Talking Stick - January/February 2018 - 27

RES LIFE

. . . MAKING THE ADJUSTMENT TO INCLUDE RA ALTERNATES
FROM THE START OF FALL TRAINING PROVIDED A SIGNIFICANT
AND IMMEDIATE BENEFIT. IT DECREASED THE POTENTIAL
STRESSFUL IMPACT ON THOSE RA ALTERNATES AND
RESPECTIVE SUPERVISORS TO HIRE AND TRAIN AT A LATER TIME
IN THE ACADEMIC SEMESTER.

In order to determine the relevance of having RA alternates for other campus
communities, UNCG distributed an assessment to various colleagues throughout the
Southeastern Association of Housing Officers (SEAHO) region, and 27 responses were
received. Some of the additional notable data included the following:
*

*
assistant. Some colleges and universities have all alternate RAs at training
participate in a cohort together, when
other staff have in-hall time. This allows alternate RAs to bond with each
other, ask questions that specifically
pertain to them, and feel as though
they are part of a group. Also, some
institutions make offers for RA priority alternates at the same time as RA
offers are made, which allows those
institutions to have one offer period,
instead of two.
Though this may not be a consideration for all departments, there is a
cost associated with having additional
staff attend training. If meals are
provided, adding staff will increase the
cost. Nametags, staff shirts, and other
swag given to staff should be considered as well. Finally, a decision will
need to be made on whether or not
staff are paid during training. Some
offices may decide that arriving to
campus early is all the compensation
required for those who participate in
training. Others may decide that staff
should be monetarily compensated for
the time they are being trained.
UNCG specifically reached out to
smaller schools to learn more about
their practices. Both Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota (2,100
student enrollment and 1,300 beds)
and Centenary College of Louisiana in

TALKING STICK

Shreveport (600 student enrollment
and 500 beds) hire RA alternates into
a student employment position. These
students (called associate RAs at Concordia and community RAs at Centenary) are placed into a community,
attend training, serve on a smaller duty
rotation, and execute a few programs.
They are paid for their duties and are
the first in line for the RA role.

ter. As there are a number of dynamics and factors involved in "growing
forward" with this decision, it is
imperative to adequately assess what
is needed if and when you consider
integrating alternates into your department's recruitment, selection, and
training culture. However, with some
thought and pre-planning, this process
is applicable to any campus.

Emily Meyer, assistant director in
residence life at Concordia, explains,
"Some of the benefits are the time and
energy saved recruiting, hiring, and
training mid-year hires. The employee's time is more job-focused." Montgomery Mewers, director of residence
life and student conduct at Centenary,
explains that using alternates helps
institutions when they are not "able
to justify a full RA or the ratio [of
students to RA staff ] is on the cusp of
needing an RA." Additionally, he has
found that "People who start off as
an alternate work harder and are later
picked as a lead RA in their senior
year."

Sara Simms, a CRL supervisor
at UNCG, gave this response when
asked about RA alternates: "There
was comfort in being able to hire
from a priority alternate pool. I think
it helps us [CRLs] from having to
find additional time to identify and
conduct a delayed training for a new
hire once the semester has started.
Overall it reduces stress on new staff
and CRLs." 

All sources agreed that making the
adjustment to include RA alternates
from the start of fall training provided
a significant and immediate benefit.
It decreased the potential stressful
impact on those RA alternates and
respective supervisors to hire and train
at a later time in the academic semes-

Shelley Wald is an assistant director for
residence life at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro.

Twenty-three participants said that
they selected RA alternates from a
designated pool of students that
were identified as hirable but not
offered immediate employment.
Fifteen participants said that
once an RA alternate is hired, the
alternate has individual training
completed by the RA alternate's
supervisor.

Nine participants said that they
select RA alternates based on
individual application.

Eleven participants said that
they have to hire one to four RA
alternates annually.

Six participants said that they
have to hire 15 or more RA
alternates annually.

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NEXT
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 scwald@uncg.edu
Maggie Gillespie is the coordinator for special
projects for housing and residence life.

 magilles@uncg.edu
Chris Gregory is an assistant director for
residence life.

Call us now to save up to 10% on
your order when you take delivery
before March 31st 2018.

 cdgregor@uncg.edu
Demarcus Merritt is an assistant director for
residence life.

 damerri2@uncg.edu

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Talking Stick - January/February 2018

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