SHERMAN HALL 2016-2017

STAFF EXPECTATIONS
Academics:
- If you are having academic issues, be proactive in seeking help; do not wait until it is too late. The Department of
Residential Community Life expects you to maintain a 2.50 both cumulative and semester GPA.
- Academics are important but should not be an excuse for not doing your job. Know your academic schedule and student
staff member schedule in order to be able to plan accordingly. As a RA/ATM, you are responsible for maintaining a
balanced schedule to perform your academic functions as well as fulfill the requirements of the position as defined by the
department.
Administrative
- Always treat all residents fairly. This is the biggest key to effective discipline.
- Policies: You are to follow and support all policies as established by the Residential Community Life Office. Failure to do so may result
in loss of your position. It is your job to uphold policies. If you need clarification on any policies or procedures, be sure to ask.
- Building Maintenance: Turn in facility problems within 24 hours (Email or call). Please notify RD Jerrimiah by email
when emergency maintenance is called.
- Paperwork: All paperwork should be filled out neatly and correctly and turned in on time.
- Check your mailbox and email each at least once daily. Your mailbox should be empty at the end of each day. Dont leave items from
your mailbox around the office. All flyers and information that needs to be distributed to your residents or hung up within 24 hours.
- Residence Hall License and Code of Conduct: Read them and know them.
- Manuals: Read your manuals thoroughly and use them as a reference throughout the year. You are responsible for all
information in them.
- Always be punctual to meetings and assigned shifts.
- Be on time with your paperwork and communicate with your supervisor if you cannot meet assigned deadlines.
- Staff meetings are mandatory, come prepared to be engaged with a writing utensil and be on time.
- If you are running late notify your supervisor - <5 minutes late then send a text, >5 minutes late then call.
- Staff members are to attend regular one on one meetings with their supervisor, come prepared with community and
personal updates, questions, and concerns.
- Never give or provide access to your staff keys or ID card to anyone.
Availability
- Check and respond to any messages within 24 hours (email, voicemail, texts, written, etc).
- Make personal contact and interact with your residents on a regular basis.
- Post scheduled times when you will be available for residents to stop by or let residents know how they can get in touch
with you.
- Strive to keep your door open or have a system to let your residents know when you are around.
- Do not hesitate to take time for yourself, but find a balance of personal time and being available for residents.

Commitment and Professionalism

- As a representative of the SUNY Oneonta and the Department of Residential Community Life you should always show
yourself as a positive role model through supporting and upholding all the policies and programs of the university,
department, and professional staff. Remember you are always a staff member no matter where you are.
- Student staff members should consistently enforce the policies with residents and peers including but not limited to escort
violations, noise, pets, and opposite gender in restroom.
- Act as a role model; be respectful when dealing with students during a situation or policy violation.
- Confidentiality is mandated and must be exercised with all information received.
- Calls and/or requests from parents and/or family should be directed to your supervisor, you should not be providing any
information to parents regarding their students.
- Promote and maintain a discrimination and harassment free zone. If you feel or witness acts of bias, share, in a timely
manner with your supervisor.
- Abide by all state, federal, and local laws, in addition to SUNY Oneonta and the Department of Residential Community
Life policies. Violations of laws and policies will most likely result in termination.
- Of age staff members should not consume alcohol within 6 hours prior to working (i.e. staff meeting, one on ones, duty,
etc.)
- You may have another job or be involved with clubs/organizations for up to 10 hours each week. Outside commitments
should not conflict with your student staff position and should be approved by your supervisor.
Community Development and Programming
- Get to know your residents as individuals. Know their names, where they are from, what they enjoy doing for fun;
celebrate the diversity amongst them.
- Be aware of your residents needs; be available to them when needs arise.
- Follow the programming model as provided by the department throughout the year.
- Submit completed programs into the programming database within 48 hours of completing the program.
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STAFF EXPECTATIONS
- Advertise and attend any large-scale programs sponsored by the Department of Residential Community Life.
- Provide publicity for programs at least one week in advance. Quality publicity should use graphics, different colors, and
try to be eye catching.
- Be an advocate for the department to your community and vice versa.
- Attend Hall Government meetings and programs as a positive participant providing support instead of serving as a
distraction. Strive to bring residents with you.
- Door decorations should show handcrafted/creative effort and be created at the beginning of each semester.

Duty
- Complete thorough rounds of your assigned area ensuring doors are secure, duty signage is posted in assigned locations,
residents are safe and following policies, all is well in common areas, outdated posters are removed, and there are no
maintenance concerns.
- Document incidents in detail when they occur and notify the appropriate people according to protocol. Submit incident
reports immediately after confronting situations, these do not wait until the next morning email Jerrimiah immediately.
- Backup: Dont go into a situation where you think youll be in danger or are uncomfortable in any way. If you are
approaching a loud situation, call for backup before you even knock on the door. If you are called for backup by a fellow
RA and you are in the building, you need to provide assistance unless you are dealing with another emergency.
- Communication: Always let me know of any problems or incidents within 24 hours. You can do this via email and silent
voicemail. If it is an emergency, get a hold of me, or the RD on duty immediately. (ie. transports, arrests, etc.) If it can
wait until the morning then send an email to me (or a silent voicemail) and follow up. Text messages are not appropriate
for emergencies or incidents that need an immediate answer. Small questions are fine to be texted if it doesn't require an
immediate answer and if it only happens on occasion. This should not be your primary means of communication with
your RD. Especially after business hours.
- Follow-up: Follow up with a resident later that day or the next day after a referral to the Counseling Center or after a
policy violation. It is important to keep a rapport with your residents.
- Identification: It is crucial that you ask for I.D. from all persons when confronting a room problem. Even if you know the
person or they are a frequent guest, you must collect all IDs. If the person is not an Oneonta student, please get their
address and all other information off their license. We need to know who is in the building and who is involved in
incidents. School IDs are not enough from non-Oneonta students during an incident. They should be able to (by law)
prove who they are with some sort of government issued ID.
- Keying into a room: To key into a room for any instance that is not a lockout or room inspection (alarm, loud music
without resident being home, health and wellness check, etc) you MUST call your RD or RD on duty and get permission,
bring another RA, document the incident (if need be), and leave a note telling the resident why you had to key in (i.e. an
alarm clock).
- If there is a time when you are concerned about the emotional stability or behavior of a resident, including fellow RAs,
this should be documented and given to the RD in a timely manner.
- Frequency: You will be on call during the week around every other week and roughly once a month on the weekend. You
will serve as backup roughly 1-2 times per month.
Hours:
- Weekday duty begins at 7 pm and ends at 7 am the following morning. The on duty RA is expected to be in the office from 7
pm until 11 pm everyday (weekdays & weekend days).

- On Duty on Fridays: The on-duty RA is expected to be in the building and able to be contacted on Friday from 4 pm until 12
noon on Saturday.
i. On Duty RA is expected to be in the office from 4 pm until 5 pm and again from 7 pm until 11 pm.

- On Duty on Saturdays: On Duty RA is expected to be in the building and able to be contacted from 12 noon Saturday until
12 noon Sunday.
ii. On Duty RA is expected to be in the office from 12 noon until 3 pm and again from 7 pm until 11 pm.

- On Duty on Sundays: On Duty RA is expected to be in the building and able to be contacted from 12 noon Sunday until 7 am
Monday.
iii. On Duty RA is expected to be in the office from 12 noon until 3 pm and again from 7 pm until 11 pm.
- You should be in your room, the RA office or settling an issue related to duty during this time. When youre on duty,
youre not only holding people accountable for their actions or keeping people safe. You are there as a vital part or our
functions to build community and to make sure that the lives of our students are productive. You could take a shower
if need be, just have your phone on you.
- Duty changes are to be done on an emergency basis only. The RD must approve all possible changes before any form is
filled out. If possible, these need to be done 2 weeks in advance. Stuff happens In the event of a family death, your
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STAFF EXPECTATIONS
death, or in the event of an emergency, a duty switch is acceptable.
Rounds:

Rounds for the building are to be done every hour from 7pm until 11pm. Rounds are not to be skipped, even if the building is
quiet. Record any confrontations, noise, or lack thereof in the duty log immediately following each round and take care of any
maintenance problems and/or IRFs to me as soon as you return to the cage.

- Rounds include each floor (including the Lower Level), each lounge, computer lab, gym, and laundry room. You need
to enter these areas and look around to check for damage and cleanliness issues, not just open the door and look
around. Be aware of outside weather and close all windows if needed (rain or snow) and turn off lights in empty areas.
- Off-Duty Times: Remember, even when you are not on duty, you are still expected to be available. You need to sleep
in the building on weeknights (Sunday-Thursday) and/or be around for residents to reach you. Each RA is allowed one
weekend per month away from the building (exception can be made for more time away on a case by case selection).
Let the RD know when you are planning trips home so I am aware of your absence and talk to me in-person or email,
1 week in advance. If you have others sleep in your room (significant others, friends, etc) it cannot be when you are on
duty and cannot be for extended periods of time. Same rules that apply to residents apply to you.
- You are to wear your RA duty t-shirt only when youre on duty or when the RD tells you to wear it during a specific
time or place.
Programming:
September
- Each month/period of time (seen on the left), at least two RAs will lead their fellow staff members
in facilitating a monthly program. They will delegate tasks such as advertising, program shopping, October
inviting and securing a speaker, passive program element (bulletin board, social media aspect etc) November/December
and logistics. They are also in charge of inputting the proposal into E-rezlife. The student staff January/February
leaders should be different every month so that each RA can participate in this leadership March
opportunity.
April/May (Service)
- For the building-wide programs, at least one program will have to have an outside presenter.
Socials: February: 1
Each RA will do a total of twelve (12) socials during the March: 2
course of the academic year. These socials can be done April: 2
spontaneously. You do not have to submit a proposal May: 1
through E-Rezlife. However, you will have to submit an
evaluation within 48 hours.
-
Do not do the same social twice.
You can collaborate with other RAs at a maximum of 2
times a semester.
Program Evaluations:
Program Evaluations (both building-wide and socials) are
to be completed in detail via online. It should be filled out
within 48 hours. If they are not completed to satisfaction,
they may be sent back to you to fill out again.
Advertising:
Publicity is an important part of the success of any
program. Be creative and ask for help if you need it.
Advertising should start at least one week before the
program and employ at least 2 different mediums. Be
sustainable!
Creativity:
Plan new and interesting programs. Dont be content with
repeating the same ideas each semester.
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STAFF EXPECTATIONS
Do your fair share of work. In the event that you are a
facilitator of the pillar program, be present at the
program and be there on time.

Involvement Attendance at Hall Government is

important. I expect each staff member to attend at least
one meeting and one program per semester. You are
free to attend while working the Cage, but please leave
a note stating, See RA on duty in main lounge.
Support Please be supportive of all Hall Government
members, happenings, events, and programs.
Encourage your residents to attend meetings and
participate in Hall Government.

Constructive Guidance- In the event you happen to

have a spot of guidance for hall government members,
come to a hall government meeting and give them
guidance. In the event you desire to give that feedback
in an area that is more private, request to meet
somewhere private with both the RD and Hall
Government Liaison.
Filling of Hall Government Positions-
In some instances, Sherman Hall might not have every
Hall Government position filled. In the event that an
election happens and positions are is still open,
nominate a resident from your floor to be a member of
Hall Government. In the event it is an RSO Position,
make sure the person youre nominating is available at
4pm on Wednesday.

General Steps to dismissal:

Verbal discussion
Verbal discussion resulting in a Warning
Letter.
Verbal discussion resulting in a Probation
Letter.
Verbal discussion resulting in
Resignation/Termination

Relationships
- Be responsible, helpful, and respectful to all members of the team and our community
- Get to know your peers and residents and learn how to develop personal and professional relationships.
- Be proactive in keeping gossip to a minimum, it can hurt the team and community dynamic.
- Ask appropriate questions in an appropriate setting. There are items that you can ask your peers for feedback and
certain questions that should be answered by your supervisor to ensure your job is being done accurately. Determine the
appropriate place for questions to be asked.
- Be aware of how you handle a situation and where it should be handled (private vs. public).
- Keep your staff and supervisor(s) informed. Let us know of issues ahead of time to avoid any last minute surprises.
- Admit mistakes or confusions as soon as they come up.
- Student staff members should never transport residents anywhere in their vehicles or accompany them in emergency
vehicles. Assist them in arranging transportation and meet them at the destination.
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STAFF EXPECTATIONS
- Maintain appropriate boundaries with residents and professional staff.
- Get to know the maintenance
- workers in our community and encourage residents to build positive relationships with them.
- Embrace the different opportunities and people you will be able to meet through your position.

I have read, discussed, and understand the expectations that my supervisor has of me in addition to the expectations
that have been set by the department.

Staff Printed Name Staff Signature

Supervisor Signature Date