On Sept. 28, 2022, Mount Holyoke College’s residential advisors and fellows filed for union recognition with United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1459. As explained by the Mount Holyoke Collective, a campus group fighting for change for RAs and RFs, the roles of Residential Life student leaders have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and as expectations fluctuate the group wants to ensure they have sufficient power to continue advocating for themselves.
Last fall, Residential Life adapted its student staff to fit the new pandemic setting of both Mount Holyoke’s remote and in-person communities. Employees, formerly senior community advisors and community advisors, are now known as resident fellows and community assistants. This change came with an adaptation in responsibility for ResLife employees. RFs and community assistants are now responsible for both cultivating community and enforcing the student compact, both integral to the success of Mount Holyoke’s COVID-19 reopening plan.
