About Us



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Housing & Residential Services (H&RS) provides housing and residential life services for:

Housing & Residential Services

Our Mission
What We Are About
Strategic Plan
H&RS Annual Reports
Departments in Housing

7320 students in 8 residence halls and 6 apartment complexes
65 for-sale homes and 70 rental apartments for faculty
10,000 students adjacent to the campus
23,000 conferees during the summer
449 full-time career employees
800+ part-time student and casual employees

H&RS Mission Statement

UCSB is a distinguished university recognized for its leadership by state, national, and world academic communities. Housing & Residential Services exists as an integral part of the educational program and academic services of UCSB. Inherent in the operation is the formation and support of an atmosphere conducive to living and learning. H&RS promotes the academic mission of UCSB and creates through support services and developmental programs a sense of community among students, faculty and staff.

The mission of Housing & Residential Services is based on the following premises:

Learning is a continuous process
A community is positively served by responsible social behavior
The professional and paraprofessional staff serve as role models to the larger community
People learn from diversity
Environment affects behavior: A positive environment promotes positive behavior
Community action and involvement are key ingredients in the democratic process
Proper nourishment is equally important to a student’s intellectual development

What We Are About

New hires in Housing & Residential Services are given a laminated card when they begin with seven sentences stating the core values H&RS employees try to exemplify in their daily work. These were developed by employees within the department to reflect what “we are about” in our service to the organization, in our relationships with fellow employees, and most importantly in our work for our customers.

Exceptional service to those we serve
Continuous learning & growth
Respecting & understanding individual differences
Building partnerships & helping others succeed
Being environmentally sensitive
Having fun & being passionate about our work
Striving to be the best!

Strategic Plan

UCSB Housing & Residential Life has a long history of strategic planning, and in 2008 we updated our strategic plan. We use this plan across all of our units and in collaboration with our residents to focus and build upon our strengths as an organization and to create “The Best Housing Experience” for our residents.

(In the spirit of sharing best practices, our “2020 Vision: The Best Housing Experience” Strategic Plan Publication is listed below, along with two professional presentations about successful strategic planning and the appreciative inquiry methodology that we used in our planning process.)

H&RS Annual Report

Departments in Housing & Residential Services


Executive Director's Office	Provides oversight for all departments within Housing & Residential Services H&RS is a campus auxiliary department within the Administrative Services Division reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services staff & phones



Apartment & Community Living	Responsible for all aspects of Family, Graduate and Undergraduate apartment living for 3900+ residents including faculty, undergraduate, and graduate students Oversees the Community Housing Office which assists students, faculty and staff with rental options, landlord/tenant issues and dispute resolution Provides support and advisement to the Santa Barbara Housing Co-op in Isla Vista staff & phones



Business & Financial Planning	Responsible for fiscal and administrative services Maintains program oversight of Budget & Finance, Information Systems & Technology, Campus Conference Services, Faculty Housing Services, and Human Resource Development staff & phones



Residential Dining	Operates four dining commons: Carrillo, Ortega, Portola, and De La Guerra Serves more than 2 million meals each year to resident students, faculty, staff, guests and summer conferees Employs a professional career staff of 175 and a part time student staff of 500 Coordinates food concessions at all campus Arts & Lectures and sporting events Provides meals and catering for adult and youth conference attendees during the summer Coordinates special event catering for university functions staff & phones



Residential Life	Responsible for the well being and quality of life for residence hall students Supervises the live-in staff that facilitate social, academic and educational programming, as well as counseling and campus resource referrals Oversees Residence Hall Assignment Services, Residence Hall Association (RHA), and residents conduct staff & phones



Residential Operations	Responsible for day-to-day operations and maintenance of housing facilities in addition to long-range planning and implementation of renovations and refurbishment Departments include: Landscaping and Custodial Services, Maintenance Services and Energy Programs, and Project Management. staff & phones