Search Reslife.net
		RA Recovery Program: A Guide for Helping Supervisors Work with RA Staff Submitted By: Greg Nayor, Director of Residence Life, Lynchburg College As supervisors, and by the very nature of our positions, we have the daunting task of managing a diverse and complex group of people. Supervising staff members, especially undergraduate students with so many interests, abilities, and strengths can really challenge new professional staff members. Add to that the fact that students are still developing and growing cognitively, and it is enough to make any supervisor crazy. Perhaps the hardest part of supervising Resident Assistant staff members is that what we think of as a “good RA” is very subjective. Think of the best RA you have ever worked with or the ideal qualities that you think would make the best RA. Words like “honest,” “hardworking,” “good listener,” etc. will probably come to mind. But how do you take these qualities and others and make them objective. Explaining to a first year RA why they are not doing their job in subjective terms can be frustrating for both the supervisor and the RA. That is where the RA Recovery Program comes in. The RA Recovery Program works in five steps and has been designed to help staff members objectively look at their staff and to be proactive in their supervising approach. This is certainly not a cure-all for staff members and it will not fix all problems, but it does give supervisors the ability to objectively look at their staff, create averages and thus, be better able to foster conversations where there may be concerns. The five-step process is as follows: Tracking each staff member and making the “subjective,” objective; Identifying staff members that are below average; Communicating with staff member and discussing concerns initially; Assigning a comprehensive plan; Re-evaluating. Step I: Tracking each staff member’s performance. This is perhaps the most important task. Frequently, we will have ideas that a staff member is not performing up to a certain level. However, we will not track that and cannot convey why to an RA. The RA may quite possibly not understand what is not happening. That is where the tracking system comes in. (Hayward Guenard, Director of Housing and Residence Life at IUPUI assisted me in the development of this method). The tracking system is actually quite simple. Everything the RA does for a given semester is recorded. As we mentioned above, it is hard to take subjective qualities and make them objective. However, if you keep track of all programs, incident reports turned in, work orders submitted, etc, that will paint a picture of what that staff member is doing. Especially when compared to other RAs, this will create the “average RA.” Below is a sample spreadsheet we set up to track staff members (all names have been changed to Simpson’s characters to protect the innocent): Click here for Sample RA Tracking System Form Step II: Identifying staff members below average. The second step in the process is, using the information collected above, to identify staff members that may be in trouble. Again, while this is not absolute, patterns are created throughout the year and this will allow a supervisor to objectively look at a staff member’s performance. If an RA has only scored 50% on his or her floor plan quiz after a month into the semester, that is a sure sign that he or she may not know his or her residents. Programming numbers also portray a level of connection between the RA and the residents. This identification, along with the “gut feelings” can help foster conversations that will be discussed more in step three. Below is a chart that highlights staff members in trouble. Click here for chart Step III: Communication Communication is the key to everything in life, especially when it comes to supervising staff members. The purpose of this program is to aide the staff member in having these conversations and gives them the ability to talk to an RA using objective as well as subjective criteria. Early interventions are critical to the success of a staff relationship. It can also however, lead to an awakening within the RA that this job is not meant for them. That is ok also. The most important thing is that the concerns (as well as the positives) are communicated early. If they are not, little problems that may be able to be corrected will spiral out of control. Steps IV & V: Planning and Evaluation The RA Recovery Plan itself is a comprehensive plan that using the information gathered and the conversations had, allows the supervisor to give remedial help to an RA in trouble. This was actually adapted from the Academic Recovery Program at Lynchburg College where students on academic probation are required to complete a series of tasks. Very similar to that, the RA Recovery Plan targets a staff member’s weaknesses and assigns a series of tasks that need to be completed. There are some standards that are used, such as the MBTI with Career Services. It seems that students always receive some very good insight into themselves after taking this inventory. Everything else is tailored specifically to that staff member on a clear, precise form that analyzes the problem, prepares a solution(s), and requires follow-up evaluation by the supervisor. It also serves as a formal letter of probation for the staff member, in case ultimately, their position cannot be saved. Below is a sample RA Recovery Plan. Click here for Link RA Recovery Plan The RA Recovery Program has been designed to give new supervisors more structure in their supervision and allow them to better inform their RAs where there may be problems and/or concerns. It is important to remember that numbers are never absolute and should only be used as a tool to help guide the growth and development of staff members. The actual plan will change for each RA and should be fluid in order to provide staff with the most positive experience. Finally, for supervisors, it is very important to remember that we cannot save everyone. Some people, no matter how hard you work, communicate and intervene effectively, they just will not work out. It is ok and part of the position. Sometimes, letting a staff member go can be the best thing for them, for you and for the department. About the Author Greg Nayor was born and lived the first nine years of his life on Long Island in New York State. The son of a New York city police officer and stay at home mother, Greg learned from a young age from his four brothers and sisters about sharing and working with people. At the age of nine, Greg moved to upstate NY where he completed High School in a small central school. Upon graduation, Greg enrolled in the State University of New York, College at Potsdam where four years later he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Secondary Education. The following year, Greg enrolled in a Masters program at SUNY Potsdam in Education that he completed that year. During that time, he held two assistantships, one as an Admissions Counselor where one of his primary responsibilities was supervising the tour guides and the other as a Hall Director supervising a building of about 200 residents. Upon receiving his Masters, Greg took a position as a live-in Coordinator at Lynchburg College. Among other areas, Greg lived in and supervised the staff of the FYE building, as well as planning staff training, recruitment, etc. In 2003, the Director of Residence Life position became available at Lynchburg College and Greg was given the opportunity to take on the role of developing the entire Residence Life program. During this time, he has also enrolled at the University of Virginia and has begun work on his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration. Greg hopes to have coursework completed and start his dissertation in the fall of 2005. Greg currently lives in Lynchburg with his wife of 3 years Jessica.