Resident Assistant Manual

Do Not Print This Manual

The manual is regularly updated. A printed copy will soon be inaccurate. It’s a large manual, requiring a lot of paper and ink to print.

Glossary of Terms Welcome and Overview

Division of Student Life Office of Residence Life

Staff Policies and Procedures (in Alphabetical Order)

Activism Alcohol Use Availability, Approachability, and Time Management Clery Act/ Mandatory Reporting Duty/Hall Coverage/RA Office Fire Safety Fire Safety Equipment Incident Report Lockouts Media Non-ORL Business in the Residence Halls Professionalism and Ethics RAs and Roommates Regulations for On Campus Living Residence Life Staff Community Influence Policy Safety and Security Sexual Harassment/ Gender/ Sexual Orientation Discrimination Student Room Entry Terms of Employment Use of Personal Vehicle Use of Technology

Community Development, Programming and the Pillars of Success

Overview of the Pillars of Success Goals Learning Outcomes Developmental Spectrum Strategies Active Programming Passive Programming RA/Resident 1:1 Conversations Community Agreements Roommate Agreements Community Leadership Team Hall/Corridor Meetings Community Welcome (Fall/Spring) Strategy Evaluation and Lesson Plans Programming Parameters

Program Planning Basics Delegation

Crisis Intervention and Critical Incidents (In Alphabetical Order)

Alarm Clock Radio Going Off Bomb Threat Cutting/Self-harm Death of a Student Drugs Eating Disorder Emergency Maintenance/Physical Facilities Fire Alarm Incident of Discrimination Mental Health Concern Minors on Campus Parent/Family Member Party Refusal to Comply with Staff Roommate Conflict Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Solicitors in the Building Suicidal Ideation/Attempt Theft Tornado and Inclement Weather

Feedback and Evaluation

Overview Direct Feedback Ongoing Feedback Performance Evaluation Process Commendation Dismissal RA Grade Review and EDL301 Completion

Glossary of Terms

Terms/Abbreviation Meaning Additional Information

AC Area Coordinator Area Coordinators supervise GAs and RAs, as well as oversee operation of several buildings

ACPA American College Personnel Association http://www.myacpa.org/

ACUHO-I Association of College and University Housing Officers-International

www.acuho-i.org/

AD Assistant Director Supervise Area Coordinators, Resident Directors, and Graduate Assistants

CAACURH Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls

https://www.caacurh.nacurh.org/

CLT Community Leadership Team Group of residents in the residence halls that give voice to residents’ concerns; students are elected by their peers.

CS Central Staff Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, and Director

CSA Campus Security Authority Every ORL staff serves as a Campus Security Authority, which signals your role as a required reporter of incidents reportable under the Clery Act.

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act This law passed by Congress in 1974 provides guidelines for the right of student regarding access to their educational records.

GA Graduate Assistant Job description: Graduate Assistant

GLACUHO Great Lakes Association of College and University Housing Officers

https://www.glacuho.org/

HDRBS Housing, Dining, Recreation and Business Services

ORL shares oversight of the facilities with all staff in Housing, Dining, Recreation and Business Services. Staff who oversee conferences, construction and maintenance, interior design, dining services and technology may be conducting business in the facilities at any time. Website: http://blogs.miamioh.edu/hdrbs/

HOME (name has changed)

Housing Options, Meals, and Events Now called the Campus Services Center

The Campus Services Center is a subset within HDRBS and specifically handle room assignment, meal plan, the ticket office, and housing contract. miamioh.edu/campus-services

LLC/AC/AN Living Learning Communities/Affinity Community/Academic Neighborhoods

Living Learning Communities (LLCs), Affinity Communities (ACs), and Academic Neighborhoods (AN) are purposeful attempts to integrate curricular with co-curricular experiences that complement and extend classroom learning. These communities foster faculty and resident interaction that enhances both intellectual and personal growth of the residents.

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MUPD Miami University Police Department http://miamioh.edu/police/

NACADA National Academic Advising Association https://www.nacada.ksu.edu/

NASPA National Association of Student Personnel Administrators

https://www.naspa.org/

NODA National Orientation Directors Association www.nodaweb.org/

NRHH National Residence Hall Honorary An honorary organization that recognizes outstanding leadership in residence halls and has responsibility for overseeing the "Of The Month" (OTM) program.

ORL Office of Residence Life www.miamioh.edu/reslife

OTM "Of the Month" "Of the Month" Awards, awarded by NRHH

PFD Physical Facilities Department Physical Facilities Department works closely with HDRBS to address facilities issues. http://miamioh.edu/pfd/

Professional Staff AC, RD, and GA

RA Resident Assistant Job description: Resident Assistant

RD Resident Director Job description: Resident Director

RHA Resident Hall Association RHA is the governing body of residential students. Every residential student is a member of RHA and can become involved through their CLT.

SAHE Student Affairs in Higher Education www.miamioh.edu/sahe

Staff Anybody employed by the Office of Residence Life, including RA, RD, GA, and Central Staff.

VOIP Phone Voice Over Internet Protocol Phone Phone provided to ORL staff to conduct ORL-related business

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Welcome and Overview

University Mission

Miami University, a student-centered public university founded in 1809, has built its success through an unwavering commitment to liberal arts undergraduate education and the active engagement of its students in both curricular and co-curricular life. It is deeply committed to student success, builds great student and alumni loyalty, and empowers its students, faculty and staff to become engaged citizens who use their knowledge and skills with integrity and compassion to improve the future of our global society.

Miami provides the opportunities of a major university while offering the personalized attention found in the best small colleges. It values teaching and intense engagement of faculty with students through its teacher-scholar model, by inviting students into the excitement of research and discovery. Miami's faculty are nationally prominent scholars and artists who contribute to Miami, their own disciplines and to society by the creation of new knowledge and art. The University supports students in a highly involving residential experience on the Oxford campus and provides access to students, including those who are time and place bound, on its regional campuses. Miami provides a strong foundation in the traditional liberal arts for all students, and it offers nationally recognized majors in arts and sciences, business, education, engineering, and fine arts, as well as select graduate programs of excellence. As an inclusive community, Miami strives to cultivate an environment where diversity and difference are appreciated and respected.

Miami instills in its students intellectual depth and curiosity, the importance of personal values as a measure of character, and a commitment to lifelong learning. Miami emphasizes critical thinking and independent thought, an appreciation of diverse views, and a sense of responsibility to our global future. Gregory Crawford became Miami University’s President in 2016 and began communicating information to the University community via a periodic blog, the link to which is here: President Crawford blog. You are encouraged to read President Crawford’s blog about Miami University to keep abreast of issues important to him and Miami University.

University Statement Asserting Respect for Human Diversity

Miami University is a community dedicated to intellectual engagement. Our campuses consist of students, faculty, and staff from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. By living, working, studying, and teaching, we bring our unique viewpoints and life experiences together for the benefit of all. This inclusive learning environment, based upon an atmosphere of mutual respect and positive engagement, invites all campus citizens to explore how much they think about knowledge, themselves, and how they see themselves in relation to others. Our intellectual and social development and daily educational interactions, whether co-curricular or classroom related, are greatly enriched by our acceptance of one another as members of the Miami University community. Through valuing our own diversity and the diversity of others, we seek to learn from one another, foster a sense of shared experience, and commit to making the University the intellectual home for us all.

We recognize that we must uphold and abide by University policies and procedures protecting individual rights and guiding democratic engagement. Any actions disregarding these policies and procedures, particularly those resulting in discrimination, harassment, or bigoted acts, will be challenged swiftly and collectively.

All who work, live, study, and teach in the Miami community must be committed to these principles of mutual respect and positive engagement that are an integral part of Miami’s focus, goals, and mission. Division of Student Life Division Core Purpose Statement The Division of Student Life at Miami University prepares students for a life of engaged and ethical citizenship and leadership through experiential student development and learning. Division Vision Statement The Division of Student Life at Miami University aspires to be leaders and innovators within the university community and in the field of Student Life in creating the best student experience.

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Division Core Values Statement We hold ourselves accountable to the Miami Values Statement - “a scholarly community whose members believe that a liberal education is grounded in qualities of character as well as of intellect. We respect the dignity of other persons, the rights and property of others, and the right of others to hold and express disparate beliefs. We believe in honesty, integrity, and the importance of moral conduct. We defend the freedom of inquiry that is the heart of learning and combine that freedom with the exercise of judgment and the acceptance of personal responsibility.” Strategic Commitments To help us support and advance the mission and goals of the University, we have developed a set of priorities to guide our daily work.

● Belonging - The Division of Student Affairs works to create an inclusive environment where each student feels welcomed and feels a sense of belonging at Miami.

● Support - The Division of Student Affairs supports students’ learning by providing a welcoming, safe, and caring environment that allows them to develop the skills they need to define and achieve their life’s goals.

● Engagement - The Division of Student Affairs creates an experiential learning environment where students are engaged in activities and experiences that contribute to their broader education and development.

● Community - Student Affairs works to help students connect with and contribute to the Miami community, on and off campus. ● Stewardship - Student Affairs strives to be proactive and innovative in developing and using our human, physical, and financial

resources while providing the highest quality service to our students and the Miami community. Each of these five strategic areas link directly to Miami 2020, and they serve as a daily reminder of where we in Student Life need to place our energy and our resources to achieve our goals. Office of Residence Life Department Overview The Office of Residence Life has as its primary responsibility the administration and supervision of student life in the Miami University residence halls and apartments. To accomplish this mission, the Office of Residence Life supports and collaborates with many other departments that are responsible for providing for the physical comfort, safety’ and security of students. These environmental qualities allow the Residence Life staff to concentrate efforts towards building communities which are conducive to academic achievement and student development especially in the areas of intellectual, emotional, cultural, ethical, recreational, and social growth. Department Mission Statement The Office of Residence Life collaborates with other offices to facilitate students’ successful adjustment to and transitions through their university experience. We try to provide a safe and supportive environment by promoting and cultivating academic success, personal development, involvement in campus life, an understanding of intercultural issues. We support the University’s commitment to build citizen leaders for the future. Living Learning Community, Affinity Community, and Academic Neighborhood Mission Statement The mission of Miami University seeks to create and extend student learning opportunities outside of the classroom that heighten student intellectual and personal growth. Living Learning Communities, Affinity Communities, and Academic Neighborhoods are purposeful attempts to integrate curricular with co-curricular experiences that complement and extend classroom learning. These communities foster faculty and resident interaction that enhances both intellectual and personal growth of its residents. Each community is built around a specific field of student interest and is structured to include a high degree of student involvement in its formation. ORL Departmental Values Listed below are a primary set of values of the Office of Residence Life which must be both espoused and enacted in our daily work lives regardless of our position or locale where we perform our work. We should not be naïve that living organizational values is easy; it is not. Rather, it is hard work especially when individual or organizational behavior with which we are dealing is oppositional to the values we wish to model. It is also difficult when we don't fully understand an organization's values or ourselves, making the enactment of values a significant challenge. The challenge becomes even greater when the organization's values conflict with one's own personal values. Reconciling these differences often is needed before an employee fulfills his/her duties to the best of his/her ability.

The set of values, detailed below in alphabetical order, was created in August, 2004 by the professional and graduate student staff working in the Office of Residence Life at that time. While it has been subject to clarification via language editing, most recently in July,

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2010, this set has served us well as one of the foundations of our work. Therefore, the descriptors of each of these values are provided, in the context of our work in Residence Life at Miami University. Celebration It is the desire of the Office of Residence Life to create communities that are celebrative in nature, ones that recognize the achievements of our students and staff. We strive to accentuate the positive attributes our students and staff possess, focusing on strengths and accomplishments. We help plan ceremonies and celebrations that unite others and give students a sense of belonging to the communities in which they live. These affirmations occur publicly and privately, individually and collectively, and in formal and informal ways. Diversity The Office of Residence Life is committed to creating supportive and nurturing living and learning environments that recognize and celebrate each individual's uniqueness, identities, values, and experiences which one brings to us upon their arrival to campus. Through diversity education and a climate of celebration and acceptance, we help students and staff discover human difference in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, ideology, religion, and national origin. We also strive to help students understand the privileges they have, both earned and inherited, and how these privileges impact their lives and the lives of those around whom they live now and in the future. Healthy Exploration The Office of Residence Life encourages students to test their knowledge, to stretch themselves, and to engage with others in ways that may be foreign to their previous experience. However, this healthy exploration must exist in an atmosphere of positive self gain, without self-harm or harm to others. Examples of such exploration include engaging in undergraduate research, getting to know others different from themselves, taking courses that lead to a true liberal education, planning and attending co-curricular events and service activities, and so forth. A focus on healthy exploration leads to extraordinarily engaged students, equipping them to achieve uncommon success. Integrity & Ethics Using the ethical standards defined by our professional associations (for example: NASPA, ACPA & others) as well as the policies of Miami University, staff in the Office of Residence Life must act with integrity and honesty in our interactions with others. When faced with ethical dilemmas in the course of our work, we must not pretend they don't exist. Rather, we seek the counsel of others (e.g. supervisor, colleague, mentor) to help provide alternatives/answers to help manage these dilemmas. Intentional acts that abridge this value cannot be tolerated. Meaningful Partnerships The Office of Residence Life recognizes that we do not do this work in isolation. We work with a variety of partners in the education of our students. Most prominent in these partnerships is our students themselves. We must always remember that students, ultimately, are in charge of their lives and shape their own collegiate experiences. However, because of our expertise and experience, we engage our students in dialogue about their lives, and we invite others to do so with us: parents & family members, Living Learning/Themed Community stakeholders, faculty and staff on campus, and others within the Oxford and surrounding communities. We understand that willingly and eagerly collaborating with others to help shape the experience of our students leads to more enriching learning environments for all. We also understand that reaching out to others can be risky, particularly when our collaborators may not understand what it is we do. Thus, we have an obligation to our partners to also educate them and listen well to them too. Respect, Compassion, & Peaceful Relationships The Office of Residence Life wants to engage others with a desire to understand others' points of view and respond appropriately. This does not mean we always agree with those points of view. Our value to respect others, have compassion for others, and act in peaceful ways should not be interpreted as an aversion to conflict. Rather, this value dictates the manner that guides our interactions with others and how conflict is resolved. We strive to be peacemakers. We know our students err as they live with us, and we want to be forgiving to the extent that we can, with our orientation to forgiveness tempered by the rights of others to live peaceful lives as well. We strive to not meet anger with anger and open our ears before our mouths. This may be the hardest value for us to live each day, given that we, too, are human and subject to human error just as others are. Staff Development Just as the education and development of our students is important, so, too, is the continuing education of all staff in the Office of Residence Life. Thus, staff development opportunities, some required and others optional, exist for staff members to increase their knowledge and skills. These opportunities focus on both interpersonal and intrapersonal growth. Staff members should be fundamentally better employees from the start of an academic year to the end of an academic year, and our focus on intentional staff development opportunities is one way to accomplish this growth. Furthermore, the department recognizes the experience of staff members and validates that experience through peer education opportunities, rehiring processes, and promotion when appropriate and permissible.

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Student Learning The staff of the Office of Residence Life believes that students can learn and change, continuing their growth into more learned citizen leaders. They can and should better understand themselves and others as well as their place in society. Students do not come to us with a set of views that are fully in place upon their arrival to college. Rather, through intentional learning opportunities in both curricular and co-curricular settings, students continue to develop as human beings, intellectually and interpersonally. It is incumbent, therefore, that we continue to learn about students and how we can strategically influence these changes.

This set of values is but one of the foundations of our work in Residence Life, although an important one. Each does not stand alone; rather, they are intertwined among each other and the other foundations of our work. Questions or comments about this document can be directed to the Director of Residence Life.

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Staff Policies and Procedures (in Alphabetical Order) Activism (Residents) For policies surrounding these issues related to student activism and speech refer to the following:

● The Student Handbook – Right of Expression of Students ● The Student Handbook – Signs, Posters, and Banners ● The Student Handbook – Solicitation, Political Canvassing, Sales Projects, and Raffles

Alcohol Use Expectations of ORL Staff Regarding Alcohol Use: Context - The problems associated with college students use and abuse of alcohol are well documented and long standing. Given the new freedoms students realize they have soon after arriving on campus and living in our residence halls & apartments, part of some students’ collegiate experiences involves experimenting with alcohol to varying degrees (i.e., using for the first time to increasing usage of alcoholic beverages used pre-college to using different forms of alcohol altogether). As residence life staff members, our goals are to:

● Encourage students to examine the relationship they have with alcohol and how it aligns or not with their future goals ● Help students navigate the experimenting some choose to do ● Support abstainers to cope with what feels like a culture "where everyone drinks and it's the only way to socialize/meet new

people" ● Hold students accountable to the university standards regarding alcohol use and abuse ● Refer students to appropriate university resources when their use of alcohol interferes with their success or the success of

others around whom they live.

None of the five goals listed in the previous sentence can be accomplished to the fullest extent if residence life staff members themselves have not examined their use of alcohol and comport themselves appropriately. This is particularly important for ORL staff members who both live and work in the residence halls and apartments. When at home, live-in staff members are there to respond to situations needing immediate attention regardless of the time of day and, thus, are expected to be able to professionally respond when called upon to do so. The excessive use of alcohol (defined below) can compromise this job obligation.

The choice to use or not use alcohol is an individual choice for each Office of Residence Life staff member. There is no prohibition for ORL Professional Staff possessing or consuming alcohol responsibly within staff apartments. There are some prohibitions for RAs [see the first bullet point below]. Expectations - Following are the expectations of Miami University's Office of Residence Life regarding staff members' use of alcohol for those who choose to do so. These expectations apply to all staff members, including Central Staff members, Professional Staff members, and Resident Assistants.

● The use of alcohol by residence life staff must be legal. This means Professional Staff may possess and consume alcohol in their apartments, and RAs who are over the age of 21 can possess and consume alcohol in their rooms. Furthermore, the providing of alcohol by staff members of age to anyone not of age is illegal and is prohibited.

● Behaviors resulting from the use of alcohol that are illegal are also prohibited (e.g., public drunkenness, driving while intoxicated, etc.).

● While the low-risk use of alcohol is each staff member's choice to make, the excessive use of alcohol, even if legally consumed, is prohibited. Thus, it is important that all staff members know their limits regarding the use of alcohol. ORL defines excessive use as follows: Use of alcohol is excessive if a staff member, as a result of the use of alcohol, is unable to perform the requirements of their position when living/working in our residence halls.

● When a staff member is on campus, the use of alcohol cannot compromise the staff member's ability to respond to a student situation. Further, the excessive use of alcohol is prohibited when a staff member is conducting University business (e.g., accompanying students on a service trip or to a conference) or using University resources (e.g., attending a professional conference).

● Staff members should refrain from using alcohol when accompanying students and in the role of adviser, chaperone, or driver to students. This does not mean that you cannot be in bar/restaurant where students are present and never consume alcohol. For example, if you are in a bar/restaurant in uptown Oxford with colleagues and students who you know enter, there is no

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expectation that you must leave or cease your appropriate use of alcohol. In this situation, as in all situations where we know students view us as having authority, the expectation is that we act appropriately.

● Students watch and learn from what we do. Therefore, ORL expects staff members to be appropriate role models regarding the use of alcohol, just as we are role models in many other arenas of our work. Understanding that all university staff members' behaviors are subject to institutional scrutiny regardless of locale, it is particularly important that ORL staff members refrain from activities such as drinking games, pub crawls, and so forth when in our residence halls and apartments or in environments where our students are present. These activities send messages either implicitly or explicitly to students that minimize or trivialize the power of alcohol socially, psychologically, culturally, and/or physically, and students who engage in these risk-taking behaviors involving alcohol are jeopardizing their chances of success.

● For staff who are permitted to consume alcohol and who are "on duty", the consumption of alcohol when on duty is prohibited. ● Just as we hope students will seek assistance in managing their use of alcohol, so too should staff. Staff members are

welcomed and encouraged to talk with their supervisor or other staff who can assist regarding any difficulties that exist as a result of their use of alcohol in the performance of their duties.

● Staff members needing assistance in negotiating/reconciling any conflict between one's personal values regarding alcohol use and these expectations should consult with their supervisors.

Staff members who violate these expectations are subject to judicial and/or personnel action that could result in the loss of employment within the Office of Residence Life. References For undergraduate and graduate students, the university policy on alcohol can be found in Part 2 of the Student Handbook at: Prohibited Conduct For faculty/full-time staff, the Miami University Policy and Information Manual has a section on alcohol, which can be found in Section 16.1: Alcohol and University Property Availability, Approachability, and Time Management One of the most important and challenging aspects of the RA position is balance. You have your academic responsibilities as a student. You have a set of job responsibilities as an RA. You probably have other activities on campus. And somewhere in this mix, you have to find time for yourself--friends, exercise, healthy eating, sleep, and maybe a romantic relationship. It all can seem really overwhelming, so it becomes incredibly important for you to find your balance and spend enough time on each responsibility. Sit down and objectively review your involvement on campus. List all the responsibilities and time that your involvement requires. Decide which commitments are critical to you and which are less significant. Based upon your list, you may find that you cannot take on additional activities. You may find that you have the difficult decision of stepping back from commitments so that you can make sure you have adequate time for your academics, your job responsibilities, and yourself. Talk with your supervisor if you need a different perspective or someone to help you sort out your commitments. If you have any trouble with managing your responsibilities, take advantage of the many educational programs on campus (and some within our halls) to learn more about time management. Also talk with your supervisor, as they may have suggestions and can work with you on enhancing your time management skills. Too Absent- For a variety of reasons, some student staff members find themselves away too much from the corridor. This absence has a strong effect on the corridor and often in ways that were not intended.

● It is cause for concern when an RA is excessively absent from the corridor. RAs have a strong influence on their corridors, and their presence can result in fewer behavioral problems, violations of policy, and stronger communities.

● If the staff member is not spending enough time with their residents, they do not become a strong member of the community and is looked at as an outsider. They are on the corridor only to deal with problems, enforce policies, or to change bulletin boards, not to get to know the residents, support them, and to nurture a community.

● The most significant responsibility of an RA is to build community. Every aspect of the RA position follows from that major responsibility. The staff member must become part of the corridor--a part of the community--to be effective in their position.

● It is important for RAs and their supervisors to be mindful of this and to acknowledge it if it becomes a problem. RAs should discuss their absence from the corridor with their supervisors and seek remedies before the relationship between RAs and residents becomes too strained.

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● To help promote the RA’s connection to the corridor, RAs should be available to their residents. To help balance this responsibility, ORL requires RAs to receive prior permission from their Professional Staff for overnight trips and weekends away from their hall.

● At least one half of the staff should be present in the building at night and on weekends. In consultation and with permission from your supervisor, RAs are permitted to be away from campus two weekends per month.

Too Unapproachable- Some RAs do a really good job being present on their corridor but run into trouble with being approachable by their residents. Without realizing it, they can send signals to their residents that discourage the residents from coming to them with problems, questions, etc. Think about how the following situations can discourage residents from approaching the RA:

● An RA is frequently grouchy and complains a lot. Often, they are overheard talking about how stupid their residents are or how there's no time for other activities because of staff responsibilities.

● An RA often has friends over to hang out and study. It seems that they're always in the RA's room. When residents come to the door to ask questions, the friends stop talking and just stare at the resident or make side comments about the resident's question.

● An RA has made several friends on the corridor and tends to spend much more time with these residents than others. These residents have picked up on the favoritism and begun to take advantage of it. They are frequently loud and disrespectful of other residents and the housekeeping staff.

● The RAs in the community have grown very close and frequently spend a good deal of time together. The residents frequently see the staff at dinner laughing and having a good time together but effectively excluding residents from the fun.

It's pretty clear how these examples create barriers between RAs and residents. You may have experienced some of them before becoming an RA. Here are a few items to think about regarding each example:

● Remember that residents are very aware of what you say and do, and your attitude sends clear signals about how you feel about your job. Your attitude is completely within your control so choose a good one. Take pride in your position and your job performance. When you take a positive attitude and attend to your responsibilities, your professionalism sets a clear tone of respect with residents and your fellow RAs.

● Keep in mind that the relationships you've built with your friends are like a community. When your friends visit, the residents may feel that you're more a part of that community than the one you're building with them on the corridor. Keep in mind the frequency and how you behave with your friends. Are the residents excluded, or do you make a conscious effort to build a relationship that welcomes your residents?

● One of the most difficult tasks for RAs is to maintain boundaries between them and their residents. Because RAs live so closely with their residents, it is natural to develop friendships, but making friends should not be your primary goal. Work hard to build a community among all the residents that respects and supports each member of the community. Keep your objectivity and hold each resident accountable for their behavior and violations of policy. Do your best to avoid favoritism, and you'll maintain credibility and respect with residents and other staff members.

● It's natural to feel close to other RAs. They know what you go through with your position and what life is like in the hall. In fact, your supervisor will work to foster ties between RAs to create a cohesive team. At the same time, be cautious so that your bonding as a team does not exclude residents. It's okay for your staff to have dinner weekly at a dining hall, but if you eat together every night, your residents may feel like they can't join you. Enjoy your sense of team unity, but also enjoy the sense of community you have with your residents. Make time for them as well.

The Office of Residence Life hopes to create opportunities for individual growth and community development. RAs have important roles in helping their residents, communities, and themselves develop to their potential. Part of that role is to step away from the corridor and allow all parties involved to face challenges and grow as they face those obstacles.

If you have concerns regarding availability for your corridor, please discuss them with your supervisor. Together, you can identify healthy strategies and ways to balance your own needs with that of your corridor, community, and RA team. Clery Act/Mandatory Reporting All ORL Professional Staff, Central Staff, and Resident Assistants are Campus Security Authorities under the Clery Act. Click on the title of this section to get to the MUPD webpage on the subject. Each semester, the RA must complete a Clery Act Report form sent to them by the Clery Act Coordinator in MUPD. This is a requirement of the RA job.

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Duty/Hall Coverage/RA Office A duty system has been established to insure that hall coverage is maintained, to dispense information, to assist in handling critical situations, and to provide personal assistance and referral for students and the outside public during the approximate hours when the Office of Residence Life is closed. Coverage is maintained in two ways: one or two RAs are on duty from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. in each community, and a full-time staff member is on call for the entire campus. RA Duty Coverage

● RA Duty Coverage should begin on the Friday in August prior to opening because of the increasing number of early arrivals on campus in the fall.

● Duty in each hall begins at 7:00 p.m. and ends at 7:00 a.m. the following morning. In general, halls with nine or more Resident Assistants must have two people on duty on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. In general, halls with eight of fewer Resident Assistants must have one person on duty on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The RA(s) on duty should post their name, room number, and phone number on the duty board when they begin duty (7:00 p.m.). This information should be available to residents for the entire duty period.

● All RAs are expected to assume hall duty on a rotating basis. It is the responsibility of the Professional Staff to supervise and coordinate hall duty. Specifically, Professional Staff are expected to establish a rotating schedule of hall duty; train staff on appropriate duty procedures including duty rounds, use of the duty log, and reporting on handling of maintenance and discipline problems; and monitor follow through of RAs. RAs new to duty should be coupled with a "seasoned" staff member for the first few duty nights. A schedule of hall duty should be available electronically.

● Rounds of the hall must be conducted regularly between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 7:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Professional Staff member will determine an appropriate expectation for the frequency of rounds based upon the needs of the individual hall. It is recommended that rounds be frequent initially each semester, for example every hour or every hour-and-a-half. The purpose of such rounds should be checking the security of the building, turning off lights and appliances that are not in use, and maintaining a positive and reasonable environment.

● The person(s) on duty may leave their VOIP phone unattended for no longer than fifteen minutes for errands in the hall. Exceptions to this include presence at in-hall programs and presence in the RA office or desk where these spaces exist. Additionally, personal phone calls should be limited so that the phone line is open for students to contact the RA. Also, the RA on duty should place a note on their door indicating the RAs current location at all times while on duty, for example, "on rounds," "gone to get laundry room," or "in bathroom."

● If the person beginning duty needs to leave, another staff person must agree to cover duty hours. The updated "Person on Duty" information must be posted on the duty board. Some Professional Staff may require RAs to get prior permission before switching duty with another person.

● The staff member on duty may not consume alcohol during duty, even if they are 21. Likewise, the staff member on duty may not be impaired by or intoxicated from alcohol during duty.

● The Resident Director on Call number is 513-330-2005. From an on campus phone, dial 88-513-330-2005 for the RD on Call. Utilize the RD on Call if you have an urgent question, are in doubt about how to handle a situation, or if you need assistance and your live-in Professional Staff member is unavailable. Also remember that the Miami Police are also available to help, particularly with confrontations that seem troublesome.

Opening Round ● Post name, phone number, and room number in the lobby. ● Turn on night lights and turn off corridor lights (varies by hall). ● Leave stair and basement lights on. ● Sort the mail.

On All Rounds ● Talk and interact with residents. ● Enforce residence hall and University policies. ● Note and report any hall damages/maintenance needs. ● Note any damage to the wireless routers in hallways; report to the IT Support Desk at 9-7900. ● Check kitchen stove to make sure it is off. ● Check fireplace (if applicable) ● Check all outside doors to ensure they are properly closed. ● Make sure all fire doors are closed in corridors and stairwells. ● Make sure laundry room doors are closed. ● Document your round in the Duty Log, specifically note any difficulties, problems, or concerns (Be sure to write legibly and be

professional).

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○ Fire doors or outside doors being propped ○ Large numbers of people in a corridor ○ Beer cups, cans, noise, etc. - cite location ○ If you gave any warnings, cite name and room # in Duty Log

Final Round ● Check all doors to insure they are properly closed. ● Turn off lights in public areas if they are not in use. ● Check to make sure that all windows and doors are locked. ● Check exterior lighting around/adjacent to the building. Report poor lighting or broken light bulbs via MyCard. ● Note final duty round in the Duty Log. ● Return duty keys to the lock box in the RA closet or Professional Staff office (if applicable). ● Leave a written or voicemail message for the live-in Professional Staff about any problems that may need to be addressed the

next day. RA Visibility Hours Protocol It is the expectation of the Office of Residence Life that RAs spend time in community while they are serving in an on duty capacity. “In community” means different things for different communities. Communities that do not have access to an office for RAs to use should designate a space in a lounge or other public, highly visible space for RAs to be available during assigned hours.

RA Office Space: RA Offices are typically RD or GA offices, where applicable. Other spaces include lounges, study rooms, or lobbies. Hall funds should not be used to furnish these spaces. If RAs are interested in adding their own comfortable furniture to the space, they are allowed, but the Office of Residence Life will not take responsibility to any damage to items brought into the RA office for community use. If the office is equipped with a computer, RAs can use the computer by logging in with their Miami ID and password. If the office is shared with the RD/GA, RAs should respect the personal items of the RD/GA and not use them without permission. The RA office/space should always have an updated copy of the duty calendar on the door so residents can reach the RA on duty outside of the assigned office hours. RA Visibility Hours: RAs should be available in the RA office space between 8pm-10pm on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and 11pm-1am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Unless approved by the appropriate Associate Director of Residence Life in response to specific community incidents, Resident Directors cannot require hours outside of the departmental expectations.

RA Expectations: RAs should be in the space with the door open during their assigned shift. RAs can use this time to do homework, catch up with other RAs, complete paperwork, have one on ones with residents, plan programs, etc. Regardless of what RAs are doing in the office, they should be available to respond to incidents occurring in the hall. If two RAs are on duty, they may split the shift. If they need to leave the office or space, they should leave signage about where they are and when they intend to come back in case a resident is seeking them out.

Fire Safety Hall Decorations DECORATIVE MATERIALS- Decorative materials burn extremely rapidly and contribute to accelerated fire spread. These materials are usually the first items to ignite in a fire. It is also possible that fires occurring in these types of materials can minimize the effectiveness of fixed fire protection systems such as sprinkler and alarm systems.

Decorative materials include items such as cloth, cotton batting, foam plastics, paper or paper products, straw, vines, leaves, trees, moss, curtains, draperies, fabrics, streamers and surface coverings, applied over the building finish for decorative, acoustical or other effects. These materials, regulated by the Ohio Fire Code, section FM-306.0, are prohibited unless it is rated non-combustible or flame-resistant or has been treated with a fire retardant compound. Candles are considered decorative materials and are to not be in any part of the residence halls, apartments, or sorority suites. The Ohio Fire Code, section FM-306.1.2, provides specific requirements for combustible educational materials. These include art work, student work, teaching materials, and other similar paper and plastic materials where attached or applied to the walls or ceilings of an exit, exit access corridor, or rooms with an occupant load of 50 or more. Under these circumstances, such material shall cover no more than 20 percent of any individual wall or ceiling unless it is considered to be non-combustible or flame resistant as specified by section

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FM-306.1.2 of the Ohio Fire Code. It should also be noted that decorative materials do not include ordinary window shades or interior finish materials such as wainscoting, paneling, or wallpaper as permitted by the Ohio Basic Building Code. The application of decorative materials to the walls and ceilings of any building is prohibited. Burlap, fish netting, or other similar materials shall not be suspended from the ceiling of any building, unless approval is obtained in advance to do so. In addition, the placement of materials or objects that obstruct the means of egress is also prohibited. SEASONAL/HOLIDAY DECORATIONS- There are certain holidays where the use of decorative materials is commonly associated with the season and, with certain provisions, can be safely used. Christmas Cut or live Christmas trees are extremely hazardous as they ignite easily and burn very rapidly, releasing intense heat and smoke. For these reasons, the use of cut or live Christmas trees is prohibited. Halloween Paper decorations should not take up more than half of the height of the door. Under no circumstances will decorative material be permitted on corridor walls and ceilings. Materials such as trees, leaves, cardboard, cotton batting, straw, and plastic trash bags are specifically prohibited. Items such as pumpkins, chairs, and paper filled objects are not permitted in egress corridors. Decorative lights Decorative lights are permitted within each sleeping room; however, lights cannot be attached to the room door or frame in the corridor. Decorative lights are also not permitted in egress corridors. Lights mounted in these locations are subject to damage that can lead to exposed wiring and a potential fire or shock hazard. The Ohio Fire Code, section F-310.5 specifically prohibits the extension of flexible cords through walls, ceilings or floors, or under doors or floor coverings. Decorative lights may not be hung on the exterior of the residence halls. Fire Safety Equipment Fire extinguishers Physical Facilities handles all service requests (recharging, mounting, damage reports, etc.) for fire extinguishers. Please submit a work order via MyCard to report any problems with damaged or discharged extinguishers. FIRE PREVENTION and REGULATIONS A successful fire prevention program requires the education and participation of all residents in the hall. Professional Staff and RAs are the means by which specific preventative measures are established and enforced. Refer to the Regulations for On-Campus Living for information on prohibited materials and conduct. FIRE DOORS If you happen to notice a fire door that may not be closing all the way or sticks open when someone walks through it, please submit a Work Order (in Mycard, this is referred to as My Repair Request). Also, please keep all fire doors closed at all times. SMOKE DETECTORS Smoke detectors are installed in each student room for the safety and protection of each student. As with any fire/safety equipment, tampering with room smoke detectors is prohibited.

● Smoke detectors are part of a system of fire warning and protection equipment in the residence halls that serve to notify and safeguard not only the occupants of a room but also the residents of the building.

● Maintaining these smoke detectors in operable condition is an important concern requiring considerable student cooperation. ● Smoke detectors were inspected when installed and the Environmental Safety and Risk Management Office conducts periodic

inspections to insure the detectors are operable. ● Heavy smoking or smoke from cooking will cause the detector to sound. Cooking in student rooms, with the exception of

Heritage Commons supplied kitchens, is a violation of the housing contract because of the potential for fires. Incident Report ORL staff should write an incident report whenever anything of note occurs in a building or to a resident. Not all IRs are student conduct related. IRs can be for information only. The Incident Report is available through the General Menu on the Resources for Current Staff web page.

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Guidelines for writing an Incident Report:

● IRs should be written as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after an incident. ● Always write in 3rd person (RA Jones saw this. Resident Smith did this. Then, RA Jones told Resident Smith “this.”) ● Use titles (RA, RD, ARD, GRD, Resident, Guest, etc.) ● If your IR is lengthy, write it first in a Word document. Then copy and paste it into the IR. Then delete your Word document. ● Record the exact date and time ● Specify exact locations ● Use direct quotes of residents involved, even if profanity is used. Use quotation marks to indicate a direct quote. ● Include all parties involved (witnesses, MUPD, ORL staff) ● Include as many details as possible (number of cans, type of beer, your direct observations why a student appears intoxicated,

how many doors down the music could be heard, direct quotes, students’ responses to your directions, a clear timeline of the incident, etc.)

● State only the facts, not your opinion about the situation. Instead of writing, “Resident Smith was really rude and disrespectful.” Write, “When asked his name, Resident Smith was evasive and not responsive. Resident Smith asked RA Jones, ‘What if I don’t give you my name’ while getting close to RA Jones (getting up into my face).”

● Be clear, concise, and professional ● Spell check and proofread your documentation ● The role that each person listed as present or involved should be stated in the IR description. “Resident Jones was in the

room, but did not appear to have consumed alcohol.” “Resident Smith did not say much during the incident, but I could smell alcohol on his breath.”

Taking Photos for Incident Reports Photos and other supporting documents can be very helpful in documenting an incident and should be uploaded to an incident report. RAs are not required to use their own personal camera or cell phone for the purpose of documenting a situation. However, if an RA chooses to use their own personal camera or cell phone to document a situation, once the photos are uploaded to the incident report, they should be deleted from the RAs personal camera or cell phone. Lockouts A lock-out fee of $7.00, approved by the Board of Trustees, is to be collected by any staff member who grants a student access to their room due to being locked out of their room. This fee is designed to deter students from locking themselves out of their rooms. Students are required to have their IDs with them at all times. Students have a variety of options to gain access to their rooms if locked out.These include using the MobileID application, finding their roommate, or getting a temporary ID card. Another way is to enlist the help of an ORL staff member, which initiates the $7 lock-out fee referenced above. When an ORL staff member receives a request to assist a student locked out of their room, the staff member should elevate their access for the room needing to be opened and then open the door with their ID card. It is mandatory that a correct notation be entered when elevating privileges. This notation must contain the following information: "Lock-out, [name of student], [room number of student], [residence hall]." Media Information related to interacting with various forms of media:

● Media personnel (TV, Radio, newspaper reporters, etc.) are NOT allowed to enter residential corridors for any reason. ● If unauthorized media representatives do not leave the student corridors when asked to do so, contact the Miami University

Police at 513-529-2222. ● Members of the press may interview students in the public areas of the building only (Basement, Living Room, Lobby, etc.). ● If you are aware of media personnel in the building, alert your supervisor immediately. ● If you are contacted by a local or student newspaper, you may not make any official statement as a Resident Assistant and

Employee of the Office of Residence Life regarding a Residence Life matter. You may certainly respond as a private citizen, but be cautious not to be quoted as an RA. Refer all requests to respond to an interview to your supervisor. This will help our office present a unified, clear response to issues.

Non-ORL Business in the Residence Halls Often, non-ORL staff conduct business in the residence halls regarding a wide array of issues. This staff includes university personnel connected primarily with MUPD, PFD, and HDRBS. In many cases ORL staff are informed of the business or are directly involved in the business. Depending on the nature or the need, ORL staff are not involved or are not informed. In these cases, if ORL staff become

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aware of non-ORL staff in the building, it is appropriate to identify one's self as an ORL staff member and ask the nature of the business they are conducting and offer any assistance. Depending on the nature of the business, the non-ORL staff member is not obligated to give detailed information about their business. Our hope is that ORL staff will be demonstrate appropriate ownership and concern for all aspects of the community, but will not demonstrate territoriality or the need for absolute knowledge or involvement in the community. If there is ever any question about any non-ORL business in your community, consult with your supervisor. Professionalism and Ethics Departmental Expectations for Professionalism and Staff Conduct

● The Office of Residence Life views Student Affairs in Higher Education work as a profession and expects that all staff members will conduct themselves in a professional manner in their relationships with students, the University, and the community.

● Professionalism takes many forms from attire and conduct, to maintaining ethical standards in counseling and supervisory relationships, to seeking new knowledge and improving skills.

● Residence hall staffs should be role models and abide by ethical standards. ● Although it is recognized that as individuals you have a right and a responsibility to live your private lives in a manner

consistent with your individual values, it must also be recognized that, in any profession, the personal behavior of any employee reflects on their employer and the profession as a whole.

● In our daily interactions with students, staff, faculty, and the community, we are viewed as representatives of the Office of Residence Life and the student affairs profession, and thus, are expected to model ethically responsible behavior.

Confidentiality ● Confidentiality is essential in your position. ● The person with whom you should legitimately share the confidences of your residents is your supervisor. ● Occasionally, it may be necessary to share some information with other members of your hall staff (or the appropriate

University or legal official), but only when there is a legitimate reason for them to have this information. ● Though there may be no immediate need to share confidential information with your supervisor, the information that you

receive should be considered available to your live-in Professional Staff member or other University or legal official for professional purposes. You may not keep information confidential under legal circumstances.

● There may come a time when the information that you have been told in confidentiality requires you to tell others. If a person exhibits clues that they are planning to harm themselves or others, it is your responsibility to inform your supervisor or the RDOC. In an emergency call MUPD.

● The Registrar Office maintains records on all Miami students that include academic and demographic information. To protect our students’ privacy, and to ensure that their records are accessible to them, Miami has designed a policy for maintaining and administering student records.

● Miami’s policy is in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment. The complete policy is included in The Student Handbook, but general guidelines are listed below. More information on FERPA is available from the Registrar’s Office.

○ Educational records are defined as those educational records, files, and documents that relate directly to the educational progress of the student. These include academic records, advisement records, discipline records, and placement records.

○ The student has the right of access to their records after presenting proper identification. ○ After reviewing their files, the student has the right to challenge anything they perceive to be inaccurate or

misleading. Procedures for the hearing are available in The Student Handbook. ○ The University has a responsibility to protect students from the release of information about them to others without

the student’s consent. An exception to this is public information or directory information, which may be released without the student’s consent. This includes the student’s name, home and local address, telephone number, email address, photo, dates of attendance, current enrollment, degrees and awards, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, and weight and height of members of athletic teams. If a student does not want information about him or her included in the Miami University Directory, published at the beginning of each academic year, he or she can restrict it by notifying the Registrar’s Office in writing. This must be done each academic year.

Tips on How to Maintain Confidentiality ● In order to avoid situations in which you have to break your promise to keep information to yourself, be up front as to what you

can provide. When the student asks you to keep something confidential, inform them that you may need to tell your supervisor or other University officials if necessary. However, you can assure the person that you will not tell other residents, parents, or staff.

● Additionally, you may want to encourage the student to tell the appropriate person on their own. Often you will need to lend support to them as they go through the process of confiding in someone else.

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● Monitor your conversations. Do not repeat information told you unless you have that person’s consent. ● A student’s parents, family members, or even friends may call you looking for information about that student. The Family

Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prevents the disclosure of student records (including academic and employment records) to a third party without the student’s consent. Encourage them to speak with the student about the information rather than to you. If adamant, direct their call to the Registrar’s Office or your supervisor.

● Any requests for judicial or discipline information by a third party should be directed to the Office of Community Standards.. ● Share relevant confidential information with your supervisor. ● When asked to keep counseling information in confidence, explain to the student that you may need to speak with the

appropriate University official if the student is threatening to harm themself or others and that it may be necessary for you to share this information with your supervisor. Be frank about what you can offer in terms of confidentiality.

● Whenever you are in doubt as to whether a piece of information is confidential. Refrain from disclosing it until you can speak with your supervisor. It is better to err on the side of caution.

Role Modeling The primary and most influential responsibility that you have is as a role model. Your status as a staff member and leader tells students that you possess certain characteristics that Miami University and the Office of Residence Life respects and considers important. The following are guidelines for being an effective role model:

● Model appropriate behavior and set good examples for your residents. ● Set up clear expectations for your corridor from the beginning. ● Live and abide by the policies and procedures set forth by the Office of Residence Life, Miami University, and Ohio State law. ● Residents will always see you as a staff member, even when you leave your hall and the campus. ● Remember your role modeling responsibilities go beyond the walls of the building. ● Always support your fellow staff members. ● Respect others, even if you do not like or agree with another person, respect their rights and opinions as an individual. ● Maintain confidentiality. Don't talk about residents or staff members to others. ● Do not misuse the power inherent in your position. ● Know the difference between being a staff member and being a friend. ● Maintain your professionalism.

Student Perceptions and RA Behavior ● Staff members model behavior that others will come to assume as appropriate behavior for students in college. ● A staff member is expected, as part of the role-modeling responsibility, to live by the rules, regulations, and policies of the

University. ● When a staff member accepts responsibility for their position, they also makes a commitment to the position as it is defined. ● If a staff member disagrees with the institution’s policies or regulations, they should try to change them through the appropriate

supervisory channels. ● It is inappropriate for staff members to do themselves, the University, and the residents a disservice by not enforcing the rules

or by pretending that the policies and regulations do not exist. ● The RA position extends outside of the residence hall. You are an RA for the campus. ● Whether on or off campus, an employee of the Office of Residence Life is expected to conduct himself or herself as a member

of the staff. RAs and Roommates (Apartment RAs) RAs in Heritage Commons apartments will share the apartment up to 3 other residents. These residents could either be chosen by the RAs after they sign the RA employment contract or be assigned by the Campus Services Centrer. The apartment RAs have their own bedroom within the apartment. All residents of the apartment have equal right to all common spaces. These spaces include the kitchen, living room, apartment corridors, respective bathrooms, and laundry rooms (where applicable). These guidelines are in accordance with the Regulations for On-Campus Living. As it relates to enacting RA job responsibilities within the apartment (hosting programs, conducting 1:1s, facilitating roommate mediations, etc.), RAs should consider the following guidelines to promote continued community in the apartment as well as to ensure respect of space and property:

● In the event a RA wishes to host an event or program in their apartment, it is the responsibility of the RA to gain uncoerced consent from all residents of the apartment with at least 72 hours notice.

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● In the event that a RA needs to engage in a private conversation with a RA outside of that resident’s room/apartment, the RA can offer to have that conversation in a common space of the apartment. The department of residence life encourages residents to understand that a need may arise. The Office of Residence Life also encourages RAs to utilize appropriate and timely communication with roommates to inform them of such needed conversation. For maintaining confidentiality as needed, RAs can also utilize other private spaces in their community.

● As keepers of confidential information, apartment RAs must find a secure place for all tangible and electronic student information.

At the beginning of the academic year, Professional Staff of the apartment communities will facilitate a meeting between RAs and their roommates to review general expectation surrounding community living and apartment-sharing. Professional Staff will also serve as a resource and support for all students/roommates if an issue should arise. Resident Administrative Move: In accordance with the Regulations for On-Campus Living, an administrative move may take place at the discretion of the Office of Residence Life if, but not limited to, the following occurring.

● A policy violation that compromises the integrity of the RA position and the values of the Office of Residence Life ● A physical altercation between occupants of the apartment ● A sexual or interpersonal violence case pending or in resolution

An RA will be moved from the apartment in the event that a policy violation occurs that would have the person removed from the RA role. In the event of other unresolved or impenetrable conflicts, the resident would be asked to move apartments. Roommate Conflict: In the event of a roommate conflict between the apartment RA and other resident(s) in the room:

● The RA needs to inform a supervisor of the situation in a timely and appropriate manner. ● The Professional Staff will establish means and time for a roommate mediation. ● If there is reason or mutually agreed upon need for the roommates to no longer live together, the resident must forgo their

assigned apartment to be assigned to another apartment. The RA will remain in the room unless their employment status is terminated with the Office of Residence Life.

Apartment 1:1 Conversation: Residents in apartment communities have unique challenges to navigate. The Office of Residence Life is committed to identifying these differences and working to continue to promote community. Following is a list of characteristic specific to the apartment community.

Heritage Commons On-Campus Apartments

● Shared community living space with up to 3 people

● Maintaining kitchen and bathroom spaces

● Physical space is larger and less conducive to creating a strong community across the apartment complex.

● Students are not required to have a meal plan.

● 6 apartment complexes spread out geographically

● There is an external community building

● There is an RA closet

● Near the Recreation Center

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The 1:1 conversation is particularly helpful in gauging residents’ needs, helping them transition into this style of living, and aiding

residents in the above challenges. Thus, 1:1 conversations with residents of apartment community should also include the goal of acclimating residents to apartment living. A few good topics to discuss during 1:1: housekeeping responsibilities, laundry schedules, guests and time frames for social activity in living room. Please consult the Professional Staff for more ideas on how to engage and support apartment residents. *Due to a higher number of residents-to-RA ratio (72 Resident-to-1RA), Heritage Commons RAs will follow the Professional Staff member’s additional guidelines and expectations on 1:1 notes and summary. The Use and Handling of Duty Phone: Due to the geographic set-up of the apartment complexes, the RA staffs in the apartment communities will be equipped with an on-duty cell phone. Here are some general guidelines around the use of this cell phone:

● Professional Staff will work with the RA staff to set up the voicemail of this phone. A standard voicemail message is “Hello. You have reached the duty phone of [Name of Hall]. If this is an emergency, please hang up and call MUPD at 513-529-2222. During the school year, this phone is monitored between 7pm and 7am seven days a week. Please leave your name and contact information and a staff member will return your call shortly.”

● No personal phone calls should be made using the duty phone. ● During duty hours (7pm to 7am), the phone must be on the whole time. ● If there are two people on duty, one person must carry the phone and the phone can be passed on between the two. ● The RA-on-duty will record every in and out call on the Duty Phone Log (set up by the Professional Staff). ● Professional Staff will work with respective staff to inform the process of passing the phone to the next person on duty and

storage of the phone when not in use. Regulations for On-Campus Living Resident Assistants are subject to the rules, regulations, and policies contained in the Regulations for On-Campus Living. Consequently, RAs will be held accountable for both following the regulations as well as responding to apparent violations of them by residents in the residence halls. Residence Life Staff Community Influence Policy Residence life staff has considerable influence within the communities in the residence halls. They are leaders in building community. They are enabled to hold residents and peers accountable for their actions. They have many resources available to them. This influence inherent in being a member of the residence life staff may be used to effectively build community and heighten the intellectual climate of the residence halls. Following are several examples of how a staff member can use this influence in a positive way:

● An RA takes a group of residents to a performance, lecture, or sporting event on campus when residents might not have participated in such an event.

● A Professional Staff member engages a group of residents in an informal conversation about an issue in the news such as the conflict in the Middle East, the abortion debate, a political incident, or a religious holiday.

● An RA confronts a resident who has made an offensive comment about another individual or group of people. ● A staff implements a program that educates residents about the religions of the world.

Conversely, there are ways that the influence inherent in being a member of the residence life staff can be inappropriate. For example:

● A staff member may not hold a Greek organization rush event under the guise of being a staff member - "3 West Informative Session on Sigma Alpha" (whereas the staff member is a member of Sigma Alpha). Rather, the staff member may hold an information session about the merits and challenges of being Greek during which no specific fraternity or sorority is discussed.

● A staff member may not lead a religious text study for their corridor under the guise of being a staff member - "John's Residents Bible Study in the Lounge Tonight" or "Hall Koran Study in Lobby". Staff members who wish to lead a religious study in their room may do so as long as it is not mistaken for a hall program.

● A staff member may not implement a program that argues for or against a particular political point of view - "Floor Meeting to Support the Green Party" or "3 West Meeting with Joe the ASG Presidential Candidate." Rather, the staff member can implement a program during which multiple political points of view are presented and discussed.

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Furthermore, this policy should not deter staff members from having honest conversations with residents. It is important to recognize that opinions voiced by staff members may influence a future interaction with residents in a job related matter. Staff members who are unable to work impartially with a resident regarding an issue with which they have strong personal convictions should refer the resident to another staff member or the Professional Staff member. Safety and Security To protect both persons and property, residence hall staff members are asked to see that all the doors of residence halls are locked 24 hours a day, thus affording access only to those persons authorized via the card access system. Only residents and escorted guests of hall residents are permitted to be in the hall; unauthorized visitors will be asked to leave the residence hall. Please urge students to observe the following procedures:

● Be conscious of strangers and report suspicious behavior to the hall staff and/or the Miami University Police. ● Ask strangers if you can be of assistance. This will discourage the dishonest and assist the honest visitor. ● See that the outside doors are latched and are not propped open. ● Do not place valuables (laptops, etc.) on window sills where they can be observed from outside. If you reside on the ground or

first floor, lock windows when you are not present in the room. ● Keep your room door locked, even when you go to the restroom/shower, visit a neighbor, or are sleeping. ● Report lost IDs promptly and obtain a replacement. ● Keep a record of serial numbers of major appliances (e.g., TVs, stereos, bicycles, microwaves, etc.). ● Do not tell others about valuables you are keeping in the room. ● Do not lend your ID to another person. ● Refrain from leaving your personal belongings unattended in public areas of the hall.

RAs should follow these guidelines as well. Remember: Residents look to staff members as role models and will follow their lead. Additionally, compliance with Residence Life policies is an expectation of staff employment. Sexual Harassment/Gender/Sexual Orientation Discrimination If you believe you have experienced sex discrimination or sexual harassment, or received notification of such a violation in your community, you should first contact your immediate supervisor (unless the complaint is against them then you should contact their supervisors) or the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity (OEEO).

● OEEO will discuss Miami University's policy prohibiting harassment and discrimination during your training. ● Staff should report any incidents of sex discrimination and sexual harassment to OEEO. ● OEEO will meet with any individuals privately and promptly to answer any questions you may have about Miami's harassment

and discrimination policy. ● OEEO will present and explain to you your options, which range from dealing with your concern informally (including mediation

or third-party intervention) to filing a formal complaint. ● OEEO will consider your concern seriously regardless of your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, or

sexual orientation or that of the individual you believe is harassing you or discriminating against you. Student Room Entry ORL staff have access, via WebCardCenter, Mobile ID app, and text (Masterkey insert reason to 67513) to elevate their card access privileges, so that they may enter student rooms in certain situations. RAs have access to the buildings for which they cover duty. Staff may only elevate their privileges and enter a student’s room for the following situations:

● A student is locked out of the room and requests to be allowed back into their room. ● A radio or tv is making excessive noise that is disrupting normal activity in the community, and there is nobody in the room

to silence it. ● There is a specific reason to believe that the health and safety of a person in the room is in imminent risk. (examples:

unresponsive student who was known to be consuming alcohol, suicidality). ● There is a specific reason to believe that the health and safety of the community is in imminent risk. (for example: an

unattended burning candle is seen through the window). ● Regularly scheduled and announced health and safety inspections (typically done before breaks). ● Room inspection after a student vacates a space during the semester and during closing to ensure compliance with

move-out procedures. ORL staff must recognize the sensitivity of the ability to elevate their card access privileges. Failure to strictly follow this policy may result in dismissal.

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Terms of Employment Upon your hiring, you signed a documented called “Resident Assistant Position Terms of Appointment.” A copy of this document, signed by you, is in your employment file in the Office of Residence Life 211 Warfield Hall. You can find the Terms of Employment on the ORL public website. Use of Personal Vehicle Message from Student Employment - October 2018: If a student employee has an accident in a personal vehicle, the personal vehicle's insurance will be the one to respond first. The University's insurance only responds if the amount of the claim exceeds the vehicle's insurance limits. Therefore, please refrain from permitting student employees to drive their own personal vehicles to conduct Miami University business. Should there be a need for a student to drive a Miami University vehicle, only those students with a valid driver’s license should be permitted. Any student requested to drive a 12-passenger van must complete training atvpfinancebusiness@MiamiOH.edu. Use of Technology Technology (i.e., phone, e-mail, web, pda, etc.) will be used in the ORL to assist in the accomplishment of our mission and goals by:

● Facilitating distribution and collection of information ● Enabling another means of two-way communication ● Streamlining administrative tasks

Required Use of Technology by Resident Assistants ● All RAs are members of a listserv maintained by the Office of Residence Life. You will receive periodic messages via this

listserv. ● Daily checking of e-mail ● Use of web pages for training, evaluation, in-service, etc. ● E-mail notification of upcoming events, expectations, and interviews ● Submission and receipt of weekly reports (if applicable) ● Having an up-to-date and professional greeting on the VOIP phone provided by ORL ● Timely response to voicemail messages left on the VOIP phone voicemail system ● Professional staff might also ask RAs to use other technology such as Google Drive, Google form, Survey Monkey, etc. to

serve the need of the community. Listservs There is a listserv of all residents living in the community, and it is monitored by the Professional Staff member of the hall. If you wish to send something to the hall you will have to work with your supervisor. RAs are encouraged to have an email group of their residents but are not required.

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Community Development, Programming, and the Pillars of Success Overview of the Pillars of Success Our educational priority is to enable residents to become citizen leaders and students as engaged scholars within their community. The Pillars of Success are the framework upon which we base all of our work in the Office of Residence Life. In developing the Pillars of Success, a wide array of staff in the Office of Residence Life, answered the question, "What do we want students to learn as a result of living in our residential communities?" and “What opportunities do we want to provide for students in their residential experience?” Over the course of several years, the responses to that question were narrowed and refined. From those discussions, we derived an overall educational priority, and developed the Pillars of Success to support this priority. Pillars There are five pillars that relate to the residential experience for students, and these are the core functions of ORL These are:

● Provide safe and healthy homes ● Assist in increasing persistence and retention ● Promote inclusive and diverse communities ● Extend the learning environment beyond the classroom ● Ease students transition to adulthood

Strategies We implement the Pillars of Success using various strategies. There are specific expectations in how to accomplish these pillars, which includes both community-wide and individual RA programming, which are listed below: Individual RA Responsibilities

● Corridor Programs ○ RAs are required to do a community development program once a month. ○ Floor dinners, field trips, game nights etc. ○ Assist RD/AC/GA with community programming

● Bulletin Boards ○ Four bulletin boards related on whatever topic the RA choses, once per month. ○ RAs will design a board that educates residents on an important topic related to the community, campus, or society.

● Resident 1:1s ○ About 25-40 residents/RA ⇒ 75% = Meaningfully individually interact with 20-30 residents within the first 30 days

(Sep 28). ○ Continuous meaningful interactions throughout the semester. ○ Write a resident summary at the end of every semester (Dec 7 and May 11)

There are additional community-wide programs with which RAs will assist. For these, you would be working with other RAs and your AC/RD/GA to help direct and plan events. These are listed below, and your supervisor can provide more context as you discuss program ideas for the semester and year.

Programming topics Requirement Per semester

Safe and Healthy Homes (Sexual and Interpersonal Violence prevention) 1

Safe and Healthy Homes (Alcohol Awareness) Fall: 2, Spring: 1

Promoting Diverse and Inclusive Communities 2

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Extending the Learning Environment beyond the Classroom (Faculty Engagement) 1

Extending the Learning Environment beyond the Classroom (Academic Support) 2

Extending the Learning Environment beyond the Classroom (LLC Specific Programming) OR Team choice (for community without LLC)

3

Easing the Transition to Adulthood/Adulting (SY each semester, FY spring semester only) OR Increasing Persistence and Retention UNV 1-on-1 Curriculum Alignment (FY -- Fall Only)

2

Total Fall: 13, Spring: 12

These requirements include both active and passive programming opportunities. Always work with your supervisor to make sure your programming is meeting the needs of your residents and community. Some example ideas are listed below. Active Programming

● Workshops - facilitated by knowledgeable staff/faculty, residents come away learning a new skill (Career Center Resume Workshop)

● Trips - local, outside the state/country, can be co-sponsored by LLC/CLT/RHA (Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati)

● Social Events - no educational objective, typically in-hall, in quad ● Take-Tos - bringing residents to a university sponsored event (Late Night Miami) ● Trainings - SafeZone, Peer Hawk Educators, CPR training (4 hour and 8 hour), Trans* and Queer 101, Fire Safety Fair ● Educational Programs - Should have an educational objective (could be something practical such as doing laundry, cooking,

etc., or on a greater global level) ● Weekly Traditions – active or passive events that promote community building through weekly activity that brings together

corridor or building, i.e. going to dinner together weekly, a weekly question on a bulletin board ● Alcohol Alternative Programming – Typically hosted on weekends to provide alternative venues for socialization and the

consumption of alcohol ● Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Programming - Three “Programs in a Bag” have been shared via Google Drive. These

were created by the Office of Student Wellness and can be implemented by the Professional Staff or Resident Assistants. At least one SIVP program must be facilitated in each hall per semester.

Passive Programming

● Bulletin Boards - Themed, connected to one of the Pillars of Success. All bulletin boards must be covered in each residence hall. Bulletin boards in December/May should cover closing information and count as one of the bulletin boards for the semester..

● Toilet Talks - Relate to monthly relevant information (ex: black history month, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, etc.). Can also contain information about the residence hall. These are flyers that are posted in the restroom facilities.

● Newsletters - Like toilet talks but not in the bathroom (sent via email or print) ● Door Decs - Door decorations that are handcrafted by Resident Assistant staff. These have the names of the residents on

them and can also include other information about students such as hometown or major. ● Flyers – Generally distributed via RD mailboxes in Warfield and are posted on bulletin boards around the hall or placed by RA

doors ● Door Notes - Written forms of communication that are strategically placed on the entrance points of residents’ rooms to inform

them of events in the corridor/hall, that the RA needs to meet with them specifically, or messages of encouragement to brighten up their days.

● Guerilla Marketing - Sporadic points of promotion that disrupt the normal everyday expectation of individuals passing by. Ex: Having a RA flash mob or having RAs pass out cookies along with RA recruitment information to passersby.

RA/Resident 1:1 Conversations RA one-on-one conversations with residents are a significant strategy to help students achieve some of the goals and outcomes outline by the Pillars of Success.

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All RAs are expected to have a 1:1 with 75% of their residents. RAs will also complete a summary of each resident at the end of each semester. Because of the unique situation of both Heritage Commons and Elliot/Stoddard, your 1:1 requirements are slightly different. Your supervisor will share more details about this.

Good questions to ask during your 1-on-1 conversations with residents: Fall Semester Questions for all Students

● How are you? ● How is your relationship with your roommate? …housemates? …corridor-mates? … apartment-mates? ● What organizations or co-curricular activities are you involved in? ● So far, how has this year met, exceeded or not met your expectations? ● What leadership opportunities will you be pursuing this year? ● Are you planning to study abroad? How are you preparing for that experience? ● Have you attended any events that exposed you to different cultural views or social issues? What was that like? ● With who have you connected/befriended since coming to Miami? In what ways do you feel like you are part of the building

community/Miami community? ● What do you want to accomplish by the end of the semester?

Additional Questions for Upper Class Students

● How do you like living in our community? How is it different than last year? ● What is a significant experience from last year that will change the way you do things this year? ● Have you decided on a major? How has that influenced what you are involved in on campus? ● Who are your friends? How do you know them?

Spring Semester

● Have you read the Code of Love and Honor? What do you think about it? What resonates with you? ● What was your first semester experience like? Was it what you expected? ● What are you planning to do differently second semester? ● What extra-curricular involvement are you considering this semester? What do you do with your time when you are not in

class, studying or sleeping? ● How has your relationship with your roommate changed? ● How have you connected with the LLCs/AC/AN in our building? ● With what faculty or staff at Miami have you made a strong connection? ● What does a typical weekend look like for you? ● How have you changed as a result of being at Miami? ● When you move off campus next year, what responsibilities will you have as a resident of Oxford living among full-time

residents of Oxford? What will be your greatest challenge living off campus? Submit a Note if there is some issue you wish to record that is not recorded in an Incident Report

1. Log in to Resources for Current Staff at miamioh.edu/reslife 2. Click on the Strategies tab and click on “Resident Notes RA” in the drop down menu. 3. All of your residents will be listed. 4. Select the Note option in the far right column. 5. Input information about the resident that may not be appropriate for an incident report or observations about the resident you

would like to have on hand for their summary at the end of the semester. 6. Click “Submit.”

Sample Notes October 28: Kate came to me concerned about her roommate relationship with Grace. They have been having some issues with a consistent lights out time. Kate is going to talk to Grace before she involves me more. November 1: Met with Kate and Grace about the lights issue. We came to a common general time for lights out and both women seem happy with the result.

Community Agreements The Community Agreement process is meant to empower residents to make decisions about policies, behavior, and use of space/common property within a corridor or apartment community. Resident Assistants will facilitate these conversations. RAs will be

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provided with a Community Agreement Worksheet to help residents to reflect and prepare prior to coming to the meeting or during the first few minutes of the meeting. These documents are printed centrally by the Office of Residence Life. You will receive your corridor/community copies from your supervisor. Resident Assistants should direct questions to their supervisor. Roommate Agreements During move-in weekend, students who have a roommate will receive an email from the Campus Services Center instructing them to log in to MyCard so they can view and complete their online Roommate Agreement. Resident Assistants will discuss and encourage all residents to complete their Roommate Agreement during their corridor meeting. Our goal is to ensure 100% of these agreements have been submitted by each resident within the first two weeks of the semester. RAs should log into MyCard and click the My Roommate Agreement link in the menu. This will reveal a list of the RA’s residents. Red indicates the Roommate Agreement has not been started yet. Yellow indicates the Roommate Agreement has been started by not approved by all residents of the room. And green indicates that the Roommate Agreement has been completed and approved. RAs should review all of the Roommate Agreements of their residents. If it appears they have not submitted detailed responses or taken the process seriously, the RA should follow up with the residents. Resident Assistants should revisit the Roommate Agreements in the middle of the first semester. If a roommate conflict emerges the Roommate Agreement should be used and, if necessary, revised. Community Leadership Team All communities will have Community Leadership Teams to engage student leaders in three areas of focus: Living Learning Community/Themed Community implementation, advocacy/feedback, and community building. Resident Assistants will assist Professional Staff in recruiting students to participate in this departmental strategy. There will be a representative from each LLC/AC/AN in the community. The Residence Hall Association General Assembly Representative, usually the hall President, will be the representative of the Leadership Team for the hall. There are other options for leadership positions such as Vice President, Eco-Rep, Programming, Chair, etc. You can make it help best fit your community, so if there are multiple people running for President you could have co-Presidents. More training and direction will be provided at the beginning of the year from the RHA Executive Board. Hall/Corridor Meetings Agenda for RA Opening Corridor Meeting Agenda for the Community Agreement Corridor Meeting Suggested Agenda for Hall Closings (December and May) Corridor Meetings Suggested Agenda for Beginning of Spring Semester Corridor Meeting Community Welcome (Fall/Spring) Welcome should include an ice breaker of some sort. Playfair type events, larger icebreakers, people bingo, games that will have people talking. LLC/Affinity Community/Academic Neighborhood programming - Centered around your hall’s living learning communities or themes - may involve stakeholders. These could be on a large or small scale dependent on the size of the LLC. Welcome programming - Implemented within all housing structures. This could tie-in with themes at the University or building theme/LLC level. Community Connections (FY) - smaller scale programs on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night of Welcome Weekend that are held in the hall as an alternative to larger Welcome Weekend programs between 10pm-12am Strategy Evaluation Strategy Evaluations After hosting a program,, the RA should submit a Strategy Evaluation through the Resources for Current Staff website. The online evaluation will enable our department to:

● Assess our overall effectiveness at achieving some aspects of the Residential Curriculum ● Share effective strategies ● Report some of our strategies outside the department.

A copy of each strategy you evaluate will be sent to your supervisor. You will be able to edit the strategy evaluations which you submit. Only one strategy evaluation should be submitted per strategy, even if multiple RAs were involved in the planning. The form allows the submitter to indicate which other staff were involved in the implementation of the strategy. Programming Parameters

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Traveling Off Campus Staff may take advantage of many opportunities off campus including, but not limited to, Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield, Hueston Woods State Park, the Aronoff Theatre in Cincinnati, and the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. You have several options on transportation.

1. Students and staff carpool with their own cars. All drivers must follow state laws including carrying their own auto insurance. Note: staff may not drive a student to the hospital. Students who need to go to the hospital should call 911.

2. Professional Staff may rent a van from Enterprise Rent-a-car. Read all of the policies and procedures for use of a university van at the business services website.

3. Hire a bus company to take a large group of students off campus. Staff can search for a bus company or with enough lead time, the Office of Purchasing can put it out to bid by area bus companies. Another option is to contract with the Butler County Rural Transit Authority, the company that currently provides Miami Metro service. Your supervisor must be consulted when hiring a bus company.

Liability Waivers The Office of Residence Life currently does not require students or staff to sign Release of Liability Waivers to participate in programs on or off campus. Movies/Videos/DVDs ORL staff are required to comply with Federal Copyright Laws which govern the public display of protected materials including movies, videos, and DVDs.

● There are only two ways a staff member can show a movie legally in the residence halls: ○ Schedule programs around movies shown on television ○ Arrange for a legal license to show a particular movie to our group (very expensive).

● Residence hall programs do NOT qualify for the Educational Exemption, only videos shown in a class as part of the curriculum qualify (among other regulations to qualify).

● Residence hall living rooms are not considered "part of students' home" under this federal law. ● Staff ARE permitted to use short clips from movies (minutes long) as part of a program. ● The Federal Copyright laws apply regardless if the movie is owned by the staff member, the University (King Library) or is

rented from Netflix or Movie Gallery. ● For more information, consult the RA's Guide to Legal Movie Usage, provided by Residence Life Cinema, the company that

provides movies for MU's Channel 17. Sex/Sexual References in Publicity Many staff members implement programs about sexual health because these issues are important to college-aged students, and also because many students tend to show up to programs about sex. Staff have also used references to sex to promote programs even when the program has nothing to do with sex. It is important to plan and implement these programs and marketing ideas in ways that are effective but do not send messages not intended to be sent. Following are guidelines for how staff might achieve those two outcomes:

● Do not make wrong assumptions such as, "Everyone is having sex," or "People who are not having sex wish they were having sex."

● It would be impossible to write an effective policy statement governing the creation of advertising materials. A good barometer for appropriate advertising is to assume your grandmother, the Vice President for Student Life, the entire MU Board of Trustees, and the Governor of Ohio will see your advertising materials. Respect students rights to privacy including their right to not talk about sex. There must be a non-threatening way to opt out of any program or initiative. Be direct. If a program is about sex, make sure that is clear. If a program is not about sex, do not mix in sexual matters that are out of place. For example, using condoms as poker chips for a casino night or implementing "condom olympics" may compromise the previous three points.

● Consult with your supervisor if you are unsure about how a program, initiative, or advertising may be perceived. Contracts Miami University requires a contract for any person, organization, or business not affiliated with the University that is providing a service for Miami students, staff, or faculty. This includes, but is not limited to, theatrical or musical performances, facility usage fees, equipment rentals, fundraising services, and so on. If you would like to contract with an outside agency, contact your supervisor. Contracts may take 4-6 weeks for approval, plan ahead for your event.

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Program Planning Basics 1. Assess the needs and interests of your hall

● Observe and predict ● Ask and use questionnaires

2. Brainstorm! ● What type of program will meet the need of your residents? When will be the best time to offer this program? Is this

program educational/how can this program be more educational? ● Is there any way to utilize resources on and off campus for this program? ● How can this program be interesting and exciting? Would you go to this program?

3. Define specific goals for your program ● What Pillars of Success does this address? ● How will this program help build community? ● What will residents walk away with from this program? ● What will residents learn?

4. Use & check resources ● In-hall: Is anyone else doing this program? Is there enough money in the budget for this program? Is there enough

support on staff for the program? Bounce ideas off of supervisor, peers, and residents. ● The Resources for Current Staff Page ⇒ On the main page, click on “Resident Curriculum Catalog” or “Diversity and

Inclusion Resources” depending on what you need. 5. Begin planning by setting a date and location

● Are there any conflicts with the time you've decided on? (Holidays, weathers, exams, etc.) Consider all options for location and reserve space if necessary. Does your program have any special needs? (Equipment, parking, stage, sound, etc.)

● Create a deadline calendar and stick to it! 6. Develop a budget

● Be creative. Great programs do not always have to be expensive! 7. Confirm plans

● Communication is key! Write confirming emails/letters; keep a copy for yourself. ● Finalize room reservations/set up needs.

8. Publicize ● Target your audience. Be creative. ● Advertise with your program in mind! ● Fliers are one of the best ways for advertising

○ Use some websites such as Canva.com to make advertisements for your programs ○ Location is important too - think of where your residents walk past each day: mailboxes & bathrooms

9. Execute the program ● Be there early and make sure everything you will need is there. ● Be flexible and creative if things don't go exactly as planned. ● Greet performers/speakers and introduce them to other staff members, etc. ● Keep the program on schedule. ● Be prepared to pay the performer/speaker if pre-arranged. Always thank them for their time. A thank-you note is

always encouraged. ● Have an opportunity for participants to evaluate the program. ● Clean up!

10. Evaluate the program ● How well did the program go? Were the program goals met? How could the program be improved?

Delegation Part of the fun of doing a program is getting people involved in the planning and implementing of an event. Don't try to do everything yourself because it will be too time consuming and your enthusiasm and energy will not hold up for long. Building a sense of community in your residence hall doesn’t come solely from presenting programs, but by also involving other people in the planning process. Most people will support and attend a program that they participated in planning. Delegating can be helpful in many ways. It allows more residents to get involved, helps distribute the workload, and gives residents a chance to "show-off"; additionally, residents feel a greater sense of ownership of the corridor.

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Delegation does not require RAs to do it all themselves, but it does require them to know their residents and to be committed to educating them in becoming involved. Creating a sense of community means having confidence in other people’s abilities and allowing them to express their talents.

● A few ways RAs can delegate: ○ Ask for volunteers. Give those people involved positive reinforcement for the work they are doing. Tap the resources

and talents of the residents. ○ Spread the “good” tasks around, while sharing in the more menial tasks.

● Some delegation obstacles to be aware of: ○ Lack of knowledge about residents’ skills ○ Lack of incentives to motivate residents ○ Ineffective time management ○ Lack of confidence in others

Social Media Account Management Many of our halls currently have social media accounts mostly instagram) and often RAs (and sometimes CLT) have a collateral to manage the account. Please review the following guidelines when utilizing an account for your community. It’s important that those who have access to post through the accounts are keeping the following in mind:

● These accounts represent the department and University and ensure that you are posting in ethical ways. ○ Use appropriate language and topics ○ Instagram accounts should be public, which means parents and future students could be following ○ Assume Dr. Bell-Robinson, Dean Moore and Dr. Brownell will see what you’re posting (they, and their offices, do

follow many of our hall accounts) ● Think about our Pillars of Success and how your post is in line with them (or not, it’s ok to not specifically target a Pillar) ● If you are doing a take-over of the ORL account or having residents take-over your account, please see these guidelines ● Do not use your own email or Facebook to create the original account. The RD/AC of your community should do the initial set

up of the account with an entity account email (example: MapleRidge@miamioh.edu is the ‘holder’ of the Maple and Etheridge insta).

● Ensure that your RD/AC has access to the current password. Supervisors will be keeping this account information in a central location in case of staff turnover.

As a public university, Miami respects freedom of speech and will not violate First Amendment laws, so posts should not be removed unless they betray protected information, are spam or off-topic, or are otherwise illegal. Under the First Amendment, posts on a typical, open social media site (i.e., the Miami Facebook page) cannot be limited based on the content of the speech/expression, with the exception of posts that break laws or that materially interrupt the work and discipline of the university or interfere with the opportunity of other students to obtain an education. In a closed site (such as the Miami Class of 2018 site for accepted students or a closed Hall Facebook group) the site administrator cannot limit the content (what is said) of a post, but can determine:

● Who can post ● How long posts can stay up ● Number of times a person can post ● The topics discussed ● Each Miami University Facebook site must contain the following disclaimer in the “About” section:

○ “We welcome your opinions, and encourage open discussion about the topics we post. If we become aware of messages that contain advertising, are off-topic, are intended to defame, infringe someone’s rights, or are violations of the law, we reserve the right to remove them.”

University Policies & Protected Information Policies Related or Connected to Social Media When engaging in any social media activity as part of official duties at Miami, employees are governed by the same policies that govern all other electronic communications. Employees must not violate university computing, privacy, IT, FERPA, NCAA, intellectual property, branding, freedom of speech or other state, local or federal policies and laws. This section applies to disclosure of protected information while engaging in social media activity (1) during employment at or while conducting activities for Miami, or (2) as part of the employee’s official duties. Such employees/individuals must follow all applicable state, federal, and local laws, such as FERPA, NCAA, and HIPPA, and policies found in university faculty and staff handbooks and

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the brand identification and standards manual. Any content that violates any of these, or contains/leads to a student’s private or personal information, is strictly prohibited and should not be posted by employees or others using the site. Violations must be reported immediately to University Communications and Marketing. FERPA Protect confidential information covered by privacy laws, especially FERPA: "The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education." Those who conduct social media activities for Miami must not engage in any conversations or post any information regarding student records. Some examples of student records include names, admission status, GPA, Social Security numbers, and any other information that would be covered by FERPA. If students request help, employees can direct them to a secure discussion platform, such as phone, email, or a link for more information. HIPAA Protect confidential medical records as specified by HIPAA: “The privacy rule protects all 'individually identifiable health information' held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate, in any form or media, whether electronic, paper, or oral.” Examples of protected information include: “…the individual’s past, present or future physical or mental health condition, the provision of health care to the individual, or, the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to the individual, and that identifies the individual or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe can be used to identify the individual.” NCAA Miami employees and individuals are required to abide by NCAA regulations when interacting and communicating on social media platforms. Employees may not contact (i.e., tweet or friend/like) prospective student-athletes on social media until after they have signed a National Letter of Intent with the school. Please contact Miami’s Office of Intercollegiate Athletics for any clarification or questions in connection with this policy. Personal Business Transactions. The university does not endorse or use any social network Internet communication service or media sharing service as a secure means of communication for online business transactions or matters involving personal information. The university will not ask for, nor may an individual send, credit card or payment information, classified information, privileged information, private information or information subject to non-disclosure agreements via any social network Internet communication service. Copyright and Fair Use Respect copyright law. "Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed." Fair use allows portions of certain works to be used without consent under specific situations; however, "The safest course is always to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material."

Crisis Intervention and Critical Incidents (by alphabetical order) Alarm Clock Going Off An alarm clock going off for a prolonged period of time can be disturbing to the community.

● Attempt to make contact with the residents in that room, including (but not limited to) knocking on the door and calling the residents.

● Elevate Masterkey card access on your ID card using the online system ● Get another ORL staff member to enter the room with you. ● Knock once more, announcing “This is _______, the RA, and I will be entering your room.” After a moment you may enter the

student’s room. ● Deactivate the alarm. ● Leave a note for the resident that specifies the day, time, and reason you entered the room, and who entered the room. ● E-mail your supervisor.

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Bomb Threat The following procedure should be used whenever a staff member receives a bomb threat:

1. Via Phone- Remain calm. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible, by asking the caller to repeat the message and informing the caller that the building is occupied and a bomb could do serious harm to the occupants. Do not ask the caller’s name (caller may hang up). Ask the caller: how much time there is to evacuate, what time is the bomb set to explode, what is the location of bomb, what is the type of bomb, and does caller want to hurt anyone?

2. Record accurately all information relayed by the caller while noting the time of the call, background noises (such as machinery, radio or TV, cars running) and voice characteristics such as accent, grammar, tone, loudness, gender, age, and nervous inflections.

3. Immediately contact the Miami University Police (513-529-2222), identify yourself, and relay all the above information. 4. Next, immediately contact your supervisor. If your immediate supervisor is not available, contact the RD-on-Call

(513-330-2005). Take no further action unless specifically told to do so by the Miami University Police. The Miami University Police makes the necessary contacts to obtain a decision to evacuate and issues these instructions. Cutting/Self-harm

● Inform your Supervisor or the RD-on-Call 513-330-2005 immediately. ● Build a rapport with the student. Help to get the student out of the intense moment they’re experiencing. Help them to calm

down. ● Be direct:

○ Ask if the individual hurt themself. ○ Ask if they have done this before. ○ Ask if they have cut themselves in places other than the area you’re aware of. ○ Ask if they are experiencing any suicidal ideation. ○ Ask if they have received past treatment for this behavior.

● Assess severity: If medical assistance is needed, call MUPD at 513-529-2222 ● Write an Incident Report.

Death of a Student If a person dies in or around your residence hall:

1. Call MUPD at 513-529-2222 immediately. 2. Call your supervisor. If they are not in, leave a message and call the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005). 3. Do not disturb the scene. 4. Follow the instructions of your supervisors and emergency personnel. 5. Expect a significant amount of support and follow up for you and your residents from many members of the University

community (including but not limited to: Student Affairs Professional Staff, University Police, Student Counseling Service staff, ORL staff, etc.).

Drugs If you suspect or observe a resident possessing or using drugs, you should follow the following procedures:

1. Contact MUPD (513-529-2222). 2. Contact your supervisor. Leave a message if you cannot contact your supervisor and then contact the RD-on-Call

(513-330-2005). 3. Document all information through incident report and duty log.

Eating Disorder

● Talk with your supervisor about what you have noticed, or what others have shared with you. ● When confronting someone who you think has an eating disorder, it is very important to discuss specific behaviors that you

have observed (i.e., you hear the person vomiting regularly in the bathroom and see them coming out; you have noticed significant weight loss; you see the person working out for long hours at the gym, etc.). Refrain from sharing stories that others may have shared with you.

● Openly and honestly share your feelings, concerns, and observations with the person. It is very important to be supportive and caring when sharing your concerns.

● Do not shame the individual. It is important to remember that the person is struggling with a disease. ● Do not accidentally support the person's obsession by commenting about their weight. Most of us think we are being

supportive and encouraging when we tell someone, "you look GREAT - you've lost some weight!" Such comment supports the notion that weight is something that defines their worth. This is different from making an observation about someone who has

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lost a drastic amount of weight and bringing your observation to their attention. Saying, "I'm concerned because you seem to have lost a lot of weight, and I'm afraid you may have an eating disorder," is a gentle, supportive way of expressing your concern.

● Help the individual get into counseling to address their eating concerns. Contact the Student Counseling Service for individual or group counseling to address eating concerns or to consult about an individual/friend you may be concerned about. Call 513-529-4634, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for an appointment. You can also contact the Health Center at 513-529-3000.

Emergency Maintenance/Physical Facilities There are times when a maintenance matter requires immediate attention. Some examples of situations requiring immediate maintenance attention are listed below:

● Presence of bodily fluids (blood, semen, vomit, feces) in public spaces ● Security compromised (unsecure door or window, broken exterior window, fire alarm panel sounding, fire door disabled) ● Widespread damage (running water, debris present, toilet overflowing) ● Danger present (broken glass)

How to call: ● Between 7am and midnight (12am) contact the PFD Service Desk at 513-529-6111 or MUPD at 513-529-2222. ● Between the hours of midnight (12am) and 7am the next day, when calling emergency maintenance at 513-529-6111, a

recording will be heard indicating that MUPD should be called. If MUPD is called for this purpose, MUPD dispatchers will contact someone from PFD to respond based on the severity of the emergency and the availability of the on-call staff. If the on-call staff is already responding to another situation, the response to a particular call may be delayed a short time.

● Write an incident report whenever emergency maintenance is necessary. Fire Alarm A fire alarm may be activated for any number of reasons including, but not limited to, the following: Fire in the building. When there is an actual fire in the building (such as Bishop Hall in 1999 and Havighurst Hall in 2006), regardless of the scale of the fire, many people will be involved in responding to the incident such as the Oxford Fire Chief, MUPD Police Chief, Director of Residence Life, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Dean of Students, and so on. The role of the residence life staff in such a situation is crucial. You will be instructed by supervisors on your role which may include helping to take account of residents, helping to keep residents together and calm, helping to implement alternative housing for residents, and communicating with residents. It is important to wait for instructions from your supervisor. Activation from cooking, aerosol, humidity or system malfunction. Even if you of your residents are sure that the alarm was not caused by an actual fire, everyone must leave the building. Emergency Evacuation Drill . The Office of Environmental Health and Safety may periodically implement an emergency evacuation drill in your residence hall. Residence life staff may not be notified of when the fire simulations will take place. The simulations are designed to teach residents the appropriate manner of evacuating the building. It is important to implement effective fire simulations so residents are prepared to react in case of a real fire. Illegal, false activation. Any person who activates a fire alarm any time other then when a fire is encountered or suspected is breaking the law. When identified, the individual will face judicial action and may face criminal charges. Residence life staff can be helpful in identifying an individual who falsely activates a fire alarm. Residence life staff can deter such incidents from occurring by communicating to residents the severe consequences from such conduct. Responsibilities During an Alarm:

● All staff and residents should follow the guidelines described in the Regulations for On-Campus Living. ● Staff are not expected to knock on doors or check resident rooms when the alarm sounds. This kind of activity may put the

staff members at risk. ● All staff and residents should meet at a designated meeting area outside of the building (since each hall is different, the

meeting spot will be communicated to staff in the beginning of the academic year). ● Staff are not expected to stop to enforce violations of policies in the Guide to Residence Hall Living. We do not want to deter

evacuation of the residence hall. Evacuation of the building is the priority at this time. ● Staff should await instructions from an official (University Police, Physical Facilities, Oxford Fire Department, etc.) in case of a

real fire. ● When MUPD gives the all clear signal, it is safe for students and staff to re-enter the building.

Procedures During an Alarm:

● If you see smoke or fire:

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○ Pull alarm to start evacuation of the building. ○ Contact Miami University Police (513-529-2222). Inform of smoke and/or fire. Communicate location of fire if

possible. Inform of any other facts. ○ Make sure no one is re-entering the building. Guide residents from the building to the designated meeting area once

they are out of the building. ○ Staff should encourage residents to stay in the meeting area, especially if there is an actual fire. RAs should

determine to the best of their ability if there is anyone left in the building. Ask residents if their roommate is outside. If not, was he or she in the building, out-of-town, or elsewhere on campus. If someone is left in the building, relay room number to Police/Fire Department.

○ If the building’s Professional Staff member is unavailable, contact the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005) to inform of a fire in the building.

○ If necessary, find shelter for residents during inclement weather (e.g., another hall, dining hall, academic building). ○ RAs may receive supplemental instruction from their supervisor(s), Central Staff Member, RD-on-call or the police.

● If there is currently no smoke or fire visible, but the alarm is sounding: ○ Make sure no one is re-entering the building. Guide residents from the building to the designated meeting area once

they are out of the building. ○ Staff should encourage residents to stay in the meeting area, especially if there is an actual fire. RAs should

determine to the best of their ability if there is anyone left in the building. If someone is left in the building, relay room number to Police/Fire Department.

○ If necessary, find shelter for residents during inclement weather (e.g. another hall, dining hall, academic building). ○ RAs may receive supplemental instruction from your supervisor(s), Central Staff Member, RD-on-Call or the police.

General Emergency Evacuation Information

● If a fire or other emergency requires immediate evacuation of the building, the building fire alarm should be activated. ● Upon hearing the alarm, all occupants must:

○ Dress for existing outdoor conditions and make sure you have your student ID. ○ Close windows and prepare to leave your room. Before opening the door, feel it; if it is hot, do not open the door. If

the door is cool, brace your body against the door and open it slowly; check the hallway for smoke. If it is safe to proceed, close the door behind you and move quickly to the nearest exit. Be prepared to crawl if necessary.

○ If upon feeling the room door you discover that it is hot, do not open the door, insulate the door bottom with towels or other materials, wet if possible. Leave the room light on and open the outside window; use a white or brightly colored towel or piece of clothing to signal rescuers. While awaiting rescue, try to telephone Miami University Police (513-529-2222) from your room to let them know that you are trapped. Then make a rope of blankets, sheets, or anything else that is available in case you must lower yourself to the ground. Do not attempt to jump from the window if you are more than one floor above ground level. Do not panic.

○ During evacuation if you find the hallway blocked by excessive smoke or flames, follow the same procedure as above, returning to the room and closing the door. Know how many doorways your door is from the nearest exit and remember to count them on your way out. If you have to turn back, you will then know how many doors it is back to your room. Again, don't panic; wait in your room for rescue. During evacuation, remain quiet so you can hear instructions.

○ Upon evacuation of the building, go to a point at least 50 yards beyond the outside door through which you exited. Your residence hall should have a pre-designated place to meet once outside the building in emergency situations. It is important that everyone be accounted for. Do not leave the area until you have been accounted for. It is important that the authorities be able to account for everyone.

● After the building has been evacuated, it must not be reoccupied until an authorized all clear signal is given. Incident of Discrimination If a member of your community is a victim of a hate crime or if they feel like they have been harassed based on some aspects of who they are, follow these general guidelines:

● Assess if any emergency medical attention is needed. If so, call University Police at 513-529-2222. ● If this is a hate crime (if you are unsure, please call MUPD at 513-529-2222), please refer to the MUPD website on Clery

Reporting. ● In an appropriate setting, listen to the individual or those reporting on behalf of the individual. ● Ask questions about the nature and details of the incident. ● Assess if the individual is still threatened. If so, call the University Police at 513-529-2222. ● Assure them that you want to help them address the incident

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● Write an Incident Report. ● Notify your supervisor who will work with you and the resident to make a plan for addressing the situation. If your supervisor is

not available, leave a message with basic information about the incident. ● If the student wishes for some other immediate intervention and you cannot reach your supervisor, contact another member of

the Professional Staff, the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005), or Office of Equity & Equal Opportunity. For more information, check Out Miami University's "No Hate" Response to Bias-Based Incidents. Mental Health Concern

● You are expected to contact your supervisor in the event of a mental health concern. If your immediate supervisor is unavailable, please contact the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005). Your supervisor (or other Central Staff member) will contact (or ask you to contact) other University personnel, should the situation warrant it.

● In the case of an emergency situation requiring immediate assistance from the Student Counseling Service staff during office hours (Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm), a call to the front desk from either a Professional Staff member or from you will allow you to inform the receptionists that an emergency situation has developed. The Student Counseling Service has emergency hours available for crisis clients or consultation regarding developing emergencies everyday, usually in the early afternoon. You will be offered those times, if appropriate.

● If the need is more immediate and you feel, in consultation with your supervisor, that you cannot wait until the next available hour, please clearly inform the receptionists that this is an emergency situation that requires immediate intervention.

Minors on Campus Should a situation involve a violation of law by a person younger than 18 years of age - be it a student or non-student - that occurs on your corridor involving MUPD, typically MUPD will contact the parents/guardians of the minor and request their presence or the name of a relative into whose custody the minor will be placed. ORL staff cannot be custodians of minors or telephone parents/guardians of family members. Please contact your supervisor if you have any questions about this protocol. Parents/Family Members Parents/family member are our partners in helping students to be successful in college. If a parent or a family member calls you:

● Listen to their concern. ● Communicate a value, such as "Mrs. Smith, I am concerned by what you are saying. That's not how we hope students'

experience will go." or "I am sorry <your student> is having that experience." ● Make a plan with them that does not necessarily include you calling them back. ● You should not spend a lot of time talking with parents. They can take a lot of your valuable time. If a parent wants more than

a few minutes, refer them directly to your supervisor. Immediately notify your supervisor of the concern and nature of the contact with the parent.

● You should not deal with angry parents. Refer them directly to your supervisor. ● Do not divulge any information about their student to the parent. Let your supervisor decide what information is appropriate to

be shared with the parent Party It is not against any specific university policy to have a lot of people in a residence hall room. There are, however, very specific underage alcohol possession and consumption and noise policies that exist to maintain a positive living environment. If you come upon a party in a residence hall room, follow these general procedures:

1. Call a colleague to assist: one person can observe peripheral activities such as the number of individuals involved, counting the number of alcohol items, etc. and the other person can record information, engage in discussion and Identify those involved.

2. Confront individual or room (knock on the door a few times and identify yourself). Ask them to turn off their music if it is too loud to hear and talk.

3. Visually assess if anyone in the room needs any medical attention. 4. Ask for everyone's name and/or ID card. 5. Have the residents gather all the alcohol in the middle of the room in preparation to be thrown away. 6. Make note of all the alcohol, and then have the resident dispose of the alcohol. If there are filled bottles, escort the residents to

the bathroom and have them dump it out. 7. Ask everyone to quietly leave the room. 8. Let them know that you will document the situation and they could be contacted for follow up. 9. If there are several people and the situation is unmanageable, call your supervisor or the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005)

immediately.

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10. Do not physically block anyone from leaving the room. If you feel threatened or suspect that anyone inside the room needs medical attention, contact the University Police (513-529-2222).

11. Document the situation in an Incident Report. Provide as much details as possible in the IR such as the locations of individuals, any visible signs of intoxication, direct quotes (if applied), etc.

12. Record situation on duty log. Refusal to Comply with Staff If you confront a situation (e.g., loud noise, party, etc.) and the residents refuse to open their door or otherwise fail to comply with your reasonable request, be mindful of your primary objectives:

● Ensuring the health and safety of residents ● Maintaining an appropriate living/learning environment in the residence hall

Follow these steps: 1. Clearly identify yourself. 2. Do not enter the room unless permitted by the resident. 3. If they do not open the door, alert them that you will document the residents for failure to comply. 4. Leave the room and document them for failure to comply. (Don't threaten this action if you do not intend to carry it out.) 5. If you reasonably suspect that the health and safety of any resident is at risk, let them know you are going to contact the

Police. If they do not respond, contact University Police at 513-529-2222. 6. If there is still blaring noise from the room, let them know you are going to contact the Police. If they do not respond, contact

University Police at 513-529-2222. 7. Write an IR about the situation. 8. Record situation on duty log.

Roommate Conflict

● If one roommate comes to you with issues/concerns and wants you to assist, you should first ask, "Have you talked with your roommate about this?" If not, advise them on an appropriate way to discuss it. Make a plan to follow up in within one day. No resident should ever feel like the RA told them to..."deal with this on your own."

● If they are unable to work it out themselves, the roommate should let the other resident know that they want you to help mediate the situation. The other roommate(s) shouldn’t be surprised by your presence when you approach them about the matter.

● When meeting with the roommates, have the roommate agreement on hand to use as a tool in starting conversation. ● When beginning the conversation, set up ground rules (no interrupting, no raising voices, no swearing or disparaging

language, use “I” statements, etc.) ● If both roommates are very angry, try to separate them. ● You talk with one roommate, while another RA or your supervisor talks to the other individual. ● If you feel that both cannot spend the night in the same room, ask if either of them would volunteer to stay with a friend or

determine if one of the residents needs the use of a safe space. If a safe space is needed, contact your supervisor or the RD-on-call [513-330-2005].

● Listen to each side of the situation, and take notes to help you summarize what they’re saying. Your role is to remain neutral, keep the roommates focused, and collect information.

● If they are not combative, encourage the roommates to address one another when sharing their concerns. ● After everyone has shared their story, summarize the main issues that were raised and ask the roommates to brainstorm

realistic ways to improve their situation. Remind each roommate that small steps toward improvement need to be recognized and positively reinforced.

● Roommates should give themselves a week to try out the new roommate agreement. Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Sexual and interpersonal violence is one of the most devastating and harmful experiences that a person can experience. Your initial response can greatly impact how the students involved respond to the reporting process, feel about recovery and resources, and cope with what has occurred. Throughout this guide, individuals who have experienced this violence will be referred to as “accuser” and those who have been accused will be referred to as “accused”. Sexual and interpersonal violence (SIV) includes:

● Sexual misconduct (sexual assault, sexual exploitation, indecent exposure) ● Domestic Violence

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● Dating Violence ● Stalking ● Sexual Harassment

For full definitions, see: Title IX Protocol- Student, Definitions Although every person reacts different, generally students involved in SIV situations may experience:

● Having had power taken away from them ● Blaming themselves for what happened ● Feeling humiliated ● Known and/or trusted the accused ● Physical and emotional wounds

Your objectives when working with a resident include: ● Show that you trust the person ● Support them ● Provide them with options and allow them control the situation whenever possible ● Give them resources and options

Follow these general steps when you learn that a resident has experienced one of these violations: 1. Ask if they are physically ok or need any immediate medical attention 2. Be an Active Listener 3. Convey that you believe the resident 4. Convey that you trust and respect them 5. Convey that what happened was not their fault 6. Offer them some resources:

a. RESOURCE GUIDE b. Sexual Assault Response Coordinator / Deputy Title IX Coordinator c. Women Helping Women: 6 S. 2nd Street, Floor 8, Hamilton, OH 45011

i. 24-hour Hotline: 1-877-899-5610 ii. On campus: 513-431-1111

d. Miami University Student Counseling Service: 513-529-4634 e. Miami University Health Services Center: 513-529-3000 f. Miami University Police: 513-529-2222 g. City of Oxford Police Station: 513-523-4321 h. McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital: 513-523-2111

7. If the student asks you to keep the situation strictly confidential, let them know that although you understand their concerns you are part of Miami’s safety and support team. As part of this team, you will provide information about this incident to a few select people (police, director supervisor, sexual assault response coordinator).. The purpose of sharing this information is to get the residents involved resources, support, services, and options. It is up to them whether they want to talk to anyone else. Although you cannot keep this confidential, you will keep it as private as possible.

8. Make a plan with the resident on how you are going to report and also to speak with them again later. 9. Contact your supervisor and the police immediately after speaking with the resident. If you cannot reach your supervisor, leave

a message and call the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005). 10. Work with your supervisor to follow up with the resident.

Title IX Protocol- Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures for Students at Miami University Miami University is committed to maintaining a healthy and safe learning, living, and working environment and to creating an environment that promotes responsibility, dignity, and respect in matters of sexual and interpersonal conduct. Sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual harassment (Title IX violations) are strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. Any person, regardless of gender, can be a victim/survivor. This Protocol applies to both on-campus and off-campus conduct,

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academic, educational, co-curricular, athletic, study abroad, and other University programs. By providing resources for prevention, education, support, investigation, and a fair disciplinary process, Miami University seeks to eliminate all Title IX violations. The University is dedicated to preventing Title IX violations by providing:

● Education and prevention programming informing the community about the risks and myths that contribute to sexual misconduct and interpersonal violence, bystander training.

● Assistance and support, including interim support measures and accommodations. ● Processes for reliable and impartial investigation and adjudication that include appropriate disciplinary sanctions for those who

commit Title IX violations including suspension and dismissal. ● When a Title IX violation does occur, the University will take appropriate steps to end the harassment, prevent its recurrence

and remedy the discriminatory effect on the reporter and others, as appropriate.

Miami's Protocol is designed to comply with applicable state and federal laws. Miami University reserves the right to modify or deviate from this Protocol when, in the sole judgment of the University, circumstances warrant, in order to protect the rights of the involved parties or to comply with the law. This Protocol is not intended to and will not be enforced so as to infringe upon First Amendment rights, including the right to academic freedom. This Protocol describes how the University typically responds to reports of Title IX violations involving students. It also:

● Provides guidance for students who have been the victim/survivor of a Title IX violation. ● Outlines the University's student disciplinary response to alleged conduct violations. ● Identifies the relevant places within the University responsible for the Protocol and programs associated with it.

The complete protocol is available online at: Title IX Protocol- Students. The following sections are available in the protocol: ● Introduction ● Definitions ● Duty to Report ● Reporting Violations ● Confidentiality ● Crime Alerts / Emergency Notification ● Resources and Support Services ● Investigation and Disciplinary Action ● Legal Options ● Education and Prevention ● Appendix A - Ohio Criminal Offenses

Sexual Assault Response Coordinator / Deputy Title IX Coordinator Jennifer Young is serving in this role as an interim. She is a mandatory reporter and is the primary university responder for matters of Sexual and Interpersonal violence involving students. She is available during regular business hours throughout the academic year to meet with students who need guidance about the process. Students will become aware of support, medical services, and reporting options. Jennifer is also available for consultation with ORL staff regarding any questions or concerns they may have. On Campus Confidential Support Specialist Sierra Clippinger is a confidential on campus support specialist who offers resources, services, options, and advocacy services to victim/survivors of sexua and interpersonal violence. She is a staff member at Women Helping Women, an advocacy agency that provides resources to victim/survivors of all genders. She is typically available Monday through Friday 10am-6pm in Shriver 304Q, sclippinger@womenhelpingwomen.org, or by call or text at 513-431-1111. Solicitors in the Building Solicitors in resident halls and campus apartments are restricted and only allowed under certain conditions. Click here to understand the parameters regarding solicitation.

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Suicidal Ideation/Attempt If you are informed by other residents or you witness a member of your community talking about suicide or acting in a way that suggests suicide (hopelessness, saying goodbye, complete change of character) you should:

● Take every situation very seriously, even if they say they were kidding. ● Directly confront the individual in an appropriate setting: ask, "Did you hurt yourself?" "Have you thought about killing

yourself?" or “Have you thought about suicide”. If yes, "Have you thought about how you would do it?" (Note: if an individual has a plan or a method, it is considered a much more serious situation compared with someone who is talking about it but has no plan. You should report the suicidal thought, regardless of whether they have a plan)

● Ask them questions to get them talking about why they are feeling that way. Listen. ● Express your concern for them. ● Ask the student to come with you to Student Counseling Services or call your supervisor to get them to an on-call counselor

after hours. ● Let them know you will be talking with them again soon. ● Contact your supervisor immediately. If they do not answer, leave a message and contact the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005). ● Write an Incident Report.

Attempted Suicide If you are informed or if you or others suspect that a member of your community has attempted suicide (examples of evidence: a witness or empty pill bottle present) you should:

1. Contact the University Police immediately at (513-529-2222). 2. Contact your supervisor immediately. If your supervisor is not available contact the RD-on-Call (513-330-2005) or any other

member of the Professional Staff. 3. Stay calm. 4. Make mental or written notes of the situation so you can accurately report it to the first responder. 5.

Even if there is no direct evidence, but you suspect someone has attempted suicide, take that suspicion seriously and follow the above steps. Theft

● Advise the student who has had something stolen to give a statement to the University Police 513-529-2222. (Even if the item was inexpensive and there is no hope for recovery, reporting the theft to the Police can help them identify a rash of robberies which may assist with an investigation or may result in an official Police bulletin warning against theft.)

● Write down the details of the incident to inform your supervisor. Tornado and Inclement Weather The most likely natural disaster that might affect residents of this area is a tornado or severe wind and rainstorms. Tornadoes develop from severe thunderstorms. They are usually preceded by very heavy rain and/or large hail. A thunderstorm accompanied by hail indicates that the storm has large amounts of energy and may be severe. In general, the larger the hailstones, the more potential there is for damaging winds and/or tornadoes. Peak tornado season in Ohio is generally April through July, but tornadoes can and have occurred at any time, during any season.

● Despite Doppler radar, tornadoes can sometimes occur without any warning, allowing very little time to act. It is important to know the basics of tornado safety. Know the difference between tornado watches and tornado warnings.

● The safest place to be during a tornado is a basement. If the building has no basement or cellar, go to a small room (a bathroom or closet) on the lowest level of the structure, away from windows and as close to the center of the building as possible.

● Try to avoid areas with large glass windows, large rooms and wide-span roofs such as dining halls. ● If you're outside, find shelter immediately by going to the lowest level of a nearby, sturdy building. Sturdy buildings are the

safest structures to be in when tornadoes threaten. Winds from tornadoes can blow large objects, including cars and mobile homes, hundreds of feet away.

● Crawling under a large object such as a bed or table will provide protection from falling objects. Large open living or recreational areas offer the least protection.

● In the case of a tornado MUPD will likely send an alert message to all VOIP phones, outdoor phones, and phones registered to receive emergency text messages.

There are two types of advance warnings issued by the US Weather Service in regard to tornados: ● A tornado watch is issued when climatic conditions are right for the formation of tornadoes. During this period remain tuned to

local radio stations for further developments and prepare to seek shelter in the event a tornado is sighted.

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● A tornado warning is issued when a tornado is actually sighted on radar or by visual sighting in the area. Persons should seek shelter in the event of a warning. When a tornado warning is issued, the emergency alerting sirens located in each corner of town will be sounded as well as the sirens on the university police vehicles. The siren tone is a constant wail that continues for three minutes. The siren tone will be reactivated every 15 minutes for the duration of the warning period. There is no "All Clear" signal. Persons should stay tuned to local radio stations to find out when the danger is past.

Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness encourages Ohioans to DUCK! ● D - Go DOWN to the lowest level ● U - Get UNDER something ● C - COVER your head ● K - KEEP in shelter until the storm has passed

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Feedback and Evaluation Overview There are many different ways we give and receive feedback in the Office of Residence Life. Some are through formal evaluation and assessment while others are more informal such as follow-up conversations and optional surveys. Some of the feedback is used for employment and placement decisions, but most of the feedback and evaluations are used to help us improve our effectiveness as individuals on staff and our effectiveness as an office. Listed below are appropriate means of feedback. Direct Feedback Staff at all levels are encouraged to give feedback directly to any other member, at any other level of staff when they wish to discuss any matter. Such feedback should be given in an appropriate manner (time, place, venue, etc.). Such feedback can be about an individual's performance or conduct, or about any policy or practice in the Office. Staff are encouraged to consult with their direct supervisor before giving feedback to another member of the ORL staff. Staff are expected to give direct feedback to their supervisor, both positive and constructive feedback. If you wish to consult with someone before you give feedback to your supervisor, one option is to speak with your supervisor's supervisor. Ongoing Feedback Using one-on-one meetings, weekly reports, staff meetings, and informal conversations, there should be a constant flow of feedback to and from your direct supervisor. If at any time, if an RA feels like they are not able to give critical feedback to their direct supervisor, it is then appropriate for them to talk with their supervisor's supervisor. Performance Evaluation Process In November we embark on a formal, department-wide, written evaluation process that includes residents, Resident Assistants, Professional Staff, and Central Staff. The formal evaluation form becomes a part of one's employment file. Generally, each phase of the evaluation process includes a meeting to discuss evaluations. In April, the Resident Assistants receive one more formal evaluative piece in the form of a summative letter. Resident Evaluation of Community & Resident Assistant Residents' evaluations of their RA are integrated into a campus-wide survey (the Assessment of Living and Learning; ALL Survey) administered in November. The e-mail sent to students will be signed by their RA on behalf of the Office of Residence Life. Staff should encourage residents to complete the ALL Survey. Reminders will be sent to students who do not respond to the survey. The results for each RA will be e-mailed to each supervisor. The information from residents on the ALL survey will be shared with the RA by their supervisor in Spring. RAs Complete the Following Evaluations:

● RA Self-Evaluation - Pillars RA Self-Evaluation (old) ○ Save this as a PDF document and e-mail to your supervisor. ○ Due Date: 11/15/19

● RA Evaluation of Supervisor ○ Complete Google form linked above to provide feedback to your supervisor(s). This will be accessible to Central

Staff and will be shared with the supervisor in aggregate. ○ Due Date: 12/6/19

Professional Staff Complete the Following Evaluations: ● Evaluation of RA (old) ● Evaluation of RA (old but fillable) ● Eval of RA - Pillars

○ Review hard copy with your RA; then submit with self-evaluation to your Assistant Director of Residence Life. ○ Completed & to Assistant Director by 12/12/19

Supervisors take all information into consideration when creating the RA evaluations. At some point between 11/15/19 and 12/6/19 RA supervisors will schedule an evaluation meeting at which the supervisor hands the RA evaluation to the RA. The evaluation is

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discussed and, if necessary, amended. Then the evaluation is signed by the RA and supervisor. A copy of the evaluation is given to the RA. The supervisor gives all evaluations to their AD for review and placement in employment files. Commendation When a Resident Assistant’s performance is outstanding or exceeds expectations supervisors are encouraged to recognize the staff member in the following ways:

● Write a letter of commendation to the RA, “cc” a copy of the letter to your supervisor, and make sure a copy of the letter is placed in the RA’s personnel file in 211 Warfield Hall.

● Provide additional opportunities for growth and leadership on the staff or in the community. For example, if an RA is an excellent programmer, find out if the RA would be willing to work with other RAs on the staff to improve their programming.

● Seek opportunities for growth and leadership within ORL or at the University. For example, if an RA excels at roommate intervention, find out if the RA would be willing to co-facilitate future RA training on roommate conflict mediation.

Remediation Resident Assistants are students first, and the position of Resident Assistant can be a challenging one for many students. Usually, when a Resident Assistant does not meet performance expectations, the supervisor of the RA, the Professional Staff member, is expected to guide the development of the Resident Assistant. This is done by

● clearly indicating to the Resident Assistant that they are not meeting performance expectations, ● mutually developing a plan for meeting expectations in the future, ● creating a timeline by which improvement is to be shown, and ● assessing the outcomes of the plan.

In most cases, this conversation and plan should be documented in writing so that expectations and consequences are clear. However, in some circumstances, the decision to end the employment of an RA can occur due to a singular breach of the responsibilities/expectations of all RAs. Dismissal Regardless of whether a decision to end the employment of an RA stems from one event or a pattern of not meeting expectations, any decision to end employment of an RA is serious. Because Resident Assistants are "at will" employees, either the Office of Residence Life or the RA may end the employment with or without notice and with or without cause. In most situations, the supervisor of the RA will be the person making the decision to dismiss an RA from their position. Therefore, the steps that should be taken to end the employment of an RA usually are:

1. If a supervisor believes a Resident Assistant should be dismissed, they should draft a letter which clearly states the reasons supporting the decision. This letter should be reviewed by the Assistant Director of Residence Life to whom the supervisor reports prior to its dissemination. When disseminated to the RA, a copy of the letter should be provided to the appropriate Assistant Director, as well as to the Assistant Director in charge of RA Recruitment and Selection. Furthermore, a copy of the letter should be placed in the RA's file in the central office.

2. Within the letter of dismissal there should be a date by which the RA can request an appeal of the decision to dismiss. Normally, this date should be three working days from the date of the letter.

3. In most circumstances, the RA facing dismissal will be relieved of all duties and they may be relocated to another residence hall space.

4. If the RA wishes to seek a review of the decision to dismiss, the RA must submit a letter in writing to the Associate Director of Residence Life whose supervisory responsibilities includes the RA. This letter must be received by the deadline indicated in the letter of dismissal. The reason[s] why dismissal should not occur must be clearly stated. The Associate Director will assign the review to another Associate or Assistant Director of Residence Life. The assigned Associate or Assistant Director will meet with the RA to review the matter and render a decision in writing to the RA. When this letter is disseminated to the RA, a copy of this letter should be provided to the supervisor of the RA, the supervising Assistant Director, and the Assistant Director in charge of RA Recruitment and Selection. Furthermore, a copy of the letter should be placed in the RA's file in the central office.

5. There are no other Residence Life reviews. Should an RA believe their dismissal was unlawful, they may address their concerns in writing to the Director of Compensation, Employment & Technology, Miami University, Department of Human Resources, 501 E. High Street, Oxford, OH 45056.

RA Grade Review and EDL301 Completion The academic success of the Resident Assistants in the Office of Residence Life is important. Our terms of employment state that Resident Assistants must be above and maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.5. This cumulative GPA is checked at the end

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of each semester (December/May) to verify that all new and returning RAs have the appropriate GPA to start/continue employment with our office. Due to shortened terms, grades/performance from Winter and Summer terms will not be considered if it will negatively impact a staff members employment; conversely, if grades have a positive impact, they will be considered. The following lays out our policies for how we communicate with RAs regarding the cumulative GPA if it falls below the minimum requirement or is concerning to our office. New RAs (have not started employment with our office):

Cumulative GPA is below 2.5 Offer is Rescinded Communicated by: AD in charge of RARS The offer rescinding is final and not subject to appeal.

Returning RAs:

Cumulative GPA below 2.5 Dismissal Communicated by: AD in charge of RARS

Cumulative GPA between 2.5-2.69 Academic Reminder Communicated by: Team AD/Supervisor

All RAs:

Semester GPA below 2.5 Academic Reminder Communicated by: Team AD/Supervisor

EDL301:

Final Grade of C- or lower Dismissal Communicated by: AD in charge of RARS The dismissal is final and not subject to appeal.

The AD in charge of RARS will run RA grades in May and December. All appeals of dismissals due to cumulative GPA go through an Associate Director of Residence Life. We also wish to celebrate the academic accomplishments of our RAs. All RAs who receive a semester 4.0 GPA will receive a letter of commendation from the Director the Residence Life.

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