently representing the departments of psychology, ethnic studies, and communication, provide out of the classroom context and are able to informally share world view experiences with the residents living in community with them.  The spiritual development of students is bolstered by the presence of Resident Ministers, while the support of Resident Advisors provides a peer perspective on the USD student experience, with referrals to support services across campus as needed.

If your student is in fact contemplating living off campus next year, I encourage you to review the newly published Guide to Off-Campus Living and discuss the increased level of personal responsibility that comes with managing roommates, paying multiple bills (versus a single bill on-campus), commuting to campus, and making wise decisions about safety while living in the greater San Diego community. 

Regardless of where your student decides to live, thank you for encouraging his or her continued connection to our campus.  The USD experience is more than a classroom experience.  A simple formula that captures this concept is:

Participate in classes + Get involved outside of the classroom and/or live on campus = Best USD experience possible

Wishing you an enjoyable spring break with your USD student!

In Torero Spirit,

Carmen M. Vazquez