Residential Life Programming Model
C.H2.I.P.S.

Developing community is a large part of your responsibility as a Resident Assistant.  Programming creates opportunities for students to come together, learn new things, and get to know each other.  Programming at Hope College focuses on developing the whole student.  The C.H2.I.P.S. model is used to promote Community, Harmony, Intellectual, Physical, and Spiritual development.  By planning programs in each of these areas, RAs provide valuable learning opportunities while promoting connections among residents and to the campus. 

While all of these areas are important, you will find they often overlap with one another.  Many programs you plan or bulletin boards you create will cover more than one of the C.H2.I.P.S. categories.  

Active and Passive Programming
There are two types of programming you can do to facilitate learning in your hall.

Active programming is programming that is an event.  This requires you to plan and host the event for your residents.  Active programming includes things such as: taking your floor to a football game, inviting a speaker or faculty member to address a topic of interest, or hosting a “get to know your roommate” game show.

Passive programming is programming that is not an event.  This does not require you to gather everyone and host an event.  Rather you will research a particular topic of interest and share the information with your residents in a creative way.  Examples of passive programming include bulletin boards or fliers.

Community

Developing your community is an essential part of a positive R.A. experience. Creating an environment where people feel safe, encouraged, and know how to appreciate one another is what developing community is all about. It is important to establish goals for yourself at the beginning to help decide what kind of community you desire and how you can best foster the individual differences within your community. Social programming, getting people together to talk, eat, and have fun, is one of the best ways to develop community.

Program Ideas for “Community”

Harmony - 2 (Multi-Culturalism)

The category of harmony deals specifically with creating safe spaces in which all people are free to be themselves and are willing to embrace the diversity that surrounds them. As a resident assistant you are an advocate of this idea and part of your responsibility is to model this type of acceptance to your residents. Diversity is a wide-ranging topic and it is important to recognize that every person is different and unique. There are multiple aspects of diversity such as race, gender, background, values, and religion. Each of these aspects of diversity can be looked at in detail to learn about and embrace diversity. Programming in this area can seem overwhelming at first, but there are many opportunities of which to take advantage.

Program Ideas for “Harmony”

Intellectual
Hope College strives to maintain academic excellence with each student that attends here. The fun and social things play a large role in the college experience, but it is necessary to also create an environment where learning is encouraged and respected. As an RA it is vital to be incorporating the academic aspect as well as the fun aspect. Each resident may be experiencing different changes, especially in his or her role as a student. Programming in this area can be difficult, but the main goal is to strive to bring academics into the halls and maintain a living, learning community.

Program Ideas for “Intellectual”

Physical

Staying active is a great way to release stress and feel good about oneself at the same time. Programming in this category is not limited strictly to exercise. Things like nutrition, exercise, alcohol, smoking, eating disorders, and sexual health all fit under this category. However, this list is not exhaustive. Physical programs can range from a game of Frisbee golf to volunteering with Habitat for Humanity on a work project. As an educator, part of your job is to make sure that the residents understand all areas of the physical. This section provides endless opportunities for programs and educational tools that may be beneficial in helping to provide the information your residents need.

Program Ideas for “Physical”

Spiritual

This element of programming is just as necessary as the other four in developing the whole person. Because of the Christian commitment of Hope College this category offers insight into the vision shared by students, staff, and faculty. All students are expressive of their spirituality in different ways and it is appropriate to honor that. As a RA it is simply your job to educate and offer opportunities for residents to develop themselves within a spiritual context.

Program Ideas for “Spiritual”