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Secondary Traumatic Stress in RHDs
. . . a large number of graduate students, unlike those in previous generations
of staff, expressed a greater intolerance for the high expectations and
reduced quality of life associated with RHD positions.
2015; Stalker et al., 2016). While not typically trained as counselors or mental health
professionals, RHDs provide support and comfort to students by listening, providing
guidance, and making referrals to necessary campus supports (Collins & Hirt, 2006;
Hirschy & Staten, 2021).
Numerous studies about RHDs have focused on recruitment, attrition, burnout,
competencies, preparation, and supervision (e.g., Belch & Mueller, 2003; Dunkel &
Schreiber, 1992; Flory, 2017; Herdlein et al., 2013; Lynch & Glass, 2019; Marshall et al.,
2016; St. Onge et al., 2008; Waple, 2006). More recently, studies have examined the
experience of secondary traumatic stress among student affairs professionals, resident
assistants (RAs), and RHDs (Lynch & Glass, 2019). These studies have shed light on
how this stress can result in staff burnout and fatigue, compromising their well-being.
In the context of this study, we explore the secondary traumatic stress of RHDs working
closely with RAs, some of whom are experiencing suicidal ideation, which results in
emotional stress for the director and sometimes leads to their leaving the field. We have
drawn from Krumboltz's (2009) Happenstance Learning Theory, which posits that
what a client or individual does is the result of learning experiences of not only planned,
but also unplanned events in their life. Each one of these events can be perceived as
a learning opportunity with potential for change if the individual is able to capitalise
on these. (p. 135)
Using this theory as a lens, we explore the following research question: How does working
with an RA experiencing suicidal ideation shape the career planning of RHDs?
TODAY'S RESIDENCE HALL DIRECTORS
Residence hall directors are essential staff on residential campuses (Totman, 2012)
and live alongside students where they manage the day-to-day responsibilities of one
or more residence halls that typically house between 100 and 1,000 students (Flory,
2017). These entry-level professionals have many responsibilities, such as offering programming,
building community, enforcing campus policies, connecting students with
relevant academic and social resources, and supporting both residents and student
staff (Blimling, 2010; Palmer, 1995). In addition to these responsibilities, these directors
function as first responders during times of on-campus residential crisis (Waple,
2006), and they train resident assistants on crisis procedures (Horvath & Stack, 2013).
Though RHD attrition has always been a considerable challenge, decreasing interest
and high turnover have become more acute in recent years (Chamberlain et al.,
2022); even as far back as the early 2000s, researchers examined perspectives related
to the perceived decline in the number of RHD candidates (Belch & Mueller, 2003).
They found that a large number of graduate students, unlike those in previous generations
of staff, expressed a greater intolerance for the high expectations and reduced
90 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

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