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Community Life

Residential Life

Residential life has a rich tradition at the University of Notre Dame.  The University provides opportunities for students to prepare themselves for constructive and responsible living by fostering an environment which recognizes and values the needs of both the individual and the larger community.  Life in a residence hall allows students to become responsible community members through the process of intellectual, social, spiritual, and emotional maturation. The Residential Life Leadership Team provides supervision and guidance over the management of Notre Dame's residence halls and other residential facilities. 

Residence Hall Staff

The community-centered life in each hall is guided by the hall’s Rector.  Rectors include priests of the Congregation of Holy Cross, men and women of other religious orders, and lay men and women.  Rectors are committed to the growth and development of college students.  Each Rector is responsible for selecting and supervising six to eleven staff members and for developing and implementing religious, community-service, social, and educational programs that support the University’s mission. Rector and Assistant Rector contact information can be found on their individual hall websites.
 

The Rector and two Assistant Rectors comprise the head staff of each residence hall. Generally, Assistant Rectors are Notre Dame graduate students. Assistant Rectors aid the Rector in the administration of the residence hall and its programs.

Resident Assistants (RA) are senior or graduate-level students who are members of the residence hall staff and also members of the Division of Student Affairs.  Resident Assistant application packets are available in the Office of Housing beginning in mid-November. Questions regarding specific qualifications for the Resident Assistant position should be directed to the residence hall's Rector or to the Residential Life Website.

Housing

Additionally, the Office of Residential Life oversees a number of tasks that influence residential life at Notre Dame, including coordinating and  assigning housing for all on-campus undergraduate students, as well as maintaining the wait list for on-campus housing. The Office of Residential Life also administers the summer housing assignments for all summer students and guests. Staff work cooperatively with other University departments throughout the year to ensure the physical maintenance and security of the residence halls and to assist with the selection, supervision, and training of hall staff members.

  • Administrative Office: 2nd floor of Duncan Student Center
  • Phone: 574-631-5878

Graduate Student Life

The office of Graduate Student Life exists to connect Notre Dame graduate students to resources, experiences, and community life to support their success and holistic well-being. More information can be found here: https://gradlife.nd.edu/

Family Resource Center

The Notre Dame Family Resource Center (FRC) provides support services to married, parenting, and/or pregnant students to ensure all families thrive at Notre Dame. Through year-round educational and social programming, the FRC is dedicated to building community for Notre Dame’s married, parenting, and/or pregnant students and their families at Beichner Hall. Information about the Family Resource Center can be found here: https://frc.nd.edu/

Office of Student Enrichment

The Office of Student Enrichment (OSE) was founded in 2016 and exists to ensure all students have the opportunity to flourish at Notre Dame.

Born from the heart of the University's mission to care for the whole person, the Office of Student Enrichment is designed to:

  • Help students acclimate and adjust to a collegiate environment
  • Provide access to all things that make the Notre Dame experience special
  • Enable every student to reach their full potential

By offering personal support, social enrichment, and growth opportunities for members of the Notre Dame community who identify with the first-generation college and/or lower-income undergraduate student experience, the Office of Student Enrichment hopes to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for each student to reach their full potential. Programs address students' academic, social, and professional development needs, and address topics like peer mentoring, financial literacy tools and training, career discernment and resources, helping student navigate Notre Dame and college life, and networking at Notre Dame and beyond.

Off-Campus Life

The South Bend area offers a number of opportunities for students to engage in the local community.   

Additionally, the Off-Campus Connector, a website jointly sponsored by Student Government and Student Affairs, is a resource developed by the Off-Campus Council which aims to aid and inform students as they explore living off-campus. 

Residential Life provides resources for off campus students, including housing options, via the Off-Campus Resources website.

The University of Notre Dame also offers experience.nd.edu and Visit South Bend as comprehensive websites with information about the South Bend Area. The website includes topics such as: arts and entertainment; education and family; food and drink; government and business; health and personal care; housing and home services; parks and recreation; religion and volunteerism; and, travel and lodging.

Office of Community Standards

The Office of Community Standards educates the campus community on expectations for student conduct and administers formative and developmentally-based opportunities rooted in the Holy Cross tradition to challenge students to reflect on their choices, take responsibility for their actions, and understand the balance between the needs of the individual as well as the University community.