Column: New rules for RAs

When the new, unimproved Duke housing system creaked into action last February, I felt smug. I'd just become a resident adviser, so my room-pick dilemma was over. And, like most Blue Devils, I've experienced my share of housing hell, so although housing wasn't RAing's main attraction, it was a nice bonus.

But this year, someone realized that 150 students were missing the screwing-over party in housing. They've done a fantastic job of remedying this travesty: The new requirements for RAs - which didn't come out until after the RA selection process was over - are ridiculous, divisive and counterproductive.

The rumblings began when Eddie Hull, new director of residential life and housing services, spoke at RA winter training. Compensation for Duke RAs is much lower than at other universities. But, he added ominously, we also aren't required to do as much. At many universities, for example, dorms have a main entry hall, and RAs work around the clock at the front desk answering questions and monitoring safety. Duke has no front desks, so we can't have RAs pulling graveyard shifts behind them. RA duties here are not trivial, but under Duke's current rules, RA-ing and active participation in campus life can coexist nicely. No more. Here are some of the new rules that accompany increased compensation:

1. RAs must eat meals with their residents four times per week. I'm a decent person to be around. But I understand residents might not want the pleasure of my company at mealtime, and I don't think it should be forced upon them. "Community building" is the rationale behind this new requirement, and sure, it'd be nice if residents felt more connected to their dorms. But as with most of the recent initiatives, this one is trying to create community by dictatorial fiat. It won't work.

2. RAs cannot make advance travel plans for fall, spring, Beach Week or Thanksgiving breaks, since they may be required to work during those periods, and total on-call time will nearly double. Vacations don't always involve Cancún or Europe. For example, I've spent more than half my breaks on mission trips. I count break trips among my best experiences at Duke, but under the new guidelines, I couldn't go. As for Thanksgiving, my family doesn't want to eat turkey in my dorm room.

3. RAs are barred from many activities, ranging from tenting (completely forbidden) to jobs (no more than five hours per week) to extracurriculars (advance approval required). They are strongly discouraged from taking leadership roles in major organizations, including greek groups, DSG and The Chronicle. I find it particularly interesting that these same rules call RAs "leaders in their communities." Newsflash for Eddie Hull and other social-engineering weasels: My community at Duke lies in the organizations I've joined. Kick me out of them, and I cease to be a leader.

The administration may be trying to shift RA-ing from an extracurricular activity to a semi-professional position. There would be some advantages in that. But the changes will also divorce RAs from mainstream campus life. Instead of bringing RAs and residents together, these rules will drive them apart.

This is particularly troubling since many become RAs out of financial need. A disproportionate number of RAs are Divinity School students, and although RA-ing and the ministry attract people for some of the same reasons, the average Divinity student is also poorer than the average undergraduate, and thus more in need of the RA stipend. Do we really want to deepen economic divisions at Duke by making RAs second-class citizens, unable to participate in parts of the community? As a fellow RA told me, if they're going to create these requirements, they might as well hire full-time RAs - professional bureaucrats like the idiots who thought up these rules.

I realize it's hard to feel sympathy for people whose job description includes alcohol policy enforcement. But one of my friends cried for an hour after she received the new rules, which include far more changes than I can fit in this column. Aside from hints in Eddie Hull's speech, we had no idea what was coming, and no chance to comment on changes. Also, the undergraduate housing process began Saturday, so we have little time to make alternate plans. The message to returning staff members is clear: Put up or get out. I'm getting out.

Margaret Harris is a Trinity senior. Her column appears every third Thursday.