Residential Curriculum

Our Residential Curriculum guides the programmatic and philosophical efforts of our office within a greater institutional context. We strive to create a lived experience where every resident feels safe, connected and supported.

Educational Priority: As a result of the Residential Experience at Wellesley College, students will be immersed in an inclusive and exuberant community that inspires curiosity, fosters interpersonal connections, and encourages life-long learning.

Learning Goal Focus: The four learning goals focus on self awareness, sense of belonging, inclusive excellence, and holistic wellness.

Learning Goal #1: Self Awareness

By living in residence, Wellesley College students will develop a greater awareness of self and their role in the larger world.

Narrative: Before we seek to be understood, we must first seek to understand. Therefore, an awareness of self is predicated on the purposeful and productive engagement of others. From the embedded culture of a community to everyday interactions, students in residence will contend with who they are and how they impact the larger world by seeking to understand the frame of those around them. In doing so, students will develop the social and emotional resilience to navigate complex spaces and contexts in an independent and resourceful manner.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to reflect on their values.
Students will be able to demonstrate resilience in their interpersonal relationships.
Students will be able to practice appropriate ways to advocate for self and others.
Students will be able to exercise a growth mindset.
Students will be able to exemplify an empathetic and civically engaged worldview.

Learning Goal #2: Sense of Belonging

By living in residence, Wellesley College students will feel embraced and empowered to become their authentic self in community with others.

Narrative: Living in an affirming and celebratory space where one is seen and valued encourages the capacity of individual residents to embrace their peers in dialogue, radical candor, and meaning-making experiences. By feeling valued as members of their residential community, students will be empowered to be the architects of their lived experience, unencumbered by the pressure to be performative or to arrive as experts. In residence, students will be embraced for their idiosyncrasies, supported through transitions, and encouraged to practice and iterate towards becoming their fullest expression of self.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to engage socially with their peers.
Students will be able to develop rapport with their roommate(s) and neighbors.
Students will be able to express themselves openly and genuinely to others.
Students will be able to manage interpersonal conflicts.

Learning Goal #3: Inclusive Excellence

By living in residence, Wellesley College students will understand the value of engaging with others who hold different identities and perspectives.

Narrative: To stay true to the principles of a liberal arts education, students must be encouraged to engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue that explores a variety of thoughts and ideas. Our residential community is strengthened when students learn to communicate across differences and are encouraged to openly share their lived experiences with others. By synthesizing diverse interpersonal perspectives, students hone their capacity to reason, their ability to articulate their values to others, and their commitment to caring for people from all walks of life. These intentional, meaningful connections create flexible, innovative thinkers who possess the skills and courage to pursue their intrinsic passions while navigating the complexities of an evolving global society.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to connect with peers with different lived experiences.
Students will be able to collaborate with peers whose subjectivities may not mirror their own.
Students will be able to engage in meaningful and difficult dialogue with others.
Students will be able to further their development towards an intercultural mindset.

Learning Goal #4: Holistic Wellness

By living in residence, Wellesley College students will develop their own multidimensional definition of wellness and implement sustainable strategies to meet their holistic wellness goals.

Narrative: Authentic learning can only take place when our most basic needs are addressed. It is essential that students become familiar with their holisitic wellness needs so that they can sustain themselves, grow, and thrive while living in residence. By living amongst peers who are similarly developing their own deeply personal conceptions of wellness, students are immersively encouraged to engage in self-care that makes rigorous learning and development possible.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to define the dimensions of wellness.
Students will be able to identify wellness resources on and off campus.
Students will be able to appropriately utilize wellness resources and strategies for themselves and others.
Students will be able to apply their knowledge of wellness to develop a sustainable self-care plan.