H-QUIN STAFF EXPECTATIONS SPRING 2013

General Expectations Academics are your priority, but not an excuse. Your classes come first and then your RA job. While WE want you to participate in activities you enjoy, you will need to work with the RC/HC to make sure you are balancing appropriately. Please ask questions and for help. If you are not sure how to do something or why something is structured a certain way, talk to your RC/HC. We are here as a resource for you so utilize us when you need to. Challenge yourself to continually grow. Nobody is perfect and we dont expect you to be, focus on your strengths and work from there. Respect your RC/HC. You are welcome to have an open and honest relationship with us, but be mindful of the way you are speaking to and about your RC/HC. Respect yourself, your colleagues, and your community. Always be understanding and accepting of different values, morals, and beliefs. You all bring something unique to the table as will your residents. Other duties as assigned. There will be times and instances where you will be assigned a task or duty outside of normal scope, embrace it. Know that we will never give you something to do that we would not do ourselves or that doesnt need to be done. KNOW YOU WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. You are a student and a leader in your role as an RA and you need to be a good role model within the community. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in actions or behaviors unsuitable for an RA. FURBIES ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED. ANY FURBY FOUND WITHIN 100 YARDS OF THE RC OR FRONT DESK WILL BE TORCHED AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE.

Job Description It is expected that all RAs will complete all areas of their position as defined in the job description. This includes programming, duty, policy enforcement, administrative responsibilities, maintenance concerns, availability, and appropriate crisis protocol. If there is a concern or lack of information about these areas they should be addressed to the RC/HC as soon as possible. Communication Communication is EXTREMELY important in your role as an RA and to the success you will experience in this role. You are to check your preferred email address (the one noted on the staff information sheet) at least 2 times a day, this should occur in the morning and in the evening at minimum. If you are going to be away from internet on a week day, please notify the RC/HC. You are also expected to check your room and cell phone voicemail daily in the event that messages are left from another housing staff member. Communication with your Resident/Hall Coordinators: It is fine to call our home phone, office phone, or cell phone as well as to e-mail us, text us, or leave us a note, however WE ask that important or official housing information is communicated to us via e-mail or in-person, not through texting. In the case of after-hours emergencies please call the RC on duty. If you are unable to reach the RC on duty please contact your RC/HC by their home phones.

It is important that you are communicating in appropriate ways. If you are called you should either call the individual back or use a more direct means of communication. It is not appropriate to return a phone call via text message or email. Honesty- This is a crucial component of communication in this job. We will be honest with you regarding mistakes we make. We are not perfect and will not claim to be so be open-minded and patient. If you make a mistake dont try to cover it up. We will appreciate you owning up to it early to avoid further issues. Talk to us about what is going on and we can fix it together. Meetings As a H-Quin staff member you are expected to attend and be on time to all meetings designated by your Resident/Hall Coordinators or other housing officials. In the event that you have an academic or personal conflict, you are to notify (via e-mail) the Resident/Hall Coordinators five days prior to the meeting to receive approval to miss the meeting. You are welcome to come to staff related meetings in dress down clothes as long as they do not distract from your participation. When attending official University Housing meetings or functions (Opening weekend, campus meetings, etc.) it is the expectation that you are dressed either with your designated housing apparel or business casual. When attending the H-Quin staff member you should arrive at 7:25pm. You should be prepared with a pen, paper, and any required material your supervisor requested you to bring. Should you have your cell phone or personal electronic out during staff meeting it will be confiscated. You will get the item back at the end of the meeting after you make a donation to the charity established for that month. Each RA will meet with their RC/HC weekly. You should arrive to your one on one on time, should you need to reschedule you should contact your supervisor two days in advance. You should not need to reschedule with your supervisor more than twice in a semester unless it is an emergency. Administrative Material You are expected to complete all administrative work thoroughly and in a timely matter. It is expected that material is typed out or written in a legible fashion. In the event that you need an extension (which should be VERY rarely), you will need to contact your Resident/Hall Coordinators prior to the deadline for approval. Program Planning Proposals: Program Proposals are due at least 15 days in advance for all planned programs. Do not proceed with a program without approval. You must submit a copy of your advertisement with your proposal for approval. Purchasing: All requests for shopping or purchasing shall be made at least 5 days in advance. Shopping day is every Friday. If the list is not in you dont get the items. You will get notice if shopping day is changed. Program evaluations and material: Program evaluations are due 48 hours after the program. Detailed evaluations are a must, be honest about successes and learning experiences. Missing a Program: If you miss a program you will reschedule that program and do an additional program. OTMs: Each staff member will complete two OTMs each semester. OTMs will be submitted to the Resident/Hall Coordinators by the 1st of the month after the month you are submitting for. Deadlines: All deadlines will be given for tasks throughout the year for a variety of projects. These are set for a reason and need to be met with high quality results.

Pride and Professionalism Take pride in your building and pride in the FAU campus as a whole. From the appearance of our buildings to the quality of our staff, we must always be a positive force on the students in the halls. If you have pride in the H-Quin your residents will too! Be respectful and have integrity in your job and overall actions, you are an RA everywhere you go and in everything you do. This also includes Social Medias and how you choose to portray yourself through those avenues. When on duty, desk, and other housing functions you must be dressed appropriately in a housing staff shirt. Time Away It is expected/allowed that each RA will get 12 days or 6 weekends off during the semester. You will need to plan to avoid conflicts with the RA position. It is expected that if you do not apply for time away and get it approved that you will be staying in the building. You will need to apply for time away no less than 7 business days prior to the date requested with the RC/HC. Your Residents It is important to build a relationship with your residents and notify your RC/HC of any potential issues. You are expected to be visible to your residents and fellow staff members. Be present and walking around your buildings when possible, being available to your residents casually will make them more likely to come to you in a crisis. You are expected to attend to the needs of your residents in your building, regardless of time of day. You have a responsibility to your residents to report to appropriate University personnel dangerous or unconstructive behavior. Duty As an RA in your building you will be responsible to participating in the duty rotation. Duty will be scheduled at the beginning of each semester as a staff. Duty will be assigned as evenly as possible amongst the staff. You should text the RC on Duty from the duty cell phone between 4:45pm and 4:55pm. You will include your name, room phone number. You will then wait for the RC on duty to call you at the area desk. Duty begins at 5pm Sunday through Thursday and ends at 8am the next day. You must pick the cell phone up at the area desk and text the RC/HC on duty. Duty for the weekend begins at 5pm and goes until 5pm the following. (Friday night duty is from 5pm until Saturday at 5pm) You are expected to be on time for duty, to complete all tasks outlined in protocol, and to document effectively. Failure to meet duty expectations will result in disciplinary action. You will perform rounds of the building Sunday-Thursday at 5pm, 7:30pm, 10pm and Midnight. You will perform rounds of the building on Friday and Saturday the same as above, but also at 2:00am, 10:00am, and 2:00pm. The largest expectation for duty is that you are available in case of any emergency or situation, and that you can be reached. All duty changes must go through the RC/HC using the appropriate paperwork no less than 48 hours before. Desk Hours The front area desk is not a social location. Please use study lounges, MPRs, and the conference room to hang out. Your presence at the front desk should be limited to shifts and completing necessary RA tasks.

Hanging out and storing personal items is not acceptable at the front desk. You may spend up to 15 minutes at the front desk for non-work related times ONLY between 11:00PM and 7:30AM. All RAs are required to serve 3 hours of desk hours each week. While at the desk you will perform all functions of an SA. While at desk, the desk area and surrounding office area must be kept clean at all times. You are in control of who and what is at the desk during your shift and will be held responsible as such. Should you need to miss a desk shift you will need to submit an exchange form 48 hours in advance. If you are sick you must notify your supervisor immediately and find a replacement Headphones are prohibited at all times Laptops and amplified sound are only allowed between 9:00pm and 8:00am Programming A quality program will take time and effort to accomplish so keep that in mind in the planning. It is imperative that you plan ahead and utilize your resources in order to plan effective quality programs. Please refer to the Programming Model for programming requirements. Program Planning Proposals: Program Proposals are due at least 15 days in advance for all planned programs. Do not proceed with a program without approval. Purchasing: All requests for shopping or purchasing shall be made at least 5 days in advance. Failure to schedule purchasing will result in a loss of materials for your program. Program evaluations and material: Program evaluations are due 24 hours after the program. Detailed evaluations are a must, be honest about successes and learning experiences. Advertisement: As an RA you are expected to have publicity prepared for every program. Publicity for all planned programs must be up at least 3 full days prior to the program or else you will not receive funding for your event. Building Wide Programs: You will be expected to participate and attend H-Quin wide programs or events throughout the semester. All dates and logistics will be given to you in advance, as well as your role in the event or program.

Bulletin Boards/Door Decorations Bulletin boards are a means of promoting activities to your community as well as providing them important information. Each RA will be responsible for the bulletin boards on their floor to be updated on a regular basis. Each RA is asked to decorate their door with information about them to be posted by January 2nd at 8:00am RAs are responsible for changing their assigned bulletin boards by the 1st of every month and updating them on the 15th. In the case of co-RAs alternating, a schedule shall be submitted to the RC/HC at the start of each semester. As information is old, out of date, or damaged, you are expected to make changes. Floor and door decorations and first boards should be posted by January 2nd at 8:00am

*Unfortunately if your board is torn down by vandals, you are expected to re-do the board within three days.

Facilities If it is not an emergency please make sure you are putting in work orders. Please instruct your residents to place work requests through the area office. Talk to the RC/HC about issues in the building that continually arise or if you believe the building is not being maintained. Always be respectful and considerate to housekeeping and maintenance staff members. They are part of this community so show them your appreciation for their work. Keys You are issued housing keys for your job. Should you lose your office key you will be put on probation and charged the cost of changing the locks. If you lose your sequence key you will be terminated and the cost of changing the locks. Owl Cards For the nature of your position your owl card gives you access to all buildings. This is only to be used for work purposes. If you are visiting a friend in another building you are to be treated like any guest and follow the Housing and Residential Life guest policy. Relationships With Residents- Because it presents a potential conflict of interest, RAs are not permitted to date residents in the H-Quin. Exceptions will be made for those who may have been permitted to be in relationships with residents the previous year. With Staff- You are encouraged to develop close working relationships and/or friendships with your peers on the RA staff. However, you are discouraged from dating your peers on the staff because of the potential difficulties such relationships inevitably cause. Should you find yourself in a relationship you must notify your supervisor immediately.

KNOW THAT EXPECTATIONS CAN BE CHANGED OR ADDED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. THIS LIST IS INTENDED TO BE COMPREHENSIVE NOT EXHAUSTIVE.