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A Cog in the Machine
chain. While residence life departments have employed a hierarchical organizational
structure for decades, it is the RD staff who assume many of the front-line responsibilities
that serve students (Upcraft, 1993). Working long hours often meant that staff
had to struggle to eat nutritious meals or were so exhausted that they didn't want to
socialize with friends after work.
Higher education institutions have recently become increasingly more focused
on delivering quality service to their customers-in this case, students-and this emphasis
has directly influenced the work of residence life staff, particularly their efforts
to provide crisis support. One participant described how their department put a lot
of work into their crisis protocol, but the added burden of what participants felt to
be " high touch, high impact " work for them came at a cost to staff's well-being. The
evolution of on-call responsibilities reflects the bureaucratic organizational concept
that the interests of an organization take precedence over the interests of employees
(Manning, 2017).
Compensation was a tension point for many RD participants, who felt " overworked
and underpaid " and struggled at times to pay for even essential items, though some
viewed the on-campus apartment and meal plans as sufficient compensatory benefits
on top of the salary. However, other benefits, such as inclusive policies for partners and
pets, were widely viewed as positively contributing to well-being. This echoes previous
recommendations to address burnout and attrition, which have included rewarding
staff with additional compensation, investing in quality accommodations, and implementing
supportive staffing policies (Palmer et al., 2001; St. Onge et al., 2008).
Losing Sight of Their Purpose
Higher education institutions have long been categorized as organizations that embrace
the organized anarchy frame, which is characterized by a dichotomy between individual
rights and community obligations (Manning, 2017). From these participants'
experiences, it was clear why. The perception that RDs were " catch-all " employees, coupled
with the chaotic nature of serving on-call and working odd hours, led them to feel
they weren't being valued. Many were repeatedly asked to support campus programs
like offering a cooking demonstration or to meet additional office needs like operating
the mailroom, which made them feel that while their job is not the hardest on campus,
it is " one of the most misunderstood. " When RDs are recognized as being critical
community builders (Collins & Hirt, 2006) but work requests are unpredictable, then
they are cogs in the machine of an organized anarchy. The idea that they would always
be available to support other departments both during and after traditional work hours
negatively impacted their well-being and their overall ability to take care of themselves.
Indirectly shared by many participants, both at the resident director
and director level, was the idea that today's RD staff must be
all things to all people within the institution.
62 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

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