Section Ten - Hall Director

SUPERVISION

A. GENERAL

The importance of your role as a Hall Director cannot be over-emphasized. Students’ attitudes, involvement interest, relationships and total community are significantly related to the Hall Directors ability to direct the residence hall. The manner in which you lead your RA staff and support them in their efforts will impact each of the students living in your hall. It is a big job to be an effective supervisor-consuming both time and energy. You were chosen as a TTU Hall Director because you exhibit the qualities we need in the supervisors of our RAs. This section will provide some tips and suggestions on how to supervise. You will find specifics related to supervision on TTU’s campus, such as procedures and details related to administrative tasks.

Supervisors of RAs should place emphasis on both the accomplishments of organizational goals and on the education and personal growth of individual staff members. This approach to supervision includes several components.

  • RAs need to learn techniques for dealing effectively with residents, especially in helping and counseling situations, in disciplinary situations and in leading groups.
  • Responsibilities and expectations must be stated clearly. RAs need to have a clear understanding of their roles and the goals of the Residential Life program.
  • RAs need concern and support for their own personal development. Hall directors need to understand how students develop and what issues they are facing.
  • Hall directors need to communicate to their staffs a clear statement of performance standards and frequent feedback, both positive and negative. Effective supervision begins with an understanding of the individual staff member’s skills, abilities, and needs. Providing the challenges, training, and support necessary to enhance an individual’s skills and abilities should result in happy and productive staff members.

There are six Primary Steps in the supervision process:

1. Establishing and maintaining a relationship.

  • What kind of relationship do you want? Do RAs want?
  • How do you explore/develop the relationship?
  • What if your expectations differ from your RAs?

2. Assessing the needs and abilities of each individual.

  • What kinds of needs are you assessing? Personal? Work related?
  • How do you adjust your style to match the needs of the RA?
  • What skills are strong? Which are lacking?

3. Delegating responsibilities.

  • How do you match responsibilities with skills?
  • Setting clear expectation—is this important?
  • Are you always a delegate? What different styles might you use here?

4. Identifying and choosing training activities to assist the staff member in those delegated areas.

  • How do you adapt to learning styles?
  • Why is this component important before you can hold a staff member accountable?
  • What about different purposes of training? (i.e. Training to develop new skills? Training to hone acquired skills?

5. Identifying long-range training and development needs.

  • What about burnout?
  • Where does goal setting fit in here?
  • How about balancing out skills that are deficient?
  • What about the use of other staff in assisting with such training?

6. Providing evaluation/feedback—formal and informal—to the RA.

  • When is feedback most appropriate/acceptable?
  • How do your RAs want to receive feedback?
  • How do you encourage your RAs to give feedback to one another?

B. SETTING EXPECTATIONS

  1. Define tasks and scope of responsibility
  2. Set purpose and priority
  3. Outline expected results
  4. Define what happens if expectations are not met
  5. Provide authority, support and resources

C. CONFRONTING A STAFF MEMBER

  1. Recognize the problem
  2. Define the problem
  3. Address specifics of performance
  4. Address violations of expectations
  5. Utilize documentation – follow up note to staff member and file
  6. Be constructive
  7. Evaluate person’s commitment to change
  8. Highlight pleasing and displeasing behavior
  9. Evaluate attitude
  10. Negotiate a solution
  11. Contract the solution
  12. Follow-up with the solution

 

D. DEALING WITH STAFF AFTER A CONFRONTATION

  1. Be supportive
  2. Who needs to know what?
  3. The grapevine
  4. Maintaining relationships
  5. Follow-up

E. THOUGHTS ON SUPERVISION

The following thoughts were written to assist Residence Hall Directors on supervision. The general concepts apply to supervision at all levels. It is hoped that through discussion of these thoughts, individuals will seek to develop a workable model for supervising others.

  • Supervising staff members is part of your job. Proper supervision is necessary to ensure that tasks are completed and that staff members get sufficient support in accomplishing these tasks.
  • You must ensure that your staff members understand that they have specific job responsibilities. They may have input into defining these responsibilities, but, ultimately, they must understand that the employer sets the limits within which they must function.
  • Set the ground rules early. State your specific expectations negotiate them with your staff members and hold to them.
  • As a supervisor, you have an educational role. You need to teach staff members to deal constructively with supervision so that they can apply this learning to situations in which they will be supervised by or will supervise others after leaving the University.
  • The instruction process must be a two-way street. Your staff should have an opportunity to question the reasons for and the specifics of your instructions. You must ensure that two-way communication is taking place.
  • There must be follow-up on all assigned tasks. Specific deadline dates should be established and enforced. These dates may be negotiated between you and your staff members, within the limits set by the institution.
  • Begin evaluation early. Continually discuss the process with your staff members to ensure that they understand that it is a positive program aimed at helping them to do the best job possible.
  • Look for patterns, such as tardiness and poor administrative follow-through; confront these behaviors constructively.
  • Using the RAP mode outlined in Staff Appraisal, section C, confront staff members as situations occur. Do not wait for concerns to build up before you act. Confront the individual in a low-key manner when the first incident occurs.
  • Strive for a two-way evaluation process that is continuous. Encourage staff members to confront you when they have questions about your actions. Continually ask for feedback on your work behavior. Encourage staff members to share their self-evaluations openly with you.
  • Hold your staff members accountable. They are responsible for their own behaviors, and they are expected to uphold the provisions of their employment.
  • Meet at least once a week with your staff members as a group. Use that time for information giving and idea sharing.
  • Meet at least once every other week with each member of your staff individually in order to assess their progress and to hear their opinions about the job.
  • Use brief memorandums to communicate some specific information prior to staff meeting. Spend some time at the beginning of a meeting fielding questions concerning the information. This will allow time for sharing programs, problems, and ideas later in the meeting.
  • Encourage a team approach. Your staff should be encouraged to share their ideas and problems, to work together on projects and to confront each other when necessary.
  • Responsibility for large projects should be shared by all staff members. As the supervisor, you are responsible for ensuring that each individual know his/her part of the task and brings it to completion.
  • Clearly define input with your staff members. Input refers to offering suggestions or reacting to plans in constructive manner. Criticism is often appropriate, but should be channeled into finding constructive solutions. There is a difference between input and decision making. Input can be weighed in making a decision, but if the decision is not the one for which the staff member hoped, it does not necessarily mean that the input was not considered.
  • Define support with your staff members. Support does not necessarily mean agreement. Support is seen in many areas. For instance, the training program is a support program aimed at assisting the staff members in doing the best job possible by giving them the necessary tools. Support also is seen often in a confrontational situation. Staff members are confronted in order to provide them with a clear view of the expectations placed on them. The following example of support may be helpful: In your opinion, a staff member has made an error. The supportive action you take is to confront the staff member on the matter in an open manner and ask his or her opinion of the situation. You may discover that the initial information you received was incorrect or that your interpretation was incorrect. If this is not the case, you should openly inform that staff member that an error was made and you will work with him/her to analyze the cause of this error. If further training of information is needed, this should be arranged. The next step in supervision is to ask the person how “we” can work together to solve the problem. In other words, you are willing to be part of the solution, rather than simply sending a person out on his/her own to correct the mistake. You then follow up to ensure that an acceptable solution has been reached.
  • Document every negative and positive interaction. Keep a log on each staff member. If an individual makes an error, record the information, confront the individual, and then observe future behavior. Positive information also should be recorded and acted upon.
  • Help staff members to focus on goals. There are several ways to approach most situations. Encourage staff members to keep the goal in mind, rather than concentrating on only one means of reaching the goal. A variety of approaches may be necessary to reach my goal.
  • Generally, the Hollywood “boss” approach is not successful. You cannot expect staff members to jump when you snap your fingers.
  • It is important that you act as a role model for your staff. Subordinates watch supervisors very closely and tend to lack respect for supervisors who do not uphold the standards they themselves have set.
  • Supervisors should set limits for themselves. It is not reasonable for your staff member to assume that you will be responsive to them at all times and in all places, regardless of the seriousness of the situation. You must stress to your staff that you are available to assist at any time, but that minor issues should be dealt with during time when you are readily available. You should establish these times, ensuring that you have time left for your personal life.
  • The chain of command exists so that staff members can see the process through which decisions are made and problems handled. Staff members should be encouraged to utilize the chain of command whenever possible. However, if for some reason this is not possible, staff members should feel free to skip links in this chain. For example, if your staff members feel that you, as their immediate supervisor, are unreasonable on a particular issue, they should be encouraged to inform you that they plan to talk to the next person in the chain of command. You must accept this openly and encourage the staff members to be positive in the process of trying to resolve their problem.
  • In selecting staff members, you should take steps to ensure that the best individuals are hired. Ultimately you are responsible for your staff and, therefore, must play a major role in their selection.
  • It is important to know your staff members as people and to have time to realize that you, too, are a person. A great deal of effort is needed on the part of all personnel to ensure a balance between their personal needs and their job requirements. Open communication is a necessity.
  • Be compassionate, but do not let yourself be used. Often, a staff member’s performance will decline when he/she is experiencing some personal difficulties. Attempt to be aware of such situations and flexible in your approach during these periods, but make sure that the staff member understands that his/her job responsibilities cannot be ignored.
  • Keep your personal and your professional relationship with staff members separate. If you like an individual, let that person know, but do not let him/her use this friendship to avoid job responsibilities. It is possible to maintain a close personal friendship with an individual while requiring a high level of performance on the job.
  • Encourage staff members to confront each other openly when they have questions about each other’s performances. Often, it is wise for you to be present during these confrontations in order to mediate the discussion.
  • Spend some time very early in the year with each of your staff members in defining confrontation. Generally, confrontation is viewed as negative behavior. It is important that staff members understand that when you confront each other, it is an attempt to help improve their performance
  • Consult continually with your supervisors. This must be a two-way process in order to ensure a smooth operation and a positive psychological climate.
  • Individuals have a right to fail. However, the supervisor is responsible for ensuring that failures are of a minor nature. Therefore, you should take all actions necessary to prevent failure. This is part of support. However, if failure does occur, you should work with the staff member to correct the situation.
  • At times, it is difficult for a supervisor to know exactly how staff members are performing. In order to gain this understanding, you should develop open communication with each staff member, attempt to work closely with individuals on tasks in order to learn how they operate, and in job-related conversations, press staff members to give specific explanations of their actions.
  • If a staff member appears to be unwilling or unable to modify behaviors in order to perform the job better, consult immediately with your supervisor and begin discussion on counseling the person out of the position.
  • In most cases, the staff member should leave the job by mutual agreement. This is accomplished by working with the individual to ensure that he understands his shortcoming and the fact that he is either unwilling or unable to change. In most cases, the staff member will realize the situation and offer a resignation. If termination by mutual agreement is not possible, take action to terminate the individual’s contract, using appropriate documentation. It is destructive to all staff members when one individual is not living up to the expectations of the job or the group, but continues to hold the position because the supervisor is unwilling or unable to take the appropriate action.

ETHICS

A. THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO DO A WRONG THING

B. ETHICS CHECK (adapted from The Power of Ethical Management)

  • Is it legal? Will I be violating either civil, state or federal law and/or University policy?
  • Is it balanced?
  • Is it fair to all concerned in the short term as well as the long term?
  • Does it promote a win-win relationship?
  • How will it make me feel about myself?
  • Will it make me feel proud?
  • Would I feel good if my decision were published in the University newspaper?
  • Would I feel good if my family knew about this decision?
  • Does this decision make a “bell” go off in my head or heart?

C. FIVE PRINCIPLES OF ETHICAL POWER

  • PURPOSE: The mission of our office is communicated from the top. Our organization is guided by the values, hopes, and a vision that helps us to determine what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior.
  • PRIDE: We feel proud of ourselves and our position as leaders. We know that when we feel this way, we can resist temptations to behave unethically.
  • PATIENCE: We believe that holding to our ethical values will lead us to success in the long term. This involves maintaining a balance between obtaining results and caring how we achieve these results.
  • PERSISTENCE: We have a commitment to live by ethical principles. We are committed to our commitment. We make sure our actions are consistent with our purpose.
  • PERSPECTIVE: Our office and staff take time to pause and reflect, take stock of where we are, evaluate where we are going, and determine how we are going to get there.

STAFF RELATIONS

A. GENERAL

In determining how your staff develops, a lot depends on you as the Hall Director. It’s very easy to say that chemistry is right and wrong, good or bad. The fact is that it takes commitment on your part to make a group of RAs into a quality staff. Remember that we are asking the RAs to take 20 – 50 people and develop positive communities on their floors.

Your challenge is to do the same with a small group – three or more RAs. The following are a few ideas on how you can approach this challenging task.

B. TIPS ON SUCCESSFUL STAFF RELATIONS

  • Be very honest and willing to disclose. Staff members learn quickly to read through facades. Suggestion: Use of boundary breakers, grab bag questions, and lifelines.
  • Make a time commitment to your RAs, especially during the first few weeks of school. Help each staff member to feel special and worthy of your time. (This is excellent role modeling for how you expect their behavior to be on their floors.)
  • Eat meals together as a group – maybe even on a regular basis.
  • Set aside study breaks for them, possibly in your apartment. (Bake ‘em cookies.)
  • Work on building a good rapport with each staff member. Strong individual relationships with each RA will strengthen the relationships of the staff as a group.
  • Share expectations with the RAs of them as a group. Have each RA discuss his/her own expectation of the group. What do they want from the group? How can the group be a support for them?
  • Share perceptions of yourself with RAs. Have each RA share how he/she sees him/herself. Have the group discuss how their perception of one another may differ from their perceptions of self.
  • Let RAs know ahead of time that you are not perfect and that this is a learning experience for you as well. You don’t expect perfection from either – just that they strive for it. Open the door for them to confront you if they see an area where that could be done productively.
  • Don’t foster competitiveness among your own staff members. Help them to understand that all can succeed. One-upmanship can get boring and lead to eventual conflict.
  • Create something together as a staff: A staff development session you present together for the cluster, a dinner, a hall wide program, a cake, or a community project.
  • Remember that you are actually a part of the team – a player/manager.
  • Leave them notes – personal and handwritten. (Especially in their rooms.)
  • Share with them verbally how you feel about them as a group. Tell them in staff meetings what you particularly appreciate about how they function as a group.
  • Exchange names/birthdays and have a party/some form of recognition for special days.
  • Go on a retreat – off campus or even in your apartment.
  • Take time to do things formally and informally as a group. Fun and relationship-building times are just as important as formal staff development.
  • Let them know verbally that you care; then, follow up with some action.
  • Praise them as individuals in public – in front of peers and folks up the ladder.
  • Share your own mistakes or trials with them, and solicit support from them as a group. Consequently, they can feel secure in seeking support from the group.
  • Let them take some responsibility for staff meetings, discussions, relaxation, educational, and social activities for the group.
  • Allow for autonomy and diversity among the members of the group. (If everyone on the team was a running back, there would be no one left to call plays, block, snap the ball, or go out for a pass.)
  • Be consistent – don’t show favoritism. This means sharing quality time with great RAs as well as those who need extra help.

STAFF MEETINGS

A. GENERAL

For the most part, members of organizations WANT to participate in meetings and to work toward the successful completion of organizational goals. Active involvement in organizations is related directly to an individual’s participation in developing the goals of the organization. “People support what they help create.”

B. WIDE RANGE EXPECTATIONS OF STAFF MEETINGS

  1. Members of an organization need to be involved in setting goals and in reviewing goals periodically.
  2. Whenever possible, members need to participate in brainstorming or creative thinking about the organization’s activities.
  3. Commitment does not stop with goal setting and brainstorming. Members need to have the opportunity to put their ideas to work. Members expect to do their “fair share” of the work.
  4. The leader of an organization MUST find out what really interests its members. Once interests and skills have been determined, members can be assigned tasks that enable them to use their best resources.

C. SUGGESTIONS FOR INVOLVEMENT OF MEMBERS IN MEETINGS

  1. Make certain everyone knows everyone. If time permits, consider using a brief introduction exercise.
  2. Get to know members outside the meeting so that you know something about their interests.
  3. Prior to meetings encourage specific members to share opinions about specific topics to be discussed.
  4. Give members positive feedback, when appropriate, about their ideas, opinions, and performances. BE HONEST!
  5. Solicit volunteers for assignments as much as possible. Do your homework here (i.e., if you want to involve specific members on a project, talk with them BEFORE the meeting.)
  6. Try to find small ways to involve nonparticipating members:
    • Ask their opinion.
    • Use small group discussions to elicit participation.
    • Ask for written, on the spot, ideas to be shared.
  7. LISTEN to others.
  8. Reinforce the efforts of involved members through some reward or recognition process. They need to know when they have done a good job!
  9. LISTEN to others!
  10. Evaluate meetings regularly. Ask members to share opinions and ideas forimproving meetings. Try to use some of their ideas.

D. STAFF MEETING PLANNER

1. PRIOR TO MEETING

  • Meet with Coordinators and other Hall directors (if appropriate) weekly prior to the meeting to set the agenda and prepare for the hall/staff meeting. Bring staff meeting form with you to HD meetings.
  • Discuss significant issues with other Hall directors prior to regular hall staff meetings.
  • Try to anticipate what will happen during the meeting and plan accordingly.
  • Try to assess the interest and skills of each member so that work assignments can match them as closely as possible.
  • When appropriate, remind other members of their responsibility to present reports or other information at the meeting.
  • Arrive early for the meeting – be prepared!
  • Be available to other members immediately before and after the meeting so that members can consult with you.
  • Produce an Agenda for your staff meeting and have it approved by Coordinator

2. DURING MEETINGS

  • As much as possible, follow the established procedures of the organization.
  • Try to follow the agenda as closely as possible. Written agendas make meetings flow easier and provide an “official” atmosphere to the meeting.
  • During discussions, encourage and help members stay on track as they share opinions and facts with others.
  • Listen to statements of others and help avoid redundant comments.
  • Delegate responsibilities to other individuals or to committees. DON’T try to do it ALL yourself!
  • If an individual has been assigned specific tasks, DON’T use the organizational meeting to discuss DETAILS that can be decided in committee.
  • Reports of individual assignments should be made by the person working directly with tasks, NOT by the leader of the meeting.
  • If needed, use an organizational meeting as a work session for a special project

3. AFTER MEETINGS

  • Complete staff meeting report and submit both copies to the appropriate Coordinator within 48 hours of your meeting along with a copy of staff Agenda.
  • Follow-up on any unanswered questions, issues, complaints, etc. during 1-1 meetings with your appropriate Coordinator and report back the answers at next staff meeting.
  • Use time immediately after meeting to socialize with staff in a non-structured fashion.

4. MISCELLANEOUS

  • Weekly staff meetings should be held in the hall staff office. (M/M, MSCP, and New Hall may be held in other approved locations)
  • HD’s should schedule established 15- minute 1-1 meetings with their individual staff members, every two weeks.

STAFF EVALUATION

A. GENERAL

  • Staff appraisals are an essential part of supervision.
  • When handled effectively, reviews can be a tremendous help in closing the gap between what your employees do and what you need them to do – there should be no surprises, good and bad should be discussed as they occur.
  • In an attempt to assist you in providing an accurate and workable appraisal, the Office of Residential Life has adopted the R-A-P Review model approach. (Review-Analyze-Plan)
  • All dates pertaining to the completion, review and execution of staff appraisals can be found in the calendar section of this staff manual.

B. Before the actual appraisal begins, you should….

  • CLARIFY THE PURPOSE OF THE APPRAISAL
    • To help the employee work closer to his/her potential
    • To provide a written plan for future success
  • KEEP THE PURPOSE SIMPLE - Provide information that will assist the employee in reaching his/her potential

C. During the appraisal, you should….

  • Conduct the review as an exchange of information--not as a report card
  • Stick to the essentials
  • Use the R-A-P model to organize your approach and discuss the appraisal
    • Review the past - Analyze the present - Plan for the future

D. After the appraisal, you should….

  • Ask if there are any questions, unclear issues, etc.
  • Ask the employee to sign the appraisal.
  • Tell the employees that a copy will be provided to him/her at a later date.

CONFRONTATION: THE FIVE-STEP METHOD

Below is a simplified HOW TO… which is useful in all confrontational situations with staff. Please use the following method when confronting a staff member.

STEP 1: “When you…..(problem you are confronting)”

STEP 2: “I felt….(state how you felt)”

STEP 3: “because….(state why you felt the way you did)”

STEP 4: “In the future….(state what you do expect)”

STEP 5: “ALWAYS END WITH A POSITIVE STATEMENT!!!”

HUMAN RELATIONS

A. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF HUMAN RELATIONS

  • SPEAK TO PEOPLE. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
  • SMILE AT PEOPLE. It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile.
  • CALL PEOPLE BY NAME. The sweetest music to anyone’s ears is the sound of his/her own name.
  • BE FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. If you would have friends, be a friend.
  • BE CORDIAL. Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.
  • BE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN PEOPLE. You can like almost everybody if you try.
  • BE GENEROUS WITH PRAISE – and cautious with criticism.
  • BE CONSIDERATE WITH THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS. There are usually three sides to a controversy: My side, your side, and the right side.
  • BE ALERT TO GIVE SERVICE. What counts most in life is what we do for others.
  • ADD TO THIS a good sense of humor, a big dose of patience and a dash of humility, and you will be rewarded many-fold.

B. MOST IMPORTANT WORDS

  • I admit I made a mistake.
  • You did a good job.
  • What is your opinion?
  • If you please.
  • Thank you.
  • We.

C. LEAST IMPORTANT WORDS

  • I
  • The

POLICY AND PROCEDURES SPECIFIC TO HALL DIRECTORS ACCIDENTS

Once notified of an accident in and/or in close proximity of the residence hall, HD should:

  1. Respond to the scene.
  2. If medical attention is needed, make sure RA has contacted ambulance prior to contacting University Police.
  3. Contact Coordinator.
  4. HD will go to the hospital with the person if instructed to do so.
  5. HD stays with person until Coordinator instructs him / her to come back.
  6. Complete both an incident report and a NOTIFICATION OF ACCIDENT FORM.
  7. Follow up with student within 24hours.

CELL PHONE

Twenty-four hour confidential cell phone numbers are as follows:

Coordinators of Residential Life
(931) 267-1105 – Josh Edmonds
(931) 267-7546 – Ronald Mezime
(931) 267-7544 – Andrew Moneymaker

Associate Director of Residential Life
(931) 267-1104 – Richard Barns

Director of Residential Life
(931) 267-1103 – Charlie Macke

A. Instructions on using the phone for EMERGENCIES:

  • Call your Coordinator
  • If he/she not in, call Coordinator on duty
  • If you do not get an answer from any Coordinator then follow the chain of command for assistance.

B. Instructions when in possession of the hall directors’ phone - On Duty:

  • Must be on campus.
  • Must be available to respond within ten minutes.
  • May be required to go to the scene of the incident.
  • May not consume ANY alcoholic beverages and/or prescription medication, which may inhibit your job performance.
  • Must be responsible in seeing the phone and charger is given to the next staff member on duty.
  • Must take possession of the phone no later than 4:30 p.m. for the night you are on duty
  • May not be in possession of phone while in night classes and/or working approved employment off campus.
  • Must document all work related calls via an incident report and a call log and submit them by 8am the following business morning.
  • May not make any personal calls.

C. Scheduling of phone duty:

1. Academic year

  • Duty is shared by all Hall directors
  • Establish monthly schedules at Hall director meetings
  • Staff may change phone duty without prior notification to Coordinator, although person printed on official duty roster is responsible unless date change form is submitted prior to actual change.

2. Summer sessions

  • Duty is divided between the summer Hall director and Conference Manager and Coordinators on an emergency basis.
  • Establish entire summer schedule.
  • Staff may change phone duty without prior notification to Coordinator, although person printed on official duty roster is responsible unless duty change form is submitted prior to actual change.
  • Summer duty begins at 4:30 pm when main office closes.
  • Summer HD and conference manager must be within 10 minutes of campus while on duty.

3. Holiday breaks and interim periods, etc.

  • Duty is covered by Hall directors and Coordinator or if necessary by the Associate Director or Director.

CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE

Hall Directors may be provided an opportunity to attend professional conferences during their employment as part of their professional development. If you attend a professional conference, you will be required to submit a two page summary report within seven days upon your return concerning your attendance at the conference.

DUTY NIGHTS

Hall Directors will be on duty for their side of campus – they will be on duty approximately one night a week and one weekend per month. During your Hall Director duty rounds, you are to:

  • Visit each building lobby/office to sign RA on duty round sheet
  • Be mindful of facilities, documenting any problems
  • Check to see if RA on duty has any questions or problems
  • Visit with residents Hall Directors on duty are expected to be supervisors of the entire Resident Assistant staff. In order to achieve this expectation, thorough rounds are required. Duty rounds are times for coaching of staff, facility management, community building, resident concerns, follow-up/through, etc. Duty rounds are NOT for social calls, studying/homework, staff/committee meetings, organized staff team development, program attendance/presentation or other personal activities. Adequate appropriate paperwork should be submitted to substantiate duty rounds.
  • MUST COMPLETE DUTY ROUNDS OF ALL STAFF LOBBIES/OFFICES BEGINNING AT 8PM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BETWEEN 7PM AND MIDNIGHT
  • MUST TURN IN DUTY ROUNDS SHEETS BY 8AM THE FOLLOWING MORNING OF OFFICIAL OFFICE HOURS

Duty Roster Submission

Submission process:

  1. Go to the Office of Residential Life website (www.tntech.edu/reslife)
  2. Under “Other Resources for Staff & Students” --- click on “Staff Resources”
  3. Under “Password Protected Areas” --- select “Hall Director Staff Resources”
  4. The password for this area is --- “Teamwork07”
  5. Select “On-Call Duty Roster”
  6. Choose your building from the pull down menu
  7. Enter your email address (this is important because the system will send you a copy of your roster for your records)
  8. Select the correct Month and Day for the beginning of that week’s cycle (it will be the Thursday date in which the roster starts)
  9. Enter the RA first name (use last initial if you have a person with the same first name)
  10. Enter the RA four digit telephone number
  11. Submit your Duty Roster (you will get a “Thank You” screen and an email of your roster)
  12. Copy Roster for your staff members and your staff office.
  13. And forward a copy to Coordinator. Duty Rosters MUST be submitted by 11:59pm each Wednesday.

FIRE PROCEDURES

Hall directors are required to submit the following information to the Coordinator:

A. FIRE ALARM TEST

  • A fire alarm test should be conducted during fall, spring and summer staff training to establish the working condition of the fire alarm system. This test should be coordinated with both University Police and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety.
  • Within 24 hours of the fire alarm test, HD should submit to the appropriate coordinator the fire alarm test report.

B. FIRE EXIT DRILL

  • Monthly fire drills must be conducted using the dates in the operational calendar. All staff members must attend.
  • These drills should be coordinated with both University Police and the Director of Environmental Health and Safety.
  • Program Planners are used to schedule fire drills.
  • Fire drill should follow the schedule listed below:
    • August: announced night
    • September: day
    • October: night blocked
    • November: day blocked
    • January: announced day
    • February: night blocked
    • March: night
    • April: day blocked
    • June: night blocked
    • July: night
  • Submit a completed Fire Drill Report to Facilities Coordinator by 8am the following business morning.

C. ACTUAL FIRE OR FALSE ALARM

  • Contact your Coordinator or Duty Coordinator
  • Submit immediately-within reason-a completed fire report to the appropriate Coordinator.

HALL CLOSING

A. GENERAL

  1. Hall directors are responsible for the overall closing of their assigned buildings.
  2. Hall directors are required to meet at a scheduled time to process all of the closing paperwork before cleared for check-out.

B. FALL SEMESTER HALL CLOSING

___1. Return all staff office keys and staff signature sheets for staff office keys.

___2. Return non-returning staff check-out procedure sheet and supplies.

___3. Secure key boxes in conference room of main office.

___4. Return all hall transfer/room changes and non-returning resident check-in/out sheets in alpha order.

___5. Submit the following lists:

  • Missing key charge list
  • Cleaning charge list
  • Improper check-out list
  • Excessive damage/paint charge list
  • Phone repair charge list
  • Key code list
  • Master Alpha List

___6. Indicate on approved interim residents’ check-in/out sheet by writing INTERIM on Fall Hall closing signature line.

___7. Submit all maintenance work orders and lists.

___8. Process all Fall Semester hall closing paperwork on the scheduled day.

___9. Turn in ID cards for non-returner and all office keys.

C. SPRING SEMESTER HALL CLOSING

___1. Return all staff office keys, IDs and staff signature sheets for staff office keys.

___2. Return non-returning staff check-out procedure sheet and supplies.

___3. Secure key boxes in conference room of main office.

___4. Return all check-in/out sheets in alpha order-divided into two stacks:

  • those with charges
  • those without charges

___5. Submit the following lists:

  • Missing key charge list
  • Cleaning charge list
  • Improper check-out list
  • Excessive damage/paint charge list
  • Phone repair charge list
  • Key code lists
  • Master Alpha list

___6. Submit all maintenance work orders and lists.

___7. Process all Spring Semester hall paperwork on the scheduled day.

___8. Turn in your personal ID card and keys.

D. SUMMER HALL CLOSING - Session I & II

1. Return all check-in/out sheets in alpha order dividing into two stacks:

  • Those with charges
  • Those without charges

2. Return all room changes and non-returning check-in/out sheets in alpha order.

3. Submit the following lists

  • Late check-out list
  • Improper check-out list
  • Cleaning charge list
  • Non-returned key list
  • Painting list
  • Excessive damage list
  • Submit all maintenance work orders and lists
  • Key Code List (session II)
  • Turn in personal ID card and keys (session II)
  • Return non-returning staff check-out procedure sheet and supplies (session II)

E. MISCELLANEOUS CHECK-OUTS

  • Completed check-out forms are to be placed in your HD tray in the staff office by a member of your staff once they have completed a check-out.
  • You are to review the check-out sheet to see that it is completed correctly.
  • Remove the key and place it back into the appropriate key box.
  • Initial the check-out sheet indicating you have reviewed the sheet and submit to the appropriate coordinator office within 24 hours.

HALL OPENING--STAFF

A. WHEN YOU ARRIVE ON CAMPUS

  • Check into apartment with Coordinator and get settled.
  • Go to Coordinator to sign for keys and other supplies.
  • Ask lots of questions, read though files from your predecessor, become familiar with your building.
  • Attend HD training.

B. BEFORE YOUR RAs GET HERE

  • Read your Residential Life Staff Manual.
  • Complete the Check In/Out forms for each of your RAs.
  • Make welcome signs and organize staff development activities.
  • Organize your HD office, staff offices, files, and RA mailboxes. Inventory all equipment belonging to your building.
  • Look over entire building and turn in all work orders and lists to the Residential Life office.

C. WHEN YOUR RAs GET HERE

  • Have staff roster with room numbers and phone numbers posted in staff offices.
  • Distribute keys, training schedule, etc.
  • Prepare expectations for your RA staff.
  • Do some staff development activities.
  • Make a schedule of when and where RAs are working for Opening.

HALL OPENING--RESIDENTS

A. GENERAL

  • HD’s are responsible for the overall opening of their assigned buildings.
  • HD’s are required to meet at 9 p.m. on the last day to claim assignments for each hall opening to process all of the opening paperwork.
  • HD’s are to serve as public relations officers during grand hall opening days.
  • All HD’s are required to be on duty the entire posted time period of check-in on the first day of each grand hall opening.
  • HD’s will schedule coverage times during all remaining days-second day of check-in up to first day of classes. (The HD on duty at night will assume responsibility for check-in issues.) The HD on schedule will be required to:
    • Walk all buildings and be highly visible during their scheduled time period
    • Carry residential life radio and phone.
    • Dress in Residential Life polo shirt.

B. FALL, SPRING & SUMMER SESSIONS

  • Prepare a no-show list for review and verification.
    • Name
    • Social security number
    • Assignment
  • Review late check-in list and remove them from the no-show list.
  • Discuss room changes and room consolidation.
  • Discuss procedure for in-hall room changes.
  • Discuss procedure for overflow – if applicable.
  • Set hall meeting times and prepare program planners.
  • Review process script for hall meetings.
  • Discuss the RHA reps positions available (fall & spring)
  • Set up 15 minute one-on-one meetings with appropriate Coordinator
  • Briefly review check-in process

C. GREAT MOVE IN DAY PARKING PLAN (J. A.W. plan)

The goal of this plan is to allow residents to move their belongings into the residence halls in a convenient, fast and safe manner. The plan should be implemented all day GMID and with discretion the remainder of designated check in times. The plan should be gradually phased away with attention paid to specific problem areas.

Overview

A. Problem:

Without intervention, vehicle and pedestrian traffic associated with resident unloading and moving is chaotic and dangerous. The inside drive of Pinkerton Quad and the drives surrounding the New Hall are the main problem areas.

Capitol Quad and Crawford areas provide much fewer problems.

B. Solution

  • Parking spots along both drives of Pinkerton Quad are designated as unloading zones only.
  • The front drive of the New Hall is open for unloading only. Traffic is allowed to enter only from Dixie and exit to 9th Street.
  • Parking remains prohibited in fire lanes. Unloading in fire lanes is strongly discouraged.
  • Barricades are setup to mark flow traffic, designated unloading only zones, and no parking areas.
  • Laminated banner signs should be posted on the barricades to indicate the intention of the barricade.
  • “No Parking or Standing” (orange) and “Unloading Zone Only” (yellow) half-sheet flyers are placed on cars to encourage compliance with the plan.

C. Staff

  • • One Hall Director or Programming Hall Director is assigned to oversee the GMID Plan. This person should supervise the advertisement, preparation, and implementation of the plan.
  • The PA staff works under the supervision of the assigned HD or PHD to prepare for GMID and implement thef plan. During implementation of the plan, the PA’s should encourage compliance with traffic and parking regulations by speaking to residents and placing half-sheet flyers on vehicles. PA’s also set up barricades, direct traffic, and alert University Police to serious noncompliance.

D. Prep

1) 1-2 Weeks Prior

  • HD meets with Chief of University Police to discuss GMID Plan.
  • PA staff is briefed on their responsibilities.
  • Barricades are requested from facilities. (More is better.)

2) 3 Days Prior

  • HD meets with Chief of University Police to finalize GMID Plan.
  • PA staff is updated on their responsibilities.
  • Announcement of GMID arrangement is sent via Public Affairs, mass emails, Hall flyers, and department memos.
  • Entire RA/HD staff is briefed on plan.
  • Plenty (about 200 each)of half sheet flyers are made.
  • HD follows up with facilities regarding barricades.
  • PA staff makes needed barricades signs. (Ex. “Unloading Zone Only,” “No Parking or Standing,” and “DO NOT ENTER.”)

3) Day Before

  • Barricades are arranged and labeled as need with banner signs. (The Tech Village office has a heavy duty stapler that is helpful in attaching the signs to the barricades.)
  • Bollards should be removed from New Hall front and rear drives.
  • PA’s are briefed on specific assignments, responsibilities, and schedule. One PA should be assigned to the front drive of the New Hall and should limit traffic into the drive to the capacity of the left curb. One PA should be assigned to the two drives of Pinkerton Quad, the epicenter of most problems.
  • Informational Flyers should be posted in Pinkerton Quad buildings and the New Hall.

4) GMID

  • HD should meet with University Police Officers assigned to traffic and touch base with them.
  • PA’s work traffic and parking.
  • HD should stay in communication with PA’s, troubleshooting and delegating tasks.

5) After

  • Continue GMID Plan as needed for the remainder of check-in times; some areas should be staffed longer than others. Gradually phase out the plan over the days following GMID.
  • HD should request removal of traffic barricades from facilities. Signs should be removed and stored for possible future use.
  • Bollards should be replaced in New Hall front and rear drives.

FLOOR MEETING

Prior to the first day of classes, a floor meeting should be conducted; the following information should be submitted to your Coordinator.

A. PRIOR TO THE MEETINGS

  • Submit a program planner prior to the date of the meetings.

B. AFTER MEETINGS

  • Submit a signed attendance roster.
  • A list of residents who did not attend the meeting.
  • Submit a program evaluation.

HEALTH AND SAFETY CHECKS

A. Hall directors will perform follow-up health and safety checks within 24 hours of the original room check. Satisfactory follow-up checks are due to the appropriate Coordinator by 4:30 p.m. on Friday during the week of health and safety checks.

B. Hall directors will perform health and safety checks of the assigned staff rooms. This is to take place during your 24-hour follow-ups. Staff checks are due to the appropriate Coordinator by 4:30 p.m. on Friday during the week of health and safety checks.

C. Perform follow-up check and indicate on bottom of form results:

  • Unsatisfactory problem corrected on first follow-up.
    • Sign, time, and date the sheet.
    • Leave pink copy in visible place inside the room.
    • Submit yellow copy to the appropriate Coordinator.
    • Any violation of policy-with the exception of custodial issues-should be referred for informal discipline.
  • Unsatisfactory problem not corrected, on second or more follow-up’s--refer all violations for informal discipline.
    • Sign, time, and date the sheet.
    • Leave a room entry card in a visible place inside the room.
    • Note each day and time you enter the room on the health and safety check form.
    • Once satisfactory, leave pink copy in visible place inside the room and submit yellow form for disciplinary action.
  • HD’s should never have to go to a room more than twice. As a manager, the HD must make a point to contact the resident and inform him that the condition must be corrected. (Example: Hey, I’ll be back, please have the room cleaned.”)

D. Coordinators will perform monthly checks of Hall Director apartments.

INFORMAL EDUCATIONAL DISCIPLINE

Informal Educational Disciplinary meetings afford the opportunity to meet with residents who have engaged in policy violations to clarify any policies while informing them of the informal and formal discipline process. These meetings are also used to answer questions asked by the residents, thus providing opportunities for honest dialogue, which can provide insight into the true culture of our residence halls. Hall directors are required to complete Educational disciplines for informal violations, which are not violations of our safety policies (i.e. trash, noise, etc).

OFFICE HOURS

A. CAMPUS TOURS

Each HD will alternate doing campus tours at about 4:00 each weekday afternoon. The Coordinator will schedule the tours.

  • Each HD will be expected to know and follow the tour script – be pleasant and positive through out the tour
  • HD’s must dress professionally for the tours – i.e. TTU or res. life golf shirt, kakis, shoes (no t-shirts, holey jeans, flip-flops, etc.)

B. RESIDENCE HALL

  • Hall directors will work in hall office hours 6 hours over 3-4 days with no more than one day being served on the weekend. Additionally, of these 6 hours, no duty shift may be scheduled for less than a one-hour time block.
  • On weekdays, the Hall Director must walk the building, sign RA duty round sheets and complete the HD Building Log
  • On the three to four days when office hours are not scheduled, the HD Building Log is still required to be filled out by each hall director.
  • These office hours will serve as your opportunity to conduct informal/educational disciplinary discussions, roommate mediations, and schedule meetings to talk with residents and/or staff, required staff 1-1 meetings, resident interactions, community building, walking building after 7 PM, and complete various other duties of your position as a hall director.
  • Deadline for establishment of office hours are as follows:
    • Hall opening day in August --these hours are valid until Fall break
    • Last day of Fall break --these hours are valid until Christmas break
    • Hall opening day in January --these hours are valid until Spring break
    • Last day of Spring break --these hours are valid until graduation
    • Hall opening in May --hall closing in August
  • During your office hours, it will be necessary for you to dress as a paraprofessional. Our office observes business casual dress. Specifically, business casual does not include the following: shorts, denim jeans, t-shirts, other non-collard shirts, sleeveless tops, spaghetti straps, flip-flops, hats, mini-skirts, or other university insignia apparel. If you are unsure, please check with your immediate supervisor.
  • These office hours cannot be used for: committee meetings, staff meetings, personal social time, study time or conducting programming.
  • You are expected to be accessible at all times during your office hours.

PERSONAL EMERGENCY FOR STAFF

In the event of a personal emergency which necessitates a staff member to leave her assigned duty night and/or be late, they are required to notify the hall director on duty – via HD cell or main office phone (depending upon the time) – and receive instructions on what to do at that point. Staff member involved is required to submit an incident report the following day describing the emergency situation.

The HD is required to find coverage for the hall and to notify all interested parties (Coordinator on call, Campus Police, residents of the hall.) This should also be documented via an incident report. In the event that a HD must leave duty she must contact coordinator on duty and make arrangements to have another hall director assume their duty responsibilities. This must be documented via an incident report.

PROGRAMMING

A. General Information

  • Monitor the frequency of programs being presented in your hall as not to overkill programming in a short time period.
  • Work with staff to see that they meet all programming requirements as required.
  • Encourage “no money”, “RA initiated”, and passive programming.

B. Advertising Approval

  • In approving the advertising, you should look for the following:
    • overall appeal
    • correct spelling of all information
    • who, what, when, and where are answered
    • information presented is in keeping with our overall mission of programming
  • Once you have approved the advertising, you should:
    • place the programming stamp on the front of the advertisement and initial
    • make copies from appropriate office (see copying policy)
    • give to Resident Assistant for distribution by 48 hours of program date

C. Hall director requirements

  • Complete, with the assistance of your entire hall staff, one Security Awareness Program. Must submit a program planner, sign in sheet and evaluation. Refer to the operational calendar.
  • Complete a monthly community social program, with the assistance of your entire hall staff. Must submit proper paperwork (including planner, evaluations, evaluation summary and tally sheet). Refer to the operational calendar for due dates.
  • Other programs as assigned.

SEMESTER REPORTS

These reports are used to evaluate the Residential Life program; therefore, content, grammar, presentation, punctuality, and thoroughness are essential. As a college student Hall Directors are expected to have satisfactory written skills. These should be treated as any other paper or report you would develop for your academics.

A. General Information

PROFESSIONAL, PROFESSIONAL, PROFESSIONAL

  • Typed, double spaced, 12 font, Arial on white paper (no pre-printed paper)
  • Refer to operational calendar for due dates
  • Cover memo to Coordinators (CC: Director and Associate Director) listing the topics covered in your report (with report attached). (Make sure that you sign or initial your memo)
  • Contents of cover memo (in paragraph form)
  • How long Hall Director?
  • Buildings supervised?
  • What is attached?
  • Number of staff supervised? (this should also be noted under staffing concerns and problems
  • What committee chaired?
  • Turn in 5 hard copies and on disk in MS Word format.
  • Each reporting area should be submitted in summary form as follows:
  • Using SHORT introductory paragraphs for each section
  • Use bullet form for all written summary information
  • Use tables for all numeric summary information (make sure all tables have headings)
  • Factual Information Only – do not include opinions without factual information to substantiate the claim.
  • Should be in three distinct sections (in other words – we should have three different documents!)
    • Memo
    • End of Year Report
    • Committee Report
  • Minimum of Five Pages (5) per report!! NO EXCEPTIONS! (NO Unnecessary filler!)

B. Staff / Building Report

TOPICS TO BE COVERED (not restricted to these only)

  • Staff Development
    • What did you do?
    • Dates
    • Times
    • Money spent
    • Did each seem productive?
  • Programming
    • All inclusive list of staff programs broken into:
      Passive, Floor Meetings, Community Builders, Security Awareness
    • Each program title should include the following:
      Total programming attendance
      Total monies spent
    • HD Programs
    • Effectiveness of programs (What works and does not work?)
    • Effectiveness and reaction to passive programming topics
  • Roommate Mediations
    • How many and what types?
    • Outcome (Were they moved?)
  • Staffing Issues
    • Problems encountered
    • How you dealt with problems
    • Disciplines issued (no names)
  • Misc.
    • Overall review of duty rounds
    • Overall review of office hours
    • Overall review of year in the residential life program
    • Contributions made by you and your staff
    • Things we are doing well as a department
    • Suggestions for improvement
    • o Any other topics you would like to share

C. Committee Reports

TOPICS TO BE COVERED (not restricted to these only)

  • Meetings
    • Times/dates (can be bulleted)
    • Productivity
    • Staff attendance
  • Programs/Activities (Carousel, In-services, proposals, newsletters, etc.)
    • Dates/Times
    • Money spent
    • Attendance
    • Outcome
    • Topics covered
  • Staff
    • Who was involved?
    • Discipline
  • Committee Development
    • Dates
    • Times
    • Outcome
    • What did you do?
  • Self-Analyzation/Productivity
    • How involved were you in the activities?
    • How effective was your committee?
    • How effective were your delegation skills? (Explain)
      How were tasks delegated?
      Why were they delegated in this way to these certain people?
    • Did the committee work alone or require constant supervision?
  • Committee Structure
    • Did you have subdivisions and why?
    • Did you have a co-chair(s), etc.?
      How effect was this?
      Who were they?
    • Suggestions for improving the committee.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT BUDGET

As a supervisor, you may request monies to provide staff development activities.

  • The staff development money should be spent on activities for your own in-hall staff; staff can combine their monies if approved in advance by the Coordinator.
  • These monies should be spent on activities that are designed to provide staff stress relief, build team spirit and foster an environment of community.
  • Pro-Card must be used for all approved purchases.
  • Use of these monies for the following activities is considered inappropriate:
    • individual staff competitions
    • individual work incentives bonuses
    • activities that do not include the entire staff
    • Activities involving the use of “formal” restaurants
    • food purchases
    • other questionable uses
  • Hall Directors are the only people allowed to request and spend these monies.
  • As a supervisor, you must submit an In-Hall Staff Development Budget Expenditure Sheet each time you use any of your staff development monies. This will allow the Office of Residential Life to track your account balance.
  • Follow-up reports to your activity should be included on your weekly staff meeting report form. Also attach all receipts pertaining to the activity to this sheet.

SUICIDE (See suicide section)

  • HD is to call Coordinator immediately giving specific location of individual.
  • HD serves as a stabilizing force for resident and staff until such time as Coordinator can arrive on scene.
  • Coordinator will serve as the assessor of the situation and will initiate all follow-ups from this point on.

TORNADO PROCEDURE

A. HD responsibilities

  • HD on duty contacts the RAs in each building.
  • HD radios all buildings and confirms that they are in their tornado shelters (basements)
  • HD contacts the Coordinator and informs them of the status of each building.
  • HD makes sure all staffs are accounted for and have informed students to return to the rooms when the tornado warning is over.

B. RA responsibilities

  • RA on duty must go to staff office and obtain the weather radio (this operates on the battery when it is unplugged)
  • Help direct residents to the basement. NOTE: residents are not required to go to the basement or stay there, but are encouraged to do so.
  • Keep order in the basement and wait for notification from the weather radio or staff personnel informing that it is ok to return to the rooms.

C. Points of interest

  • Coordinators will report to their assigned areas.
  • Severe Weather alerts which occur during the day will be handled by the staff available on campus at the time of the alert that can be mobilized without being placed in harm’s way. C (S/E 4/13/04)

VISIBILITY

Hall Directors are required to maintain visibility in the halls on the three days when in-hall office hours are not scheduled. Hall Directors will walk their halls after 7 PM and complete the HD Building Log for their grounds.

VISITATION

Hall Directors are permitted open visitation of the same/or opposite sex not to exceed three (3) nights per week.

Any exceptions to this must be cleared through the Coordinator. The goal of this visitation policy is to reduce any signs of impropriety. Guests of Hall directors must be escorted in and out of buildings prior to and after the approved visitation hours as indicated by the Office of Residential Life.

WITHDRAWALS

When a student withdraws from the university, a notice will be placed in the HD box in the Reslife Office. Upon receipt of this notice the student is given 48 hours to move out of their room and complete a proper check out. The HD is responsible for relaying information to hall staff members and ensuring all withdrawal check-outs are completed properly and in a timely manner. Checkout forms must be returned to the Office of Residential Life within three days from the date the HD receives notification in his/her box. To return checkout forms, place them in the appropriate Coordinator’s box in the Residential Life Office.

 

Apply Now