If you have lived in a first year residence at UBC or currently live in one, then you have lived alongside a Residence Coordinator. Many of you probably know what a Residence Advisor, or RA, is, but do you know what a Residence Coordinator is? Thanks to HCUBC, here is your chance to find out! I spoke with John Liu about his experience as a Residence Coordinator in Totem Park.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
“My name is John Liu. I’m from Toronto, Ontario and began this position as a Residence Coordinator this past August. I’ve worked in Residence Life for 4 years prior to this at Queen’s University. Residence Life is where I’ve made my closest friends and my most memorable experiences from [my] undergrad, so I’ve really enjoyed my time with ResLife. Random fact: Since I’ve lived in residence for pretty much all my life since I was 18, I’ve never really learned to cook or learn basic house-related chores (having relied so much on a dining hall/cafeteria)… So you could say my cooking skills aren’t that great…”
What is the Residence Coordinator position?
“The Residence Coordinator (RC) position is a paraprofessional role under Student Housing and Hospitality Services. We supervise teams of 6-7 Residence Advisors for a whole year. It’s a really unique role in that it provides a leadership opportunity for students to get a taste of the “professional” world, while still being a “student.” All RCs are part-time students, taking at least once course per term.”
What is your favourite part about being a Residence Coordinator?
“My favorite part about being a Residence Coordinator so far is having the opportunity to supervise others who are in a paid position. This is my first time being an official “supervisor” in a paid-work related setting, so it’s definitely been a great experience for me to develop supervisory skills. As well, RCs have a lot of access to professional development opportunities, and work closely with professional staff. In this sense, we’re kind of “welcomed” into the professional world – so it’s a great stepping-stone for experiencing what the workforce will be like upon graduation.”
Queens vs. UBC: What are the differences and how are you enjoying your time at UBC so far?
“Queen’s is much smaller than UBC – both in campus size and population. As a result, you notice a huge difference in terms of school spirit. Since it was a smaller campus, I’d say there was a stronger sense of community, and everybody was generally more friendly to each other. You either lived in residence, or a 10 minute walk away from campus.
UBC on the other hand is more of a commuter school, so there’s less school spirit. Not to take away from UBC, of course, it’s still a great school! Also, the good side of this (from the perspective of being an RA/RC) is that residence is much quieter and there are definitely [fewer] parties.”
What has been the most entertaining experience you’ve had as a Residence Coordinator?
“One of the best parts of this job is the fact that it’s in Vancouver, BC! As I’m from Ontario, I had always wanted to move out west and experience this magical land of Vancouver where it seldom goes below zero degrees in the winter, and barely snows. I’d say my most entertaining experiences have involved hanging out and getting to know my fellow RCs (there are 16 of us total). In particular, in December, the 9 RCs who work in Totem Park went to Whistler together! It was definitely a lot of fun and a very memorable trip.”