Dorm Life

The purpose of the Residential Life Program at Randolph-Macon Academy is to educationally and socially prepare students for college life and beyond.  As a boarding school, we have chosen to make the residential life program an extension of the academic environment.

The caring and responsible adults who supervise the boarding school environment include three R-MA alumni, two ordained ministers, a former social worker, and four athletic coaches.  Between all of our dorm supervisors, a total of seven foreign languages are spoken: French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Hebrew and Greek.  These professionals seek to establish positive relationships with their respective cadets, in the process becoming the “R-MA Dad” or “R-MA Mom” to dozens of students each year.

Through our Big Brother, Big Sister and Cadre Leadership programs, our residential life curriculum and our experienced Cadet Life Supervisors (CLSs), R-MA’s Residential Life Program helps cadets develop into responsible members of the R-MA and the local communities, and prepares them for future challenges in life, to include college.

Cadets participate in a weekly Residential Life Curriculum focusing on life, civil communication and positive choice-making skills.  By engaging our cadets in civil dialogue over age-appropriate matters, they develop a true sense of identity, a desire and need to self-govern, and leadership skills, all of which help cultivate their overall potential into well-rounded individuals.

In addition to our Cadet Manual, Air Force JROTC Aerospace Leadership Resources, and a book entitled Success for Teens by The Success Foundation, we use a small-group style format in which cadet leaders take a section of the book at a time and use their own current event information to engage their fellow cadets in dialogue about pertinent topics of joint interest.  This initiative has been well-received by our cadet corps.

Why Have a Residence Life Curriculum?

A boarding school education does not end in the classroom.  At Randolph-Macon Academy, Cadet Life Supervisors (CLSs) work with the students, helping them develop the communication skills and maturity needed to become successful, self-governed young men and women.

The CLSs use a Residence Life Curriculum that includes:

• Promoting ownership of the residence life environment among the cadets, staff and community
• Improving communications that will, in turn, improve social skills, academic performance and self-governance
• Promoting the residence life environment as an extension of the classroom and home

In addition to fostering good-natured competitions and a caring, involved atmosphere, the residential life faculty work with the academic faculty to ensure that homework is being completed.  CLSs are the conduit between the cadet and the school, ensuring the concerns of parents are being met and proper and effective communication is taking place.  They also work to cultivate a wholesome living environment with faith-based morals.

How Is the Residence Life Curriculum Taught?

Boarding cadets participate in The Residential Life Curriculum. Day cadets are always welcome and encouraged to participate. CLSs and cadets discuss various topics of interest, including:

• How choices affect those around you and not just you
• Over-the-counter medication concerns
• Dealing with parents and siblings
• Appropriate relationship building
• Leading by example
• Religious and cultural diversity and tolerance
• Dealing pro-actively with roommate challenges
• Knowing R-MA standards
• Respect for self and others
• Time management and attention to detail
• Positive character development
• Personal integrity
• Adherence to the honor code
• Developing healthy lifestyle habits
• Demonstrating positive leadership (opportunities for all)
• Harnessing technology as opposed to technology harnessing you
• Cyber-bullying
• Sexting

Appropriate materials are distributed and open discussion, sometimes led by cadets in a small group format, takes place between the cadets and/or the CLSs afterwards.  Cadets are encouraged to come with their own ideas for discussion.

We use the following published materials in our Residential Life Curriculum:

• Magazines, internet, appropriate videos and other newsworthy articles
• AFJROTC Leadership–text and workbook
• Randolph-Macon Academy Cadet Manual
• Appropriate internet and other multimedia resources to include current local, regional, and world events

How Do Students Provide Feedback?

Students provide feedback on the residential life program through the following channels:

• Student representatives, a faculty member, and the director of residential life form the Student Life Committee.  This group meets once a week to discuss dorm, academic, and community issues.  The final week of the month is dedicated to food services concerns; this particular meeting is attended by our Food Service Director.
• Town Hall meetings are held once each quarter, and offer both boarding and day students the opportunity to voice questions or concerns.

What Recognition Can Cadets Earn?

Cadets of the Quarter are selected by the Squadrom Commanders, Corps Commander, and Director of Student Life to encourage and reward deserving cadets for extraordinary effort. Cadets of the Quarter are honored in the following ways

• They are recognized before the entire cadet corps.
• Their picture, along with their certificate annotating their accomplishment as a Cadet of the Quarter, is posted outside the Student Life Office for a time.

What About Fun?

What is a school community without some fun?  We have a variety of events upon which the cadets decide.  When the weather is nice we have a large outdoor screen we use to show movies on the track.  The Parents’ Association sells snacks and drinks at most movie night events.

Just before the Christmas Break we have an annual Christmas banquet with a slide show of the year thus far in pictures.  Door prizes are given out (compliments of our Parents’ Association), and our Food Service Contractor (SAGE) prepares a special incredible meal chosen by the cadets. This is repeated at the end of the year with a banquet celebrating the rise of our eighth grade class to the Upper School.

At Easter, we hold an annual Easter Egg Hunt, complete with prizes inside the eggs donated by our Faculty and Staff.  This has always been a lot of fun for our cadets.