Swine flu and methamphetamines and marijuana busts, oh my!
Carol Roberts-Corb, the new director of Housing and Residential Life, started at a busy time for Cal State Long Beach residential life.
During Roberts-Corb’s first semester with CSULB, she has dealt with a number of hurdles, from the scare of a swine flu outbreak in the residential halls to students getting caught with materials used to make methamphetamines in their rooms.
“One of the reasons I work in housing and I’ve stayed in housing for so many years is because everyday is different,” Roberts-Corb said. “You never know what’s going to happen next. Each day is a challenge and each day is exciting.”
Coming in between semesters in January 2009, Roberts-Corb made an abrupt transition to CSULB.
“It’s kind of interesting coming in the middle of the year,” she said. “I think every other job I have started at a university I’ve started with a more natural student cycle, coming in in July or August and having the openings of the residence halls. It was really interesting to come in when things were already in motion.”
Administrative, facilities and residential life are the three components that make up housing at CSULB. Roberts-Corb’s job is to make sure they all run smoothly.
The administrative side deals with business-oriented aspects of the housing department, including marketing on-campus housing, assigning rooms and collecting rent. Facilities deals with the physical structure of residential life, keeping everything clean and maintained.
“The third arm [residential life] is really about the students,” Roberts-Corb said. “To me the university is a learning community. Learning happens in the classroom, learning happens out of the classroom, learning happens everywhere. So the residential life side is all about student care and student development.”
Roberts-Corb is excited to take part in the opening of the new Residential Learning College this fall. The integration of the administrative, facilities and residential life along with academic life is something she views as important.
With over $10 million in renovations taking place at the former Brooks College, Roberts-Corb said the new Residential Learning College is based on the concept of the original colleges in England.
“You had one building, which faculty and students lived, took classes, where everything happened,” she said. “Obviously we’ve gotten away from that. This is an intentional way to bring faculty and students together.”
The doors to the Residential Learning College will open in fall 2009.
“Next year, you know, it’s the first year so it’s a pilot,” Roberts-Corb said. “We’re going to try it out. The University 100 classes will be taught there for the freshmen that live there.”
With over 25 years in university housing experience, Roberts-Corb has worked in the housing departments of UC Santa Barbara, University of Vermont, Concordia University, University of Southern California and UC Irvine.
But she hopes to remain at CSULB until she feels it is time to retire.
“You spend two-thirds of your time out of the classroom,” she said. “I’m really passionate about making sure that time in the residence halls is also a learning time. You’re learning about yourself, you’re learning about other people, you’re learning about how you relate to other people.
“It’s just such an exciting opportunity for learning to occur and I just get really excited about it.”