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		From RA's to Ratchets - Transitioning From Residence Life to Facilities Operations By John Ricci Area Director, University Residence Halls Columbia University Recently, after a long tenure in Residence Life, I made the jump to managing the facilities operations aspects of residence halls. I went from hearing judicial cases to hearing union grievances; from RA training to MSDS training; from room selection to carpet selection - this is my story. Through all my years working my way up the ladder in residence life, I always had an appreciation for the housekeepers and mechanics. I think this was based in part by something my father stressed to me as a result of his many years as a teacher in the public schools - "be sure to make good relations with the janitors; they can be very helpful when and if you need a favor". Okay, so janitors isn't very politically correct, but back in my dad's day, they called them janitors so let's cut him some slack. At any rate, that was real wisdom talking there, and its helped me out tremendously over the years. While I had always made an effort to get to know the cleaners, mechanics, etc., I never really knew the ins and outs of their jobs, nor did I ever have to supervise these individuals. The programs where I was department head separated maintenance and housekeeping services under either the physical plant and/or the facilities departments. When presented with an opportunity at Columbia to work directly in the facilities operations side of residence halls, I was both excited but a bit reticent at the same time. I was excited about the prospects of learning new skills and finally having more influence on the operational aspects of residence halls. I was also a bit reticent as I was straying away from my comfort zone and heading into uncharted waters. Not to mention that someone else would now handle all I had come to oversee in residence life. All that notwithstanding, I felt confident applying my repertoire of skills to this new area. I can tell you honestly that I made a smooth transition in most areas, but was amazed at the complexity of other aspects of facilities management. I have a lot greater respect for those directors of physical plants who I found myself at odds with at times as director of residence life. Getting to the heart of it, let me break it down a bit further for you. If you like working with students and see yourself as having a key role in service delivery, I see minimal shifting needed from residence life to operations. So many of the skills directly transferred, and having more than a fundamental knowledge of residence life was a big plus. Transferable skills included organizational skills, good communication, attention to detail and follow-up, use of technology, supervision, budget management & problem solving. Technology and its applications are alive and well in the area of facilities management, and your knowledge and expertise in this area can only assist you, as more and more campuses are putting services and procedures "on-line". If you were successful in these areas as a practitioner in residence life, you can make your mark in operations. Unless you already possess some technical knowledge in project management, construction, building systems, procurement, etc., I would encourage the following. Seek out colleagues in facilities operations to get an idea of what their typical roles and responsibilities tend to be, especially those that may have had their roots in residence life. They can better appreciate the challenges and articulate the transition process. These individuals can also direct you to resources that can increase your base knowledge and professional awareness as you either prepare for actual facilities operations related interviews or, if already on the job, as you begin work in this new area. I was fortunate to have had this type of assistance both prior to making the jump and still have it as I continue my work at Columbia. I am fortunate enough to have colleagues who are very willing to share both their knowledge and their experiences. The supervision of staff was not a hard transition, although sometimes lacking the technical knowledge of custodial/mechanical equipment and supplies, building systems, preventive maintenance, etc., continues to be the biggest disadvantage. I learn new aspects of facilities operations every week, and a feeling of accomplishment sets in every once in awhile when a new job area has been managed well. The supervision of staff was not a hard transition, although sometimes lacking the technical knowledge of equipment, supplies, techniques on floor care and building systems continues to be the biggest disadvantage. I learn new aspects of facilities operations every week, and I've been fortunate enough to have colleagues who are willing to share their time and expertise. Related to this job shift is the transition of professional associations that exist to better develop you, the facilities operations practioner. While there are still benefits (for example) within ACUHO-I for facilities operations personnel, I have discovered the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (formerly known as the Association of Physical Plant Administrators or APPA) and have attended one sponsored conference to date. APPA (which they still use as their acronym) provides excellent programs and tracks for the new or experienced managers in facilities operations. Those interested can reach their web site at www.APPA.org. Transitioning into new professional organizations and making different connections in current organizations has been a plus. For those of you considering the jump, I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I feel my experiences at Columbia will enable me to market myself for a wider range of job opportunities in the future. This would include positions both in and out of the profession, director's positions that oversee both residence life and housing operations or a department head position in student services that oversees residence life, housing and/or facilities. My awareness and understanding of the residence life staff role has been invaluable and as such I have helped design intentional programs, staff training, procedures, and routine communication links within our department that strengthen our ties with our residence life colleagues. So don't be afraid to switch your residence life "tool belt" for the traditional one. You might be pleasantly surprised... About the Author John Ricci is an Area Director for University Residence Halls at Columbia University. He was formerly Director of Residence Life at Drew University and most recently held the same position at Hofstra University. He has served on the Program Committee for ACUHO-I and has been a member of the Executive Boards of MACUHO and most recently NEACUHO.