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Residence

Contact Us

Ancillary Services
McMaster Complex
270 - 18th Street
Brandon, Manitoba
R7A 6A9

Phone: (204)727-7394                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Fax: (204)727-4713
Email: residence@brandonu.ca

Academic Residence Assistants

Meet the 2010-2011 ARAs

 

Immaculate Nabisere

Welcome! I’m Immaculate Nabisere, and I’m a 4th year student. I live on the 8th floor of McMaster Hall, and I am majoring in Applied Disaster and Emergency Studies, with a double minor in Sociology and Drama.

I am an Academic Residence Assistant (an ARA), and together with another ARA, Natasha, I am committed to helping residence students adjust to the academic challenges of university life.  We are supported by the Residence Hall Programs Office and also by the Department of Student Services.

Every Monday Natasha and I will be set up at a table in front of the Dining Room between 5 pm and 6 pm.  Drop by and say hello, or leave us a message on the Facebook ARA page.

Natasha and I will be positively irritating in our attempt to ensure you adjust well to academic life here at Brandon University. But you don’t need to wait for us to contact you: you can take the initiative and contact us, either in front of the Dining Room on Monday evenings or during our regularly scheduled hours in Meeting Room B (in the hallway leading from the Dining Room to McMaster Hall) Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

 

Natasha Van Damme

Welcome to Brandon University! My name is Natasha Van Damme, and I am a third year student majoring in Chemistry, with a minor in Biology. As Academic Residence Assistants, Immaculate and I help you adjust to academic life at Brandon University.  If you need help with assignments or need to know where to find services, we can help. We can also direct you to the learning skills professionals if that is what you require.  The university has tons of programs and activities designed to help you succeed, and we can put you in touch with all of them.

Drop by and see us when we are set up in front of the Dining Room, or drop around Meeting Room B (Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)  and give us a chance to see how you are doing. We look forward to meeting you!

What does the Academic Residence Assistant do?

The Academic Residence Assistant Program is designed to assist first-year residents with the transition to full-time student and residence life. ARA’s serve as both a catalyst and a resource to new students concerning matters of an academic nature and matters related to adjusting to a new living environment. Activities include:

  1. Welcoming and becoming acquainted with first year residents in all three residences.
  2. Scheduling and promoting learning skills activities within the residence complex by utilizing staff and resources from the Department of Student Services.
  3. Delivering training sessions for residence students on how to use the university library, how to access information from other libraries, and how to access information available on the Internet.
  4. Organizing “study groups” for residence students. Tutoring or arranging for specific tutoring for residence students in need of individual assistance.
  5. Identifing residents who may be having difficulty in adjusting to various aspects of residence or academic life, and working with the Residence Assistants to provide maximum support for such residents.
  6. The focus of the Academic Residence Assistant (ARA) is the retention of first-year students: from the first term to the second term, and also from first year to second year.