Photo by Ali Meizels ‘23
By Kate Turner ‘21
News Editor
Students were asked to decide by July 8 whether they wanted to take up Residential Life positions for which they had been previously hired. These positions, previously titled Senior Community Advisor and Community Advisor have been renamed based on modifications to responsibilities under the new social compact and campus reopening plan: Residential Fellow and Community Assistant, respectively.
These changes to title and responsibilities are not associated with any change in compensation.
RFs and CAs are paid under contract, on a scale associated with their seniority. Beginning (first-year) CAs are compensated $2,200 per semester, retuning second-years $2,300 per semester and returning third-years $2,400 per semester. First-year RFs are compensated $2,700 per semester and returning second-years $2,800 per semester.
Students were also informed that they could not work remotely in their positions as CAs or RFs. For this reason, staff of all class years were invited back to campus to perform their duties in the fall semester. Though they were not obligated to return in order to perform those duties, they were informed that they would need to reapply should they attempt to return in the spring semester or the 2021-2022 academic year.
The Mount Holyoke News spoke to four students about their positions as Residential Life staff. All four requested to remain anonymous. The interviews below have been edited and condensed for clarity.
Second-year CA, returning to campus:
This upcoming year will be my second year working for ResLife, and so far I've had a mostly positive experience, but there are definitely some unresolved issues. My experience with responsibilities towards the end of the spring semester was a little bit frustrating. The ResLife professional staff relied on S/CAs to help with a lot of additional closing duties in return for hourly compensation, which I participated in. The level of what they were asking us to do was reasonable, but they didn't properly communicate what the purpose was of our presence to the student body. We were doing almost daily room checks to help them determine who had left, but they didn't inform any students it was happening, which then resulted in nearly the whole campus being locked out of their rooms (I hadn't yet begun to help with closing duties so I also got locked out of my room). They also didn't acknowledge that, even though we were not officially required to perform any duties/responsibilities once it was announced we had to leave campus, we still had to answer a lot of questions from residents, and be an additional tier of support, for which we did not receive adequate compensation.
As far as I know all S/CAs regardless of class year are being welcomed back to campus for the entire year, although they can only guarantee the [fall semester] as of right now. When deciding whether or not to return to campus, my supervisor told me that staff who chose not to come back in the fall would be potentially offered open positions in the spring, in the same manner that those who are studying abroad fill empty spots. I found this troubling, because when staff study abroad they normally have an expectation of who they will be switching with, whereas there was no guarantee of open positions in the spring. This heavily influenced my decision to come back in the fall, because I rely on my ResLife job when I'm at school. I also know that those who do not come back for the 2020-2021 school year will have to reapply for the position, which seems unfair to me because those who study abroad for an entire year are not held to those same standards. ResLife also stated that they would hire starting from alternate hires (those who are backups in case others decide not to take the job).
Our contract has been significantly adjusted; we have many more responsibilities, due to helping enforce the community compact, than we did last semester. For example, last year in a semester as a CA, I was on duty 5-6 times for the whole semester. This year I will be expected to be on duty twice a week, and for longer hours on the weekend. In addition, from what it seems, we are primarily responsible for enforcing the community compact in our hall communities. In my opinion, having us on duty more makes sense to discourage large gatherings in common rooms, but I think the idea that we will be able to or want to prevent residents from having fellow students over in their rooms seems unrealistic. We are also not being paid any more or given other forms of compensation for this increase in our responsibilities. I personally think the idea that students will not [be able to invite] other students that don't live in their residence hall [into their rooms] is incredibly ridiculous, especially since they didn't inform students [of this policy] until after they chose their rooms.
Friends at other colleges have told me that their schools have formed "pods" within the residential communities, to allow for some amount of interaction while minimizing risk and overlap. I think that model would make sense at MHC, especially because I do think that the smaller community of our school allows for a greater sense of community responsibility to follow social distancing protocol as opposed to larger schools. But if students are completely isolated from the community or their friends, they're less likely to take the rules as seriously.
As far as I know, no students were involved in the process of creating expectations for the fall. I do know that ResLife has already had conversations about how to create less stress in our jobs in terms of the immense responsibilities and lack of adequate compensation before the pandemic. If I had been involved in the planning for the fall, I would have stressed that we will already have to do an immense amount of emotional labor to support students through living in isolation, especially incoming first-years who are leaving home without the typical support system Mount Holyoke offers to incoming students. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that they expect us to do this emotional labor, as well as monitor community compact rules, which we had no say in, without any additional pay or compensation. I know that this is a financially strenuous time for the school, but the least they could do is offer us free board or laundry.
To greatly increase the responsibilities of a job where the majority of employees already feel overworked and underpaid without increasing compensation seems counterintuitive to me. I worry a lot about how this position will impact me this coming semester. As my mom said, “It might not be worth the therapy it will cost to handle the responsibilities of the job.” Ultimately I am returning for fear of not having a job in the spring, as well as a desire to get away from my hometown, which will be experiencing an influx of college students who attend the large state school, and who will likely make my hometown a hot spot.
First-year RF, not returning to campus:
I have been a CA for my sophomore and junior years, and was given an SCA role for the upcoming year. Because I have decided to stay at home during the fall, I am not sure whether I will get to actually work as an SCA, but I am hoping to be allowed to fill that role in the spring.
Generally, I have been happy with Residential Life, though it has not been without its frustrations. I enjoy working with students, but there is so much excess bureaucracy and so many unnecessary meetings that I often feel like my time is not valuable to the Residential Life staff. I feel like we have been given so many token assurances and “resources” with very little attention to what the student staff are actually asking for in regard to diversity, training, job responsibilities and stipend. The low pay continues to be a point of extreme frustration for myself and many of my friends in Residential Life.
There was a very abrupt end to all of our CA duties last spring, which was exceedingly frustrating. Our contracts were terminated when we were sent home, and all job duties ceased for the remainder of the year. We received one paycheck after going home, but the remainder of our stipend was not given to us. We were told that we could apply for the student employment relief fund (a $420 “transitional allowance” given to work-study eligible students last spring), which I was personally unable to apply for because I have a merit scholarship and am not on work-study. I lost my main source of income, and the students I was responsible for lost my support when we moved online. I believe we should have attempted to maintain relationships with residents and at least try to support virtual community-building, if only to allow us to keep our jobs during an uncertain time.
All members of the ResLife staff have been asked to return to campus for the full year to continue our jobs (with slightly updated job descriptions). The main difference in the contract is that positions are by semester instead of a full year. The job descriptions have been updated to reflect new responsibilities in light of the changed campus, but the bulk of the job remains the same. It appears that there will be increased duty nights (weeknights in addition to weekends). The compensation remains the same. As a rising senior, I have chosen to stay at home for personal and financial reasons. I was allowed to make this decision, but Residential Life is not supporting any remote staff, so I have forfeited my position for the fall semester. There has been no discussion of remote work.
For me, [the compensation] is the difference between me returning to campus and staying home — why would I pay full room and board to take remote classes if my SCA salary is only a small fraction of the room and board costs? I refuse to pay to return to campus if there is no acknowledgment of the increased risks and the increased responsibilities of our job. In addition to our normal duties, we will have to be on the front line of ensuring that social distancing and appropriate behavior is observed in the residence halls, while continuing to receive an unfair stipend. I would far rather spend time with my family and attempt to learn at a distance than pay the room and board costs.
It has not been put explicitly into our job description that we should enforce the social compact, but I am sure that we will be expected to, as we are the only staff present in the residence halls. I do think that the policies outlined are fair and necessary, but I am frustrated that we are relying solely on this compact to keep our community safe. As a Residential Life staff member, I have witnessed so much dangerous and frustrating behavior in the residence halls, and I have very little faith that signing a compact will suddenly cause all students to abide by all rules.
Because I have decided to stay home, I knew that I would not have a job for the fall, but I am hoping to return in the spring and take up my SCA position. This was something that was not communicated clearly at all this summer. The area coordinator told me that I would not have job security for the spring, and that any case like this would be treated like a student studying abroad — if they have a place for me, I will be allowed to fill it, but if there is no placement, I will not have my SCA job. I am frustrated that this was not communicated to us directly and equally frustrated that a decision I made for my own safety and financial well-being may cause me to lose a job I was excited to have (and that was a necessary income for me).
We were asked at several points this summer whether we were planning on returning, but these check-ins were largely before we heard news from the College and we were never asked for any feedback about what our return would look like, or what factors would sway our decision one way or another.
Second-year CA, not returning to campus:
I've been a CA for a year now; 2019-2020 was my first year as a CA. Working for ResLife is a lot of things — complicated, energy- and time-consuming, but also really rewarding. The main upside to working for ResLife is being able to engage with residents and build community. My fellow CAs became my closest friends and colleagues, and my residents made the floor feel more welcoming and friendly. As opposed to my first year at Mount Holyoke, I found it much less isolating as a CA because my job was to get to know the people on my floor. I like talking to people, so this was right up my alley.
At the end of the spring 2020 semester, CAs were told to move out at the same time as everyone else. Usually we stay on in the fall and spring semesters after everyone leaves to wrap up and close the halls. This time, we were told to leave with everyone else, and that we wouldn't be expected to stay behind. Nonetheless, many CAs I know reached out to residents to offer support, both virtually and physically, and were still dedicated to helping residents as best as they could.
CAs from all class years are being asked to return to campus in the fall. There are no updates about the spring semester, since everything might look vastly different by then and it depends on the College’s plans for the spring. I won't be returning in the fall, and one of my fears is that I won't have a position when I return to campus eventually. There is still no word regarding that, since, again, things might be really different. I understand that, but I'm still fearful. I love having that job and I love engaging with residents. I need the money too — as an international student, my parents already pay for more than they can afford. I feel confused. Although ResLife staff members have offered virtual meetings, I can't bring myself to ask them what the future will look like or expect them to understand how I feel. There's a real disconnect.
I think the CA role will drastically change in the upcoming semesters. Responsibilities will be adapted, and I think CAs will have to come up with more creative ways to engage with residents and continue to foster community. As of now, there are no possibilities for remote [ResLife] work that I've been made aware of. It was made very clear that S/CAs cannot work remotely. There has been an increase in compensation, but in my opinion, it's not enough given the amount of work that goes into the CA role. To my knowledge, we are not being compensated in terms of room and board or any additional stipends. Given the sheer amount of time and effort that goes into being a CA, and the little benefits offered, I believe a lot of CAs experience burnout. Most of us do a lot of emotional work by supporting residents round the clock, and we love it. We care, and that's why we become CAs. That labor goes largely unrecognized, and especially during this pandemic, I think CAs are the ones who will have to work even harder. Social isolation, the product of this pandemic, is the exact opposite of what we want for our residents' experience.
First-year CA, unsure about returning to campus:
This would have been my first year being a CA. I worked with ResLife previously in an Orientation related position, and found that to be exciting (though a little stressful). I've found it easier to connect with fellow students/student leaders rather than the higher-ups within ResLife.
CAs of all class years are being asked to return for fall/spring, I'm a junior and I was asked to come back both semesters for the position starting early in August. I believe [Aug. 10] is the last day you can say you can't come [or] don't want the position anymore without consequence.
The position described is for both semesters, and they haven't said if you can [work] only one. It's something I've been thinking about as I'm not sure I feel safe coming back to campus. ResLife hasn't offered any hazard pay, which I'm being granted by my barista job at home now, so the decision to come back when things are looking so rough has been difficult and I'm not sure it's worth it for my health. The information has been lacking in regard to if you can't be there for fall if you'll be able to work spring or in the future. I'm worried about the repercussions of turning the position down.
There hasn't been any information about hiring new CAs if previously hired ones won't return; it's been a lot of shuffling around who they know is coming back to fill in gaps. I was selected as a cohort CA, so I'm not sure what they're going to do if I don't come back — to my knowledge there isn't another person interested in the position that shares the identity it's meant to represent.
I don't know why remote [work] hasn't been offered, considering all of our interactions with residents would mainly be via Zoom anyway. They haven't said anything about working remotely.
I'm not sure if CAs will be expected to enforce the social compact, but I expect in part we would be in situations where a resident had a group of friends over in their room/parties were going on in the hall. Again, all the information given has been a little limited.
The College made the announcement of moving from LLCs to cohorts before telling any CAs, which left me thinking my position had been terminated at the time. It was confusing. I think the cohort system makes it even easier for CAs to work remotely, so I'm wondering why that wasn't given as an option. I'm also wondering how they chose which LLCs to change into cohorts, and where the LLCs’ budget money went to. The lack of transparency surrounding these decisions is frustrating.