SEPTEMBER 20, 2017 VOLUME 101 ISSUE 6
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News
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Features
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Opinion
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serving southern miss since 1927
Disgruntled RAs accuse department of mistreatment Hiba Tahir
managng editor Current and former resident assistants at The University of Souther n Mississippi leveled troubling accusations against the school’s Department of Housing and Residence Life, which they said often takes advantage of its workers and rarely listens to them. According to a group of RAs that prefers to remain anonymous, “higher members” in the department often disrespect their subordinates and leave them feeling unheard and frustrated. The group said that the problem has begun to impact RA retention rates as well as the retention rates of other employees in the department. Scott Blackwell, the department’s executive director, disagreed. “The Resident Assistant position continues to be a desirable student employment position at Southern Miss,” Blackwell said. “For the Fall 2017 term, we have 103 RA positions total and all RA positions are filled, with no vacant positions. We also had 18 more RA staff members retur n to their RA positions for a second year in 2017 compared to 2016. For 2017 we filled 41 RA openings from a pool of 104 applicants.” Nathan “Paco” Murrell, a former RA who consented to use his real name, said that he believes there is a bigger problem being kept from employees, though he doesn’t know what it is. “It’s not a coincidence that basically 80 percent of residence life has left, as far as residence life coordinators [are concerned],” Murrell said. Residence Life Coordinators supervise RAs and, like RAs, live in residence halls. Unlike RAs, though, they are graduate-level professionals in full-time positions. “Last year was probably the worst because we were supposed to have 10 RLCs, but we had five,” current RA Caitlin Devin* said. “And now, we’re down to three.” Blackwell disagreed with those accusations as well. “We currently have all nine RLC positions filled,” he said. “While we are fully staffed with RLCs, staff do eventually leave the position in order to advance to higher-level, middle management positions in university housing or student affairs. The RLC position is typically an entry-level position in the field of university housing administration, with many in these positions moving on after two to three years. Lack of org anization and consistency between buildings is another problem with which the group of RAs says they are often forced to contend.
Andrew Abadie, Printz Though they are all told they can work up to 10 hours a week, some live in residence halls with numerous desk assistants who share those hours. “Giving all RAs and desk assistants the maximum number of work hours each week - up to 10 for RAs and up to 20 for desk assistants - is an ongoing challenge each year,” said Blackwell. “Many desk assistants rely on their desk assistant jobs and work hours to cover some college costs, just like the RAs.” Others live in residence halls where they are forced to serve multiple shifts. RAs are only allowed to work in their specific buildings. “I want 10 hours a week, but because I live in this specific
building, there aren’t shifts open for me,” said Devin. “I can’t work other shifts in other buildings that need workers. The lack of organization and planning out is really frustrating.” In spite of the fact that the department can’t guarantee its employees the hours they require, the group said it does not allow them to pursue second jobs. I t does, h owever, prov ide compensation in the form of a dorm room - which can be anywhere between $2,483 to $3,299 - and the default $2,020 “Go Gold” meal plan. Additionally, for the past three years the department has offered RAs an optional health insurance coverage plan “at no cost to the
RAs but at considerable cost to the department,” according to Blackwell. “The benefits [of being an RA] are great,” Alyssa Cameron, another current RA, said. “You pay for my room, you pay for my meal plan… But what you don’t pay for is dayto-day expenses. Bills, car notes - there’s so many extra financial situations that you don’t know people are in.” According to frequently asked questions readily available online on the department’s website, however, RAs “may be approved outside employment up to 10 hours per week. However, if the RA fails to meet their job expectations, the Department of Residence Life may
require them to discontinue the outside employment.” Additionally, the department requires RAs seeking additional jobs to submit job proposals listing “potential job site, responsibilities and time commitment.” This differs from requirements at other universities in the state. The Department of Student Housing at the University of Mississippi lists as one of its conditions of employment, “during ter m of appointment, [community assistants may not] have any other assistantship, fellowship or other employment regardless of inside or outside the University of Mississippi.” Continued online