Our Philosophy

"Working together to enhance student life" is the Housing & Food Services mission statement. Housing & Food Services is a large and complex organization with a unified commitment to supporting student learning, growth, and success.

Residential Life at the University of Washington offers a unique student affairs experience in housing. Together, we strive for a work environment where all team members feel valued, supported, and respected across all positions, titles and identities.

Our unit values of Collaboration, Intentionality, Accountability, Inclusion and Growth guide our efforts to ensure residents have a robust residential experience, that our team grows and develops as professionals, and that staff are encouraged to support their personal wellness and perspective.

• Collaboration: We believe a strength of our work is the many perspectives and experiences we bring together in serving our students and partners. Collaboration empowers our team members to showcase their perspectives and expertise through building relationships and developing an understanding of each other's work.

• Intentionality: We approach our work with care, consideration of our potential impact and outcomes, and an awareness of our overall mission and goals.

• Accountability: We believe the foundation of accountability is setting clear and consistent expectations. Mistakes happen and accountability plays a central role in how we learn and grow as individuals and as a team. We welcome opportunities to provide and receive feedback, reflect on our impact and are committed to enacting intentional changes in response to the feedback we receive.

• Inclusion: We strive to cultivate spaces that foster connection and belonging by reflecting on areas of marginalization and privilege, respecting and honoring the experiences of others, approaching conversations with empathy and care, learning new information with intention and taking responsibility for the impacts of our actions.

• Growth: We seek to be innovative and proactive in becoming knowledgeable about our work, continuing to improve our skills, adapting and developing habits, and navigating various environments.