Resident Assistants call for change
Some RAs are frustrated with the Residential Education program
KARISA KAMPBELL / NEWS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA
Resident Assistants (RAs) are a group of student leaders designated to help and be a source of support for residential students. Many find the large time commitment and responsibility rewarding, while others feel the RA program has serious flaws that need to be addressed.
As outlined in the RA Student Leader Application, “An RA is a dedicated and committed student that helps to establish and maintain a positive and inclusive
living environment that supports students of diverse backgrounds, fosters student growth and
development, and promotes academic and co-curricular success.” The application also states that an RA is tasked with building a strong community, and facilitating interactions and engagements with their residents, both formally and informally. In exchange for their commitment to the role, RAs receive financial award for room and board.
However, many RAs feel that the Resident Assistant program is not considerate of the RAs themselves, or keep the residential students as a priority either.
Junior Patrick Gallagher, an RA in Valley A, shared his frustrations, and the time commitment that goes into being an RA, especially for first-year students. He emphasized the complexity of working with first-year students.
“These are human problems, that aren’t just something you can write a report on and go away,” Gallagher said. “We have to as RAs because of the intimacy and because of the priority and emphasis we have on human decency, we have to constantly be in contact and work these things out with these residents to make sure that we do everything that the mission and vision of residential life says we should do.”
One area of frustration for Gallagher is the lack of recognition he thinks RAs receive from the program as a whole.
“The issue is with all that hard work, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of recognition… We are people who are fueled by value and validation regardless of where you are at in your life,” Gallagher said. “We need these things throughout our lifetime and it just demoralizes you and discredits all the hard work you do.”
Gallagher explained some of the variety of tasks he has done as a first-year RA including taking residents to the airport, writing RA reports until 4am. He described how frustrating it is to not receive any sort of reward for going above and beyond to ensure his residents are supported.
“What’s the point of doing all of these things if you don’t seem to reward those who do well, and you don’t seem to punish those who do bad. There’s no reward system,” Gallagher said. “And that’s an issue if there is no reward reward system, then there is no point in behaving in any sort of positive behavior.”
Specifically, one area of frustration is how RAs are assigned their housing assignments, and how the reward system seems opposite in this scenario. After a discussion with Allie Polk Community Director of the Valley Apartments, Gallagher shared that assignments are based on strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Therefore, those strongest in building community, offering support and best meeting the mission of the RA program, as outlined in the application are often assigned to first-year housing. However, being a first-year RA is less desirable than being an upperclassman RA to many for a variety of reasons.
Gallagher outlined the difference between being a first-year RA and being an RA assigned to upperclassmen housing, and how there is significantly more work for first-year RAs.
“There’s more work overall done by first-year RAs than apartments,” Gallagher said. “And there’s less accommodations in terms of your living space in first year housing. There are more Maxine (disciplinary reports) reports in first year housing, there’s more day to day interaction because of the communal feel of first-year housing, and you have to do more checkups and intentional interactions with first year students because they are impressionable and need that.”
Gallagher emphasized the disparity between accommodations for first-year RAs and all other RAs, especially how receiving the same meal plan is unfair, considering such drastic differences in kitchen accommodations.
“In first year housing, we get the same scholarship plan if you’re in an apartment. So if you’re in an apartment, you have a kitchen to yourself, or maybe you share with another RA, you have a room to yourself that is a bigger room. You have a living room to yourself and a bathroom to yourself,” Gallagher said. “I live in a 10 by 15 foot room by myself, I share a bathroom with three of my residents, and I share a common room with seven of my residents. All I get is a mini fridge and a microwave, and they (apartment RAs) get the same meal plan. There doesn’t seem to be enough attentiveness to the RA’s health and their needs.”
Senior Tina Tran and Coaching Resident Assistant (CRA) of Valley B, shared similar sentiments to Gallagher, in addition to how she would like to see the program change as a whole.
“I think for me, I think it would be more on the structure of Residential Life is what I would like to see change,” Tran said. “There’s an issue with the structure of residential education. Not like who is it, not just who is in it, but it’s like what we guide our RAs, our community directors.”
Tran continued by specifically stating she hopes for a more understanding and validating experience to be created for future RAs.
“I’m hoping to see that you actually truly validate what an RA is saying and what their experience is… I’m sitting here wondering, why don’t you ever put the RA first, knowing that you are supposed to advocate for us as well,” Tran said.
One of the most frustrating parts for Tran was the lack of support she felt from the people in charge of Residential Life. After reaching out to various members of the Residential Education, she felt that she was not being heard.
“It’s like if you truly care about me and you truly want to say that you understand my situation, then please support me. Because at this point, RAs are starting to reach out to other people outside of the department for support,” Tran said.
Tran herself decided to reach out to Vice President of Student Affairs, Charlotte Johnson, to express some of her concerns on the program and her frustrations with the lack of support she believes RAs receive. Overall, Tran believes this was a positive meeting, however she remains frustrated that she had to go this far to receive support.
“The fact that I had to try and reach out to set up a meeting with Vice President (VP) Charlotte Johnson of Student Affairs blows my mind that I had to go that far when it is obviously a departmental issue, and going to someone highest in the department should have been enough,” Tran said.
VP Johnson shared her takeaways from the meeting.
“My understanding is that several RAs wanted to voice their specific concerns to me to ensure that I am in the loop. I appreciate their candor and also want to be clear that I rely on the Residential Life Team to manage issues arising under Residential Life,” VP Johnson shared. “I do not always know everything that is going on in an area and rely on deans and directors to keep me apprised. Dr. Crisman has spoken with me about how we can better support RAs. I also appreciated hearing directly from students.”
Ultimately, Tran believed that she was always undervalued in her role, however she stayed in an attempt to try and ensure that other RAs received the support they needed.
“At the end of the day, no matter how it affects you, you can always know that the doors open for you to leave, that there will be someone to replace you,” Tran said. “That’s how I’ve always felt. That’s how I constantly feel. I care about my community, I care about my residents. I love the RAs I have worked with. And so even though I would love to walk out of the door, I don’t because I would hate to see RAs ever feel like I feel all the time.”
Despite several attempts to reach out to Residential Life, The USD Vista was unable to receive a comment from Residential Life.
Tyler Crisman, Director of Residential Education, PhD, and the contact given to the Vista, was unresponsive to emails. After reaching out on both Thursday, May 5 and Friday May 6, no response was received.
The Vista then reached out to Brandon McCreary Director of Residential Administration, who referred The Vista back to Dr. Crisman on Monday May 9. On Tuesday may 10, The USD Vista still had not received a response from Dr. Crisman, so they reached out to Vice President Charlotte Johnson to receive comment.
Dr. Tyler Crisman eventually responded to The USD Vista’s initial email, however did not respond to the questions, incorrectly assuming the nature of the article.
Additionally, after Gallagher and Tran spoke to The USD Vista, Resident Assistants were told not to speak to the media and refer all media requests to Dr. Tyler Crisman.