Activities & Organizations
Being involved in campus life is a great way to enhance friendships, make new connections, and build a community on campus. Whether you are joining a club, participating in Emerging Leaders or helping to welcome students as a First Year Guide, there are multiple ways to make life-long connections. We have over 25 clubs and organizations, tons of events and activities that focus on many different areas of interest, leadership programs, student leader positions and so much more.
UArts is home to over 25 clubs and organizations that are just as creative as our students. There's something for everyone including visual arts, music, performing arts, advocacy and more.
Find your community channel based on identity or interest!
Community Channels are virtual groups hosted by student leaders that bring people together based on common identities and shared interests. These groups will meet weekly throughout the semester to help build meaningful relationships! We’ve listed our Community Channel offerings below. Check out instagram (@uarts_campuslife) or our weekly Keepin’ Up with Campus Life emails for more info!
*To ensure the integrity of these spaces, we ask that you only join the channels if you identify as a member of that specific community.
Black, Indigenous, and Students of Color (BIPOC Students):*
This Community Channel provides space specifically for Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Biracial, and Multiracial students. Join the conversation to share, discuss, and celebrate lived experiences while also establishing relationships with peers!
Neurodivergence and Accessibility:*
This Community Channel provides space for students with both invisible and visible disabilities to feel empowered and comfortable on campus and in greater society. Join the conversation to meet other students as well as learn about accommodations and accessibility resources!
Wellness Pop-Ups:
Wellness pop-ups are tabling events that happen each month to remind us to prioritize our well-being. Stop by the table to pick up healthy snacks, learn about mental health resources, and other self-care gems!
Dive into Philly:
This Community Channel introduces you to all things Philly! Whether it’s checking out museums, Philly foods, or other local spots we’ve got you! Join us if you're interested in exploring what Philly has to offer!
Interested in leadership? Want to hone your own leadership skills? Emerging Leaders is a program that is designed to help you learn more about yourself, your leadership strengths and develop skills that will help you be more confident and successful in whatever you decide to pursue on or off campus. Emerging Leaders has two parts: 1) Emerging Leaders and 2) Emerging Leaders: Leadership in Practice.
Emerging Leaders
Emerging Leaders is part one of the program. It is an 8-week discussion and activity based program that invites you to learn about the five exemplary practices of leadership, explore your leadership strengths, and discover the infinite styles and forms that leadership takes. Upon successful completion of the course, students receive a leadership certificate.
Emerging Leaders is running in Spring 2022 and will begin Wednesday, February 2nd. Registration is open to all students. If you're interested in taking part, email campuslife@uarts.edu!
Emerging Leaders: Leadership in Practice
Graduates of Emerging Leaders are then invited to participate in Emerging Leaders: Leadership in Practice which is an 8-week program. Through this program, students are invited to put what they learned in Emerging Leaders into practice as they develop their own leadership projects geared towards the UArts community. The course also builds upon students’ current leadership skills like time management and conflict resolution. Graduates of this program receive a second leadership certificate.
Why Participate in the Emerging Leaders Program?
There are many reasons students participate in Emerging Leaders, and we ask students every year what they've gained from participating in the program. They always cite the same few reasons. Participating helps them:
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Create community at UArts and expand their networks
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Learn from various perspectives and gain exposure to new ideas
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Build confidence
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See themselves as a leader and want to take on a leadership role at UArts
From our perspective, we host Emerging Leaders because studies have shown that the more involved a student is on campus, and the more they contribute to the campus community, the better they do academically, the more likely they are to graduate, and the more satisfied they are with their educational experience.
Our data shows that students who participate in Emerging Leaders have higher GPAs than the overall UArts GPA, are more likely to persist and graduate from UArts, and are much more likely to take on a student leader role such as Resident Assistant, First Year Guide, or Community Assistant.
Graduate of the Emerging Leaders program will be informed directly about the opportunity to take part in Emerging Leaders: Leadership in Practice.
Game Night is a bi-weekly social-hour led by students, for students. No preparation necessary; all games are designed to be simple and accessible to everyone! At the end of each night, the winner will receive a $25 gift card! Game Nights begin Wednesday, February 2nd and repeat every two weeks! They begin at 7:00 p.m. ET and wrap up around 8:00 p.m. ET in the CBS Auditorium. Expect snacks, and bring friends!
Join fellow UArtists as they share helpful tutorials about everything from food to plant care on the Campus Life Instagram TV account. Not only will you get to learn more about folx in your community, but you will also learn a thing or two along the way. Follow the series on the Campus Life Instagram by clicking the button below!
Connecting With Us
Campus Life will host a variety of events, activities, and programs throughout the year. We use the following methods to get the word out to you. Be sure to check them out regularly to stay up to date!
Flyers
All residence halls and academic buildings will have flyers posted on the bulletin boards and walls. These flyers are updated throughout the semester.
Student Activities Tile on the UArts App
Head to the Student Activities tile on the UArts App to see a listing of all upcoming student events, including events hosted by clubs and organizations. There you’ll find a description of the event as well as information about how to participate.
Don’t have the UArts App? You can download the UArts App by selecting one of these links:
After downloading the app, you will be prompted to enter your UArts email address, and then a verification code will be sent to your UArts email. Verification codes are valid for one hour (if you miss your code, you can generate a new verification code as needed). Enter the code, and then you’ll be registered as a user!
Keepin’ Up with Campus Life Emails
Every Monday, you’ll get an email in your inbox titled “Keepin’ Up with Campus Life.” There we will highlight all of the events happening that week, include links to registration forms and links to Zoom or Google Meet sessions, if applicable. We’ll also advertise various opportunities for you to get involved or calls for artists.
Social Media
Follow @UArts_CampusLife on Instagram for reminders of upcoming events, highlights of events and more!
Connect with Campus Life
The Campus Life team is full of staff that are passionate about creating a welcoming community for all UArts students and strive to make the experience outside of the classroom memorable and impactful.
Have a question about how to get involved, start a club or org, or want to pitch an idea for a program? Email campuslife@uarts.edu to set up a meeting to discuss it!
Get to know the team
Kristen Burkett
Senior Director for Student Engagement
Jheri Wills
Diversity and Inclusion Programming Coordinator
Ryan Hopely
Campus & Commuter Life Coordinator
David Iboy
Area Coordinator
Daniel Kelly
Community Standards Coordinator
Student Leader Positions
The Office of Campus Life has a few types of student leader positions. Each position has different roles and responsibilities and offers their own unique and rewarding experiences. Below is an overview of the positions:
- Community Advisors (CA) work with the Pre-College program over the summer to host programs for Pre-College residents and ensure students have a safe and enjoyable summer.
- First Year Guides (FYG) welcome new students into the UArts Community at New Student Orientation and assist with First Year Programs and UArts Day.
- Resident Assistants (RA) RAs support students who live in the residence halls throughout the school year by providing them with programs to help build community.
Community Assistant
Community Assistants are student live-in staff members who serve as liaisons and resources within the campus community for the Pre-College students. The Community Assistant works with their residents and other residential staff members to create an environment in the residence halls that contributes to the social and cultural development of the members of the Pre-College community.
Hiring Process
Applications for the Community Assistant position are made available in early November and are emailed to students. In order to apply for the position, all applicants are required to attend an information session.
First Year Guide
First Year Guides (FYGs) are responsible for helping to welcome our new students every year at Orientation. They are assigned a group of new students at the start of Orientation and it is their role to help ensure that these new students feel welcomed and get connected on campus. They reach out to their group throughout the semester and participate in First Year Student programming, as well as serve as UArts Day leaders and help to make UArts Day a success!
Hiring Process
The FYG application becomes available in the beginning of the spring semester and requires two references from staff, faculty, or other student leaders. Students will be emailed from Campus Life with the position description and application link. All qualified applicants are required to attend a group interview day in March as well as individual interviews. All applicants will be notified if they have been selected to serve as a FYG via email by the end of March. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please email campuslife@uarts.edu.
Resident Assistant
Resident Assistants (RAs) are student live-in staff members who facilitate the development of the residence community, support the development of individual students, uphold the Code of Conduct, take a proactive role in maintaining safe residential facilities, take a broader leadership role within the University, participate in staff development and training, and perform administrative duties.
RAs positively shape the UArts’ on-campus living experience, while also enhancing their own leadership skills (including time management, interpersonal communication, budgeting, public speaking, and conflict mediation). Few campus employment opportunities provide students with the scope and depth of this position; RAs must be prepared for an incredibly rewarding and challenging experience where they can impact the lives of many students.
In line with these expectations, RAs' primary responsibilities are to build community among their residents and serve as a resource to the students living in their communities and in their residence hall. The residence life program depends on the strong performance of each staff member’s responsibilities and support of the overall team.
Hiring Process
Applications for the Resident Assistant position are made available in early November and are emailed to students. In order to apply for the position, all applicants are required to attend an information session.