August 27, 2024
As the Director of Residence Life at Nebraska, Matt Nelson says he has “the best job on campus.” From building a team of students and staff empowered to positively shape the first-year experience to Big Red Welcome events and activities, Matt is dedicated to creating a welcoming space for lifetime memories and friendships.
You are the Director of Residence Life here at Nebraska. Can you talk a bit more about what this role entails?
I have the best job on campus. As Director of Residence Life, I am fortunate to work with a talented team who make it their mission to create a welcoming on-campus home for all our students. In my role, I have the pleasure of working with the residential experience from start to finish — from application, room assignment and move-in all the way through move-out.
Our team in Residence Life includes 35 professional staff who oversee the community development in our halls, services at our front desks, implementation of our learning communities, the application and room assignment process and more. I am blessed to lead this team and be involved with such a variety of functions to support our students! Speaking of, we have the greatest student staff who live and work in the residence halls. Our 300-student staff include resident assistants, desk assistants and learning community peer mentors — not to mention the student staff in dining and facilities operations. Together, this mighty team helps us accomplish our mission and demonstrates an unwavering and renowned commitment to care.
What does the preparation and lead-up to move-in and the back-to-school season look like for you and your team?
Believe it or not, our plans for August 2024 move-in began in August 2023. Each year, we strive to improve the move-in experience for our students and their families. We want to make it a memorable, seamless experience — one our students and their families will cherish forever. We strive to take the ‘worry’ out of the experience. That’s why we offer a curbside move-in experience, where students drive up and have their belongings unloaded and whisked away to their residence hall room. Worry less about hauling and moving — so that you have more time to focus on what matters most: creating core memories with loved ones as you set up your room at the University of Nebraska. That’s a big deal.
As you can imagine, there are a lot of logistics associated with a move-in. After all, when our students move in, UNL Housing becomes Nebraska’s 32nd largest city! We think about experiential items — with special attention to what may surprise and delight our students and their families. The Housing facilities team pays great attention to preparing a sparkling clean room for each of our students. The Dining staff were busy this summer preparing new menus and concepts for the new academic year. There’s a lot of work that goes into room assignments, roommate matching and move-in timeslot arrangement. We strategize operational items like traffic patterns, city permits and parking needs. Our student staff teams participate in a robust training program to get ready for the year ahead and busily prepare floor communities for opening. All of this and more, while doing whatever we can to help students on an individual basis, answering questions and helping students through unique situations. We do all of this to provide a seamless experience!
How do you empower your staff, including Resident Assistants and Resident Directors, to support first-year Huskers and build a positive community on campus?
This is the culture of our team. Each of our professional staff has a unique set of responsibilities and supports a staff of their own. These staff members are leaders in our residential communities and are charged with many important responsibilities to autonomously complete in a way that will support our students.
Our team is empowered to treat their floor community and their building as a place that is welcoming to all and to make the building feel like home. Each resident assistant, for example, will have their own spin on this. Their relationships will be formed on an individual basis with the residents on their floor. The name of the game is building a community based on individual relationships and connections.
Can you describe the importance of fostering a positive environment for students during their first weeks and first year on campus?
Research suggests the first six weeks of the semester are critical, especially for our first-year students. We know this is the case for our students at UNL. Starting college, moving to a new place, adapting to new surroundings and people are things that make college exciting and exhilarating, but it can also be overwhelming. Our staff seeks to provide intentional experiences and conversations with each student about their life on campus during those first few weeks at Nebraska. Our staff work to make our Big Ten campus feel like home, forming a small, tight-knit community on each residence hall floor — truly the embodiment of every person, every interaction matters.
One way our students can engage in the full Husker experience is to look for ways to learn about Husker Student POWER. At UNL, POWER is an acronym for key elements that unify all Huskers. Embracing POWER elements — with the support of our team — will help you make the most of your experience. You should see large-scale events like our Residence Hall Block Parties, but you should also see opportunities to engage with your floor and floormates as well. For instance, over the course of the first several weeks, each resident assistant hosts a weekly hangout for all members of the floor community. Be sure to stop by these gatherings and explore all that campus has to offer!
The Residence Life team plans and coordinates the residence hall block parties — a must-attend event for first-year students. How is this event brought to life, and how does it impact first-year students’ experience?
That’s right, our residence hall block parties are some of our signature events that kickstart the academic year in the residence halls. For three nights the week before classes, following move-in, our team hosts large-scale, social events known as block parties. These events are meticulously planned by our residence life team over the summer and brought to life in August. Each block party has its own personality — from outdoor games to grocery bingo, crafts and line dancing. I think we’ve got something for everyone! All of our residential students are invited to participate in any and all of the block parties, regardless of where they live. These events are sure to bring a smile to your face and are wonderful opportunities to meet and engage with folks you know and meet other new students. Beyond the block parties, don’t miss events hosted by Residence Hall Association (RHA) — like hypnotist shows and outdoor movie nights. These events are simply a taste of what your Housing & Dining staff will host this year!
Is there anything that people may not know, but would be interested to know about the work you and your team do at the beginning of the semester?
The work and planning that goes into the move-in season in August is unlike any other. We have many dedicated staff throughout Housing and Dining who eagerly prepare for this big event. Move-in is a five-day, large-scale event riddled with operational nuances and challenges. And we love it. Move-in is our most high-profile function of the year and we are pleased that our students and families have a superb experience. We’re proud of that.
And yet, the most important part of our role throughout the year often goes unnoticed. It’s the work that is done on an individual basis with each student.
- That could be a staff member sharing a meal with a student to get to know them. It might include conversations about how to communicate with their roommate, how to get involved or what to do if they’re feeling homesick.
- Maybe that’s a late-night conversation with their resident assistant after an exam didn’t go so great that led a student to reconsider their major — and our team was there to be with them.
- That might look like “hi, how’s your day?” from one of our friendly dining staff members that really brightens someone’s day.
- It includes work from many campus professionals to respond to emergencies at all hours of the day to ensure our commitment to care for all students.
These instances often go unrecognized but are critical to our work of making campus feel like a home. It’s these individual, one-on-one interactions that make all the difference. That’s our secret sauce: our commitment to care — and it is what sets us apart.
Are there any memories from your time as the director?
Among the many memories, the ones that I hold on to are the instances where a staff member goes above and beyond for a student and their family. Maybe they develop an innovative approach to their work with students, remove a barrier or help a student through a tough situation, and truly demonstrate our commitment to care. I have the opportunity to see this happen each day and seeing that culture in action makes me so very proud of our team.
What advice would you give students coming to campus for the first time who are looking to get involved and find a community here at Nebraska?
We are fortunate that our campus has many opportunities for students to be engaged in any number of clubs, activities, organizations, service opportunities, leadership experiences, research, internships, on-campus employment and more. There is no shortage of opportunities to be engaged inside and outside of the classroom. My advice to students coming to campus for the first time is to lean in. Be open to those experiences. Say yes. Keep your residence hall room door open when you’re around. Meet someone new. Really lean into this experience. This is the first time many of you will be in the driver seat of your educational and personal journey. it. Own it — it’s yours.