RA Training To Stay Its Course

In the wake of events of last semester, many questions linger for this school year. Fingers have been pointed, and accusations made about pre -April 16 policies and procedures. Many ask what will be changed and adjusted. One program that remains steadfast in its training is the Resident Advisor program.

One of Tech’s own resident advisors, Ryan Clark, was lost while performing his job in April in West Ambler Johnston Hall. The incoming RA’s will receive the same training that Clark did.

“We have found that if we try to make some of these big, huge, overall changes, it’s not going to be in the interest of the students, staff and department,” said Evelyn Wallington, Associate Director of Resident Life. “We do good things, and to all of a sudden change that is not going to create the community we want.”

New resident advisors undergo seven to eight days of training during the Fall Training Leadership workshop where they learn to open the halls for incoming residents and how to create community according to Wallington.

New RA’s attend training sessions about confrontation, crisis management, and student counseling. They are also required to take a three-credit course during the fall semester that expands on topics from the Fall Leadership Training Workshop, and goes more into depth.

Focus groups and assessments with staff and students have been conducted in order to get a general feeling of what is needed for the year.

“There’s no formula to follow...we’re very open to hearing what’s going on and trying to adapt to the needs of staff and students, and be able to move on,” said Wallington.

Other questions have been raised about West Ambler Johnston, and what is to become of Clark’s room, and the others involved.

“What we’re doing this fall is initially they aren’t going to be assigned to anybody. We do not plan to house anybody in the room where the double homicide occurred this year,” said Edward Spencer, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs. “The other three rooms will be open to students living there if they want to. So some of the students will be temporary roommates of RA’s or in study lounges if they wish to go into one of the three rooms, if they want to.”

Both East and West Ambler Johnston are scheduled for renovations, but not because of the events of April 16. “ We have been involved with a feasibility study and condition study of the residence halls for several years now,” said Spencer.

For more information about Residence Advisors or the Residence Life program visit the program’s website.