Residence Life at the University of Puget Sound - Updated 12/01/2017
Student leaders in the Office of Residence Life are essential to upholding our mission to provide an inclusive and vibrant living community that fosters holistic learning for Puget Sound residential students by empowering them as leaders and extending their academic experience. As representatives of the Division of Student Affairs, Residence Life student leaders are committed to engaging in and demonstrating self-exploration, academic commitment, the ability to meet deadlines by working independently and interdependently, display initiative, and have a basic working knowledge of university policies and procedures. Furthermore, student leaders should be able to refer students to resources such as Counseling Health and Wellness (CHWS), the Office of Intercultural Engagement (OIE), the Center for Writing, Learning, and Teaching (CWLT) and other support offices. Student leaders encourage student responsibility and accountability and maintain an overall positive rapport with community members. Student leaders are responsible for upholding the Residence Life mission to create and maintain inclusive housing for all students. The following position description applies to all student leadership positions in Residence Life: Resident Assistant (RA), Resident Community Coordinator (RCC), Resident Programming Assistant (RPA), Greek House Coordinator (GHC).
A. Qualifications/Expectations
As a university representative, Residence Life student leaders are expected to comply with all published university and residence hall policies, as well as applicable federal, state, and local laws. In order to be eligible for a student leadership position in Residence Life, candidates must:
· Have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or above.
· Be a full-time undergraduate student at the University of Puget Sound.
· Be available to participate in spring, fall and winter trainings and be able to perform as a student leader for the entire academic year. Furthermore, candidates must be able to perform leader services for extended times at the end and beginning of each academic semester as well as during holiday and vacation periods as determined by assigned supervisor.
· Be of at least sophomore standing at the time of appointment.
· Limit other part time work, volunteer activities and participation in other organizations to a maximum of 10 hours per week, unless otherwise approved.
· Not hold office in the Residence Hall Association or the Resident Student Association during their term of employment.
· Attend and participate in a 2 hour weekly leader meeting between 7:00pm and 9:00pm on Wednesday evenings, and attend other required training sessions and meetings as determined by assigned supervisor.
· Confer with, and report to assigned supervisor on all aspects of Residence Life activities through weekly leader meetings, informal contacts, individual meetings with assigned supervisor, and the completion of various reports.
· It is expected that Residence Life leaders be available in their assigned community a minimum of three evenings each week unless special arrangements are made with the assigned supervisor.
· Inform and educate residents in assigned area about their rights and responsibilities as residential students and members of the Puget Sound community in accordance with the university residential policies and the Student Integrity Code; and at times confront students in violation of said standards.
· Assist in the selection of new Residence Life student leaders.
· Assume night and weekend on-call duties, remaining in the assigned area and available to residents between 8pm and 8am, according to a schedule set up by the assigned supervisor and student leader team. (GHC’s exempt).
· Be in good standing with University of Puget Sound Student Conduct Office.
Note: All offers of Residence Life student leadership positions are contingent on successful completion of a background inquiry.
B. Supporting the Academic Mission
In support of the University’s mission statement, Residence Life student leaders will assist students in active inquiry and reasoned independence. Student leaders are expected to do the following:
· Be knowledgeable about general and departmental advising programs and support the interaction of students and their advisors
· Know and be able to direct students to academic resources and support services on campus (e.g. tutors, labs, library resources, academic advising, peer advisors).
· Help to develop and sustain an atmosphere of a community conducive to successful academic achievement and personal development.
· Support educational opportunities and programs in their assigned area.
· Promote the intellectual lives of community residents through formal and informal discussions about campus, national, and international issues (including culture, values, beliefs, social, political, and ethical issues).
· Share intellectual and academic interests with residents and encourage residents to explore their academic interests, experiences, goals, and future plans.
C. Interpersonal Relationships
During day-to-day contact with residents, a Residence Life student leaders should:
· Develop and maintain an ongoing relationship with all floor/hall residents.
· Facilitate student-to-student, student-to-student leader, and student-to-staff interaction, conflict resolution, facilitation, and social interactions.
· Be aware of interpersonal dynamics in assigned area.
· Help students turn interpersonal conflict into opportunities for learning and encourage students to participate in creative problem solving.
· Help students work through personal problems or issues and serve as a referral agent for appropriate university and community support services.
· Maintain appropriate personal relationships with residents/students as to preserve professional integrity.
D. Leader Classifications
In addition to the above responsibilities and expectations, Residence Life has multiple student leadership positions to support our unique and diverse living environments:
Resident Assistant (RA)
Resident Assistants live and perform leader services in more traditional, predominantly first-year living communities such as Todd/Phibbs, Regester, Seward, Schiff & Harrington, and Anderson/Langdon. RAs are the primary means of support for residents in these communities, responsible for checking in regularly on the health and wellness of members of the community, and promoting community standards. RAs are expected to perform leader services for approximately 20 hours per week.
Resident Programming Advisor (RPA)
Resident Programming Advisors support the Residence Hall Association (RHA) in one of six communities – Anderson/Langdon, Regester and Seward, Schiff and Harrington, Smith and Oppenheimer, Todd/Phibbs, and Trimble. This leadership position has all of the responsibilities of a Resident Assistant/Resident Community Coordinator, with the added opportunity to work more directly with traditional programming in the community by co-advising an RHA. RPAs spend just over 20 hours per week completing their responsibilities.
Resident Community Coordinator (RCC)
Resident Community Coordinators live and perform leader services in Smith Hall, Oppenheimer Hall, Trimble Hall, Thomas Hall, and the neighborhoods (on-campus houses, including Langlow House). RCCs are responsible for supporting students in their growth and development as continuing students living on campus, as well as maintaining healthy and safe living environments. Trimble, Smith, and Oppenheimer RCCs are on-call (checking the building for health and safety concerns) only on weekend nights. Trimble, Smith, and Oppenheimer RCCs are expected to perform leader services approximately 20 hours per week. House and Thomas Hall RCCs are expected to perform leader services approximately 10-15 hours per week, and are on-call only on weekend nights.
Greek House Coordinator(GHC)
Greek House Coordinators (GHC) live and perform leader services in the fraternity and sorority houses/housing. Each Greek chapter has one GHC, who is an active member of that organization. GHCs live in their respective chapter residence and are responsible for supporting fellow live-in members in their growth and development as continuing students on campus, as well as maintaining a healthy and safe living environment. The GHC position does not serve on an on-call rotation and typically performs leader services approximately 10-15 hours per week fulfilling the various administrative and interpersonal aspects of the position.
E: Remuneration
Payment for student leader services varies depending on the student leadership position. Responsibilities vary between positions, as outlined below:
· Resident Assistant (RA): On-call nightly shared between six and eight student leaders, full room and board remuneration for a single room.
· Resident Programming Assistant (RPA): In addition to the responsibilities of an RA, Co-advises with Resident Director one of six Resident Hall Association. Full room and board remuneration for a single room, additional stipend of $150 distributed four times a year.
· Oppenheimer, Smith, Thomas, and Trimble RCC: Weekend on-call responsibilities shared between four to six RCCs (Friday-Sunday), full room and board remuneration for a single room.
· House RCC: Weekend on-call responsibilities only (Friday-Sunday) shared between nine RCCs; housing only remuneration.
· Greek House Coordinator (GHC): Must be a member of the sorority or fraternity for which there is the interest in becoming the GHC; housing only remuneration.
F: Probation and Terms of Release
New student leaders have a probation period until Fall Training has completed. Upon successfully completing Fall Training, new students leaders are removed from probation to begin the year.
Failure to perform leader services, failure to support the mission of the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Residence Life, or other position responsibilities as designated by a professional staff member of Residence Life will constitute grounds for disciplinary action.
Disciplinary Process:
· A report indicating the concern should be sent to the Assistant Director of Residence Life- Student Development. The Assistant Director will consult with the assigned supervisor.
· A meeting will be scheduled with the Residence Life student leader to discuss the specific allegations, allow the student leader to review any documentation, and provide an opportunity for the student leader to respond. The Assistant Director may need to investigate further. An additional meeting with the student leader may be necessary.
· After the investigation has concluded, the Assistant Director with consultation with the supervisor will determine whether discipline is warranted. In cases when discipline is warranted, the student leader will be provided with a written decision.
· Disciplinary action taken could be progressive or summary action depending on the severity of the situation.
-Progressive actions are accumulated and generally used for minor policy violations, performance problems, or repeated concerns. The progressive steps are as follows:
-Written Warning
-Probation
-Termination
-Summary action (typically termination) generally will result from serious policy violations or performance problems.