When I told my friends that I was going to be an RA this year, a lot of them were very surprised. They had perceived RAs to be mean and scary and believed that all RAs were just out to get other students in trouble. Before I met my first RA, I believed the same thing. But now, I am an RA and I know other RAs and those perceptions are false. With help from a few other RAs, I have compiled a list of things we want our residents to know to help dispel the negative connotation associated with our job.
1. We don't make the policies, but we do enforce them
RAs have absolutely no control over policies. We do not get to make up rules whenever we feel like it and we do not get to ignore rules either. Our job is simply to inform residents of the policies and document those who break them.
2. We don't punish you, we just document what we see
When we write you up there is no guarantee that you will be in serious trouble. We have no say in what consequences come after documenting incidents, and we also never know if these consequences come at all. We simply report everything we see, hear, and sometimes even smell to our supervisor and they take it from there. You may end up in a lot of trouble or you may never hear about the incident again, but the RAs have no idea what will come of our reports.
3. We are private sources, but we are not confidential
Residents trust us not to tell others the information they share with us. However, we cannot guarantee confidentiality to our residents because we have to report everything we hear to our supervisor. We will not share the information with any other residents, friends, parents, professors, or other staff though. We protect our residents' privacy to the best of our ability but our supervisors can help us decide the best way to handle the problem and they can also provide resources that we cannot.
4. We know you break the rules
Every resident thinks that they are being sneaky when they break a rule, but in reality, it is pretty obvious. We are not out to get you, so we do not go out of our way invading your privacy looking for policy violations. We understand that this is college and boundaries will be tested, but if you push it too far we will have to document the incident and our supervisor will be following up with some consequences.
5. The policies in place are all there for the residents' safety and wellbeing
Yes we know that residents think some of the rules are dumb, but they are all there to keep everyone safe and to create an environment conducive to learning. College should be fun, but we also can't lose sight of what we came here to do... get a degree. When we tell you to turn down your music, it isn't because we hate Drake. It is because it is preventing someone else from sleeping or studying.
RAs are here for your safety and to ensure that learning is possible where you live. We are a resource for you, and not someone who is only around to get you in trouble. We have all been selected because we can remain calm in stressful situations and are willing and able to listen to you.
