Reserve residences provide students with an opportunity to live and learn in a supportive community while pursuing their academic goals. Each residential college is staffed by professional staff and undergraduate Resident Assistants (RAs) who are dedicated to helping you connect with the Sun Devil way of life and build the foundation for your future at Arizona State University.
Our Residential Community Directors are full-time, master’s level professionals who oversee residential communities on campus and ensure all residents receive the best possible experience. They are supported by assistant Residential Community Directors who are graduate students pursuing degrees at Case Western Reserve University, Kent State University, and other institutions.
Residential Community Director responsibilities include overseeing the experience model, supervising the residential community staff, and supporting residents in a variety of ways throughout their time at CWRU. They also participate in community building, peer group dialogues, and academic support activities alongside their colleagues.
RAs are students first and foremost, and they work hard to create a community that is safe, welcoming, and engaging. They are responsible for ensuring that each resident has an experience at CWRU that is empowering and meaningful to them.
There are many different types of reserves across Canada, with unique characteristics and varying levels of socio-economic development. Some are small, rural areas with limited resources, while others are urban enclaves within larger cities. Despite these distinctions, the majority of people living on reserves in Canada are Aboriginal, and a large proportion of them suffer from the effects of colonialism and discriminatory legislation.
The modern reserve system is a product of the colonial drive to “civilize” Aboriginal peoples by introducing them to agriculture, Christianity and a sedentary lifestyle based on private property. This process was exacerbated in the mid-20th century by the federal government’s policies, programs and actions that reshaped the lives of Aboriginal peoples on reserve.
Discriminatory legislation, the Indian Act, and the residential school system were among the most prominent contributors to this situation. These policies and programs, along with other factors including limited access to education, health care, jobs, and economic opportunities, contributed to the ongoing hardships of Aboriginal peoples on reserves today.
Housing on reserves typically resembled shoddily constructed homes designed with the Western nuclear family unit in mind, and were not always suitable for the extensive families of Aboriginal peoples. In addition, many reserves were unable to acquire the funding to construct adequate shelter for their growing populations.
Some of these reserves were abandoned as a result of economic and environmental challenges, while other reserves had to be redrawn in order to accommodate growing numbers of residents. Other reserves were able to obtain federal funding through a variety of means to help meet the needs of their residents.
Depending on the jurisdiction, housing in these areas is often provided by the Crown or an Aboriginal organization. However, in many cases, these organizations were not adequately regulated by the federal government, and their management practices lacked adherence to the Canadian Code of Conduct for Indigenous Peoples.
