Last semester, a new protocol was implemented by the Department of Residence Life to guide Residence Assistants in the event that classes are cancelled due to inclement weather.
The policy requires that RAs work 24-hour shifts, as well as plan activities for residents, and was brought into consideration last year, according to an article published in The Lamron in March 2019. This same article mentions the push back Residence Life received at the time the now implemented policy was brought into consideration for RAs.
The policy’s specifics vary depending on which dorm an RA is located but, generally, RAs are intended to be a peer resource for students, according to Residence Life.
“These are our job responsibilities, and so it’s not necessarily something that we share with the whole campus,” Director of Residence Life Sarah Frank said. “The policy is [to] be present, be visible, do rounds in the buildings so people know you’re there, hang out with the residents, bring out [a board or card game]. Again, this is not burdensome stuff and if people don’t want to do it, then we don’t expect them to hang around.”
According to the March article published by The Lamron, Director of Student Life Chip Matthews stated that the main goal of this policy change is to ensure student safety. “If you have 3,000 residents, the vast majority of them don’t have a problem, but there’s always one or two that may need some additional supervision or some help,” David Braverman, interim vice president of student and campus life, said.
Braverman explains that he has seen similar policies implemented at other colleges and universities. He also expressed that he thinks it is to help keep students safe in situations, like a bad snowstorm, that can possibly arouse anxiety for students who may need help.
Former RA and senior Jack Grant said he does not think it is fair for additional responsibilities to be placed upon RAs that are not initially stated or anticipated.
“I know when I came in, my expectation was that there were going to be the events [and] … you had to interact with residents. I knew all that, but I didn’t realize the amount of administrative work that there was going to be involved,” Grant said. “There’s an expectation upon coming in and then usually one way or another they end up adding additional things to the responsibilities that you’re doing.”
An RA—who requested their name be withheld to decrease the probability of retaliation—said that in the event classes are cancelled, every RA is responsible for one hour of programming as well as rounds every few hours.
The RA explained that while they are told one thing from “the top,” they then are often given different instructions from their area coordinators, residence director and assistant residence directors, making policies “vague” and leaving RA staff with no clear direction.
“I think with this policy specifically, since it is something that you don’t know when it’s going to be [used], it really shows the lack of proper communication [from the top] down. You can read the manual, but it doesn’t really [help], it hasn’t been updated. It’s just not clear really how it’s going to be implemented,” the RA said.
The RA went onto say that this lack of communication is evident in most facets of the organization, including the hiring process, which makes this and other policies “confusing” to understand.
“There was a workshop series they didn’t tell anyone about until you were offered your acceptance. Then when you get there, you’re told mandatory conversations are going to be a thing. It’s like, that’s fine, I just wish that’s something that would’ve been conveyed,” the RA said, who continued saying they wish they had been informed sooner than when the winter storm advisories started.
Grant corroborated with this point, explaining that the lack of communication regarding responsibilities often leads to difficulty for RAs to manage their extracurricular and academic schedules.
“You go into the position with one expectation of what you’re going to be doing and then, such as this snow day policy, you’re doing something else … you have added responsibilities that you were not prepared for,” Grant said. “I think having more transparency with that contract and having a better idea of what the expectations [and] responsibilities of the RAs are going to be at the beginning of this semester so that they can sign off their contract and know what they’re getting into before starting.”
Frank explained that they use RA agreements, not contracts, and new policies are not always added into them. She said that the agreement covers these policies generally.
“There are things in the agreement that talk about students’ safety and well-being. So sometimes things change to promote students’ safety and well-being and provide services for students to connect and we generate ideas for that,” Frank said.
Frank said that she feels the policy is very straight forward and she does not understand the confusion over it. She also added that she does not understand why RA’s would not speak to her if there was an issue.
The anonymous RA explained that they often try to get more information on policies, speaking with their ARDs and ACs to ask administrators about it, but they never receive clear answers.
“Maybe just intimidation, maybe because it’s assumed that we should know what to do. And the fact that we’ve tried to ask questions in public-type settings for that type of thing and you never get an answer. They’re great at procedures [involving paperwork, but] they’re not good with those kinds of calls and it’s kind of frustrating,” the RA said.
Braverman explained that he feels RAs should talk to their supervisors and figure out together the best way to handle situations like this.
The anonymous RA also voiced that they do not feel the required hosted events are effective in ensuring safety because it is difficult to get students to attend events if they cannot be properly advertised. They added that they do not feel the policy will deter partying, drinking or other inappropriate behaviors.
“I think that people are going to do what they want regardless of what the RAs do,” Grant said. “We only have so much power and like we already can’t stop them, so I don’t think that having activities is going to do anything. People already drink when we have normal duty, like when we’re quite literally patrolling the hall to make sure that nothing is going on.”
Grant said that he feels most RAs would agree that while somebody should be there to answer the phone, serving as a resource and an individual, desk hours seem unnecessary.
Frank expressed her feeling that these types of spontaneous policies are part of the job.
“You’re walking up the hill to class and you know, trash may fall out in front of you. As a student, as a civilian, as a civic minded person, maybe you’d pick that up. You weren’t anticipating that,” Frank said. “Like as an RA, you’re charged with being a responsible, supportive resident and leader of your building. You’re employed. It’s a job … We’re not going to do things for the sake of doing them. We’re doing them for a purpose.”