A group of Resident Assistants submitted a petition signed by over 30 RAs to both Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson and Chief Operating Officer Christopher Augostini on Tuesday, Dec. 2 that seeks clarification and revision of current university student employment policies from the Office of Residential Living.
The list of demands, written by a group of RAs who worked with GUSA’s Student Worker Advocate and received feedback from other RAs, was a response to claims that the Office of Residential Living has been mistreating students employees. Allegations of mishandled sexual assault cases and unclear training regarding the rights of RAs as university employees have been raised anonymously from within the RA community in recent weeks.
“We, the signed 2014-2015 academic year RAs, hereby place these demands on the [Office of Residential Living] for the reformation of the department and the improved safety and protection of its student employees,” the petition reads.
The demands address eight topics covering a wide range of issues, including clarity and transparency in the processes for reporting sexual assaults and misconduct, legal protection for RAs when acting “within the scope of the duties of an RA” while on or off duty and on or off campus, and access to an external ombudsman—a staff member outside of the existing supervisory structure who can hear RAs’ complaints and questions.
Jess Rempe (SFS ‘15), an RA in Copley, wrote in an email to the Voice that the petition also demands that Residential Living clarify what rights RAs have as university employees during their training.
“One of the ways through which [clarity in RAs’ rights and roles] can be accomplished is through more effective trainings and giving us copies of our signed Conditions of Appointment and Confidentiality Agreement,” Rempe wrote. The petition requests training on the university’s employee press policy.
According to Rempe, RAs have asked that, along with the external ombudsman, they be allowed to communicate with the Department of Human Resources and the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action concerning any issues that might arise.
Rempe stated that Augostini assured a response by Dec. 16th. Olson wrote in an email to the Voice that he received the petition today and will review it carefully. Augostini did not respond to the Voice’s request for comment.
GUSA and university administration have plans to create a new Student Employment Experience Committee in part to address some of the demands raised in the list.
“There are some points raised in [the petition] that we believe will flow into the work of this committee. And there are some points raised in [the petition] that will be addressed directly in the context of that specific department,” Olson said. The committee will be launched in January and plans to finish its work by September 2015, according to Olson.
Although the petition makes demands of the Office of Residential Living, the group did not meet with a representative from the office. Olson, however, noted that he sent the document to Stephanie Lynch, assistant dean of Residential Living.
“Some of demands asked for things outside the domain of [Residential Living]…so we thought it would be best to present the demands to people who could more easily coordinate a response,” Rempe wrote.
Even though Lynch did not receive the petition directly from the RAs, she acknowledged Residential Living’s engagement with RAs while it was still being drafted.
“We are invested in their experience as a student resident assistant and remain committed to addressing these concerns in a thoughtful and reflective way,” Lynch wrote in an email to the Voice prior to receiving the official list of demands. “We’ve been engaging with RAs regarding these concerns through open office hours, 1:1 conversations and through the development of the RA Advisory team.”
Olson also commented on Residential Living’s involvement in meeting these demands.
“We’re having conversations right now in the administration including folks from Residential Living about steps we plan to take, including forming an RA Council that functions as a collaborative body to work with RAs,” Olson said. “There are some steps being taken around January training that RAs take part in to address some of these issues.”
According to Rempe, the petition may not receive unanimous support from RAs because of the difficulty of incorporating the entire RA community’s opinions, but she is still confident that the university will take these demands into serious consideration.
“I cannot speak for the entire RA community,” Rempe wrote. “But I feel that these demands are important in creating a safer environment for all RAs.”
IN NORTH KOREA WE HAVE RESIDENTS AND LIVING, AND ENVIRONMENT