journal_vol49no3 - 63

A Cog in the Machine
. . . appropriate delegation of work, supportive leadership, physically safe
and comfortable offices, and fair employee policies contribute to healthy work
environments that support individual well-being. Research specific to residence life
suggests that organizational culture, relationships, and job responsibilities
and opportunities are central to retaining staff.
on students' request and went to the director of residence life to ask if resident directors
could work the mail room shifts. As an RD explained,
There was a question about, " Well, it would be better for the students if the mail room
were open longer. But we're not interested in extending the hours of the mail employees,
so can't the [RDs] just work more? " And our director had to fight and elevate that to a
vice-presidential level to say, " Yes, the [RDs] might live here, but you can't actually say,
'Okay, from 8:30 to 4:30, do your job and then from 4:30 to 8:30, work the mail room.' "
It is the long hours and crisis response responsibilities that drain RDs the most, negatively
impacting how they are able to care for themselves. As in the example above, the
RD felt much support at the departmental level but did not feel support beyond that.
The magnitude of the RD workload at one of the sites resulted in three of the RD
staff taking " leaves of absence for mental health reasons. " As the director clarified,
these absences coincided " with the pandemic and what it means to be a live-in staff
member in the midst of a global crisis, " and none " of the three asked for it (i.e., the leave
of absence). " Rather, the director had to initiate the conversation with each staff member.
A Holistic Sense of Self Can Be Integrated into the Work
Despite frustrations with their salary, specific responsibilities, and cultural elements of
an institution, it was evident in the interviews that a driving factor in staff's experiences
and satisfaction with their work was being able to cultivate and maintain positive relationships
with colleagues. The three director participants all appreciated the value in
taking time to get to know their staff as people first, employees second; learning about
their personal interests, hobbies, and what mattered most to them allowed them to develop
a closer bond. One director participant spoke about the importance of investing
in each staff member outside of work. Investing in staff as people first contributes to
staff developing relationships with their peers and other departmental colleagues that
are more than just work-centered. As one director explained,
One of my staff members is a Reiki practitioner; [I'm] encouraging them to go and further
their training in that. One of my staff members is a recently newlywed; [I'm] encouraging
them to take time with their partner. Like putting value in the things that they value, that is
something that I strongly try to role model. [As a result] they [resident directors] genuinely
like each other. They genuinely care about each other as people, way beyond the job. That
is something that I think is cultivated. . . . And I think that contributes to wellness, when you
are at least working with people that you like within your kind of functional area.
In fact, all RD participants at this site mentioned in their interview that having strong
relationships with their colleagues was something that added joy and satisfaction to
their work experience and reinforced their commitment to the institution.
60 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

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